Tag Archives: News

Judge Richard Kopf – As Inspirational As The Robber Turned Law Clerk He Sentenced To Prison

Posted on August 14, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

Senior U.S. District Court Judge Richard Kopf has stated in his blog, Hercules and the Umpire, that his criminal sentencing “viscera” in the sentencing of convicted bank robber Shon Hopwood was wrong: “Hopwood proves that my sentencing instincts suck.” Shon Hopwood … Continue reading →

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Maybe You Can’t Fight City Hall, But You Can Fight Equifax

Posted on August 1, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

An Oregon woman was awarded $18.6 million against Equifax by an Oregon federal jury last Friday for Equifax’s failure to fix major inaccuracies in her credit report – $180,000 in compensatory damages and $18.4 million in punitive damages.  The Oregonian … Continue reading →

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If It Can Happen To James Gandolfini . . . It Can Happen To You

Posted on July 12, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

Actor James Gandolfini’s sudden passing at such a young age was tragic, but now it appears the administration of his will adds insult to his family’s emotional injury. According to The New York Daily News, in a July 8, 2013 article … Continue reading →

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Cameras In The Courtroom – Take Two

Posted on July 6, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

The George Zimmerman murder trial taking place in Florida is a perfect example of why there should be cameras in all courtrooms.  As observed by Jeffrey Tobin, The New Yorker writer and CNN legal commentator, in the July 3, 2013 National … Continue reading →

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If It Can Happen To Paula Deen . . . It Can Happen To You

Posted on June 27, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

There has been much controversy surrounding Paula Deen’s recent admission in deposition that she used the N-word “a very long time” ago, and there has been much personal fallout.  Escaping public scrutiny, however, is whether Ms. Deen’s attorney should have acted … Continue reading →

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You Can’t Judge Attorneys By Their Reputations

Posted on May 25, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

So you’ve hired the most expensive, well-respected lawyer in the city to handle the most important dispute of your life.  Think that guarantees you will be well represented? Think again. On May 21, 2013, The Washington Post reported that the Virginia Bar … Continue reading →

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Criminal Cases Also Need A Level Playing Field

Posted on May 2, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

A Texas District Attorney reportedly hides evidence and secures a murder conviction. Twenty-five years later DNA evidence exonerates an innocent man, and a Texas judge issues an arrest warrant for the former DA, who is now a judge himself.  Sounds … Continue reading →

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Mark Zuckerburg Buys Instagram Without Lawyers

Posted on April 26, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg reportedly negotiated Facebook’s $1 billion purchase of Instagram with Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom in Zuckerberg’s home, according to The Wall Street Journal’s April 18, 2013 article In Facebook Deal, Board Was All But Out of Picture.  The WSJ … Continue reading →

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“Churn That Bill, Baby!”

Posted on March 29, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

So wrote a lawyer from DLA Piper, a prominent international law firm, in an email to another firm lawyer celebrating the assignment of “random people working full time on random research projects in standard ‘churn that bill, baby!’ mode . . .” … Continue reading →

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Steubenville Rape Case: A Conflict of Interest Handled Properly

Posted on March 18, 2013 by The Legal Reformer

The guilty verdict is in, handed down by Judge Thomas Lipps in the Ohio teen rape case that gripped so many: Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl. “Arrogance” was the hauntingly descriptive word used by … Continue reading →

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