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U.S. Senate Democrats and Republicans clinched a late-night deal on Nov. 20 that clears the way for votes on a group of President Joe Biden's nominees for federal trial courts in exchange for not pushing forward with four nominees to serve on appellate courts, leaving vacancies that Republican President-elect Donald Trump can fill. Elon Musk?and?Vivek Ramaswamy, who were tapped by Republican President-elect Donald Trump to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, have revealed plans to wipe out scores of U.S. regulations, but getting rid of agency rules can be a monumental task, according to experts. Any such effort in?Donald Trump’s?second term likely would face hurdles and legal challenges. Facing a potential multibillion-dollar default judgment in an antitrust case, Chinese state-owned manufacturing company Irico Group told a U.S. judge this year that being ordered to pay part of its opponents' legal fees could be an alternative sanction. A federal judge has rejected a bid by the parents of a Massachusetts high school senior to force his school to expunge his disciplinary record and raise his history class grade after officials accused him of using an artificial intelligence program to cheat on a class assignment. Here’s your legal file:?

U.S. Senate Democrats and Republicans clinched a late-night deal on Nov. 20 that clears the way for votes on a group of President Joe Biden's nominees for federal trial courts in exchange for not pushing forward with four nominees to serve on appellate courts, leaving vacancies that Republican President-elect Donald Trump can fill. The deal, described by a spokesperson for Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Nov. 21, was reached after Senate Republicans launched a campaign to try to stall and prevent Democrats from fulfilling their plan to confirm as many life-tenured judges as possible before Trump takes office in January. Senate Republicans had previously said they had votes to block at least two of the four appellate court nominees, including Adeel Mangi, who would have become the first Muslim federal appellate judge if confirmed to the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Learn more in The Daily Docket. Subscribe: https://reut.rs/4aBvwvO

President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate former Florida Attorney General and loyalist Pam Bondi to be U.S. Attorney General, moving swiftly to replace his former nominee Matt Gaetz after the embattled former congressman withdrew from consideration. Gaetz was the subject of a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations of having sex with an underage 17-year-old girl and illicit drug use. He has denied wrongdoing. Bondi was the top law enforcement officer of the country's third most populous state from 2011 to 2019. She served on Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first administration. She was also part of Trump's defense team during his first impeachment trial, in which he was accused of pressuring Ukraine to conduct a corruption investigation into his rival, now-President Joe Biden, by withholding military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. Read more: https://reut.rs/4fzY7og

Good morning! Here is a look at some of the hurdles the?Elon Musk-led?efficiency department could face; Plus, a US Senate deal gives?Donald Trump?a?chance to fill four?appellate vacancies; Citi?is suing?two of its former law group bankers; And?it’s no slam dunk?that the?DOJ?will force?Google?to sell?Chrome. Learn more in The Daily Docket. Subscribe: https://reut.rs/4aBvwvO

Facing a potential multibillion-dollar default judgment in an antitrust case, Chinese state-owned manufacturing company Irico Group told a U.S. judge this year that being ordered to pay part of its opponents' legal fees could be an alternative sanction. Instead, after nearly two decades of litigation, the company is on the hook for both. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in Oakland on Nov. 15?ruled fully for the plaintiffs, who accused Irico and other tech manufacturers of fixing prices for cathode ray tubes used in TVs and other screens. The court entered a default judgment against Irico as a terminating sanction and asked both sides to report back to him within a month with proposals about how to determine damages, which the plaintiffs have said could be more than $2.4 billion. Mike Scarcella has more: https://reut.rs/4g0zP6z

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler will step down on Jan. 20 when President-elect?Donald Trump's?administration takes over, the agency said, ending an ambitious tenure that saw him clash with Wall Street and the crypto industry. Known for his hard-charging style, Gensler led an ambitious agenda to boost transparency, reduce systemic risks, and stamp out conflicts of interest on Wall Street, completing dozens of new rules, some of?which have been challenged in court. Among his major accomplishments were changes to increase the resilience and efficiency of U.S. markets, including speeding up trade settlements and overhauling the $28 trillion Treasuries market, as well as a number of rules boosting investor disclosures and corporate governance. ‘I thank President Biden for entrusting me with this incredible responsibility. The SEC has met our mission and enforced the law without fear or favor,’ Gensler, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2021, said in a statement. Read the full story for more ?? https://reut.rs/3OmChZm?

U.S. Senate Democrats on Nov. 20 secured the confirmation of two more of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees as they race against the clock to fill as many court vacancies as possible before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. The nominees confirmed by the Democratic-led Senate included Amir Ali, the president and executive director of the civil rights organization the MacArthur Justice Center. His nomination to become a federal trial court judge in Washington, D.C., was cleared on a 50-49 vote. The Senate also voted 50-48 to confirm Washington Court of Appeals Judge Rebecca Pennell, a former federal public defender, to a life-tenured position as a trial court judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. The son of Egyptian immigrants, Ali will become the fourth Muslim to serve as a life-turned federal judge. All four were appointed by Biden, who has vowed to diversify the federal bench. On Nov. 19 the Senate?confirmed?the third, Mustafa Kasubhai, to serve as a district court judge in Oregon. Read more: https://reut.rs/3YYrx8I?

LIVE: Jussie Smollett's attorney discusses overturned conviction Jussie Smollett's attorney Nenye Uche speaks to the media about his client's conviction being overturned #Reuters #News #Live #JussieSmollett Keep up with the latest news from around the world: https://www.reuters.com/

What's going on today? Trump attorney general pick Matt Gaetz drops bid in face of Senate opposition. Massachusetts student's punishment for AI use can stand, U.S. judge rules. Who are the defendants charged in U.S. indictment of Gautam Adani? The DOJ settled with whistleblower in Alaska judge scandal. Plus, this week's Legal Fee Tracker. Read more top news in The Afternoon Docket: https://reut.rs/3AHzpDs

The federal judiciary on Nov. 20 reported that most complaints by employees of abusive behavior, discrimination or other forms of workplace misconduct were lodged not against judges but against other court staff. That was one of the revelations in the judiciary's first?annual report detailing steps it is taking to address allegations of workplace misconduct and the types of claims being raised by those who belong to its 28,000 employee workforce. Data in the report, though, showed that a little less than half of the 178 workplace misconduct claims that were initiated from 2021 to 2023 involved the courts themselves as employers, as opposed to probation offices or federal public defender offices. The release of an annual report was one of several reforms the judiciary adopted at the recommendation of a?working group?established in 2018 at the direction of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after sexual harassment allegations emerged against some judges amid the #MeToo movement. Nate Raymond has more: https://reut.rs/3VpGQGz #legal #legalnews #legalindustry