On December 10, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an 8-0 ruling on Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, making a potentially profound stride in protecting states’ abilities to regulate prescription drug prices. The unanimous opinion was authored by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, with a concurrence submitted by Justice Clarence Thomas.... Read More »
Every state requires prospective lawyers to be screened for character and fitness before admission to the bar. Once admitted, all state bars are expected to provide oversight that assures their members act ethically to advance the rule of law and protect American democracy. But recent actions by both public and... Read More »
After failed negotiations with the state, the Department of Justice has officially filed a lawsuit against Alabama in an attempt to correct poor prison conditions that have led to prisoner-on-prisoner violence, homicide, suicide, and inadequate medical support for inmates. In the lawsuit, the DOJ indicates that “The State of Alabama... Read More »
The US Supreme Court has backed New Mexico over a contentious battle with Texas over water obligations lasting decades between the two states. At the very heart of the lawsuit are evaporation and its impact upon the commitment by New Mexico to deliver water from the Pecos River to the... Read More »
The Department of Justice finalized a decision amending the current law on immigration appeals that will further restrict which cases can be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). In the name of “consistency, efficiency, and quality of adjudications,” the Department... Read More »
The new national security law passed by China for the Hong Kong region this past June has been the catalyst for a growing exodus of Hong Kong activists and protestors from the city. The law, which was kept secret until after it was passed, has 66 articles. The articles span... Read More »
On December 11th, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied motions to dismiss the False Claims Act lawsuit regarding pharmaceutical companies Allergan and Adamas. Allergan and Adamas allegedly falsified data in order to obtain a series of patents for two medications: Namenda XR and Namzaric.... Read More »
Richard DeLisi is believed to be the nation's longest-serving inmate on a marijuana-related charge according to The Last Prisoner Project. This past Tuesday, DeLisi was released from custody after serving 31 years of a 90-year prison sentence in Florida on marijuana trafficking charges. His charges included racketeering and trafficking 100lbs... Read More »
On December 7, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases involving Holocaust survivors and property that had been taken from them before and during World War II. Both cases reached the High Court, not for final adjudication, but to resolve the question of whether or not... Read More »
The leader of a terrorist militia group has been found guilty of hate crime charges after a Minnesota mosque bombing in 2017. Michael Hari, 49, is the founder of an alt-right militia group called "The White Rabbits." The FBI has deemed the militia organization a domestic terrorist group. According to... Read More »
A fitness studio owner in Wichita, Kansas, is suing the state for compensation over restrictions that led to his fitness studio shutting down and reopening with restrictions. The lawsuit, which was filed in Sedgwick County District Court, claims that Kansas unlawfully used the business' private property as a way to... Read More »
With so many states finding creative ways to keep their economies going during the pandemic, Florida is looking to have some temporary changes made during the pandemic turn into permanent ones. And in true Florida fashion, the state is starting with its alcoholic beverage laws. Florida’s newest senator, Jennifer Bradley... Read More »
The Trump administration outlined a plan for federal executive agencies to design, develop, and use “trustworthy Artificial Intelligence” to assist in accomplishing their missions. Executive Order 13960, signed on December 3, 2020, recognized that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has improved the “operations, processes, and procedures” of agencies and businesses already. This... Read More »
The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a final rule on December 4, 2020, that revises its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Previously, under NEPA, liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport license applications required an environmental review, but only sometimes. If the shipments were going to countries with... Read More »
The former adviser to President Trump and co-founder of Breitbart Steve Bannon is now fighting criminal fraud charges with a new attorney: Steve Costello, who also happens to represent Rudy Giuliani, the personal attorney for the president. Bannon’s prior attorney, William Burck, withdrew from the criminal case on November 5... Read More »
