Law.com - Newswire

Judge Hands Google Win on Copyright Question

U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed Google a major victory Thursday when he dismissed claims that the Android mobile phone platform infringes Oracle's copyrights relating to the Java computer language. Alsup ruled that the elements Google replicated were free for all to use under copyright law. "So long as the specific code used to implement a method is different, anyone is free under the Copyright Act to write his or her own code to carry out exactly the same function or specification of any methods used in the Java API," he wrote.

The most-cited law reviews? Harvard still leads, but Yale is gaining ground

A new tally of the most-cited law review articles of all time gives the edge to the Harvard Law Review. But Yale Law School's faculty has a lead in producing oft-cited scholarship since 1990. Scholarly interest in IP law is among the trends noted in the study, which focuses on citations in articles in law and social science journals.

Custodial Parent Held Subject to Kidnapping Charge

Relying on precedents from the high courts of Arizona, Florida and Iowa, New York state's high court has ruled 4-3 that a parent who has custodial rights to a child can nevertheless be found guilty of kidnapping the child.

SunTrust subsidiary settles loan discrimination case for $21M

SunTrust Mortgage has agreed to a $21 million settlement to resolve allegations that it increased loan prices for qualified black and Hispanic borrowers, the Justice Department said Thursday. DOJ lawyers said the settlement money would be used to pay discrimination victims in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

Edwards Mistrial Puts Sharp Focus On Justice Department

A jury found former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards not guilty Thursday on one of six counts rooted in an alleged scheme to violate campaign finance laws. The high-profile case wound up being a blow for the government, which waged an aggressive prosecution but now needs to decide whether a second trial is justified.

Summer Associates 2012

Valerie Barker and Kevin Douglas talk about their upcoming term as summer associates with Baker Botts.

Pacenti's rant: Law firm layoffs

It's not easy being a lawyer these days. And even harder being part of the law firm's support staff as law firms are cutting back on those positions. John Pacenti asks "Is this more about management or greed?"

How the Firms Reacted to the First Am Law 100

Telling The American Lawyer's Creation Story

First Circuit strikes DOMA on equal protection grounds

Setting the stage for a U.S. Supreme Court battle, the First Circuit on Thursday held that the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutionally denies federal benefits to same-sex couples who are legally married under state laws.

Former Partners, Vendors Selected to Advise on Dewey Bankruptcy

In a somewhat unusual move, the U.S. trustee's office has appointed not one, but two committees to help advise unsecured creditors on Dewey & LeBoeuf's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The official unsecured creditors' committee is composed of three vendors that provided services to the firm. The second group is made up of four former partners.

Angry Wal-Mart Investors Weighing In at Shareholder Meeting

Wal-Mart's annual meeting is shaping up to be a day of reckoning for the retail giant, which was hit in April with allegations of widespread bribery in Mexico. With all 16 of the company's board seats up for election, some public pension funds have already announced they will vote against all or some of Wal-Mart's directors.

Appellate Court Says Juror's Facebook Postings Aren't Protected

In what may be one of the first rulings of its kind, a California appeal panel has ruled that a juror caught writing on his Facebook page must consent to having those postings turned over to the trial judge for review. The juror had argued that the order violated his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights and the federal Stored Communications Act.

Death during 3-way sex nets $3M verdict

An adulterous three-person sex romp cost a Georgia police officer's family $2 million. A jury returned a $5 million verdict against the cardiologist who evaluated William Martinez for chest pains and scheduled a heart stress test, but the jury apportioned 40 percent of the fault to Martinez for comparative negligence, reducing the award.

In-House Litigation Counsel Dismissed in Ongoing Eaton Corp Legal Saga

Two in-house counsel at the Eaton Corp. lost their jobs after new emails emerged in a long-running lawsuit involving the power management company. Eaton confirmed Thursday that Vic Leo, vice president and chief litigation counsel, and fellow litigation counsel Sharon O'Flaherty no longer work at the company.

Milberg Becomes Latest Firm to Withdraw from Ceglia's Facebook Ownership Suit

A little less than three months after agreeing to represent Paul Ceglia on his claim to an ownership stake in Facebook, lawyers at Milberg are asking a federal judge to allow them to drop the case, joining a growing list of firms that have taken on and then dropped Ceglia's case.

Sidley and Paul Hastings Follow the Law Firm Pack to Houston, Break Ranks When It Comes to Hiring

Sidley Austin and Paul Hastings are the two latest Am Law 100 firms looking to capitalize on Houston's booming energy sector. But these newcomers entered the red-hot market in a way that sets them apart: Rather than hire laterals in batches, they hand-picked individual lawyers from the local talent pool.

Insurers May Be on the Hook for More Toxic Cleanup Costs

Insurers may have to shell out some more to clean up one of California's worst hazardous waste sites. After 19 years of litigation, some state Supreme Court justices sounded ready Wednesday to rule that insurers will have to pay all sums due on each policy issued over a 12-year period, subject only to individual limits.

Judge's Exclusionary Ruling Helps Kaye Scholer Win Prempro Verdict for Pfizer

Two recent verdicts over Pfizer's drug Prempro prove the importance of a judge willing to block damaging evidence from the jury. On Wednesday, a jury found that a Pfizer subsidiary wasn't liable for a nurse's 2006 death from breast cancer. In contrast, a jury returned a $4 million verdict against Wyeth in a trial a month ago.

Panel Finds False 'Gay' Label Is No Longer Per Se Defamation

An Albany appellate court on Thursday overturned its own precedent and rejected those of the three other New York appellate division departments in abandoning a long-standing legal assumption that falsely labeling someone as lesbian, gay or bisexual is inherently defamatory.

Why Is Hastings Law School Rushing to Cut Enrollment?

In this Q&A with The Careerist's Vivia Chen, Hastings' dean explains the law school's decision to slash enrollment by 20 percent and discusses the need for law schools to adapt to a changing legal market. Says Frank Wu: "We should have downsized 25 years ago." Visit The Careerist