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Addressing the PTAB Bar Association Conference in its opening session, newly appointed Chief Judge Scott Boalick explained that his goal as Chief Judge is to bring stability to the board and increase predictability. He wants all parties coming to the Board to feel that they have gotten a fair shake and that the procedures are fair.…
Last Friday was International Women’s Day – a day where women are celebrated in countries around the world. In March alone, UK sportswomen have more than earned recognition for their achievements. Laura Muir retained her European 1,500m and 3,000m titles, beating the 31-year-old British indoor mile record by 5 seconds at the European Indoor Championships, the England Women’s Football Team won the SheBelievesCup, and, after crushing victories, England Women’s Rugby are on…
The current trend at both the state and federal levels is moving in the direction of mandatory paid family leave.  For example, in recent years, 6 states (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington) and the District of Columbia have enacted mandatory paid family leave benefits for employees.  Moreover, at least 18 other states are currently considering some form of paid family leave legislation.…
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Reviewing state bar association websites and their online publications, we’re finding that the vast majority do not include a listing of their member attorneys’ law blogs. There are exceptions. I gave a shoutout today to the State Bar of Arizona and veteran journalist and editor of the Arizona Attorney Magazine, Tim Eigo for their work in creating and running the Arizona Attorney Blog Network. https://twitter.com/kevinokeefe/status/1105978703689994245?s=12 Bar association websites, as they should, routinely list resources…
On March 12, 2019, Robert Lighthizer, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), testified before the Senate Finance Committee regarding the World Trade Organization (WTO) and President Donald Trump’s desire for a more effective international trading system. In his prepared remarks, Ambassador Lighthizer stated that the United States remains active at all levels of the WTO but has concerns about it. “In many ways, the WTO is not working as expected,” he stated, noting that the negotiating…
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Three Canadian whistleblowers have been awarded more than $7 million, the first payment of its kind by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). “These individuals voluntarily provided high quality, timely, specific and credible information, which helped advance enforcement actions resulting in monetary payments to the OSC,” according to a statement from the Canadian agency. To protect the identity of the whistleblowers, the agency did not release names or any information on the cases. The OSC whistleblower …
Recently there have been a string of announcements from large tech companies about a shift in focus from open platforms to more privacy-focused communications systems. This represents a sea change for the industry, which has historically been depicted as data hungry and privacy starved. The change highlights just how far public opinion has evolved in the United States in recent years. The move of large tech companies to more privacy-centric platforms coincides with a broader…
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The co-chair of Willkie Farr, Gordon Caplan, was named today in an unsealed federal indictment. The result of an FBI investigation dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues,” Caplan, as well as dozens of other well-to-do parents, was involved in what the U.S. Attorney’s Office calls a “nationwide conspiracy that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the admission of students to elite universities.” Caplan, a lawyer who has practiced for 25 years without any published discipline, was…
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Private schools in New York recently filed a lawsuit to stop enforcement of the state’s new curriculum inspection guidelines, released this past November. Under the new guidelines, district officials will conduct regular curriculum inspections of private schools. The inspections are designed to ensure that private schools provide “substantially equivalent instruction” to that in public schools. In the past, such inspections were triggered by complaints to education authorities. Under the new rules, district officials will begin…
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Fastcase keeps picking up new partnerships to expand the scope of their offerings well beyond their original focus on AI enhanced primary law. My first  Fastcase blogpost  8 years ago  was subtitled the “Little  Engine that Could” and boy have they exceeded my expectations.  Like the “energizer bunny – they just keep on going” and growing! Starting today Fastcase subscribers will get access to select titles from the American Bar Association. In the press release…