Posts on ‘March 4th, 2010’

A woman who suffered genital mutilation in the Ivory Coast may argue for asylum in the United States in spite of the fact she made return trips to her native country, a federal appeals court has ruled. The 2nd Circuit said an immigration judge erred in finding that the repeated trips Nan Marie Kone made to the west African nation undermined her credibility and showed she did not really fear further persecution.

The Snark wants you to know: The entire Big Firm system is built on layers of “importance.” You should try to act slightly more important than you actually are, but it’s a delicate balancing act. The Snark describes how importance can be a factor in Big Law phone calls and meetings.

The criminal defense lawyers representing three men charged in connection to the murder of Washington, D.C., attorney Robert Wone are fighting to block federal prosecutors from arguing at trial that Wone was restrained, drugged, sexually assaulted and tortured. Defense lawyers said in court papers that the government should not be allowed to introduce evidence of uncharged misconduct that the defense attorneys call “grossly prejudicial.” A hearing is scheduled for March 12, and trial is set for May.

Farm workers filled the California Supreme Court on Tuesday to hear arguments in a case about unpaid wages that could affect millions of low-paid employees in unrelated professions across the business spectrum. The court is being asked to define what constitutes an employer within the meaning of state Industrial Welfare Commission wage orders. The farm workers contend that two companies that market and sell strawberries fall within that meaning and are liable for the unpaid wages of about 180 berry pickers.

After the U.S. Senate confirmed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in August, a debate began over how much influence the National Rifle Association had over the final tally of 68-31. Former White House Counsel Gregory Craig said in a speech this week that the NRA opposition certainly hurt. He spoke at length about Sotomayor’s nomination, and also touched on other aspects of his yearlong time as White House counsel, a job he left in January. He started Monday as a partner at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board this week found that two lawyers involved in the scandal that brought down Detroit’s mayor engaged in professional misconduct. The board found that Michael Stefani engaged in professional misconduct by directly obtaining incriminating text messages between Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his former lover, instead of sending them to a judge. The board also found that Samuel McCargo, who represented Kilpatrick in the whistleblower trial, had violated five rules of professional misconduct.