Mediation: Why Is It Important to Stay Calm

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…

Security Failure? Flex Studio Culebra Hotel Shooting San Antonio. 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 the victim of shooting at the Flex Studio Culebra Hotel. Man Shot, Killed at Flex Studio Culebra Hotel in San Antonio, TX. (News4SanAntonio.com) San Antonio, TX News – One man was killed after a shooting at a hotel Tuesday morning, July 1, 2025. As reported by KENS5.com, “shots were fired in the area of NW Loop 410 and Culebra around 9:55 a.m.  Once at the Flex Studio Culebra, police say a man with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso was discovered by SAFD in the breezeway on the second floor.” News4SanAntonio.com is reporting, “[h]e was pronounced dead at the scene by fire officials.” The investigation is ongoing. …

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…

(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,…

AG Bondi cited this justification for Trump’s power to ignore TikTok ban

Summer is a great time to review and refresh legal research skills in a way that you can demonstrate on your resume to future employers. The Law Library’s Legal Research Seminar series is an easy way to do this. We offer 16 Legal Research Seminars on topics such as Bluebooking, Lexis and Westlaw searching, cost-effective research, and more. The Seminars are videos that you can watch on your own time, with accompanying quizzes. If you’d like to get the Law Library’s Legal Research Letter of Recognition, then you complete the quiz and return it to us. The quizzes are totally optional, so if you’d just like to watch the videos to refresh your legal research skills, they are all available to you. You can find the Legal Research Seminars under the Law Library’s student services page. Share

Filing for bankruptcy can feel like a financial reset, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of your homeownership dreams. With careful planning and disciplined financial habits, you can rebuild your credit and qualify for a mortgage. Here’s a structured guide to help you prepare for buying a home after bankruptcy. 1. Review Your Bankruptcy Discharge and Credit Reports Before taking any major financial steps, confirm that your bankruptcy has been properly discharged and that your credit reports accurately reflect this. Errors on your credit report can delay your progress, so obtain copies from all three major bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—and dispute any inaccuracies. Make sure discharged debts are listed as “included in bankruptcy” to avoid confusion with active debts. 2. Rebuild Your Credit Strategically Lenders want to see that you’ve learned from past financial challenges and are now managing credit responsibly. Start by…

A Critical Decision for All Florida Citizens Concerned with Due Process and Self-Defense Rights In Smith v. State, Case No. 6D2023-2239, Florida’s Sixth District Court of Appeal reversed Corey Stephen Smith’s conviction for aggravated battery with a firearm causing great bodily harm. The Court’s decision underscores two core procedural protections guaranteed under Florida law: the right to present a complete defense—including self-defense instructions to a jury—and the right to have evidence admitted when it affects a defendant’s state of mind. This ruling carries broad implications for every Floridian, reaffirming that criminal defendants are entitled to fair trial procedures and that juries—not judges—should weigh evidence when a plausible defense is raised. Case Background: A Chaotic Encounter Between Neighbors Smith, a long-time neighbor of the Stanley family, became involved in a late-night altercation after a…

 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…