I posted earlier on Law School Transparency's new program in which it will provide a "certification" to law schools that meet the ABA's standards and other "best practices" for disclosure of their graduates' employment data. For criticism of the program, see these posts from Brian Leiter, using the term "shakedown," and Stephen Diamond, describing the […]
by Deepak Gupta As some of us predicted on the day it was filed, Judge Ellen Huvelle of the U.S. District Court in Washington has just dismissed for lack of standing an ideologically-motivated constitutional challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's structure and authority, including a challenge to Rich Cordray's recess appointment. The case was […]
Jeff Gelles has the story here. Maybe it's just as well that Sovereign Bank is changing its name to Santander; I wouldn't want to be confused with them.
by Deepak Gupta This morning, the Eighth Circuit issued its decision in Charvat v. Mutual First, reversing the dismissal of two consumer class actions on constitutional standing grounds. The district court held that the plaintiff's claims — for violations of a federal law requiring on-machine notice of ATM fees — didn't allege an "injury in […]
It's not a secret that the market for law school graduates is not nearly as strong as it used to be. Nine months after graduation, the majority of the graduates of a startling number of law schools does not have full-time employment that requires a J.D. degree. In this market, concerns have been raised about […]
by Brian Wolfman Some parts of the Affordable Care Act are already in place, such as the requirement that uninsured kids up to age 26 be offered insurance on their parents' health insurane policies. But key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including the so-called individual mandate, don't go into effect until January 2014. The […]
by Jeff Sovern Sovereign Bank is changing its name to Santander, but I have decided not to change my name to Jeff Santander. I'm rather attached to my last name, which family lore claims came about when my grandfather and his three brothers decided to anglicize the family name. Previously, we had been the Smiths. […]
As many of our readers know, there's controversy over whether third parties (that is, non-lawyers and non-clients) should fund large, complex litigation. Two new articles address the question, in part asking whether outside funding benefits plaintiffs, particularly in class and other representative litigation. First, there's "Litigation Finance: What Do Judges Need to Know?" by law […]
by Brian Wolfman Yesterday, we told you about federal judge Richard Leon's ruling invalidating the Federal Reserve's rule on debit card swipe fees. As explained in this article by Katerina Sokou, if Judge Leon's decision holds, swipe fees likely will drop substantially, which should benefit consumers in the form of lower retail prices. Lower swipe fees […]
Go here to see the decision of Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. district court in D.C. Here's the first paragraph of the lengthy ruling: Plaintiffs NACS (formerly, the National Association of Convenience Stores), National Retail Federation ("NRF"), Food Marketing Institute ("FMI"), Miller Oil Co., Inc. ("Miller"), Boscov's Department Store, LLC ("Boscov's) and National Restaurant […]