U.S. Crackdown on Medical Marijuana Unnerves Industry
12/5/2011 The billion-dollar medical marijuana industry has been badly shaken by the increasing federal crackdown on its sellers and growers, which has also highlighted the harsh contradiction between state and federal policies. The medical-marijuana industry sprung up in the state of California since voters approved the medical use of the drug in 1996. However, […]
Debit Card Swipe Fees Prompts Retail Groups to File Lawsuit
12/4/2011 A lawsuit was filed by a number of retail groups in federal court Tuesday, claiming the Federal Reserve failed to abide by the requirements of a financial reform statute when it set the cap on debit card swipe fees. The National Association of Convenience Stores, the food Marketing Institute, the National Retail Federation […]
Foreclosure Law Firm Mocking Victims Shutting Down
12/4/2011 One of the key law firms handling foreclosures in the United States is shutting down after it was banned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from receiving new tasks from servicers and lenders. It was the same law firm that threw a Halloween party in 2010 where the employees were dressed up as […]
Major Shift for Massachusetts as Governor Deval Patrick Signs Casinos Into Law
12/3/2011 A bill that would make the state of Massachusetts the 40th state with legal casinos or slot parlors is expected to be signed by Governor Deval Patrick this morning. The momentous shift in a state that has been founded by Puritans follows years of strong lobbying by the casino industry and a couple […]
Ruling on Healthcare Reform Law by the U.S. Supreme Court Terrifies Insurers
12/3/2011 The insurance industry is alarmed at the prospect of the Supreme Court striking down the individual mandate to purchase insurance next year while leaving intact the rest of the healthcare reform law. One Republican healthcare lobbyist revealed in an interview with the media that for insurers, the demise of the mandate alone, which […]
Sweeping Oversight of Casinos given to New Commission
12/2/2011 When a new gambling bill was signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick, administrative supervision over the three planned casinos and one slots parlor will immediately shift from state lawmakers to the still unnamed five-member commission, whose members will make over $100,000 annually. Top legislators said that they intentionally set out to grant […]
Campaign Contributions to Obama Dominated by Law Firms
12/2/2011 President Barack Obama is being heavily favored by big law firms in campaign contribution. According to reports, twice as much financial contribution has poured into the re-election campaign of the president compared to the four leading Republican candidates combined. According to the Federal Election Commission filings that have been analyzed by government watchdog […]
Discovery Hearing Rescheduled by Congress
12/1/2011 On December 13 the U.S. Congress will listen to testimony regarding forthcoming e-discovery-related additions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. This will be the first such hearing since 2006 when the rules were last updated. The hearing, which is entitled “The Costs and Burdens of Civil Discovery,” was originally set for November […]
Law School Asked by Maryland Governor to Drop Lawsuit
12/1/2011 The legal tussle between the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law environmental clinic and Maryland lawmakers reignited this week then a harshly worded letter was sent by Gov. Martin O’Malley to Dean Phoebe Haddon. In his letter, the governor called the involvement of the clinic in the lawsuit an “ongoing […]
Lawsuit Filed to Seeking to Set Lolita Free
11/30/2011 Groups accuse federal agency of favoring industry in a 2005 decision to exempt Lolita from an endangered species designation that covered the rest of her pod. A novel legal campaign is being expanded by animal rights activists seeking to free killer whales situated in marine attractions in Florida. The National Marine Fisheries Service […]