Legal Current

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could have far-reaching implications on law enforcement’s ability to access digital records. In US v.  Microsoft, the tech giant is challenging a US search warrant involving data stored in servers located in Ireland.  The case poses major questions over data access in the Internet age.  The case hinges on the Stored Communications Act, which was passed in 1986, long before the explosion  of emails and the Internet.  The government argues that access to records stored by US companies overseas is vital as evidence for criminal cases such as terrorism, child pornography and fraud.   Michael Whitener of VLP Law Group discusses the implications of the case. 

The Supreme Court, in deciding Christie v. NCAA, could open the door for legalized sports gambling across the U.S.  What are the odds?  What would be the impact on professional sports? Glen Rothstein of Rothstein Law tackles the issue

As Congress continues its budget negotiations, concerns are rising about the potential  on federal support of legal aid for people with low incomes, seniors, people with disabilities, and others who lack ready access to legal services.  In this episode of For Public Consumption, Sharon Sayles-Belton, vice president of Government Affairs for Thomson Reuters, talks with Drew Schaffer, executive director of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.

Frederic Block is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, a musician, and a noted author. His first book, Disrobed: An Inside Look at the Life and Work of a Federal Trial Judge, provides aunique  behind the bench look at some of the controversial cases Judge Block handled over his 23 years on the federal bench in Brooklyn. includiing the Crown Heights riots and the trial of Peter Gotti of the Gambino crime family. His new book, Race to Judgment is a "reality-fiction" debut novel loosely based on a number of high-profile cases handled by Judge Block

President Trump signed more executive orders in his first 100 days in office than any US President since World War II.   Ronald D. Rotunda, a U.S. legal scholar and professor of law at Chapman University School of Law, discusses the history of Presidential executive orders.

Aging corporate boards are getting lessons on how to foster the next generation of directors. Younger directors remain rare but they’re increasingly in demand for their skills and perspectives on topics such as cybersecurity, e-commerce and marketing to millennials. They can also bring diversity to otherwise “pale, male and stale” boardrooms. The next generation of board leaders say too many boards lack effective on-boarding practices for new members.  What are best practices for bridging the gap between aging boards and the younger generation that brings new, fresh ideas?   Dave Lynn -- Co-Chair of Jenner & Block¹s Securities Practice – dicsusses.

Free wi-fi is widely available and tempting to use, especially when traveling.  Hotels, airports, coffee shops, even NYC subway stations provide it.  But the dangers of public wi-fi are many-fold.  Not only are they hunting grounds for hackers, but a new report from security firm FireEye claims a Russian hacker group known as APT28, or Fancy Bear, used hotel Wi-Fi networks to spy on high-value guests. While use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can safeguard against unsafe wi-fi networks, recent bans of VPNs by Russia and China further complicate matters.  Bob Braun with Jeffer Mangels, Butler & Mitchell, says when using any public wi-fi, you are inherently at risk.  

Emojis are cute, fun...and can get you in a whole lot of legal trouble.  “Emoji law” is increasingly a factor in e-discovery, particularly in labor and employment cases such as sexual harassment and discrimination. Jay Holand, chair of labor and employment at Joseph Greenwald, says it has gotten to the point where e mployment attorneys should start thinking about setting up emoji-awareness seminars for companies on how emoji and applications like Slack are creating new questions, and perhaps conflicts, in workplaces like, “Is that winky-face emoji friendly, flirtatious or sexual harassment?”

As the Supreme Court prepares to open its 2017-2018 term, all eyes will on the docket to see which cases the high court decides to take up.  In recent years, the Court has been taking an increased focus on IP cases.  Wayne Stacy of Baker Botts says his analysis reveals that this is part of the Court’s growing scrutiny of the Federal Circuit Courts. 

NAMWOLF CEO Joel Stern discussed how NAMWOLF works with large law firms to boost diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

NAMWOLF CEO Joel Stern discusses how unconscious bias impacts diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

NAMWOLF CEO Joel Stern discusses innovative partnerships NAMWOLF forms with Corporate America to boost diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) seeks to increase diversity in the legal profession through greater corporate retention of minority- and women-owned law firms.   CEO Joel Stern recently discussed NAMWOLF’s work with Sharon Sayles Belton, vice president, Government Affairs and Community Relations for Thomson Reuters.

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have produced numerous fatalities and billions of dollars in property damage. As devastated areas move into recovery mode, numerous legal issues will arise for impacted businesses. Rachel Steely of Gardere Wynne Sewell in Houston discusses what businesses need to keep in mind as they recover from the aftermath of storms and other natural disasters.

Silvia A. LeBlanc of Morgan Lewis in Philadelphia discusses how the firm uses knowledge management and practice innovation, to collaborate with team members across Morgan Lewis’s global network and ensure they take full advantage of resources. She maps legal processes, creates productivity tools, and conducts training sessions that promote a culture of quality and consistency across matters.

Balancing employee rights with employer's data security needs and data privacy requirements can be tricky.  Anna Suh with Fenwick & West discusses how employers can manage this balance.

Legal departments are increasingly turning to alternative legal service providers to handle certain legal tasks and matters on a more cost-effective basis.  But now, some law firms are also engaging alternative legal service providers to help their client reduce costs and strengthen the firm’s client relationships Jeffrey Sharer co-chair of Akerman's Data Law Practice talked at ILTACON 2017 with Ed Sohn, Thomson reuters vice president of product management and partner management about his firm's use of Collaborative Disaggregation.

Brian Kuhn, founder of IBM Watson Legal, addressed key misconceptions around artificial intelligence and cognitive computing in Tuesday’s keynote at ITLACON 2017.  Kuhn talked with David Curle, Thomson Reuters director of market intelligence,  and shared insights from business-of-law use case workshops IBM conducted with corporate legal departments and law firms over the last two years. He discussed patterns of customer interest and success related to the application of artificial intelligence and cognitive computing to the legal domain, and what everyone needs to know about what AI can — and can’t — do.