Jamie Goodman first filed her case as a class action, making some eyebrow-raising allegations about Merrill's training and bonus programs. The confidential settlement, however, addresses only her claims.

American Bar Association president H. Thomas "Tommy" Wells Jr. stopped by Dallas on April 7 to make the introductory remarks at a Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law-sponsored seminar titled "Justice for All? Perception of Racial and Ethnic Bias in Our Courts."

The graveyard of auction-rate securities claims against Merrill Lynch got a bit more crowded this week, with two decisions in the space of two days dismissing suits by ARS investors. And judging by an appellate ruling that Foley & Lardner won Tuesday in one of the cases, most Merrill ARS claims are going to stay buried for good.