Recently, the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, clarified a point of defamation law which had created confusion over the years: Whether a false statement imputing an association with a criminal enterprise, such as a street gang, can support a cause of action for defamation per se (statements that are so obviously and naturally harmful on their face that they are actionable without proof of special damages).
Insights
Latest property tax assessments bring shock, awe and appeals
Property owners are receiving reassessment notices with increases of 200% or even 300% on commercial property and apartment buildings. Even those who planned for the reassessment this year never imagined increases on this scale and do not know how to budget for the potential tax increase.
Vacationing for lawyers great misnomer in age of cellphone
The Vacationing Lawyer.
In concept, it would stir envy for the practitioner contrarian enough to use it as an autobiography title. In practice, it’s an oxymoron.
Why your board should consider using a smaller law firm
The reasons why smaller law firms offer significant advantages to companies are well known—this is especially true for businesses that are midsized or emerging. But the following is a primer for in-house counsel when their businesses are facing litigation and need help from outside counsel.
Bryce Harper: Phillies’ Solution or Baseball’s Long-Running Problem?
Staff ace Aaron Nola was headed to salary arbitration weeks ago until he reached a four-year, $45 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. “I don’t play specifically for the money,” he actually said after signing his contract, “I play for the love of the game. I play for my teammates.”
Airlines Try to Ground Skiplaggers, but Lawsuits Don’t Fly in Court
After finishing various levels of schooling, training and employment, and upon reaching a certain age, encountering a heretofore unknown activity provokes surprising interest. When that activity is designated with an equally novel term, the curiosity only heightens.
Holiday parties are fraught with peril; inviting HR doesn’t help
For reasons I don’t understand, this year’s holiday party has been entrusted to me.
Wait, on second thought, I do understand. I’m in charge of the holiday party by default. No one else wanted to do it. And the party’s decision-making has been rife with conflict.
Frustrations in life of law
Frustrations abound in life and law.
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The train is either agonizingly delayed, at the expense of my monthly meeting — obsessively gaveled to order on time — or leaves with infuriating promptness when I am held up, forcing me to acknowledge I can no longer cover the five-minute dash to the station in less than seven minutes.
Online bettor wins second chance to recoup losses
Legal gambling on pro and college sports outside Nevada hit the jackpot on May 14 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act passed by Congress in 1992.
Air travel helps build character, as any frequent flyer will tell you
Airplane travel is nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo. — Al Gore
Like rain on a day off or coffee spilling on your shirt on the way into a client meeting, air travel delays seem inevitable.