Update (January 23, 2015):  Oral arguments were held in Williams-Yulee earlier this week. That case will decide whether it is constitutional to bar judicial candidates from personally soliciting attorneys for campaign contributions. And the justices seem to be dividing along the usual lines. With Justice Kennedy, who will likely be the swing vote, largely silent […]

Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether another regulation governing judicial elections is constitutional or whether it violates the first amendment. On Tuesday, January 20, the Court will consider Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar. (For a free webinar on January 15 with background on the case, click here.) In that case, the Florida […]

It’s State Fair time. That means fall is approaching. And the start of a new U.S. Supreme Court term. Last year’s term ended with some interesting commentary by professors, reporters and bloggers. Experienced Supreme Court attorney and professor Neal Katyal started the discussion.  In an op ed piece in the New York Times, he argued […]

On December 10, Jammie Thomas-Rasset filed a petition for a writ certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court (meaning that she seeks review of an intermediate appellate court’s ruling against her) asking to have a jury verdict reduced on the grounds that the award is excessive and violates her due process rights. Thomas-Rasset shared 24 songs […]

Next week, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments challenging the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and a Minnesota business has submitted an amicus “friend of the court” brief attempting to inform and sway the Court’s decision on the most divisive issue. Employer Solution Staffing Group (ESSG), a temporary employment staffing company based in Edina, has submitted […]

Having authored the Credit & Collections Chapter of the Minnesota Business Torts Deskbook (focusing on the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Truth-in-Lending Act, et al.), I again reach a bit beyond Minnesota and Eighth Circuit law to report an outside development — a Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision reversing summary judgment […]

Back in April, I reported a set-back for American Express at the Eighth Circuit. Yesterday, the case, having been remanded to the United States District Court (D. Minn.), was stayed “until such time as Defendants file a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. At the same time as the petition […]

From Akin Gump’s Scotusblog.com, Supreme Court-monitoring website, comes the following news of the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of a petition for a writ of certiorari from the 8th Circuit. The 1/18/02 Canadian Pacific (“CP”) freight train derailment resulted in a toxic release, evacuation, injuries and lawsuits (several in the U.S. District Court for the District […]