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The U.S. government may use drone strikes to kill U.S. citizens abroad under specific circumstances, according to a confidential Justice Department memo that’s been leaked to the press. Should you be concerned? As you may know, drone strikes against terror suspects in the Middle East and South Asia have dramatically increased during President Obama’s administration. The legal justification for these fatal drone strikes abroad has largely been kept secret. So if you’re enjoying a day at Euro Disney with your family, could you suddenly get shot down by a drone?...

When Lazaro Sopena married Hahn Dinh, he took his wife’s last name so that her family name would continue. His wife, you see, has no brothers to continue the line. What a great husband, right? To make it official, he went through the appropriate process of changing his passport, Social Security card, and bank account information. Then he got a new driver’s license. Or so he thought. Lazaro Sopena – now Lazaro Dinh – received his license with his new last name....

Let’s set the scene here. Omar Loureiro was the defendant in a first-degree capital murder case. He was accused of near-decapitation of a man he met in a bar, though he claimed that he was fending off an unwanted sexual advance. Presiding over the trial was the Honorable Judge Ana Gardiner, the first female Hispanic judge in Florida. Appearing before her, on behalf of the State of Florida was then-Assistant State Attorney Howard Scheinberg....

You’ve heard the horror stories before. Businesses getting offensive with bad reviews on Yelp have been requiring customers to sign non-disparagement agreements. Those customers purportedly can’t write negative reviews (though they’re more than free to write stellar reviews). Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2365 into law on September 9. Dubbed by some as the “Yelp bill,” it adds a new section to the Civil Code preventing contracts from containing clauses that limit a customer’s right to make statements about the business....

In plaintiff’s legal malpractice action against his former attorney seeking damages and rescission of a contingency fee contract, trial court’s denial of defendant’s anti-SLAPP motion is affirmed as: 1) the trial court correctly ruled that defendant had not met his threshold burden of showing that plaintiff’s claims arise from petitioning activity within the purview of the anti-SLAPP statute; and 2) this rendered unnecessary any consideration of defendant’s arguments that plaintiff failed to show probable success on the merits....

It appears that the fight over whether corporations are people has temporarily left the courtroom and moved to the carpool lane. Jonathan Frieman was driving in San Rafael, California, in October, when he got a ticket for driving in the carpool lane. The officer stopped him because he only saw one person in the car, but Frieman claims there were technically two people in his vehicle at the time. Frieman’s definition of who was in the car with him is a little unorthodox....

Debt collectors have been accused of using shady tactics in order to collect, but a class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco this week really takes the cake. Kevin Breazeale claims that he and others received letters “threatening them with criminal prosecution unless they paid alleged debts arising from dishonored checks. The letters all bore the seal and letterhead of a county district attorney.” As it turns out, the letters didn’t come from a district attorney, but from a private debt collection firm called CorrectiveSolutions....

For eight long years, Levi Strauss has been battling Abercrombie and Fitch over a design on the back pocket of denim jeans. You’re probably familiar with the Levi “v”, also known as the “Arcuate” trademark, but few are familiar with Abercrombie’s “mirror image stitching design” from their now-defunct post-collegiate Ruehl No.925 line of higher-priced clothing. So now we face the looming question: Is a butt-squiggle really worth eight years of Wrangler-ing (jean pun!...

Troubled by spousal support debts that had landed him in jail, a Virginia man committed suicide at the law offices of his ex-wife. Sadly, it’s a reality that shocks legal communities all too often. Sometimes attorneys get shot; judges aren’t bullet-proof either. With every lawyer-involved death, however, it is also a reminder that legal disputes frequently find people at their lowest points. Many times, it makes things even worse. A Danger to Himself John Francis Wood, 52, had seen better times....

220 former players and family members of deceased players have opted out of the pending settlement of player concussion claims against the NFL. The 220 who opted out represent just a fraction of the nearly 34,000 former players and relatives of deceased players who were sent notices regarding the potential settlement, reports Yahoo Sports. In addition to the 220 players or family members who opted out of the settlement – which will likely total $765 million or more – another 14 attempted to opt out but filed their requests too late....

