Bankruptcy filings rose 16 percent during the 12-month period ending March 31, 2024. That is a similar rate of acceleration as in the Dec. 31, 2023, quarterly report, but new bankruptcy cases remain significantly lower than before the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Judiciary News – United States Courts
This blog was co-authored by Michael McCarthy, trainee associate, litigation insurance.
On 20 March 2024 the Financial Sector Conduct Authority published a number of administrative sanctions for financial services providers who had failed to comply with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA). The FSCA, the supervisory body responsible for financial services providers under FICA, issued the sanctions following inspections it conducted during the course of 2023. Each FSP was found to have contravened section 42(1) and (2) of FICA for … Read the rest
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Monday’s argument in Smith v. Spizziri was this month’s case under the Federal Arbitration Act. This one explores what a trial court can do when it refers a pending suit to arbitration. Section 3 of the FAA says that if the court refers the case to arbitration, it “shall on application of one of the parties stay the trial of the action until such arbitration has been had.” The question is whether the trial court, instead of staying the … Read the rest
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The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on Monday in a case that one legal expert has called the “most important Supreme Court case about homelessness in at least 40 years.” The issue before the court is the constitutionality of ordinances in an Oregon town that bar people who are homeless from using blankets, pillows, or cardboard boxes for protection from the elements while sleeping within the city limits. Defending the ordinances, the city contends that the laws simply … Read the rest
Hundreds of lawyers and community members joined Minnesota federal judges in a recent courthouse event fostering awareness of disability rights.
Judiciary News – United States Courts
Few social issues are more significant than unequal access to justice. Any nation that aspires to the highest level of democracy must make the civil justice system accessible not just to the affluent, but those of modest means.
Professor Renee Knake Jefferson‘s excellent new book “Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Solving the Justice Crisis” explains exactly where we are, where we need to go, and how we can get there.
An updated version of my review is available at The … Read the rest
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The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.
The Fourth Amendment generally bars police from searching people or their property without a warrant. The Supreme Court has made an exception for searches made during an arrest. But although that exception applies to arrestees themselves, it only extends to their nearby possessions if there is a risk they can … Read the rest
The FCC recently released a Notice of Apparent Liability (“NAL”) for a forfeiture of $ 8,000 that should be a cautionary tale for other broadcast licensees that conduct contests for listeners or viewers. This fine arose out of the station’s failure to conduct a contest in accordance with its announced terms, and specifically to make payment of a prize by the deadline which the station had established for itself. The FCC found that this failure was a violation of its … Read the rest