The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has granted rehearing en banc in Carson v. Monsanto Co., No. 21-10994, one of thousands of state-law personal injury suits alleging that Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup herbicide, failed to provide a label warning that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, can cause cancer. The U.S. Environmental […]
Petitioner Tyler, a 94 year-old woman, owed $15,000 in local property taxes and related penalties in connection with an abandoned condominium. In accordance with state tax-lien statutes, Hennepin County, Minnesota seized the property, sold it for $40,000, and retained the $25,000 surplus. The Eighth Circuit rejected Tyler’s contention that the County’s refusal to return the
ALF Brief Opposes Governmental “Home Equity Theft” Read More »
Almost all the 3 ½ hours of colloquy at the February 28, 2023 Supreme Court hearing on the student debt relief cases, Biden v. Nebraska, No. 22-506, and U.S. Department of Education v. Brown, No. 22-535, was devoted to two issues: (1) whether the plaintiff states and/or individuals have standing to challenge the debt cancellation
Is Mass Student Debt Cancellation Constitutional? Read More »
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (“FACA”) requires all federal departments and agencies to ensure that the membership of each of their scientific and other advisory committees “be fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed.” 5 U.S.C. app. 2 § 5(b)(2). The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
ALF Brief Opposes Exclusion of Industry Scientists From Key EPA Advisory Committee Read More »
On behalf of the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy, Larry Ebner, who chairs the Center, has submitted a letter to the U.S. Judicial Conference’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure recommending that Fed. R. App. P. 29(a) be amended to eliminate the requirement to obtain the parties’ consent, or the court’s permission,
Last October, less than a month before the mid-term election, the Biden administration announced mass cancellation of student loan debt owed to the federal government by approximately 20 million borrowers. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that under the program—which is currently enjoined—more than $400 billion in student debt would be wiped out. Other estimates exceed
ALF Argues That Half-Trillion Dollar Student Debt Cancellation Is Unconstitutional Read More »
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and labeling standards define foie gras as duck or goose liver “obtained exclusively from specially fed and fattened geese and ducks.” This centuries-old process, long used in France , involves “force feeding” geese and ducks to enlarge their livers. It is the only way to produce genuine foie gras. California,
The Supreme Court on December 5 announced revisions to its rules—including elimination of the requirement that an amicus curiae obtain either the parties’ consent or the Court’s permission prior to filing its friend-of-the-court brief. “Deleting the consent requirement reflects how commonplace the filing of amicus briefs has become in the Supreme Court. The federal courts of appeals should follow
Supreme Court Ditches Amicus Consent Requirement Read More »
The Atlantic Legal Foundation has filed a Supreme Court merits-stage amicus brief, advocating for broad attorney-client privilege protection, including for in-house corporate counsel. Case Background The attorney-client privilege protects the confidentiality of communications between lawyers and their clients. In Upjohn Co. v. United States, 449 U.S. 383 (1981), the Supreme Court held that the privilege applies in
ALF Brief Supports Broad Protection For Attorney-Client Communications Read More »
Case Background Parents Defending Education, a nonprofit organization that promotes “the restoration of a healthy, non-political education” for the nation’s children, has filed federal district court litigation challenging an Iowa public school district’s transgender student policy. This policy, titled Administrative Regulations Regarding Transgender and Students Nonconforming to Gender Role Stereotypes, purports “to expeditiously address the needs
