Before we get into our top posts of the week, we again want to highlight the work our legal community is doing with their reporting on Ukraine. You can view all legal updates and commentary regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine here.
On top of some updates for Ukraine nationals in the U.S., Alec and Michelle have selected pieces that cover the importance of repurposing content, why you should not travel with cannabis products and to be mindful of advertising ahead of the NCAA Collegiate Basketball Tournament.
Michelle’s Picks
In Response to Russian Invasion, DHS Designates Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status
As misinformation is spreading like wildfire and it can be difficult to differentiate what is true and what is not, it’s vital for legal bloggers to capitalize on their knowledge of their industry and how it applies to what’s going on in Ukraine. As an immigration lawyer, José Miguel Marina shares some helpful legal information regarding U.S. Homeland Security updates. He presents the information clearly and understandably—and it makes for a very valuable resource. This establishes both himself and his firm’s blogs as a trustworthy source. Available at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC’s Buchanan Immigration Law.
NCAA Tournament Advertising: Use of Trademarks and … One More Thing (2022 Update – Part 1)
In preparation for the 2022 NCAA Collegiate Basketball Tournament, individuals and companies need to be aware of their use of terms and logos associated with the tournament and potential claims that could arise in response. As Mitchell Stabbe mentions, the NCAA is aggressive when it comes to pursuing unauthorized uses of its trademarks. Stabbe organizes his post perfectly. It’s chock-full of information, he bolds trademarks that people need to pay attention to and he bullets off some examples to end the post. It’s an understandable, enjoyable read and one I found to be really timely and relevant. Available at Broadcast Law Blog.
Do Not Travel with Cannabis Products
You should always be paying attention to current events and thinking about how they can apply to your industry and your blog. If you’re not sure how to do that, look no further than this post from Fred Rocafort of Harris Bricken. A WNBA player was recently arrested in Russia for traveling with cannabis products. Rocafort touches on this and then zooms out to take a broader look at traveling with cannabis products and the do’s and dont’s. “There’s a lot of sketchy information online when it comes to cannabis. You don’t want to make decisions that could land you in jail based on that kind of information. Talk to someone who truly understands the law.” A great piece of advice to consider in every scenario, not just this one specifically. Available at Canna Law Blog.
Alec’s Picks
Government-Hosted Social Media – How To Avoid First Amendment Claims
You’ll notice this post by David Urban begins with the following disclaimer: “This post appeared in April 2018. It has been reviewed and is up to date.” Not enough bloggers do this. What is this exactly? To borrow a phrase from one of Stefanie Marrone’s blog posts, it’s simply repurposing and reusing old content. This is something that Marrone advocated for in our recent LexBlog Learns webinar and something that’s been on my mind ever since then. Lo and behold, this perfect example showed up in the past week and I knew I had to highlight it. Comparing the 2018 and 2022 posts by Urban shows that only a few changes were made, but they are important ones such as updating readers on the outcome of Trump v. Knight. That really is all that is necessary. By updating and publishing this new post, Urban likely got plenty of new readers. With the previous post coming almost four years ago, chances are good there are people following his blog now that were not previously. Returning readers are equally sure to appreciate an update like this. Available at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore’s California Public Agency Labor & Employment Blog.
How to Reconcile Corporate Interests with Broader Social Interests
When someone argues that corporations are beholden to their shareholders above all, there may actually be some legal weight behind that statement. Yong-Shik Lee takes a look at Dodge v. Ford Motor Co. and the precedent it set for the legal requirement of shareholder primacy. I was captivated by Lee’s well-argued position on a matter which I knew very little about prior to reading—a hallmark of good law blog writing. I strongly encourage you to take the time to read this post and, if you want to dive even deeper, read the paper it is based on. Available at Columbia Law School’s CLS Blue Sky Blog.
It Is the Privilege of Wisdom to Listen: Remembering an Underappreciated Legal Skill
We could all stand to listen a little more. That’s the message of this wonderfully written post by James Flynn. Demonstrating a kind of active listening himself, Flynn highlights the words of many others throughout his piece. Through these quotes he makes a compelling case for the importance of developing strong active listening skills—particularly for attorneys. I also must commend Flynn for having his effortless and welcoming writing style. This piece was a pleasure to read, save this link and come back to it sometime this weekend when you’re ready to unwind. Available at Epstein Becker & Green’s Commercial Litigation Update.