Hundreds of women who have sued Uber for sexual assault recently won a procedural victory in federal court. The Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation granted their petition to have all pending federal cases transferred to the Northern District of California for consolidated pretrial proceedings in multidistrict litigation (MDL). What does that mean? What is the Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation? And why is pretrial consolidation a victory for these women? Let's talk about the cases, break down the Panel's decision, and then consider its potential impact on the ongoing l ..read more

Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis' racketeering case against Donald Trump and 18 of his lawyers, former lawyers, and allies appears to be gaining momentum. First filed in mid-August 2023, the indictment lays out a long list of alleged crimes committed by Trump and his team in the aftermath of Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Trump faces 13 felony charges in the case. Many of the charges are predicated on or informed by Mr. Trump's well-publicized actions, including an infamous call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Ra ..read more

With the recent execution of a Texas inmate that was in part facilitated through SCOTUS's use of the so-called "shadow docket," there is another example of the increasingly controversial – some would say "scary" – use of this judicial method. 48-year-old Jedidiah Murphy, capitally sentenced for fatally shooting an elderly woman during a carjacking, questioned both the evidence against him and the safety of the lethal injections used by the state. He asked the courts to halt his execution while these questions were being investigated, and they did – until SCOTUS stepped ..read more

Two minor league baseball teams have gone to the Supreme Court with a simple request: Put an end to the rules that have protected Major League Baseball from antitrust liability for over a century. It's hardly the first time MLB's antitrust immunity has been challenged in court, and it remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will take their side. At issue is a consequence of MLB's 2020 restructuring. The sea change saw MLB cut the number of minor league affiliates from 160 to 120 and restricted major league teams from affiliating with more than four minor league clubs. The minor league tea ..read more

Instagram started as a fun way to share personal photos or funny videos. It has now exploded into a massive business for social media influencers trying to reach the market of 2.3 billion Instagram users. An influencer is someone who posts on social media platforms, attracts followers, and advertises products or sponsored content for which the influencer receives compensation. You can start as a micro-influencer with less than 100,000 followers and grow into a macro-influencer with 1 million followers. To start, you should create an Instagram account and marketing campaign to attract an engage ..read more

In a recently announced settlement, the U.S. will grant legal status to children from migrant families who were separated at the border by immigration authorities under the Trump and Biden administrations. The settlement results from a 2018 lawsuit filed by advocacy groups, including the ACLU, and it will apply to nearly 4,000 children separated from their families as part of a zero-tolerance policy toward unauthorized border crossings between 2017 and 2022. The agreed settlement is backed by the Department of Homeland Security, but it still awaits final approval from the judge presiding ..read more

Is there anything more controversial in the United States right now than guns? Some argue that citizens have an unconditional right to "bear arms" under the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Others argue that it's more complicated than that, especially when it comes to subjects related to children. Some argue that more laws and regulations are required, while others believe that the current laws go too far. Wherever you land on the political spectrum, guns are a fundamental part of American life. But who has the right to own them? SCOTUS Expands Gun Rights Despite ..read more

A federal judge in San Diego, California recently ruled that a background screening company Kentech Consulting must face a jury trial over claims that it got a woman fired because of an inaccurate and outdated report it produced back in 2014. Job seekers, potential job seekers, and anyone who may be worried about the contents of a future background check should pay attention to the outcome of the case, as it may have significant implications on how background checks are conducted in the future. Virginia Abrogina applied for a job with a company called Alere, Inc. in January 2014. She got some ..read more

Carlee Russell said she saw a toddler walking along the side of I-459 in Hoover, Alabama. The boy was wearing nothing but a diaper, lacking any kind of adult supervision, and clearly up past his bedtime. This struck her as unusual. One doesn't normally expect to see unaccompanied babies taking nightly strolls along the side of interstate highways. The then 25-year-old Russell stopped on the side of the interstate and called 911 to report the incident, then called her brother's girlfriend to share what she saw. Things went from strange to horrifying during the second call. Russell approached th ..read more

If your parents don't have basic estate planning documents, it can cause chaos when one or both of your parents get sick or die. And major decisions will fall on you and your family members to sort it out. And if you have a blended family, things can become more complicated. There are three essential documents for a simple estate plan: A healthcare directive A financial power of attorney A last will and testament These documents help let you know what your parents want if they become sick, unable to manage their affairs, or pass away. What Is a Health Care Directive? A healthcare direct ..read more