Category Archives: Uncategorized

And speaking of technology and privacy: if Sen. Feinstein isn’t safe, no one is safe

It may sound like something from House of Cards, but it appears (or it has been alleged, at the very least) that the CIA is now hacking the U.S. Senate. Here's the Post's lede describing the speech on the Senate floor today by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California: The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee […]

Nicastro Decision Impedes Access to Justice

    Public Citizen has released a report analyzing the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in J. McIntyre Machinery Co. v. Nicastro, 131 S. Ct. 2780 (2011), on the ability of people injured by the products of out-of-state and foreign manufacturers to obtain access to the courts to remedy their injuries. Nicastro significantly limited the […]

Is bankruptcy an effective tool in preventing foreclosure?

For a variety of answers, see an empirical study by Alan White and Carolina Reid called Saving Homes? Bankruptcies and Loan Modifications in the Foreclosure Crisis. Here is the abstract: Do homeowner bankruptcy filings work to delay or prevent home foreclosures, and how do they compare to voluntary loan modifications specifically targeted to mortgage relief? […]

A plain-language explaination of some class action settlement pitfalls

For reasons we've discussed many times before, class actions are important and powerful tools for holding bad actors accountable. But sometimes the settlements they produce aren't as beneficial to class members as one would hope. For an useful and accessible discussion of the types of problems that can arise in some class action settlements, check […]

Anti-fracking advocate moves to vacate injunction barring her from large swaths of her home county

As reported by the Guardian and other news outlets, Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation is going to great lengths to keep Pennsylvania environmental activist Vera Scroggins out of sight and out of earshot. So much so that the company obtained an injunction barring Scroggins not only from Cabot-owned properties but also all properties in the […]

Discrimination against obese people in employment

The number of obese people has skyrocketed in recent years, which has focused some lawmakers on discrimination against obese people, including in employment. Some jurisdictions have enacted laws against this type of employment discrimination. In Legal Largesse or Big, Fat Failure: Do Weight Discrimination Laws Improve Employment Outcomes of the Obese?, Jennifer Shinall looks at […]