Overlawyered.com Jun. 2-27
Walter Olson
New since the last update:
* We'll take Southampton, say Indians readying land claim; not so fast,
counters our editor in a Times op-ed (Jun. 13, 19, 27). Plus: project
seeks to encourage blacks to file claims over land in Southern U.S.
(Jun. 8); banks' apologies over slavery (Jun. 10, two items); federal
tribal recognition for native Hawaiians (Jun. 23)
* No one got hurt, but Mom and Dad jailed for years for serving liquor
at son's 16th birthday party (Jun. 17)
* Ted's legal analysis of "Batman Begins" (w/spoilers) (Jun. 27)
* RFK Jr. helps trial lawyers propel highly dubious mercury/autism
theories onto front pages (Jun. 2, 20, 26)
* Better chop down those healthy fruit trees: someone might slip on the
fallen fruit (Jun. 19)
* Nader's planned Tort Law Museum -- for some reason people keep poking
fun at it (Jun. 6)
* Class-action roundup: notification might violate exotic dancers'
privacy (Jun. 19); Estee Lauder sued when "anti-aging" cosmetics fail
to halt aging (Jun. 24); Milbert Weiss client indicted (Jun. 27)
* Point of Law has a new regular contributor, Jonathan Wilson (Jun.
17); plus a new guestblogger, Ga. State insurance prof Martin Grace
(Jun. 24); and check its posts on eminent-domain case Kelo v. New
London, Calif. punitive-damage rulings, scary inmate-lawsuit scams,
loser-pays, and much more;
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HINT about finding stories: most stories mentioned have scrolled down
and off the front page of Overlawyered. Instead, they can be found via
the archives page(s), such as (for June entries):
http://www.overlawyered.com/archives/2005_06.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Feds' tobacco-suit shift: too bad they didn't just drop the whole
thing (Jun. 10, 13)
* Batch of reader letters on wheelchair access to lifeguards' towers,
death penalty, error rates of civil litigation, and Johnnie Cochran,
Jr. (Jun. 9)
* School district pays after kids' marshmallow-in-mouth game goes
horribly wrong (Jun. 5)
* N.J. official: we'll have to mull legal fight against man who puts up
billboards criticizing our business climate (Jun. 3)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If you're not keeping up with Point of Law, the Manhattan Institute
website on litigation, you're missing daily commentaries from Walter
Olson, Ted Frank and others on hot topics including asbestos, medical
malpractice, workplace lawsuits, corporate governance, international
law and much more. Not to mention humor and outrage. Check it out
today: http://www.pointoflaw.com/ .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Legal implications of Southwest Air Lines' zany safety announcements
(Jun. 9)
* Disneyland rides are common carriers, per Calif. high court (Jun. 22)
* Updates: Grunow gun suit (Jun. 2); Edward Fagan (Jun. 4); B'klyn
law-office-on-wheels (Jun. 5); Bonds ball (Jun. 5); Oriana Fallaci
(Jun. 11); Miss. court scandal (Jun. 12); pill-splitting (Jun. 13);
Chrysler seat-back case (Jun. 23); salt in food (Jun. 24); UK, Oz
courts reject tobacco, DVT suits (Jun. 25); suing "recovered-memory"
critic (Jun. 26)
* Questions not to ask if you're an employer doing a job interview
(Jun. 24)
* Some don'ts: don't try to make your secretary pay your dry cleaning
bill after minor spill (Jun. 22); don't photograph anesthetized patient
with fake tusks protruding from mouth (Jun. 22)
* Good news for a change: Texas revamps school "zero-tolerance" policy
to let in a little common sense (Jun. 16)
* How IP law has shaped development of comic-book characters (Jun. 15)
* * * * * * * Now in paperback! * * * * * * * * * *
Our editor's book The Rule of Lawyers, on mass tort litigation from
guns to asbestos to fast food, is now available in paperback with a
newly written afterword. Robert Lenzner in Forbes.com calls the book "a
truly gripping read about tort lawyers...a brilliant expose of the way
courts are being overwhelmed by mass tort actions." Order from Amazon
(cut and paste URL if necessary):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312331193/overlawyerecomam/002-0147859-7732817
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Stop cold storage now! (Jun. 8); secret underground mushroom clubs?
(Jun. 9)
* "Affordable-housing" lawsuits: one leftist files a dissent (Jun. 21)
* Crazy people keep employment lawyers busy, says one blogger (Jun. 23)
* Beach town doesn't warn of rip tides, fears it might get sued (Jun.
17); San Francisco reluctant to let volunteers spruce up its softball
fields (Jun. 16)
* Court dismisses suit claiming radio host Tom Leykis committed age
discrimination by being disrespectful to elderly caller (Jun. 10)
* Plus: in Britain, less fearful M.D.s; Ky. Bar vs. lawyers' blogs;
valedictorian lawsuits; SEC, audit thyself; when lawyers steal the
escrow; undignified fact patterns; state AGs vs. smokers' pocketbooks;
digital inheritances; Janice Brown's Avis opinion; farewell to
proximate cause?; Payne Stewart air crash verdict; Va. student sues
over "F"; NY courts nix cameras again; pets' sentimental value; patent
reform; veggie lawyers target milk; Sen. Grassley lends a hand; Michael
Jackson verdict; campaigns, blogs and free speech; welcome Texas Lawyer
readers; and more.
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