News Roundup

News Roundup (2398)

Litigation Financing Gaining Acceptance in the U.S.

The U.S. legal system is growing increasingly hospitable to investment firms that bankroll high-stakes lawsuits over business disputes in exchange for a cut of the proceeds. So repots The Wall Street Journal.

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PA Voter ID Law Struck Down

A state judge last week stopped the implementation of a Pennsylvania law requiring voters to produce approved photo identification. So The New York Times reports.

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Convicted Murderer Entitled to Sex Change: 1st Circuit

In a first-of-its-kind ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit last week held that the Department of Corrections must provide a sex change operation for a transsexual murder convict suffering from gender identity disorder. So reports the Boston Globe.

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Couple Wins $1.1M Malpractice Suit Against Maine Lawyer

A couple late last month won $1.1 million in a lawsuit against the prominent Maine attorney who represented them in their case against the New York-based agricultural conglomerate that caused them to lose their potato seed farm. So reports the Portland Press Herald.

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New Year Ushers in Some Unique Laws

This Wall Street Journal’s “Law Blog” post provides a rundown of some of the more interesting new laws taking effect in 2014, including an Oregon law that establishes a $500 penalty for smoking in a car accompanied by a passenger who is younger than 18.

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Are Laws’ Cute Names Distorting Legal Process?

Was the “Defense of Marriage Act” an appropriate name for a law that denied federal benefits to gay couples married in states that allow those unions?

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Recreational Marijuana Use Advocates Gaining Ground

Colorado last month became the first state to sell marijuana for recreational use and Washington state voters have approved the retail sale of recreational pot, though shops have yet to be set up there. So reports CNN.com.

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Many Law Schools’ Official Rankings Inconsistent With Their Reputations

TaxProfBlog editor Paul Caron lists the law schools whose U.S. News and World Report rankings do not jibe with their academic reputations.

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New Rules Require Vending Machines to Post Calorie Info

New rules that are a part of President Obama’s healthcare law overhaul will require 10,800 companies that operate 20 or more vending machines to display calorie information on the machines. So reports the Associated Press.

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Courts Render Disparate Opinions on NSA Surveillance

Deciding a lawsuit brought by the ACLU, a federal judge in New York last week ruled that the National Security Administration’s mass collection of telephone data is a necessary response to terrorism and does not violate the U.S. Constitution. So reports the Los Angeles Times.

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