Comic Gets Serious About Mom's Cancer At J&J Talc Trial

By Craig Clough

A comedian who testified Monday at a California bellwether trial over claims that Johnson & Johnson's talc products caused three women's deadly ovarian cancer wiped away tears as he talked about his late mother, saying his emotions are "a little unusual" because he spends most of his time trying not to be serious.

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Volvo Inks $197M Emissions Deal With Calif. Regulators

By Hailey Konnath

Volvo Group North America has agreed to pay roughly $197 million to resolve allegations the automaker violated California's emissions and certification standards, according to an announcement made Monday by the California Air Resources Board.

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Mich. Secures $108M Monsanto PCB Pollution Settlement

By Melanie Dorsey

The Michigan Department of Attorney General announced Monday that it secured a settlement worth at least $108 million — and potentially as much as $240 million — with Monsanto Co. and affiliated entities over environmental contamination from toxic polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, across the state. 

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Analysis

DOJ Charges Bring More Complications For Key Bridge Ship

By Linda Chiem

Recent federal criminal charges over Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster have created new risks for operators of the cargo ship at the center of the wreck, potentially upending a civil trial that's set to start next month to determine the scope of damages for victims' families and other injured claimants.

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Analysis

Unsafe Carriers Seem Doomed After Freight Broker Ruling

By Y. Peter Kang

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent holding that freight brokers can be held liable under state law for the negligent hiring of motor carriers that cause auto collisions is a "monumental" win for highway safety, plaintiffs' attorneys said, as dangerous "fly-by-night" trucking companies could be put out of business.

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DeMayo Says Marketers Owe Coverage In Camp Lejeune Suit

By Jonathan Capriel

A North Carolina plaintiffs firm facing a proposed class action over unwanted robocalls related to Camp Lejeune water contamination litigation is now suing its marketing company, telling a Charlotte federal court the company should cover any potential damages and legal fees.

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EPA Plans To Repeal Biden-Era 'Forever Chemicals' Rules

By Hailey Konnath

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday officially unveiled plans to roll back limits for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, aka forever chemicals, in drinking water systems and to delay compliance requirements, a move environmentalists said "needlessly" exposes Americans to dangerous chemicals and could be illegal.

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Calif. Kicks Off Rulemaking For Social Media Addiction Law

By Allison Grande

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is seeking public comment on a new set of proposed regulations for complying with the age determination and parental consent aspects of a looming law that restricts social media platforms from using algorithms to deliver addictive feeds to children.

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Okla. AG Says Roblox Fails To Stop Child Predators

By Mike Curley

The Oklahoma attorney general is suing Roblox, saying the massive online gaming platform has failed to take steps to protect its minor users from sexual predation and exploitation from child predators.

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Ill. Panel Sides With AbbVie In Eye-Stent Injury Suit

By Mike Curley

An Illinois appeals panel on Monday affirmed summary judgment in favor of AbbVie in a suit alleging one of its eye stents caused a man's eye injuries, finding the patient failed to present any evidence that his symptoms were a result of the product's manufacturing or design.

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PBMs Tell Mich. Court They're Not To Blame For Opioid Abuse

By Susan Smiley

Pharmacy benefit managers told a Michigan federal court on Monday they are not responsible for opioid abuse because they do not control prescription drugs once they are sold to patients, as Evernorth Health, Express Scripts and other companies seek an exit from the state attorney general's public nuisance suit.

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Woman Says Spinal Device Caused Permanent Nerve Damage

By Zach Dupont

The maker of a spinal cord stimulation technology to treat chronic pain faces a federal lawsuit from a Colorado woman who claims that the technology caused her permanent nerve damage and that the device has unacceptable rates of failure nationwide.

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State Farm Says Stove's Maker Must Pay For Fire Damage

By Hope Patti

A State Farm unit said it is entitled to recoup costs paid in connection with a policyholder's house fire because the fire was caused by a defective electric range manufactured by General Electric Co., according to a suit removed to Washington federal court.

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Marlboro Smoker Was Victim Of Ubiquitous Ads, Jury Hears

By Cara Salvatore

A Florida jury heard opening arguments Monday in a trial over the lung cancer death of a woman who started smoking at a time when Philip Morris was "wallpapering" the nation with pro-smoking messages, her family's lawyer said.

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FTC And Deere In 'Advanced' Right-To-Repair Settlement Talks

By Bryan Koenig

The Federal Trade Commission got an Illinois federal judge to hit pause on its right-to-repair antitrust lawsuit against John Deere, citing ongoing settlement talks less than two months after the company struck a $99 million deal with farmers promising to facilitate independent equipment repairs.

