Over the last few decades online reviews have become an accepted part of online life. Consumers have a wealth of review information to choose from, and they can even post reviews directly to your Google+ Local profile. How can you manage reviews? Here are four steps to help. 1: Pay attention Set up search engine alerts for [...]

Since the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, a renewed debate over gun control has taken hold across the U.S. The typical arguments in this debate are whether and what types of new restrictions on gun ownership should be implemented (e.g. background checks, assault weapons and high capacity magazines, etc). To [...]

16 Admiralty 16II Remedies and Procedure in General 16k28 k. Grounds of Proceeding in Rem. Doctrine of in rem liability of vessel applies where owner of vessel has entrusted control to a third party, and under this doctrine, charterers, pilots, and stevedores are considered to be in lawful possession, whereas pirates, mutineers, and “like” people are not. Churchill v. F/V [...]

Westlaw Topical Highlights for Labor and Employment provides summaries of significant federal and state judicial decisions and legislative and administrative activities affecting labor and employment law.  A Westlaw subscription is required to access the documents linked from this page. 1. Benefit Plans: Fund and trustees were not entitled to default judgment for amounts purportedly owed as late contributions or [...]

The new  Westlaw Journals blog  brings you litigation headlines in over 30 substantive areas of law.  Here are some highlights from the past week: Supreme Court sides with Monsanto in seed patent case : In a victory for patent owner Monsanto Co., the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that farmers may not reproduce the company’s patented seeds by planting and [...]

Last week’s post discussed how to properly set your clients’ expectations to ensure that they are as satisfied with your work as possible. Although setting proper expectations serves many purposes, its use in the context of ensuring client satisfaction is to increase the likelihood that your clients will refer you to their family and friends. As [...]

145 Electricity 145k12 Injuries Incident to Production or Use 145k16 Defects, Acts, or Omissions Causing Injury 145k16(7) k. Proximate Cause of Injury. Height of first step on utility pole was not a cause in fact of accident which occurred when plaintiff came into contact with electrical line carrying approximately 8,000 volts where plaintiff’s decision to climb pole was made as [...]

This is the last of a short series of posts I’ve been doing on the substantial changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (“Rule”) in 16 C.F.R. Part 312 that become effective on July 1, 2013.  As you may know, the Rule has been developed and enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) to implement [...]

Securities and Exchange Comm’n v. Eli Lilly & Co. (D. D.C.) Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Pays SEC $29.4M for Illegal Foreign Bribes 2013 WL 1151851 Settlement Summary 2012 WL 6630871  Complaint Note: The links above are intended for Westlaw users. You will be asked to sign on to Westlaw before being taken directly to the document. Publish Your Cases [...]

35 Arrest 35II On Criminal Charges 35k60.4 What Constitutes a Seizure or Detention 35k60.4(2) k. Particular Cases. Driver of stolen car who was attempting to elude police was “seized” for purposes of Fourth Amendment, when police officers placed 18-wheel truck completely across highway in path of flight. Brower v. County of Inyo, 109 S.Ct. 1378 (1989) [...]

“Why should I read this?” Every time a reader or potential client visits your blog, this is likely to be the first thing that goes through their mind.  You have to quickly convince them that your content is interesting and valuable. Fail to provide useful content and you’ll lose readers. How can you keep your audience? [...]

(Editor’s note: We have previously covered the Supreme Court’s ruling in  Bowman v. Monsanto Co . last week.  Here’s another view on the case.) To paraphrase “Jurassic Park,” that enduring classic of 1990s cinema, nature always finds a way . But apparently, so do agribusiness giants. Last Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that farmers could not use copies of Monsanto’s genetically engineered [...]

Many pre-law students who are facing a tough legal job market say they plan on pursuing a law degree, not to practice, but to get a competitive edge in the business world. Kaplan Test Prep surveyed more than 200 pre-law students who took a Kaplan LSAT prep course. Only 5 percent of those surveyed listed salary as [...]

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, documents released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and various U.S. Attorneys’ offices paint a confused picture regarding the current state of electronic mail privacy.  The documents indicate that the FBI takes the position that it can review electronic communications, including [...]

Did you know that in 2012 over 300,000 cases were added to WestlawNext™? The law is ever-evolving. The status of the cases you cited in your pleadings may have changed over the course of litigation. You have to be confident that you are relying on the strongest precedent to make effective arguments. On WestlawNext, KeyCite® [...]

115 Damages 115III Grounds and Subjects of Compensatory Damages 115III(A) Direct or Remote, Contingent, or Prospective Consequences or Losses 115III(A)2 Mental Suffering and Emotional Distress 115k57.19 Intentional or Reckless Infliction of Emotional Distress; Outrage 115k57.25 Particular Cases 115k57.25(1) k. In General. Restaurant’s denial of entry to customer’s untrained service puppy was not extreme or outrageous conduct under California law, as would be intentional [...]

This series of blogs  gives the reader a perspective on the rights, duties, and responsibilities of employers and employees with respect to digital sexual harassment in the workplace. Part Three. Judicial Response to privacy in the workplace  In this installment on preventing sexual harassment, I will look at the judicial response to privacy in the workplace and the [...]

In our “Today in Legal History” series, we cover a wide variety of historical legal events. Some, such as last week’s Nix v. Hedden Supreme Court case ruling that tomatoes are vegetables, not fruits, are somewhat amusing. Others, such as  March’s Minor v. Happersett Supreme Court case ruling that women have no constitutional right to vote (before the ratification of the [...]

92 Constitutional Law 92XVIII Freedom of Speech, Expression, and Press 92XVIII(Q) Education 92XVIII(Q)2 Post-Secondary Institutions 92k2006 Access to Facilities and Other Public Places; Public Forum Issues 92k2008 k. Outside Persons or Organizations. Photographer had no First Amendment right to access to graduation ceremonies at state universities, for commercial purpose of taking photographs of graduates and later soliciting sale of such photographs, although [...]