Man Shot, Killed at Flex Studio Culebra Hotel in San Antonio, TX. Security Negligence?

While the recent trend across the country has been to restrict noncompete agreements, Florida has just made it easier for employers to enforce noncompete agreements against employees. The Florida Legislature passed HB 1219, also known as the Contracts Honoring Opportunity, Investment, Confidentiality, and Economic Growth Act (CHOICE or “the Act”), which took effect on July 1, 2025.[1] Importantly, CHOICE does not apply to health care practitioners and keeps Florida’s other noncompete statute (Fla. Stat. § 542.335) — which already was one of the more employer-friendly noncompete statues across the country — in place.[2]  As we’ve reported on extensively over the last few years, states across the country have continued to enact measures restricting employment noncompete agreements, including many states that have enacted outright bans. In some ways, Florida’s CHOICE Act appears to resemble the laws in many other states. The…

The president has done yet another thing that will have massive effects on legal education. No, this is not about how I must overhaul my Consumer Finance syllabus. Granted, the poor saps who teach Constitutional Law have it worse, but they knew what they signed up for. If you have not dug into the details of H.R. 1, An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14, there are some biggies for those who care about how legal education is funded and administered. Known in some circles as the "Big, Beautiful Bill," this law massively overhauls federal student loan programs. Jeff Robledo at USA Today has a good summary of what the changes mean for borrowers generally. For law schools, there is a biggie. Section 81001 of the law eliminates Direct PLUS loans as an option for graduate and professional students. Originally designed for parents to borrow to help with the cost of undergraduate education, Direct PLUS loans expanded in 2006 to allow…

It’s not surprising that Jenner & Block is adding to its appellate practice. The firm is well known for its top notch appellate work, so naturally, its always on the lookout for lateral talent that will bolster their roster. And Jenner & Block’s litigation prowess has been in the news ever since Donald Trump went after the firm, targeting them with an Executive Order designed to extract a financial penalty for pissing off the president. Unlike *some* in Biglaw, Jenner & Block fought the EO and quickly notched victories against the unconstitutional orders. So, against this backdrop, Jenner’s announcement that they’ve added partner Peter Davis to their ranks is notable. As Co-Managing Partners Ishan Bhabha and Randy Mehrberg said, “Peter’s arrival reflects our continued investment in building the nation’s premier appellate practice that fiercely advocates for our clients.” And Ian Heath Gershengorn, Co-Chair of Jenner…

Judge tells court callers their concerns can be addressed by ‘cracking open Moore’s Federal Practice’

Most in-house legal teams talk about contracts in terms of risk. They focus on fallbacks, approval workflows, and redlines. Rarely do they talk about contracts in terms of data. And that’s where the real opportunity is hiding. In a recent episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self, legal tech leader Colin Levy offered a perspective that should make every in-house lawyer stop and think. “Contracts really are how businesses run,” he said. “They’re the lifeblood of a business — and they contain a lot of valuable data that often goes unnoticed or not tracked or not acted upon.” It’s the kind of comment that sounds obvious once you hear it. Of course, contracts are full of valuable information. But if we’re honest, most legal departments still treat them like static documents — PDFs to be negotiated, signed, and filed away. We don’t treat them like data sources. We should. Watch the full conversation here: …

Press release from the ACLU of Texas on a legal challenge to Texas SB 4: "A federal appeals court upheld an injunction late Thursday night against Senate Bill 4 (88-4), endorsing a district court order that prohibits the anti-immigration law...

