June, 2022

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The Graying of America’s Prison Population

The Crime Report

Despite a decline in prison populations over the last 15 years, the number of people serving sentences of life without parole (LWOP) has continued to grow. According to a report released Thursday by The Sentencing Project, the worst is yet to come, as a large swath of people serving life without parole are growing into their elderly years. “Older incarcerated people describe sentences of life without the possibility of parole—with the expectation that they will die in prison—as particularly crue

Statute 142
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Freedom House report accuses Rwanda of transnational repression

JURIST

Freedom House released its complete report on transnational repression Thursday where it accused Rwanda of being one of the worst offenders. Transnational repression is a phenomena where a country will suppress dissent and target dissidents outside of its borders. The report documented the anti-repression policies of nine countries: Canada, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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10 Things We're Glad Have Changed in the Paralegal Profession

Paralegal Brief Submitted Articles

Are you new to the paralegal profession? Have you been a paralegal for years? Read the top 10 things we're glad have changed for legal professionals.

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Cherry-picked history and ideology-driven outcomes: Bruen’s originalist distortions

SCOTUSBlog

Share This article is part of a symposium on the court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. Saul Cornell is the Paul and Diane Guenther chair in American history at Fordham University and adjunct professor of law at Fordham Law School. The majority opinion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen invokes the authority of history but presents a version of the past that is little more than an ideological fantasy, much of it invented by gun-rights a

Laws 145
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Recipe for a Failed CLM Implementation

Selecting and implementing CLM technology can be daunting, leading to underutilization or abandonment. Factors like provider differentiation, inadequate planning, and lack of user training contribute to these failures. Recognizing these pitfalls is crucial for successful adoption, ensuring organizations harness the full potential of CLM for streamlined contract management.

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Why Johnny Won: An Explanation Of The Jury’s Decision In Depp v. Heard

Above The Law

Examining the decision strictly on legal grounds, it is understandable why the jury decided in Depp’s favor. The post Why Johnny Won: An Explanation Of The Jury’s Decision In Depp v. Heard appeared first on Above the Law.

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Google Earmarks $8M for Job Skills Training for Formerly Incarcerated

The Crime Report

Google announced Wednesday that the company will be dedicating an additional $8 million to its justice reform work initiatives, particularly to help formerly incarcerated individuals reaccess the job force through training and by supporting the development of a national automatic clearance tool for criminal records. . Half of Google’s $8 million investment will go to a new Grow with Google Fund. $4 million will facilitate programming to build digital and career skills for at least 100,000 former

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Germany unveils plan to deregulate legal name and gender change process

JURIST

The German government Thursday presented plans to make it easier for transgender people to legally change their first name and gender, ending the current rules which require an expert assessment and court authorization. Under Germany’s current “transsexual law,” which was put in place under the Transgender Act of 1980, individuals are required to go through a lengthy process of obtaining assessments from two experts and a court decision in their favor.

Legal 274
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Guest Post: Climate Litigation in Japan: Citizens’ Attempts for the Coal Phase-Out

ClimateChange-ClimateLaw

By Yumeno Grace Nishikawa, LLM*. The Supreme Court of Japan may soon weigh in on a growing field of climate litigation in Japan against coal-fired power plants. On May 6, 2022, the Citizens’ Committee on the Kobe Coal-Fired Power Plant filed an appeal to Japan’s Supreme Court in Citizens’ Committee on the Kobe Coal-Fired Power Plant v. Japan , their case challenging the legality of a governmental approval that allows for the construction and operation of new coal-fired power plants.

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Announcement of opinions for Friday, June 24

SCOTUSBlog

Share On Friday, June 24, we will be live blogging as the court releases opinions in one or more argued cases from the current term. Click here for a list of FAQs about opinion announcements. The post Announcement of opinions for Friday, June 24 appeared first on SCOTUSblog.

Court 145
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Contract Lifecycle Management: A Business Enabler Exploring On-Ground Challenges

CLM tools have always strived to push contract management into the digital age for almost 30 years. But the complexities of digitising a legal document are numerous. The current scenarios in business development have shown that having a fully automated CLM has become a mandate for every law firm and in-house legal department. To determine if you need a CLM system, it's essential to clearly identify the on-ground business challenges you aim to solve.

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Quick Ways To Refresh, Optimize, And Modernize Your Legal Resume

Above The Law

While a resume is the initial threshold to land an interview, it’s no longer a laundry list of your tasks, job functions, and responsibilities. The post Quick Ways To Refresh, Optimize, And Modernize Your Legal Resume appeared first on Above the Law.

Legal 145
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Design Patent: Invalid as Unduly Functional

Patently O

by Dennis Crouch. Golden Eye Media USA v. Evo Lifestyle Products ( Fed. Cir. 2022 ) (nonprecedential). Evo’s design patent claims an “ ornamental design for a foldable bag ” as shown in the figures above. This style of bag is known as a “trolly bag” in the UK and is used in shopping carts (trollies) to maintain order in reusable fashion.

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New Michigan Law Empowers Police to Seize Cash at Airports

The Crime Report

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed two bills ( HB 4631 and HB 4632 ) that expand civil forfeiture at airports, making it much easier for law enforcement to seize, and permanently keep, cash and other valuables from travelers without requiring a conviction, Forbes reports. While Michigan did reform its civil forfeiture laws less than three years ago by approving a criminal conviction provision for airport seizures, it only applied to cases where the owner fought back in court (a costly and

Laws 138
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China announces ban on industrial projects to combat climate change in key zones

JURIST

China Friday announced that it will ban new steel, coking, oil refining, cement, and glass projects in key zones to combat climate change by lowering pollution and carbon emissions. The plan establishes a zoning system to reduce carbon emissions. The zones classify urban areas, main agricultural production areas and key ecological function areas. It is “strictly forbidden” to increase the production capacity of steel, coking, oil refining, electrolytic aluminium, cement, and flat gla

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California Civil Discovery Act Undergoes Significant Overhaul

Short article looking at the new CCP 2016.

