US judicial panel proposes stronger amicus brief fund disclosures, Columbia University settles campus safety lawsuit amid protests, and more ??
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?? Good morning from The Legal File! Here is the rundown of today's top legal news:
?? US judicial panel proposes stronger amicus brief financial disclosures
The U.S. Judicial Conference's Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure voted in favor of publishing a draft rule for public comment that would strengthen the judiciary's rules governing the disclosure of who funds amicus briefs by outside groups advocating for a position in court cases.
The committee agreed to seek public comment on the proposed rule that the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules endorsed in April after years of discussion over whether and how to bolster disclosure requirements.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business lobbying group and a frequent filer of amicus briefs in cases challenging corporate regulations, has called the proposed rule "unnecessary" and questioned its constitutionality.
?? Columbia University settles lawsuit over campus safety amid protests
Columbia University will provide safety escorts and take other steps to protect its students, to settle a lawsuit claiming its campus had become unsafe during recent pro-Palestinian protests.
Columbia's chief operating officer will get authority to order alternative means to enter and leave the campus, and students unable to finish exams or key assignments because of protests can seek accommodations.
The university also pledged "a continued commitment to the academic tradition of free thought and open debate."
Protests sprouted on college campuses around the world this spring, with many students establishing camps and demanding that schools divest from Israel over its treatment of Palestinians during the war against Hamas.
?? Texas, conservative group sue over Biden overtime pay rule
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Texas filed a lawsuit seeking to strike down a Biden administration rule extending mandatory overtime pay to 4 million salaried workers that the Republican-led state says will "wreck state budgets."
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a complaint filed in Texas federal court said the rule violates federal wage law by basing eligibility for overtime on how much workers are paid rather than the duties they perform.
Texas said that subjecting states to the overtime expansion violates their right under the U.S. Constitution to structure the pay of state employees and, in turn, to decide how to allocate large portions of their budgets.
"As a result of the new overtime rules and the accompanying damage to State budgets, States will be forced to eliminate or alter employment relationships and cut or reduce services and programs," lawyers for Texas wrote.
?? Lawyer's 'Twilight Zone' font irks US appeals court in typeface takedown
Chicago lawyer Jason Epstein said he's practiced law for more than 25 years without a complaint about his favorite font, Bernhard Modern, or “mod” as he calls it.
“To me it’s far more legible” than others, Epstein said after a federal appeals court took him to task in a published opinion for submitting a brief in the typeface.
Bernhard Modern is “suited to movie posters and used in the title sequence of the Twilight Zone TV show,” wrote Circuit Judge Frank Easterbrook of the 7th Circuit.
State and federal courts across the country all have their own practice rules or guidance. There are rules for word counts and filing deadlines. There are rules about excessive footnotes and obscure acronyms. The Chicago-based 7th Circuit's own typography guidance runs seven pages.
“If Bernhard Mod is still the easiest to read, I would be compelled to use it,” Epstein said.
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