Avalon Zoppo is an appellate courts reporter for The National Law Journal. Contact her at [email protected]. On Twitter: @AvalonZoppo.
January 22, 2025 | National Law Journal
Senator Plans to Reintroduce Bill to Split 9th CircuitProponents have long argued that the circuit covers too much territory and too many people and its docket is unmanageable; critics say the current system isn’t broken and motivations for the split are merely political.
By Avalon Zoppo
5 minute read
January 21, 2025 | National Law Journal
Is 1st Circuit the New Center for Trump Policy Challenges?Just hours after President Donald Trump signed an order attempting to end birthright citizenship, the first legal challenge against the policy was brought in a federal trial court in New Hampshire.
By Avalon Zoppo
7 minute read
January 17, 2025 | National Law Journal
DC Circuit Rejects Jan. 6 Defendants’ Claim That Pepper Spray Isn't Dangerous WeaponThe D.C. Circuit said the federal government had shown that pepper spray can cause "serious bodily injury" and that the three men used it that way, therefore an enhancement was properly applied to the charges against them.
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
January 16, 2025 | National Law Journal
DC Bar’s Proposed Anti-Discrimination, Harassment Conduct Rule Sees More PushbackSeveral legal groups that have backed major conservative victories in the courts—including First Liberty Institute and the New Civil Liberties Alliance—told the D.C. Court of Appeals that the proposal threatens the First Amendment rights of lawyers.
By Avalon Zoppo
5 minute read
January 16, 2025 | National Law Journal
Full 8th Circuit Hears First Amendment Challenge to School District’s ‘Equity Training’The lawsuit alleges the Springfield, Missouri, School District both compelled the employees to speak as directed and chilled dissenting speech through the required training.
By Avalon Zoppo
4 minute read
January 14, 2025 | National Law Journal
Insurance Policies Don’t Cover Home Depot's Data Breach Costs, 6th Circuit SaysThe appellate court's decision noted that the commercial general liability policies precluded coverage of “damages arising out of the loss of, loss of use of, damage to, corruption of, inability to access, or inability to manipulate electronic data.”
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
January 10, 2025 | National Law Journal
Standing Spat: Split 2nd Circuit Lets Challenge to Pfizer Diversity Program ProceedThe appellate panel remanded the case to the district court to decide whether the nonprofit Do No Harm has sufficient evidence of standing, overturning a previous decision upholding the case’s dismissal because anonymous members who alleged injury refused to give their names to the trial court.
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
January 10, 2025 | National Law Journal
Fight Over Amicus-Funding Disclosure Surfaces in Google Play AppealUniversity of Masssachusetts Amherst political science professor Paul Collins Jr. wrote that public records show numerous amici supporting Google in the underlying antitrust case have had financial ties to the company. He urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to view those filings with skepticism.
By Avalon Zoppo
4 minute read
January 08, 2025 | National Law Journal
‘Old Home Week’: Justice Breyer Hears Challenge to Cruise Ship Ordinance in 1st CircuitBreyer, as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1990 to 1994, was involved in the design of the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse 30 years ago.
By Avalon Zoppo
4 minute read
January 08, 2025 | Delaware Business Court Insider
Fed Judiciary Panel Mulls Authority to Ban In-State Bar Admission RequirementsCurrently, federal districts courts in Delaware, California, Florida and Hawaii have rules that require in-state bar admission.
By Avalon Zoppo
3 minute read
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