Top 10 in Law Blogs: One year since COVID

By Michelle Newblom on March 12, 2021

We’ve passed the one-year mark of the start of the pandemic and international quarantining. This week’s batch of law blogs focuses on just that, taking a look at how our world has adapted to and changed as a result of COVID-19, as well as current legislation surrounding the workplace and the virus. Though there is now a clear light at the end of the tunnel with vaccines becoming more and more accessible, the transition to a virtual world also poses many data privacy questions that some of our top legal bloggers have answered this week.

Top 10

One year later: Five post-COVID-19 considerations for healthcare employers

We’ve been living in a COVID world for over a year now, and Michael Bertoncini of Jackson Lewis has anticipated five questions that healthcare employers may have when things return to “normal.” He writes an easily scannable post that poses a question and provides a succinct answer—such as “Will COVID-19 vaccinations become an annual event?” on the blog Healthcare Workplace Update.

Texas power outages threaten mass litigation: Should potential defendants be shaking in their cowboy boots?

Following the winter storm that devastated Texas and left millions without electricity and water, a number of lawsuits have arisen against the state’s primary grid operator. Carrie Garrison of Porter Wright discuss how defendants should react and what they should know. She organizes her post in different sections, making it digestible and easy to follow along, published on Energy Law Report. To sum it up, it’s likely that defendants will be protected from mass litigation regarding weather-related claims.

Climate and stakeholder litigation: Why does it matter to companies operating In Brazil?

From Luiz Gustavo Bezerra and Gedham Gomes of Mayer Brown, this post illustrates a great title that off the bat explains what the article will be covering. They explain how climate and stakeholder litigation will affect the private sector and its relevancy in Brazil. Again, this post demonstrates good blogging strategy as it is organized by sections—covering existing precedent and compliance concerns. More information is available at Eye on ESG, one of Mayer Brown’s newer blogs.

Labor law under the Biden administration: A preview of the PRO Act

Another great example of blogging done right, Amy Harwath and Michael Correll of Reed Smith author this post on the PRO Act and how it has the potential to reinvigorate traditional labor if passed. They have a great lede and go on to provide a bulleted list of the key things to note from the act and what employers need to be paying attention to on Employment Law Watch—such as redefining the definition of “supervisor” and changing the definition of “joint employer.”

What are mental health apps doing with our data?

In the last year, the popularity of mental health apps has risen, in large part due to mental effects from the pandemic. Kathryn Rattigan of Robinson & Cole explores the data privacy issues behind these apps. She authors a clear post in an understandable, casual tone that explains the gray area of law that most of these apps operate in. Her post—on Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Insider—closes out recommending that users check out the privacy policy before disclosing their data.

Step aside California: Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act becomes law

This in-depth post from Ropes & Gray provides a detailed look at the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act now that it is officially law. They give an overview of the act and its relation to the California Consumer Privacy Act, discuss its applicability and scope, exemptions, enforcement, and more at RopesDataPhiles. It’s a great post to check out for those who will be directly impacted by the law, and those curious about privacy legislation.

Changes ahead: Title IX Regulations revisited by Biden Administration

In May of last year, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spearheaded Title IX Regulations that caused a ton of controversy. Now, Biden has signed an executive order calling for a review of the existing regulations. Brionna Denby of Cohen Seglias explains what may happen after the current Secretary of Education conducts a broad review and issues her report. The full post is available at A Closer Look: Internal Investigations.

Visiting the Doctor in a virtual world provides business opportunities in Telehealth

Health care services have been transitioning to an online world largely in response to the pandemic. Sean Williamson of Norton Rose Fulbright writes a detailed post that’s broken up into digestible sections. He starts by explaining what exactly Telehealth technology is, the recent Telehealth market boom, and the implications this will have for those invested in it on Deal Law Wire.

Rabbits rejoice – end of animal testing in China … kind of

The regulations for animal testing of cosmetic products in China have changed slightly, to many companies’ relief. King & Wood Mallesons takes a look at the history of animal testing worldwide—particularly in the cosmetics industry—and the changing of regulations in China that now allow international cosmetic companies to to sell ordinary cruelty-free cosmetics in mainland China. They author an organized post that leaves the reader with points to consider moving forward on China Law Insight.

The beginning of the end: The current status of the Families First Coronavirus Care Act and your rights under it

As vaccination is being extended to more and more individuals, things are beginning to look up. However, before you receive that shot, it’s still important to know what your rights are under the current Families First Coronavirus Care Act. Marcos De Hoyos of Rob Wiley discusses what the Act meant when it was first enacted, what it means now that it has expired at the end of 2020, and the potential for the Biden administration to renew the Act until more people are vaccinated on the blog Texas Employment Lawyer.