The late 1800s and early 1900s constitute a historical period known as the Second Industrial Revolution. While this time period is marked by significant advancements in technology, such as the invention of the lightbulb and the vast expansion of transportation
Latest from Boston Lawyer Blog - Page 2
New Federal Law Criminalizes Online Sharing of “Revenge Porn” and Requires Websites to Remove Images on Request
As we have previously written, most states have passed legislation in recent years to criminalize the distribution of non-consensually distributed intimate images, often known as “revenge porn.” The federal Violence Against Women Act also allows victims of revenge porn
Massachusetts state legislature considers enhanced protections for librarians and safeguards against book bans
As book bans continue to cause controversy nationwide, Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit ideologically driven book bans and protect public school employees from retaliation based on good faith decisions to include or exclude materials from their
Supreme Judicial Court holds murder charges cannot be based on accidental killing of bystander in course of legitimate acts of self-defense
Massachusetts courts have recognized self-defense as a defense to homicide as far back as the trial following the Boston Massacre in 1770, where John Adams successfully defended all but one of a group of British soldiers who had fired into
Massachusetts state legislature considers far-reaching AI bill targeting algorithmic discrimination
Following the U.S. Senate’s decision in July to remove language in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would have limited the ability of states to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the employment and hiring context, states
First Circuit Clarifies Scope of Students’ Free Speech Rights at Public Universities
Where is the line between free speech and sexual harassment? Students at public schools have both the right to free speech and expression, and the right to educational environments free of discrimination and harassment. At times, these rights can seem
Back to School Basics: What You Need to Know About Academic Misconduct
If you or your child is accused of engaging in academic misconduct, you’ll get a crash course in how the college or university bureaucracy works to process these cases and sanction students. Before that happens–and to prevent that from happening–it
Appeals Court Reaffirms Students’ Right to Sue in Court for Sexual Harassment
This week, the Appeals Court decided a case examining how students can bring claims under Chapter 151C, the Fair Educational Practices law.
In Doe 99 v. Cheffi et al., a former public high school student who alleged she
SJC allows police to “double-dip” with show-cause hearings
Show-cause hearings, also known as clerk-magistrate’s hearings, are a unique feature of the Massachusetts legal system, offering many of those accused of criminal conduct but not arrested a chance to privately contest charges before they publicly issue, thus potentially
In Recent Decisions the SJC and MCAD Highlight the Broad Protections of Anti-Retaliation Law
Last week, the SJC decided City of Newton v. Commonwealth Employment Relations Board, a case considering what an employee must show to make out a prima facie case of retaliation under the Massachusetts public employee collective bargaining law.