Recent Posts
13 Sep 2:45 pm
Over the past several years, the number of states with comprehensive consumer data privacy laws has increased exponentially from just a handful—California, Colorado, Virginia, Connecticut, and Utah—to up to twenty by some counts. Many of these state laws will go into effect starting Q4 of 2024 through 2025. We have previously written in more detail on New Jersey’s comprehensive data privacy law, which goes into effect January 15, 2025, and Tennessee’s comprehensive data privacy law, which goes into effect July 1, 2025. Some laws have already gone into effect,… [read
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13 Sep 2:19 pm
Recent I took the deposition of an alleged paramour in a divorce case I am handling. The deponent, when asked about his adultery with my client’s wife, and upon his attorney’s advice, invoked his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Appellate decisions regarding what constitutes adultery as a basis for divorce (and the adultery bar to alimony) have a broader definition of adultery than South Carolina’s criminal statute on adultery. S.C. Code § 16-15-70 (the criminal code) reads, “’Adultery’ is the living together and carnal… [read
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13 Sep 2:18 pm
At David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys, most of our clients come to us having never dealt with the legal Read More... [read
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13 Sep 2:15 pm
US authorities on Friday announced new sanctions against RT amid sprawling accusations that the state-run media conglomerate has engaged in covert influence operations and election interference on a global scale.
“RT moved beyond being simply a media outlet and has been an entity with cyber capabilities. It is also engaged in information operations, covert influence, and military procurement. These operations are targeting countries around the world, including in Europe, Africa, and North and South America,” the State Department alleged.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken… [read
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13 Sep 2:05 pm
Your weekly summary of everything on the site. [read
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13 Sep 2:03 pm
As the back-to-school season rolls around, parents everywhere are preparing for an academic year filled with new opportunities and challenges. For some, this time of year means more than just shopping for supplies and a new school wardrobe – it also involves managing child support payments and budgeting for a range of additional school-related expenses. From classroom supplies and field trips to extracurricular activities and sports equipment, the financial demands of this new year can add up quickly. In this blog, we will break down how to prepare and… [read
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13 Sep 1:57 pm
Yonathan A. Arbel (U Alabama Law) has posted “Time & Contract Interpretation: Lessons from Machine Learning” (in Research Handbook on Law & Time, F. Fagan & S. Levmore eds. 2025) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Contract interpretation is the task of estimating what distant in time parties meant to say or would have said about a specific contingency. For at least a century, scholars and courts have been debating how to best carry out this task.
Conceiving of the interpretative task as one of prediction, I suggest that there are some valuable lessons to be… [read
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13 Sep 1:56 pm
Avoiding Styrofoam and other single-use plastics while eating out can feel nearly impossible, even in Austin, a city known for its green initiatives. But alternatives are available.
Although many restaurants in Austin still use plastics, compostable packaging is gaining traction as concerns about our environment and health continue to rise. While recyclable packaging has long been promoted as an eco-friendly option, recent studies reveal its shortcomings. For example, only 5-6% of what we recycle gets recycled. Furthermore, the recycling process itself can release more… [read
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13 Sep 1:54 pm
Cass R. Sunstein (Harvard Law) has posted “AI, Reducing Internalities and Externalities” on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Many consumers suffer from inadequate information and behavioral biases, which can produce internalities, understood as costs that people impose on their future selves. In these circumstances, “Choice Engines,” powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), might produce significant savings in terms of money, health, safety, or time. Consider, for example, choices among motor vehicles or appliances. AI-powered Choice Engines might also take… [read
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13 Sep 1:51 pm
Kirsten K. Davis (Stetson Law) has posted “A New Parlor is Open: Legal Writing Faculty Must Develop Scholarship on Generative AI and Legal Writing” (Stetson Law Review Forum 2024) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Generative artificial intelligence likely represents a paradigm shift in legal communication teaching, learning, and practice. What we know (so far) about generative AI suggests that law school legal writing courses will need to teach generative AI skills to be used as part of a hybrid human-generative AI legal writing process. Accordingly, legal writing faculty… [read
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13 Sep 1:46 pm
Article 81 of the New York Mental Hygiene Law contains the provisions for the appointment of a Guardian. Guardianship can involve an appointment for personal needs such as health care or living environment. There is also a Guardianship for property management which concerns a person’s financial affairs. The New York Probate Lawyer Blog contains many posts relating to Guardianships.
As has been discussed in earlier blogs, MHL Section 81.02 provides that a Guardian may be appointed when or if it is found to be necessary for personal needs or property management… [read
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13 Sep 1:45 pm
Over the years, the power of music has been an integral piece in energizing a crowd, whether through a specific song used at a political rally or in a campaign video on social media. However, there are legalities when it comes to the use of songs, especially when the musician doesn’t want to be tied to a specific political candidate or a candidate uses a song without the musician’s permission.
Back on August 29, 2024, deputy director of communications for the Trump campaign, Margo McAtee Martin, posted a short clip on X of Donald Trump boarding a plane, set to… [read
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13 Sep 1:34 pm
I had been flagging this case as a potential first U.S. Supreme Court test for the independent state legislature theory post-Moore v. Harper. But the PA Supreme Court rejected the case because the plaintiffs did not sue all of Pennsylvania’s… Continue reading
The post Pennsylvania Supreme Court, on 4-3 Vote, Kicks on Technical Grounds Suit to Try to Get Undated and Misdated But Timely Mail-In Ballots Counted appeared first on Election Law Blog. [read
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13 Sep 1:33 pm
Running Ethernet wiring is a messy, expensive job. If you have cable outlets, you can use an inexpensive adapter to set up a high-speed wired connection with minimal effort. [read
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13 Sep 1:31 pm
The five California Appellate Projects (ADI, CAP-LA, CCAP, FDAP, SDAP) are presenting a Zoom webinar titled How to Build at Appellate Practice on October 17 @ 12:15 -- "Learn about the benefits of handling court-appointed appeals, including greater work-life balance and the opportunity to shape the law." See Appellate-Panels-Recruitment-Fall-2024.pdf (fdap.org)How clear is it that you have to move for a new trial to appeal an award of punitive damages on the basis that the award is excessive in light of evidence about ability to pay? Here's an unpub from 4/1 with a dissent. The… [read
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13 Sep 1:31 pm
The US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio issued an opinion in Hayden V. 2K Games, Inc. that could potentially put an end to tattoo copyright cases. Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler discuss the court’s opinion on this episode of The Briefing.
Listen to this podcast episode here. [read
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13 Sep 1:30 pm
A serious traffic collision involving multiple vehicles occurred on Interstate 680 South near State Route 262 in Fremont at approximately 10:55 AM on September 13, 2024. The incident involved a silver Nissan sedan and an oil tanker big rig, resulting in significant damage and lane blockages.
Emergency services were promptly dispatched to the scene, with units arriving by 11:07 AM. The collision caused smoke to emanate from the Toyota involved, and two right lanes were blocked, leading to substantial traffic delays. Tow services were requested, and additional absorbent materials were… [read
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13 Sep 1:24 pm
Federal Rule of Evidence 703 provides that An expert may base an opinion on facts or data in the case that the expert has been made aware of or personally observed. If experts in the particular field would reasonably rely... [read
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13 Sep 1:15 pm
C2PA is expanding its ranks, but other digital provenance organizations are concerned about its member roster. [read
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13 Sep 1:12 pm
In the wake of the devastating CrowdStrike meltdown earlier this year, Microsoft convened a meeting with leaders from the endpoint security business. Did anything useful come of it? [read
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