Hanging “Like a Guillotine”: Trump v. CASA and the Risk of Statelessness

 Under New York’s Electronic Signatures and Records Act, a person can electronically sign many types of documents that have legal significance (Technology Law §§ 301, § 304 |– 306).  At the present time, however, wills and trusts are not among them (Technology Law § 307[1]).  A legislative proposal that the New York Assembly and Senate recently have passed – but that Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to sign into law – would amend the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (“EPTL”) to allow for the “execution of electronic wills[,] including attestation, revocation[,] and filing” (a link to the legislative materials that are available on the Assembly’s bill search website can be found here).  I now write to provide an update on the legislation, which would take effect 545 days after the Governor signs the legislation into law, if she does so (id.). If the legislation is signed into law, EPTL…

For many Chicago residents, dogs are more than pets; they are family. However, even the most well-behaved dogs can get startled or anxious. Whether dog bites happen at home, at a local park, or on the sidewalk, they can cause serious harm and lead to costly legal claims. That’s why having adequate home insurance is more than just a checkbox. It’s a vital layer of protection. Dog Owners are Responsible for Dog Bites Illinois law holds dog owners strictly liable for bites. The state does not have a one-bite rule. This means if your pet bites someone, you are responsible for the injuries, even if your dog has never been aggressive. Under the Illinois Animal Control Act, proving the dog’s history of biting is unnecessary. If the dog bite victim didn’t provoke the dog and was lawfully present in your home, you may be liable for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages. The costs can quickly add up. Homeowners’ insurance may help cover…

On 4 June 2025, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Trinity with St. John, Micklegate and St. Martin Cum Gregory, York. Action was taken against the charity under S46 Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”) as a result of its regulatory concerns that there is or has been misconduct and/ or mismanagement in the administration of the charity. Extracts from the Press Release are reproduced below. Press Release Investigation opened into parish church after concerns raised over its financial controls The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into The Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Trinity with St. John, Micklegate and St. Martin Cum Gregory, York The charity, whose working name is Holy Trinity Micklegate PCC, is a Church of England parish church situated in York city centre and was registered with the Commission in 2018. The Commission…

I am including below the text of our announcement for our symposium next spring, which will consider the theme of law and virtue. Elizabeth Kirk and I are thrilled that Professor Mary Ann Glendon will keynote the conference. Here I want to emphasize that we are especially looking for early career scholars (with or without academic position!) to submit abstracts for this conference. If selected, we'll cover expenses and provide an honorarium. A great chance for younger scholars thinking about these questions to come and think together! ****** The Center for Law and the Human Person announces the theme for its Fourth Annual Spring Symposium: “Now We Know that the Law is Good”: On Law and Virtue. The symposium will take place March 26-27, 2026 at the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. We are delighted to announce that Mary Ann Glendon, the Learned Hand Professor of Law emerita at Harvard University and a former U.S. Ambassador to…

Global Health From Words to Action: Making the Pandemic Agreement Work The recent adoption of a Pandemic Agreement by the World Health Organization (WHO) member states has been widely hailed as a historic achievement for global health governance and security. Published July 7, 2025 Author Kashish Aneja Share Share on LinkedIn Share on X Share on Facebook Share on Reddit The recent adoption of a Pandemic Agreement by the World Health Organization (WHO) member states has been widely hailed as a historic achievement for global health governance and security. Yet critics have remarked that it is nothing more than lofty goals wrapped in “soft law” language like “encourage,” “promote,” and “facilitate,” offering few binding legal obligations and little enforceability. Despite its non-binding obligations, history shows that even such…

