All the latest news you need to know.
February 26, 2009ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |
The latest news of interest to you and your practice.
February 26, 2009ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |In last month's issue, we discussed how Jacob Gunvalson, when denied entry into a clinical trial for a drug that might offer treatment for his terminal disease, sued the drug manufacturer to compel it to seek a "compassionate use" exemption. We conclude with a look at the litigation that ensued.
February 26, 2009Janice G. InmanA special three-judge panel has held tentatively that overcrowding in California prisons presents an unconstitutional risk to inmate health and safety and that the prisoner population must be reduced. The panel has previously found that the prison system's mental health and medical care is so negligent that it is a direct cause of inmate deaths and suicides.
February 26, 2009Pamela A. MacLeanRecently, there have been indications that plaintiffs in California medical malpractice actions may renew a constitutional attack on the provisions of the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), the tort reform legislation that has governed medical malpractice litigation in California for nearly 25 years. The focus of these recent attacks is MICRA's $250,000 limit on noneconomic damages.
February 26, 2009David M. Axelrad and David S. EttingerTwitter is the latest thing. Before you post to Twitter, consider the consequences. A casual tool such as this makes it easy to unwittingly create an attorney-client relationship or overstep an ethical rule. Even with only 140 characters, you can easily get yourself in hot water.
February 25, 2009Robert J. AmbrogiAlong with the viral popularity of social networking Web sites (one of these sites is the fourth most-trafficked Web site in the world), legal blogs, collaboration sites, and informal online education options comes the vulnerability of some risk.
February 25, 2009Paula CampbellThere is no firm in business today that isn't inundated regularly by requests for contributions, whether for charitable, community, or political causes. For the community- minded firm, the requests can be overwhelming, as is the feeling that you do indeed want to help the organization requesting your help. But how can you serve your community ' and frequently, your firm ' without hurting your own firm's budget and community relations?
February 25, 2009Bruce W. MarcusFor that one little question, "Would you like to hire us?" there is no approved wording to use or tone with which to ask it. Are we supposed to deferentially lower our voices when we pop the fateful question? How much confidence should we exude?
February 25, 2009Allan ColmanAccording to the 2008 ACC/Serengeti Managing Outside Counsel Survey, median spending on outside counsel last year fell 9.1% ' to the lowest level in 8 years. A growing amount of work is being kept in-house, and 40%-plus of corporations have fired some of their outside counsel during the prior year. Here's how to thrive.
February 25, 2009Larry Bodine