River West Apartments Shooting Tulsa: Legal Claim for Victim? We have over 25 years of experience representing victims of security failures across the United States, and we have recovered nearly $250 million dollars for our Clients.  Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available to the victim of the River West Apartments shooting. One Man Injured in Shooting at River West Apartments in Tulsa, OK. (Fox23.com) Tulsa, OK NEWS – Gunfire rang out at an apartment complex early Wednesday morning, July 2, 2025, leaving one man injured. As reported by Fox23.com, “[officers] responded to a call at the River West Apartments at 975 West 22nd Place at 12:02 a.m.” Newson6.com is reporting, “Tulsa officers arrived to find a man in his 20s with a gunshot wound to the stomach. Emergency responders transported him to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery.” The investigation is ongoing. Potential Legal Claims for…

Potential Legal Claims? Roberto Pittman Shooting Cincinnati.  We have over 25 years of experience representing victims of security failures across the United States, and we have recovered nearly $250 million dollars for our Clients.  Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available to the family of Roberto Pittman. Roberto Pittman Dies After Shooting at Cincinnati, OH Gas Station. (Stock Photo: MurrayLegal.com) Cincinnati, OH – Gunfire rang out at a gas station early Tuesday morning, July 1, 2025, leaving one man dead. As reported by Fox19.com, “[h]omicide investigators responded to the area of McGregor Avenue and Reading Road, outside a [gas station], after two people were shot there around 12:15 a.m. Tuesday.” WCPO.com is reporting, “[w]hen they arrived on the scene, police found a male suffering from gunshot wounds in the street. They attempted life-saving measures, but the man died on the scene. Cincinnati…

From Judge Nina Wang (D. Colo.) today in Coomer v. Lindell: In preparation for trial in this matter, the Court issued a Trial Preparation Order that set certain deadlines, including for the filing of motions in limine. The Trial Preparation Order further informed the Parties that any pending motions in limine would be discussed at the Final Pretrial/Trial Preparation Conference…. Defendants … filed a Brief in Response to [a] Motion in Limine ("Opposition") [Doc. 283] … [that] contained … "nearly thirty defective citations" …. [At a hearing,] Mr. Kachouroff [lead counsel for Defendants] was unable to respond [about the defective citations] in a manner that was satisfactory to the Court. Specifically, Mr. Kachouroff indicated that he had delegated citation checking for the Opposition to his co-counsel, … Ms. DeMaster …. [T]he Court ordered Mr. Kachouroff and Ms. DeMaster to show cause why they should not be…

Ed. note: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup, here. Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics. Happy First Monday! Hello from Washington DC, where we celebrated the 4th of July and our wedding anniversary or, as we call it, our own “Loving” day. (For more on that, see here – gift link.) We caught Beyoncé’s holiday performance on Friday, and it lived up to all of the strong reviews. From the New York Times: Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour remixes American history, and her own. The superstar’s new stage show turns reclamation, personal and musical, into joyful extravaganza. … Reverence was just one of her postures, but not one she wore for long. At the end of the show, a huge bust of the Statue of Liberty appeared onstage with a…

In today’s digital age, video evidence has become increasingly crucial in DUI cases throughout Florida. As a Fort Lauderdale DUI defense attorney for over two decades, I’ve seen how police dashcam and bodycam footage can dramatically impact the outcome of DUI prosecutions. This technology presents both opportunities and challenges for defendants, and understanding its implications is essential for anyone facing DUI charges in Broward County. The Double-Edged Sword of Video Evidence Video footage often reveals crucial details that can strengthen a defense case in ways that written police reports simply cannot capture. Dashcam and bodycam footage can be used to demonstrate: Improper traffic stops. Florida law requires reasonable suspicion for a traffic stop under Terry v. Ohio and its progeny. Video evidence may show that officers lacked adequate justification for the initial stop, potentially leading to suppression of all evidence under the exclusionary rule. Field…

As the Assembly of State Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) meet in New York this week for a special session to review the amendments on the crime of aggression, they will assess whether the Court should expand its mandate and take on bold reforms. Under consideration is whether the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression should expand beyond the contours negotiated in Kampala in 2010, and potentially cover conduct by non-State parties, including the United States. There are many advocating for the ASP to take a more forceful stance against global impunity for the crime of aggression (see Sadat, Coracini, and Kreß). Yet the timing of the current reform push is, in many ways, paradoxical. The ICC is being asked to expand its scope and to take on more complex cases in more hostile political environments at a moment when it is still struggling to execute its existing mandate. As someone who has served as an ICC prosecutor, represented the…