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Musk's XAI Opposes Anonymity In Deepfake Suit

By Mike Curley

Elon Musk's xAI is asking a California federal court to force the use of the real identities of a group of women suing over Grok-generated deepfake images of them in sexual situations, saying they haven't shown that proceeding under pseudonyms is necessary to protect their privacy.

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Ex-Detainees Say NC Sheriff Withholding Data In ECourts Row

By Abigail Harrison

Counsel for a putative class of individuals who allege they were wrongfully arrested or detained due to glitches in the state's electronic court system told a North Carolina federal court during a Monday hearing that a county sheriff's office is delaying the release of its own records.

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Exxon Tells 9th Circ. Calif.'s Plastic Suit Belongs In Fed. Court

By Bonnie Eslinger

The state of California's claim that Exxon Mobil Corp. is responsible for plastic pollution belongs in federal court, the petroleum giant told a Ninth Circuit panel during a hearing on Monday, arguing that federal courts have admiralty jurisdiction because the litigation targets pollution in navigable waters, among other alleged injuries.

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Native, Enviro Groups Challenge Calif. Oil Pipeline Waiver

By Zak Kostro

California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection granted safety regulation waivers without proper review, allowing Sable Offshore Corp. to restart operations of a Santa Barbara oil pipeline system a decade after a catastrophic oil spill, environmental and Native American organizations said in a suit removed to federal court.

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Greenberg Traurig Lands Fla. Litigator From K&L Gates

By Madison Arnold

A former K&L Gates LLP litigator has moved his practice to Greenberg Traurig PA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the firm announced Monday.

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AI-Proofing Class Action Notices From Pro Se Objection Surge

Class action practitioners should prepare for a likely surge in artificial intelligence-enabled pro se objections by implementing several practical strategies to navigate this shift, says Britany Wessan at Almeida Law Group.

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Series

Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.

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Murdaugh Sues Ex-Court Clerk Who Tried To Sway The Jury

By Jack Karp

Disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh is suing the court clerk whose attempt to influence the jury in his murder trial led the South Carolina Supreme Court to overturn his murder conviction.

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Morgan & Morgan Atty Barred From Harvard Suit Over AI Error

By Chris Villani

A Massachusetts judge on Monday said a Morgan & Morgan PA attorney may not appear before him in a suit against Harvard University over the theft of body parts donated to its medical school, saying the lawyer did not learn his lesson after signing off on briefs in another case with fake case law generated by artificial intelligence.

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Trump Seeks Circuit Seats For 2 Judges He Appointed

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump's recent picks for the Eighth and Tenth Circuits mark the first time in his second administration that he's seeking to elevate judges he appointed in his first term.

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Health Co. Wants Kirkland Off IP Case For 'Cardinal Sin'

By Elliot Weld

A healthcare company suing medical technology company Commure Inc. over alleged trade secret theft has said Kirkland & Ellis LLP should be disqualified from representing Commure because the healthcare company had tried to retain Kirkland prior to filing the suit and shared confidential information before anyone asked who the defendant was going to be.

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Wyoming Prosecutor Confirmed Despite Misconduct Rebuke

By Courtney Bublé

Just a few days ago, federal judges tossed nine criminal indictments after President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. attorney's office of Wyoming was accused of prosecutorial misconduct. On Monday evening, he was confirmed to permanently lead the office.

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Analysis

Half The Nation's Bar Apps Could Remove Rape Questions

By Cara Bayles

By next year, it's possible that about half of U.S. jurisdictions will have amended character and fitness questions to avoid dredging up aspiring lawyers' sexual trauma. But while advocates hail the reforms as progress, concerns linger about the patchwork this could create across the country.

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Ex-Willkie Atty Banned By SEC For Insider Trading

By Emily Sawicki

A former Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP mergers and acquisitions attorney who earlier this month admitted to taking part in a widespread BigLaw insider trading scheme will be barred from representing a client before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a minimum of four years, according to an order the agency issued Monday.

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NY Judge Largely Halts Manhattan Immigration Courts Arrests

By Rae Ann Varona

A New York federal judge Monday largely barred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting arrests at three Manhattan immigration courthouses, finding there was no good reason why "unfettered discretion" by ICE officers was better than a policy with arrest limitations.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court this past week handled a broad mix of celebrity estate litigation, merger disputes, investor suits, record demands, sanctions fights and questions over corporate moves away from Delaware.

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