“Kirkland Stops Repping Novartis After Regeneron Sought DQ” — “A New York federal judge accepted the withdrawal Thursday of the entire Kirkland & Ellis LLP team that recently joined Novartis Pharma’s legal team battling antitrust allegations over the eye medication Eylea, just a week after plaintiff Regeneron Pharmaceuticals sought their disqualification over an ‘unthinkable’ conflict of interest by the lawyers, whose firm previously represented Regeneron.” “In endorsing the withdrawal of all five Kirkland attorneys, U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern put an end to the brewing fight sparked by Regeneron’s June 17 notice it would move to disqualify the lawyers because Kirkland had spent more than two years helping Regeneron ‘devise a global strategy for protecting its product Eylea’ intellectual property from proposed biosimilars.” “The Kirkland team had only begun appearing for Novartis…

Louisiana is a bit of an outlier in many ways among states in the United States. It has parishes instead of counties, it is former French colony, and it uses the civil law system instead of the common law one. While I have had the pleasure of speaking with lawyers from around the world about litigation in their home jurisdictions, I have long been curious about this very unique place inside the United States. And so I was glad that my law school friend and bandmate, Jason Burge, a partner at Fishman Haygood LLP in New Orleans, took some time to talk with me about litigation in Louisiana.Why should you continue reading this post about litigation in Louisiana?You think you know something about litigation in the United States and want to learn that the country’s legal system has some variations.You thought that litigation in Louisiana was just the same as litigation in France.You are curious about a jurisdiction that permits oral arguments on all contested motions. Jason…

Part 4: Managing Ongoing Compliance and Renewals Welcome back! Now that you’ve filed your Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and registrations, it’s important to understand that franchise compliance is not a one-time event — it’s an ongoing responsibility. In this post, we’ll cover: Why ongoing compliance matters Annual renewal requirements Updating your FDD and contracts Handling state-specific requirements Tips for staying ahead of compliance issues How a franchise attorney can keep you on track Why Ongoing Compliance Is Critical Franchising is a regulated industry for good reason — proper disclosures protect prospective and current franchisees and help preserve your brand’s reputation. Failing to maintain compliance can lead to: State regulators suspending your registration Legal claims from franchisees Fines or penalties Damage to your brand and franchise system growth Staying compliant means keeping your…

* Judge accused of using position to advance family cheesesteak business. Good story to share if you’re wit’ an ethics Whiz. [Legal Intelligencer] * Robbing Paul to pay Paul?: Paul Weiss partner moves to Paul Hastings because, again, everything is fine at Paul Weiss! [Bloomberg Law News] * Justice Kagan’s concurrence in D.V.D. makes the most sense when you understand the divide between those who think cold legal formalism can sway these people and those who think we’ve entered a fight for the soul of law. [One First] * Judge Posner said it all years ago — all the textualism and originalism is just a smokescreen. Too bad Justice Breyer hasn’t learned that lesson yet. [Dorf on Law] * Street preacher case heading to the Supreme Court, just in time for its new “strict scrutiny, why the hell not?” stance on religion. [Law360] * Jay Willis really wants to know how much they pay Noah Feldman to keep writing this stuff.…

Syeda Aamna Hasan is a recent Pakistani law graduate currently working as a legal researcher.  Torrential monsoon rains have triggered devastating floods across Pakistan in recent days, leaving at least 18 people dead and dozens missing, as the country scrambles to contain the humanitarian fallout of yet another climate-induced disaster. The worst-hit regions include the picturesque Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), parts of Punjab, and Sindh regions still recovering from the catastrophic floods of 2022. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), flash floods in the Swat Valley swept away vehicles and tourists last weekend, killing eight people and leaving more than 13 missing from the same family. Rescue teams saved 58 individuals, but operations remain ongoing. Monsoon rains, which began intensifying in late June, are forecast to continue through September, raising fears of further destruction in flood-prone districts. The floods have…

