Avalon Zoppo

Avalon Zoppo is an appellate courts reporter for The National Law Journal. Contact her at [email protected]. On Twitter: @AvalonZoppo.

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November 12, 2021 | National Law Journal

Q&A: Inside a Law Professor's Push to Expand Federal Appellate Courts

In a recent paper, a University of Florida law professor looked at why, where and how to add judges to the nation's federal appeals courts.

By Avalon Zoppo

6 minute read

November 09, 2021 | National Law Journal

'We Must Look at Things Afresh,' 5 More Judges Say of Deference to Sentencing Guidelines Commentary

Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote a concurrence last year saying courts shouldn't automatically defer to U.S. Sentencing Commission commentary when sentencing guidelines are ambiguous and that the "rule of lenity" should be applied. On Monday, after the case took a trip to the U.S. Supreme Court, five more judges joined Bibas' opinion.

By Avalon Zoppo

5 minute read

November 05, 2021 | Law.com

Former USC Athletic Official Pleads Guilty in 'Varsity Blues' Scandal

Donna Heinel's guilty plea avoids the second trial in the college admissions scandal.

By Avalon Zoppo

2 minute read

November 04, 2021 | National Law Journal

Court Approves More Flexibility for DC Disciplinary Board to Negotiate Attorney Misconduct Sanctions

The court held that suspension instead of disbarment is appropriate in some misconduct cases where attorneys are accused of "reckless misappropriation."

By Avalon Zoppo

4 minute read

November 03, 2021 | National Law Journal

9th Circuit Nominee Faces Heat From GOP Over Involvement in Criminal Justice Reform

Gabriel Sanchez served for former California Gov. Edmund Brown, where he oversaw the adoption of that state's Proposition 57.

By Avalon Zoppo

6 minute read

November 02, 2021 | National Law Journal

After Botched Search for Buried Treasure in Yellowstone, Appeals Court Upholds Man's Disorderly Conduct Conviction

The man planned to search for the "Forrest Fenn treasure," a chest of gold coins hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains that was reportedly found in Wyoming in June 2020, according to the Tenth Circuit opinion.

By Avalon Zoppo

3 minute read

November 02, 2021 | Law.com

Legal Fight Over Nursing Home Liability for COVID-19 Deaths Heats Up in Appellate Courts

The D.C., Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth and 11th circuits are all considering whether the cases must be handled in state or federal courts.

By Avalon Zoppo

7 minute read

November 01, 2021 | Law.com

Judges Appear Skeptical of Harvard's Claim to Own Photos of Woman's Enslaved Ancestors

"There's no question that this was done under circumstances that at least in Massachusetts, at the time, were illegal. … So why isn't this a fruit or instrumentality of the crime?" one Massachusetts justice asked.

By Avalon Zoppo

5 minute read