Filing suit in federal court is different. Federal court differs from state court in some key respects. One of these respects concerns attorney withdrawal. In state court, most judges would quickly grant a motion to withdraw. Not so in federal court. In GDC Technics, Ltd. v. Grace, No. 15-CV-488-ML, the Defendant’s counsel asked to
Trump Co-Defendant Pleads No Contest
Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Louisville, Kentucky in 2016 is again in the news. As I have mentioned here previously here and here, the President and his campaign have been sued for roughing up protesters at that rally. One of the defendants with the President is Mathew Heimbach, a white nationalist. He is chairman
Lawsuit Seeks Trump Deposition
Some folks refer to the President as the Twitter-in-Chief. Well, he should also be considered as the Litigator-in-Chief. He tossed out provocative statements at campaign rallies like they were candy. At one rally in Louisville, he exhorted his supporters to rough up a couple of protesters. He also added, as the protesters were being forced
Success Rates Plummet in Federal Court
Success rates for plaintiffs in federal court have dropped dramatically from the 1980’s. In a study by two University of Connecticut law professors, they reported a success rate of 70% for plaintiffs in federal court in the mid 1980’s. The study looked at adjudicated civil cases of all types. That rate dropped to about 35%
Facebook Discovery Important in Many Lawsuits
In litigation, social media has become a very hot issue. Many parties think they can obtain that final, critical piece of evidence from social media. One example is Facebook. Many employers involved in a lawsuit request the employee’s Facebook posts for a certain time period. The rationale is that a victim of discrimination cannot legitimately
Plaintiff Sanctioned for Bad Faith Negotiations
In federal court, sanctions are a real possibility. The parties need to behave themselves and act in a professional manner. That even applies to a settlement conference. In Chen v. Marvel Food Services, Inc., No. CV-15-6206 (E.D. N.Y. 11/21/2016) (FLSA), the court scheduled a settlement conference. The parties were required to come to court
Pro Se Case is Quickly Dismissed
It is difficult to find a lawyer who specializes in employment law and who represents employees. Most employment lawyers represent the employer and are not willing to represent employees. The typical plaintiff starts out talking to Personal Injury lawyers, because PI lawyers advertise. So, many times, the employment plaintiff must file his/her own case pro
Lawyer Sanctioned for Too Many Objections at Deposition
People new to lawsuits do not appreciate how depositions work. No judge is present at a deposition. So, the lawyers’ behavior, good or bad, depends entirely on them. We see this regarding objections. In front of a jury, we lawyers avoid objections, because the jury will not understand. They may think we are trying to
No Sanctions for ADA Tester
Howard Cohan visits many public establishments. Mr. Cohan is restricted to a wheelchair. He is disabled. But, he visits these public establishments in Florida to see if they are accessible to persons with disabilities. Many restaurants, stores and motels get nervous when they see him rolling toward their front door. See Cohan v. Southeastern
UIW is a Governmental Unit, says Texas Supreme Court
Well, I described the argument as a silly one, but it was not too silly for the Texas Supreme Court. In the case of Redus v. UIW, the Supreme Court ruled that the law enforcement department of a private university is a governmental body for purposes of qualified immunity. With qualified immunity, the law