July 26, 2010 marks the twentieth anniversary of President George H.W. Bush’s signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), thereby enacting one of the landmark laws of the twentieth century and providing important legal protection to those with physical or mental disabilities. Despite previous federal legislation that had addressed discrimination against these […]

In 1215, a group of English barons rebelled against King John out of frustration and anger over his repeated violations of feudal and common law.  Acceding to the barons’ demands on June 15 at Runnymede, the king agreed to sign the Magna Carta, now considered the foundation of English constitutional history. The Magna Carta, whose […]

On May 12, 1932, the body of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s infant son was discovered two miles from the New Jersey home from which he had been abducted two months earlier.  After an investigation lasting almost two years, police arrested Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a German-born carpenter living in the Bronx. Hauptman’s six-week trial, which became known […]

Tax time calls to mind one of the most infamous tax-scofflaws – Al “Scarface” Capone.  A notorious Prohibition-era gangster, Capone managed to elude justice for scores of violent crimes, including Chicago’s infamous 1929 Valentine’s Day Massacre. In 1931, however, a federal grand jury indicted him for tax evasion. Witnesses at trial testified that Capone had […]

The American Society of International Law (ASIL) recently announced International Law 2008, which features a collection of US presidential candidates’ policy statements on international law topics, candidate surveys about international law in US foreign policy, and other resources.

Sweeping changes are coming to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, effective December 1, 2007. The changes consist of comprehensive style amendments to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 1-86 and style revisions to the Illustrative Civil Forms. The changes are intended to clarify and simplify the rules without changing their substantive meaning. More information on […]

You can view New York’s new rules governing lawyer advertising on the New York Office of Court Administration’s website here.  The rules take effect on February 1, 2007.

The American Constitution Society has a Supreme Court Preview blog featuring posts from leading legal experts commenting on issues and cases that will be argued this term.  Current posts include: Whether a woman, whose health is endangered by her pregnancy, has a constitutional right to a safe abortion. How quickly a victim of race, gender […]

For anyone following the debate over Presidential Signing Statements, we have created an online resource page containing relevant documents and links (including the ABA Task Force’s recent report and the legislation proposed by Senator Arlen Specter).  You can access the page here.

On April 12, 2006, the Supreme Court of the United States approved new rules and amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the Federal Bankruptcy Rules.  The rules will take effect on December 1, 2006, unless Congress […]