“Redistricting trial begins in North Carolina over allegations that GOP-enacted maps erode Black voting power”

Representing Yourself After a Car Accident in California: What You Need to KnowIf you’ve been injured in a car accident in California and are considering handling your personal injury claim without a lawyer, you're not alone. Many people choose to go it alone, especially in cases involving minor injuries or when liability seems clear. But self-representation, while possible, comes with challenges.1. Can You Represent Yourself in a Personal Injury Claim?Yes, California law allows individuals to represent themselves in personal injury claims. This is known as being a “pro per” or “pro se” litigant. It’s completely legal, and in some smaller cases—like those involving property damage or soft tissue injuries—it may even make sense.However, just because you can doesn’t always mean you should. Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and lawyers whose job is to pay out as little as possible. Without legal experience,…

A minimum wage case that recently came before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose decisions control federal lawsuits in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama) is an example of how employees with legitimate Fair Labor Standards Act claims can still lose if they proceed without counsel and get tripped up by procedural requirements such as the statute of limitations. The case and its outcome make for a noteworthy cautionary tale about the risks of proceeding without a skilled Atlanta minimum wage lawyer advocating for you and monitoring procedural deadlines like the statute of limitations. The employee, M.M., worked at a pet store in Florida for approximately three weeks in August 2018. According to the employee, she worked full-time as a certified veterinary technician at a salary of $35,000 per year. According to the pet store, M.M. was a part-time kennel technician. The employee received her first paycheck on August 31. The $184 gross total was unsettling, so she sent her…

Termination clauses are a cornerstone of any employment agreement. A well-drafted termination clause can limit an employee’s entitlements on dismissal to the minimum standards under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), helping avoid the higher costs of common law reasonable notice. But here is the catch: even the most carefully written clause can fail. Ontario courts are strict about wording and employer conduct. Clauses that are short, clear, and directly reference the ESA tend to stand up over time. However, one misstep in how a termination clause, or the termination itself, is handled can unravel the entire clause. This blog provides a breakdown of two important Ontario decisions regarding termination clauses and employer termination conduct. In the first case (Bertsch), the clause was upheld by the Court of Appeal for Ontario, despite the clause being relatively lengthy, which rarely happens. In the second case (Perretta), the…

Learn about Illinois' 2025 rental laws, including tenant protections, flood risk disclosures, security deposit interest, and screening fee changes | O'Flaherty Law - Learn About Law Legal Articles, Videos & Podcasts with O'Flaherty Law

Over the past couple weeks, authorities say Acting Supreme Court Justice Susan Capeci received multiple threatening messages from the account of attorney Nicholas Leo. From May 27 until just last week, the judge got texts like “I hope you die” and the more specific “I wish you die tonight in a car fire” from the lawyer currently involved in a custody dispute in Capeci’s courtroom where he’s racked up a couple of contempt rulings. As threats made by lawyers go, it’s no “anally raped by an asteroid,” but that doesn’t make it any better. He’s being held without bail right now and whatever happens, there’s now a protective order barring him from contacting Capeci. Of course it would be a lawyer whose threats pointedly avoid saying that HE planned to do anything. Oh, I didn’t say I was going to set your car on fire… just that it would be welcomed warmly by me if somehow you did purchase a…

The Ontario Superior Court recently reminded employers that employment agreements aren’t optional – they’re enforceable. In Timmins v. Artisan Cells, 2025 CanLII 2387, the employer ignored its own termination provisions and tried to use severance as leverage for a release. It backfired big time. The Court found the employer repudiated the employment contract and awarded the employee nine months’ common law notice, for a total of $456,908 in damages. What Happened? The employee started working for an American gene therapy company, Artisan Development Labs (ADL), in 2019. By 2021, he was Executive VP and leading the launch of a Canadian subsidiary, Artisan Cell Labs (ACL), in Toronto. He had a generous compensation package, including a $475,782 salary, stock options, and a bonus. His 2019 agreement said that if he was let go without cause, he’d get the greater of three months’ pay or his Employment Standards…

#LegalNewsPostoftheDay: Sex assault trial reforms followed Ghomeshi case. Some experts worry Hockey Canada trial could spark more #law #legal #legalnews via @CBCNews https://t.co/rlcZ4k2YAt - Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Office website: www.wiselaw.net Visit our website: www.wiselaw.net

Pangolins proposed for U.S. Endangered Species Act protections kblocher@human… Mon, 06/16/2025 - 15:48 WASHINGTON (June 16, 2025)—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed listing seven species of pangolins as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, a move that would strengthen trade and import restrictions within the United States and underscore the species’ critical conservation status.  Pangolins are the world’s only scaly mammal and are heavily trafficked for their scales, which are used in traditional medicine, and their meat. Despite significant declines in all eight pangolin species due to demand, including demand in the United States, only one pangolin species is currently listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.“I’m delighted the United States is doing its part to save these adorably odd creatures,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity.…

China Trademarks: The Goldilocks Principle of When to Register When it comes to China trademark registration, timing is everything. File too late, and someone else might beat you to your own brand. File too early, and you risk losing your trademark for non-use. Like Goldilocks, you need to get it just right. The Cautious Client: Waiting on Government Approval An Australian client recently asked if they should register their brand name and logo as trademarks in China, even though their product hadn’t yet received Chinese government approval. Their concern? Spending money on trademarks they might never use. Their bigger concern? A trademark squatter registering their brand name before they could enter the market. Our advice was clear: You should absolutely register your brand name in China before disclosing it publicly or engaging any Chinese distributors. Once someone else sees value in your mark, they might register it first—and under China’s first-to-file…

