News from June 2024
Appeals court says lawsuit over LAUSD's former COVID-19 vaccine mandate can go forward
Former employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District can pursue their legal objections to the district’s now-defunct COVID-19 vaccination policy as a result of a federal appeals court ruling handed down last week.
Lori Kozak Recognized Among 2024 BTI Client Service All-Stars
Fox Rothschild congratulates Lori S. Kozak, who was selected to the 2024 class of Client Service All-Stars by BTI Consulting Group.
Ana Tagvoryan and Lauren B. Wilgus Named BTI 2024 Client Service All-Stars
Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that partner and co-chair of the firm's Corporate Litigation practice and Class Action Defense team Ana Tagvoryan and partner Lauren B. Wilgus have been named BTI 2024 Client Service All-Stars.
Professor Swethaa Ballakrishnen Awarded Law and Society Association Global Collaboration Grant
University of California, Irvine School of Law Professor Swethaa Ballakrishnen and collaborator Suryapratim Roy, Assistant Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin, have been awarded a Law and Society Association Global Collaboration Grant for their research project, “Law & the Interloper: Comparative Projects and the Potential of Queer Theory.”
Lawsuit: UCLA leaders' 'cowardice' enabled antisemitic harassment, bigotry to flourish amid protests
The lawsuit filed by three Jewish students accused UCLA of violating their constitutional and civil rights and endangered Jewish students and faculty by allowing pro-Hamas antisemitic protests and imagery to proliferate and flourish on campus this spring
Six Morgan Lewis Lawyers Named as 2024 Bti Client Service All-stars
BTI Consulting Group has recognized six Morgan Lewis lawyers in its 2024 BTI Client Service All-Stars list, which recognizes client service leaders identified by corporate counsel across the United States.
Southwestern Law School celebrates Pride Month!
June is a time of celebration, reflection, and unity for the LGBTQIA+ community.
L.A. judge publicly censured over texts about potential witness sent to D.A.'s office
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has received a “severe” reprimand for sending text messages that the state Commission on Judicial Performance found were antithetical to her role as an impartial arbiter during the course of a murder trial.
Ogletree Deakins Opens 7th California Office, Expands into Fresno
Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that it has opened an office in Fresno, California, which is the firm’s 55th overall and its seventh in California.
Professor Ji Seon Song Named a 2024-25 Hellman Fellow
Ji Seon Song, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, has been named a Hellman Fellow for 2024-25 in support of her research proposal titled, “Crisis Policing.”
New journal launched by USC Gould faculty aims for ‘sweet spot’ in empirical legal studies
A new open access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the growing movement of empirical legal studies – the use of quantitative data and other information gathering methods to understand the law – has just launched under the leadership of USC Gould School of Law professors Lee Epstein and Dan Klerman.
Sharon R. Klein Recognized in Orange County Business Journal's Women in STEM 2024
Blank Rome partner Sharon R. Klein, who serves as co-chair of Blank Rome's Privacy, Security & Data Protection practice and co-chair of our Orange County office, has been recognized in the Orange County Business Journal's ("OCBJ") Women in STEM ("Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics") 2024.
Sedgwick report finds 'anchoring' tactic brings larger verdicts, contributing to rising insurance costs
Consulting firm Sedgwick released a report on May 31 titled "Liability Litigation," which found that a technique called "anchoring" used by trial attorneys results in larger settlements and verdicts. Large jury verdicts are a contributing factor to social inflation, meaning insurance costs increase faster than general inflation.
Tenant Sues RE/MAX Gold Coast Property Management Over Severe Flooding Damage
Daryl Buckwald has filed a lawsuit against RE/MAX Gold Coast Property Management alleging breach of lease and denial of insurance benefits following severe flooding that rendered his rental unit uninhabitable. The suit seeks compensation for various damages including personal property loss and increased rent costs for alternate housing.
San Jose Korean Central Church sues Korean Evangelical Church of America over Disaffiliation Dispute
The San Jose Korean Central Church has filed a lawsuit against the Korean Evangelical Church of America seeking recognition of its disaffiliation decision amidst internal disciplinary actions taken against its senior pastor Francis Chung. The court ruled in favor of KECA citing ecclesiastical deference principles under First Amendment protections.
Former Salesman Sues A&A Organic Farms Corporation Over Termination for Refusing COVID-19 Test
Ryan Owen Frayo has filed a lawsuit against A&A Organic Farms Corporation after being terminated for refusing a COVID-19 test citing personal beliefs and legal concerns about disclosing medical information without proper authorization forms as per CMIA regulations while challenging dismissal validity based procedural grounds upheld appellate review affirming lower court rulings dismissing entire suit due insufficient claims stated statutory provisions invoked therein
Public Guardian Accuses Susan Talbot Over Special Needs Trust Property Sale
The Public Guardian of Los Angeles County has filed a complaint against Susan Talbot seeking permission from Superior Court to sell a family home tied up in a special needs trust after its beneficiary passed away with outstanding debts.
Plaintiffs Allege Due Process Violations in Expulsion Case Against University
Chad Ayach and Joseph Nofal have appealed against their expulsions from UC Riverside, arguing that they were denied due process during university disciplinary hearings related to hazing activities within Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. They claim they were unable to confront or cross-examine witnesses whose statements led to their expulsion.
State agency's actions on employee wage theft claims labeled 'grim,' 'inefficient'
The state agency that processes California employees’ wage theft claims against employers has 47,000 backlogged cases, an insufficient number of employers to do its job and only a 12% collection rate against companies, according to a new state audit.
CA Supreme Court clears way for UC Berkeley housing project; Law says student noise can't stop new developments
The California Supreme Court has ruled a new state law indeed pulls the rug out from under opponents of the People's Park student housing project at UC Berkeley, who had scored a win on appeal to force the school to include concerns over 'student-generated noise' in their environmental review