ABA Journal: “Are the wrong people losing interest in law school?
That’s the question posed by the Atlantic, which notes a 13.6 percent drop in applicants who scored highest on the Law School Admission Test, but only a 4.3 percent drop in applicants who scored the lowest. The Law School Admission Council released figures on the one-year drop in applicants at ABA-accredited schools based on numbers collected through the end of March.”
ABA Journal: “Citing unidentified sources, major news organizations are reporting that a Florida prosecutor plans to file unspecified criminal charges against a neighborhood watch volunteer in a gated community in Sanford.
In a case that has ignited a national controversy, George Zimmerman said he killed an unarmed black youth in self-defense. And local authorities declined to charge him in the Feb. 26 killing of Trayvon Martin, 17, pointing to a state law that allows those who feel threatened to stand their ground and defend themselves.
However, special prosecutor Angela Corey, who was appointed by the Florida governor to re-examine the case, plans to announce, as early as Wednesday, that a criminal case is being brought, according to NBC News and the Washington Post (req. req.).”
Corporate Law Report: “According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations operating in the United States, from charities to industry associations to religious institutions. But whatever their structure or purpose, such organizations need to understand – and respond to – key legal and regulatory issues that are unique to not-for-profits.
For your reference, here are five areas that require ongoing attention (and legal understanding) by nonprofits:
1. Lobbying and Political Campaigning:
“Non-profit organizations are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributing to political campaigns or public statements – verbal or written – made on behalf of the non-profit organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office, violates the prohibition against political campaign activity. Simply put, non-profit organizations are forbidden from engaging in any political campaigning activity; violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.” (Political Activities By Non-Profit Educational Institutions by Fisher & Phillips LLP)”
ABA Journal: “ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III is taking issue with President Obama’s initial remarks about the U.S. Supreme Court and the health care law.
Last Monday, Obama said a decision to overturn the law would be an “unprecedented, extraordinary” step of judicial activism. On Tuesday, Obama clarified his statement, saying that the Supreme Court does have final authority. Obama’s remarks led one federal judge to demand a three-page single-spaced memo from the Department of Justice explaining the administration’s views on the authority of the courts.”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed rules would require mortgage servicers to give all borrowers standardized monthly statements, warn borrowers about interest rate or insurance changes, improve record-keeping, and give borrowers options to avoid losing their homes
The agency said it will formally propose the rules this summer and finalize them by January 2013. Read more…