Like many in academia, I work and interact daily with people in their 20s.  Unsurprisingly, they, as a group, are now confronting feelings of fear, uncertainty, anger, and displacement, embarking into a new reality.  Long held American values are under vicious attack.  Their future is at stake.  So what should we counsel? Whether you believe in American Exceptionalism (that the United States is unique, distinct, or exemplary compared to other nations) or not, it is the case that America has stood as a symbol of enduring democracy and freedom, a beacon of hope, an economic engine, a source of technological marvels, an independent judiciary fueled by the rule of law, and a university system of world renown, in opposition to oppression and authoritarianism.  And while we have not always lived up to these ideals, they have illuminated policy and action. Through USAID and other mechanisms, the US has fought famine and disease throughout the world, funded…

Use this guide as a reference when filing lien and bond claim notices for the month of July. If you have any questions about the lien and bond claim process, don’t hesitate to reach out to any member of the Gray Reed Construction Practice Group. Be sure to subscribe to the Texas Construction Law Blog to automatically receive our monthly lien and bond guides, as well as other content related to legal issues impacting the construction industry. Lien and Bond Claim Notices and Filings Required by:July 15, 2025Texas Property Code Chapter 53Notice of Intent to Lien for Subs/Suppliers of All Tiers for Work/Materials Furnished During:  April 2025Liens Filed by Original Contractors and Subs/Suppliers of All Tiers for Work/Materials Furnished During:  March 2025Texas Government Code Chapter 2253Notice of Unpaid Claim for Subs/Suppliers of All Tiers for Work/Materials to GC Furnished During:  May 2025Notice of Unpaid Claim for Subs/Suppliers of All…

AI is shaking things up in the legal world and fast. In just a year, the number of legal professionals using AI tools jumped from 19% to a whopping 79%.People are catching on to how much time and effort these tools save, especially for repetitive tasks like contract review and research. Even clients are on board; 70% say they’re fine with or even prefer working with firms that use AI.This shift isn’t just a trend but the new normal. As AI keeps evolving, it’s clear that lawyers and firms who embrace these tools now will have a big advantage in the future.So, how can you get in on it? In this guide, we go over everything you need to know about legal AI, including the different types, benefits, and the best tools you can start with.What Is Legal AI?Legal AI is a technology designed to simplify and speed up legal work. It’s not meant to replace lawyers. These are tools that legal professionals need to handle repetitive tasks more efficiently.For instance,…

“Criminal: Motion to disqualify attorney for co-defendant is rejected” — “Where two executives of a home health agency were charged with health care fraud and money laundering, the COO’s motion to disqualify the attorney representing the owner was denied. The attorney previously represented the company, and not the COO. And the COO failed to show what, if any, information would be subject to attorney-client privilege.” “According to the indictments, Bryant-Taylor served as an owner, director, president and Chief Operating Officer of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare, a home health agency that provided private duty nursing and personal care throughout Virginia. Okocha was an owner, director, vice president and treasurer of 1st Adult.” “Bryant-Taylor now moves to disqualify attorney Robert Jenkins from representing co-defendant Okocha. Bryant-Taylor alleges that during Jenkins’ prior representation of 1st Adult,…

Digital Health Decolonizing Digital Health: Reclaiming Equity, Consent, and Governance in Global Health Innovation The digital transformation of health care is advancing at unprecedented speed. Artificial intelligence (AI), mobile health apps, and telemedicine promise to enhance more accurate diagnoses, streamline care delivery, and expand access to health services worldwide. Published June 16, 2025 Author Marcelo Corrales Compagnucci Share Share on LinkedIn Share on X Share on Facebook Share on Reddit The digital transformation of health care is advancing at unprecedented speed. Artificial intelligence (AI), mobile health apps, and telemedicine promise to enhance more accurate diagnoses, streamline care delivery, and expand access to health services worldwide. But in the Global South, these promises often collide with stark realities: colonial legacies, systemic inequalities, and uneven…

For the Balkinization symposium in honor of Ken Kersch Logan E. Sawyer III In 2020, I wrote a highly complimentary review of Ken’s Conservatives and the Constitution.  The book, I argued, was an insightful and novel explanation of perhaps the key issue in the history of post-war conservatism:  how did a loose and potentially fractious association of different viewpoints and interests become a unified and highly coordinated political movement?  It happened through the use of stories, Ken told us, stories about the Constitution, which were intentionally developed by movement intellectuals in a successful effort to build a conservative political identity.  The book was required reading, I thought, for anyone looking to understand the American Right and its relationship to the law and the constitution.  In retrospect, I was not nearly complimentary enough.  Changes in our politics since I wrote that review have made Conservatives and…

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker stated on Saturday that the country’s gun laws must be strengthened following a mass shooting earlier in the week. Stocker suggested multiple changes to the current gun policies, such as raising the minimum age for purchasing weapons and improving data sharing between officials to better identify warning signs. He also announced that the Austrian government will vote on plans to strengthen the gun laws, confirming that the cabinet will meet on June 18 to finalize a reform package designed to enhance public safety oversight. Additional proposed reforms include narrowing classifications for legal weapons and mandating stricter psychological evaluations. The proposed reform came after a mass shooting on Tuesday at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz that left at least 10 students dead and 12 injured before the gunman shot and killed himself. Stocker called the shooting a national tragedy that signified a…

Following up on my previous post, Texas Supreme Court May No Longer Require Graduation From ABA-Accredited Law School To Practice Law In The State: Symposium, Texas and the Future of Legal Education, University of Texas Civitis Institute (2025): The long-term position the American Bar Association has held, under the authority...

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Office website: www.wiselaw.net Visit our website: www.wiselaw.net