Security Failure? Mycheal Edwards-Wallace, Edwin Cooper Shooting Kingstree.  We have over 25 years of experience representing victims of security failures across the United States, and we have recovered nearly $250 million dollars for our Clients.  Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available to the families of Mycheal Edwards-Wallace and Edwin Cooper. Mycheal Edwards-Wallace, Edwin Cooper Killed in Kingstree, SC Apartment Complex Shooting. (Stock Photo: MurrayLegal.com) Kingstree, SC – Gunfire rang out at an apartment complex Sunday night, June 29, 2025, leaving two men dead. As reported by Live5News.com, “[d]ispatchers received a call about a shooting at an apartment complex in the 200 block of North Brooks Street at approximately 8:16 p.m. Sunday…Police found four victims.” WPDE.com is reporting, “one of the victims died at the scene, one victim died at the hospital and the condition of the other two…

Staying calm during divorce mediation is a key for making clear, thoughtful decisions. Emotions like anger and fear can cloud judgment, but a steady, composed mindset helps you communicate effectively, stay focused on long-term goals, and reach better outcomes, for yourself and your family. While it might sound simple in theory, keeping your cool during an uneasy and life-changing process like divorce can be incredibly challenging. Mediation is a powerful tool for resolving divorce and family disputes without going to court. But for it to be effective, there’s one key ingredient that often gets overlooked: staying calm Emotions and Logic Don’t Always Mix Hurt, anger, fear, and resentment often show up during Mediation. The reality is that those emotions, while valid, don’t always help you make the best decisions. In fact, it makes it harder to think clearly and make rational, informed choices difficult. Staying calm allows you to remain focused on…

(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)Politicians like the idea of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.   It’s free money! Want to spend an extra half trillion on defense? That would bust the budget. But “I’ll save a half trillion at the same time by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.” Oh! It’s budget neutral. Go right ahead. See what I mean? That’s why, for example, Ronald Reagan campaigned for president on the idea that eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending — while simultaneously cutting taxes and increasing military spending — could lead to a balanced budget. Really. I’m not kidding. But this is bipartisan. Bill Clinton highlighted his administration’s efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in programs such as Medicare. Clinton at least occasionally achieved a budget surplus. Barack…

Transgender teacher likely to fail in First Amendment challenge to Florida pronouns law, 11th Circuit says

In 2025, women- and minority-owned businesses continue to grow at a record pace in Illinois—and a clear trend is emerging: many of these entrepreneurs are choosing the Limited Liability Company (LLC) structure to launch or scale their businesses. Below, we share, “Why More Women and Minority Entrepreneurs in Illinois Are Choosing LLCs in 2025. But why are LLCs the go-to option? From legal protections and flexibility to funding opportunities and simplified compliance, LLCs offer a powerful and accessible way for underrepresented business owners to build wealth and credibility. Here’s a closer look at why more women and minority entrepreneurs in Illinois are forming LLCs—and how the structure can empower you to grow your business with confidence.   LLCs Offer Personal Liability Protection For any entrepreneur—especially first-time business owners—one of the biggest risks is personal liability. Without a formal business entity, your…

In one of Trump’s first executive orders, he eliminated a centralized system that Jimmy Carter initially set up to issue regulations governing environmental impact statements.  Instead, he called on each agency to issue its own regulations, which seems to have caused the predictable amount of confusion.  I’ve examined the new regulations from three agencies:  the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE) , and  the Department of Transportation (DOT), which happened to be the first ones that I saw.  There seems to be little rhyme or reason in the variations. Variations involving other agencies may be even greater. According to EarthJustice, some agencies have adoped new regulations while others have opted for non-binding guidelines. Shortchanging the Environment When he told agencies to make their own regulations, Trump also made it clear that environmental considerations were to play little role.  Instead, he said,…