Government

General Data Protection Regulation

U.S. Lawyers: Should Your Firm Be GDPR-Compliant?

Beginning May 25, a new European privacy law known as the General Data Protection Regulation takes effect in Europe and, possibly, around the world. The GDPR is significantly more demanding than U.S. law, creating new privacy rights and compliance obligations unknown on this side of the Atlantic — all backed up by the threat of…

Exposing Sexual Harassment of Men in Power

Consider the following familiar timeline of events: a news outlet published explosive accounts from women accusing a man in power of sexual misconduct; the man in power released a statement regarding the accusations; the man in power left his position. It is the #MeToo movement in action, and Eric Schneiderman, the now-former New York State…

New York Seeks Power to Prosecute Individuals Pardoned by the President

New York Seeks Power to Prosecute Individuals Pardoned by the President

New York lawmakers proposed a bill that allows prosecutors to bring state charges against people pardoned by the president. State Senator Todd Kaminsky and Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, both Democrats, introduced the legislation after Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested a change to an existing law that precludes people from being charged a second time for the…

Cryptocurrency Regulations a Work in Progress for U.S. Government

U.S. Cryptocurrency Regulations a Work in Progress

The rapid growth of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in recent years has posed some important regulatory questions. Price volatility, along with large amounts of investor funds being poured into cryptocurrencies, have raised concerns about fraud, pump-and-dump schemes, money laundering and other illegal activities. Policymakers around the world are taking steps to protect investors while at…

New York Governor Restores Voting Rights to Parolees

Sidestepping Legislature, New York Governor Restores Voting Rights to Parolees

Parolees with felony convictions will soon gain the right to vote under a controversial executive order signed earlier this month by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D). Beginning May 1, New York’s 35,000 felony parolees will become eligible to obtain a limited type of gubernatorial pardon that restores their right to vote but keeps…

What Happens When the Supreme Court Gets the Facts Wrong?

For every ruling made by the U.S. Supreme Court, some will think the justices made the wrong decision. But a recent report shows that the court also gets the facts wrong in an alarming number of cases. ProPublica, a nonprofit organization that produces investigative journalism, examined a sample of Supreme Court cases from 2011 to…

Interpretation of Equal Pay Act

Appellate Court Issues Groundbreaking Interpretation of Equal Pay Act

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Equal Pay Act (EPA) prohibits an employer from paying a female employee less at their new position based on their salary at a prior job. The ruling came in a lawsuit by Aileen Rizo who sued the Fresno County Office of Education over her…

Attempting to Trim Backlog, Department of Justice Establishes Case Disposition Quotas for Immigration Judges

The Department of Justice, anxious to eliminate a backlog of unresolved deportation cases, recently decided to impose case-handling quotas on immigration judges. According to new job performance guidelines released March 30, immigration judges will now be required to decide at least 700 cases annually. Another performance guideline declares that these judges’ rulings cannot be overturned…

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