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Families of criminal defendants are scammed by con artists watching Zoom hearings

ABA Journal

Scammers posing as prosecutors and court personnel are watching Zoom hearings and collecting money from families of criminal defendants who want to win release of…

Court 131
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Court strikes down Maine’s ban on using public funds at religious schools

SCOTUSBlog

Share The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Maine violated the Constitution when it refused to make public funding available for students to attend schools that provide religious instruction. The opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts was a broad ruling, making clear that when state and local governments choose to subsidize private schools, they must allow families to use taxpayer funds to pay for religious schools.

Court 145
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Alex Jones Lawyers Want Off The Connecticut Sandy Hook Case

Above The Law

No, this isn't another ploy to postpone the trial. Why ever would you ask that? The post Alex Jones Lawyers Want Off The Connecticut Sandy Hook Case appeared first on Above the Law.

Lawyer 138
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Lawyers: Why Is It So Hard to Ask for Help?

Attorney at Work

Asking for help is crucial to your success, both personally and professionally. Here are five ways to get better at asking for it and accepting it. Lawyers are expected to always know the answers, handle the pressure and not make mistakes. Wow! No wonder our jobs can cause us so much stress! Even when we are meeting these unrealistic expectations, we can benefit from letting others help us.

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Dangers of Digital "Reporting": Legal Risks and Unreliable Transcripts

In the world of legal proceedings, the choice between a certified stenographer and digital "reporting" holds significant implications. Certified stenographers go through rigorous training and testing and stand as the gold standard for accuracy in capturing every word. Their expertise ensures a reliable record, a crucial foundation for legal cases.

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Drug Addiction Falls on Americans’ List of Concerns: Poll

The Crime Report

Despite an increase in overdose deaths, the number of individuals who said drug addiction is a major problem in their community fell by from 45 percent to 37 percent between 2018 and 2021, r eports the Pew Research Center. Additionally, some 44 percent of Americans living in areas where drug overdose death rates climbed by more than the median increase between 2017 and 2020 said drug addiction was a major problem in their community in 2018.

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Americas human rights body urges El Salvador to respect rights of detainees

JURIST

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Friday urged the El Salvador government to comply with international human rights obligations in its treatment of over 36,000 Salvadorans detained during its state of national emergency. The El Salvador government declared a nationwide emergency on March 27, reportedly to combat a spike in gang-related killings.

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Uvalde, Texas, police had no legal duty to act, experts say; Supreme Court precedent cited

ABA Journal

Police in Uvalde, Texas, are unlikely to face civil liability for failing to rush in to confront shooter Salvador Ramos, 18, at Robb Elementary School…

Legal 139
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Divided court rejects death-row prisoner’s attempt to gather neurological evidence

SCOTUSBlog

Share The Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt another blow to prisoners challenging their state-court convictions and sentences in federal court. In a 5-4 decision in Shoop v. Twyford , the justices limited the ability of federal courts to use the All Writs Act to order states to transport prisoners, even when such transport could help prisoners investigate whether their convictions are unconstitutional.

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Optimizing Contract Management and Enhancing Team Collaboration: Insights from a Legal Operations Perspective

Speaker: Adina Marta Newman

Learn about a world of effective contract management and seamless teamwork across departments in this upcoming webinar from Cobblestone Software. You'll discover practical strategies and tips that legal professionals can use to streamline contract processes and enhance collaboration, making significant impact across legal and corporate departments. Join us as we show how you can supercharge contract processes, improve team communication, and take your contributions to the next level.

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Lawyers’ Mental Health Suffers When They’re Viewed Only As Billing Machines By Their Firms

Above The Law

How can law firms improve attorney wellness? By valuing associates as more than profit centers. The post Lawyers’ Mental Health Suffers When They’re Viewed Only As Billing Machines By Their Firms appeared first on Above the Law.

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5 Tips for Better Law Firm Collaboration

Rocket Matter

Some lawyers may be tempted to go full Perry Mason and try to save the day on their own, but that doesn’t usually end like the TV show. In fact, your law firm suffers if people refuse to work together. To keep your clients coming back again and again, the members of your firm need… Read More » 5 Tips for Better Law Firm Collaboration.

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Why Do We Keep Missing Potential Teen Shooters?

The Crime Report

Memorial in Boston’s Copley Square for the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Tx. Photo by (Jesse Costa/WBUR. Last week we experienced yet another senseless school shooting. Nineteen elementary school children and two teachers in the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Tx., lost their lives. Three weeks earlier, a racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, NY claimed the lives of 10 African Americans shopping at a supermarket.

Education 131
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Uber and Lyft drivers file class-action lawsuit to block price fixing

JURIST

Uber and Lyft drivers Tuesday initiated a class-action lawsuit alleging that the two companies engaged in price fixing which “increase[d] customer prices even while suppressing driver pay.” The complaint alleges that vertical price fixing under California’s Cartwright Act is per se illegal and harmful to both drivers and riders. The plaintiffs asserted that if they are truly independent contractors as drivers, then drivers should dictate the price their customer is charged.

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Visibility Into the Strategy & Supporting Documents of Major US Law Firms

Law Firm Intelligence by Trellis aggregates state trial court data across the Trellis platform enabling users to: look up a particular metric related to a specific law firm (such as, how many cases a law firm had or has against another law firm), and see the actual dockets and documents supporting the metric. Trellis data is maximized in a revolutionary and unique way to provide users an exclusive look into a law firm litigating in state trial courts.