An American college under attack, including for alleged religious intolerance. A government that seeks to take control of the college’s governance, claiming that the college is hostile to the spirit of a free society. Students unsure whether the college will survive, or whether they should transfer. College trustees, facing a financial crisis, who at first seek to compromise with the government, but then decide that they must resist, notwithstanding the possibility that they might be personally punished for doing so. That is the saga of Harvard today – but also that of Dartmouth College more than 200 years ago, in 1816. (The latter is captured in an 1969 essay titled “Will to Resist,” by Dartmouth’s Librarian of the College, Richard W. Morin.) One of the most consequential Supreme Court decisions arose from the courageous resolve of the Dartmouth College trustees to resist the unlawful encroachments of the New Hampshire governor and legislature.…

On May 13, 2025, a New York court (Prager Metis CPAs LLC v. Koenig, Index No. 652000/2023) held that the non-compete/client non-solicitation clauses (often referred to as ‘restrictive covenants’) in a CPA firm’s employment contract with its CPA employee were too broad (thus, unreasonable) and, therefore, granted summary judgment (without trial) in favor of the CPA employee. This case demonstrates that CPA firms should re-evaluate their non-competition (and non-solicitation clauses) in their contracts with CPA employees. For additional context regarding this case, keep reading. The standard for determining whether restrictive covenant clauses in CPA firms’ employment contracts with its CPA employees are enforceable is based on the seminal court case in New York, BDO Seidman v Hirshberg, 93 NY2d 382, 388-389 (1999), which held that New York courts will enforce a restrictive covenant in an employment contract if is it reasonable, meaning…

Editor’s Note: As cyberspace becomes an increasingly contested domain for both cooperation and confrontation, the articulation of legal norms governing state behavior has never been more vital. The recently published Handbook on Developing a National Position on International Law and Cyber Activities: A Practical Guide for States—co-authored by Professor Kubo Mačák, Dr. Talita Dias, and Dr. Ágnes Kasper, and jointly published by the University of Exeter and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE)—offers a timely and pragmatic resource for Nation States seeking to clarify their legal stances in a digitally interconnected world. More than a reference for conflict scenarios, the Handbook addresses the full spectrum of international legal considerations in cyberspace, spanning peacetime operations, emerging technologies, and strategic legal positioning in multilateral forums. Grounded in extensive consultations with 46…

Richard Wright has posted to SSRN Legal Proof: Warranted Degrees of Belief (Not Statistical/Mathematical Probability). The abstract provides: Considerable confusion exists, especially in common law jurisdictions, regarding the required standards of legal proof. In Evidence Matters, Susan Haack, focusing on...

Mr. Dong-joo SHIN, the former Vice Chairman of Lotte Holdings and current Chairman of SDJ Corporation, filed a derivative action targeting his younger brother, Mr. Dong-bin SHIN, the incumbent Chairman of Lotte Holdings, along with several senior executives of Lotte. The lawsuit, a shareholder derivative action, was filed in a Tokyo District Court on July 4. According to reports in The Yomiuri Shimbun, Mr. Shin is seeking c. 14.4 billion yen (equivalent to around 136 billion Korean won) in damages on behalf of the company. The complaint names six individuals, including Chairman Shin, and alleges that their management decisions resulted in reputational and financial harm to the corporation. Mr. Shin contends that the company’s leadership failed in their fiduciary duties by inadequately responding to the criminal conviction of Chairman Shin, who was found guilty in a bribery case involving former South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Mr. Shin, in short, argues that…

I asked the AI tool Perplexity about AI in legal education.  It cited an ABA survey finding that “55% of law schools reported having classes dedicated to AI, 32% offered interdisciplinary opportunities to use AI, and 83% provided opportunities such as clinics involving AI.” It added: “Recent developments show law schools are broadening and deepening … Continue reading Emerging Trends in Law School AI Initiatives →

Dentons has reinforced its commitment to community and pro bono work, welcoming National Head of Pro Bono Partner, Tamara Sims. Corporate in Australia, Litigation and Dispute Resolution in Australia, Government in Australia, Australasia, Australia

We are proud to share that our Partner Shravan Yammanur has been appointed as a Young ITA Co-Chair for India for the 2025–2027 term. Arbitration, Asia Pacific, India, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, GIFT City, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Noida