KEYTLaw's Blog

Iowa Race Discrimination Case Ruling Expected Soon

cnn.com: A ruling is expected in a race discrimination class-action in Iowa based on an update from cnn.com:

The plaintiffs’ attorneys say the discrimination is not necessarily a result of overt racism. They say the discriminatory hiring was often the result of implicit bias – an unconscious preference of the mostly white hiring officials for white applicants over black applicants.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs faced a key obstacle – proving the existence of something that white people might not be able to see. They had to show that discrimination might take place, even if it’s not intentional.

In an interesting subplot, the judge who certified the class action declined to remove the representative after she was convicted of embezzling $43,000 from an employer. His reasoning: It occurred after the alleged discrimination happened. We question whether the prospective employers may make a case for an instinctive, “gut-level” reaction to that particular plaintiff.

The Legal Case Against The Fox News Mole and The Gawker

forbes.com: According to the latest from Forbes, Fox news employee who provided material to the Gawker to expose the “seedy underbelly” (not our choice of words) of Fox news may have more than a civil lawsuit on his hands. According to New York state law, he may have committed a crime. Fox News says he’s now at the mercy of law enforcement personnel though Fox News no doubt plans to vigorously pursue claims against him, if for no other reason than to make sure that no future employee has the same bright idea.

Arizona Governor Has Signed Abortion Bill HB 2036 Into Law

http://directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov: From the Arizona Department of Health blog, the Arizona Governor has signed HB 2036. The full text is here. Notable provisions include but are not limited to the requirement that for any facility where abortions are performed, the facility must conspicuously post signs outside and inside, where visible to patients, that it is unlawful for a woman to be forced to have an abortion. Another notable is that no contract may require a woman to have an abortion.

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Registration Certificate Applications Accepted May 14-May 25

azdhs.gov: The Arizona Department of Health Services has revised its rules. It is now accepting applications May 14-25, but applicants are warned not to apply early. The Department expects to take 30 days to review each application. If information is missing, the applicants will be given 20 days to supply that information. The Department expects to award dispensary certificates by August 7 with a random lottery where there is more than one qualified applicant per Community Health Analysis Area.

Huge Law School Debt Means Pending Disaster for Grads and Taxpayers

OpenMarket.org: “Federal financial aid policies have encouraged law students to borrow increasing amounts to attend law school, despite the glut of lawyers (oddly, government policies encourage more people to go to law school, driving up law school tuition, even as the Obama administration seeks to cut back on vocational education aimed at training the skilled blue-collar workers who are in desperately short supply in much of the country). The result, says law professor Brian Tamanaha, is a “Quickly Exploding Law Graduate Debt Disaster” in which most recent graduates of many law schools will never be able to pay off their staggering student loan debt.”