Perhaps you’ve heard that the big ‘Face is trying to kick a little Butt? That is correct, outdoor apparel giant North Face company has filed suit against indoor apparel dwarf, South Butt, a small clothing company started as a joke by college freshman Jimmy Winkelmann. The North Face is suing for trademark infringement and related causes of action based, at bottom (pun intended), on the idea that the simple American consumer would not be able to tell the two brands apart, and that North Face’s brand would be damaged by South Butt, much to the financial detriment of North Face....

Dressing up in costume might be a bit too unprofessional for a traditional law office, and definitely not a good idea for a court appearance. But, in less stuffy office and consumer-facing environments, letting employees dress up in Halloween costumes can be great for team building, or even sales/business. Like anything else that’s slightly questionable but has potential to be good, there are some pitfalls to watch out for. Below you’ll find a couple pros and cons, and a couple tips, for letting employees dress up for the holiday....

“They’re terkin’ ’er jerbs!” That’s ostensibly the sound of lawyers, angry that non-lawyers are muscling in on our “profession.” The latest target of our collective outrage is the Limited License Legal Technician, a type of legal job that as yet exists only in Washington state. Once just an idea on paper, the first generation of LLLTs is ready to take its licensing exam in March. Should lawyers be afraid of LLLTs?...

Here at FindLaw, we understand the pressures of being a legal professional - most of us are recovering lawyers - so we want to help by tossing you that preferred life preserver of the legal profession, the short list. We’ve been writing quite a few stories about the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals upholding or staying preliminary injunctions, typically against drug companies who are trying to sell generic versions of popular drugs....

Attorney Dawn Hassell made it to the California Supreme Court the hard way. After getting a bad Yelp review, Hassell sued her former client for it and obtained a default judgment. It included a $550,000 award that the attorney could frame and hang on a wall. But it got complicated when she tried to force Yelp to remove the post. That led to a Supreme Court showdown over Hassell v. Yelp, Inc....

We travel to different countries to have new experiences, wash our eyes and take in fresh sights. But every culture has its quirks, so if you prefer tasting the best local cuisine to learning a new legal system, follow the laws, however absurd they may seem to you as an outsider. We’re products of culture and conditioning, so what seems strange in one place may make perfect sense in another setting....

A San Francisco 49ers fan died after falling from an elevated walkway at Candlestick Park, shortly after kickoff at Sunday’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers. The deceased Niners fan, whose name has yet to be released, appeared to be intoxicated before his fatal fall, reports The Associated Press. As with other accidental stadium deaths, the victim’s relatives could potentially sue the 49ers and stadium operators. The details of the deadly fall are still sketchy, but the deceased fan is reported to have been in his 30s and was seen walking with his brother on a walkway outside the stadium shortly before the incident, reports the San Francisco Chronicle....

An accidental pot grower who received Vermont’s first civil marijuana ticket blames some mysterious seeds that he found in a box. But the senior citizen with the green thumb says he won’t fight his $200 fine. William Reynolds, 73, of St. Johnsbury, claims that he found the mystery seeds and planted them, not knowing what they were. After the marijuana plant grew to about two and a half feet, police spotted it, confiscated it, and gave Reynolds a ticket, The Associated Press reports....

Hey, want a shortcut to use on the bar exam? Of course, not! That would be cheating, wouldn’t it? If you are having this dialogue with yourself, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world to think about a better way to take the bar exam. However, it is the end of the shortcuts on MacBook’s “Touch Bar” for the bar exam. In California, New York, and Colorado, bar examiners have banned the function....

Men, pay attention. Barry Bonds’ ex-mistress, Kimberly Bell, this week provided a jury with the real reason steroid use isn’t the best idea in the world. Testicle shrinkage. Bell’s testimony during Barry Bonds’ trial was a tawdry affair, with commentary on the former slugger’s sexual prowess, infidelity, and violent threats. Last Friday, prosecutors in the Barry Bonds trial elicited expert testimony describing the physical impact of steroid use. The purpose was to prepare the jury for the testimony of Kimberly Bell, who was set to describe intimate details about Bonds that correspond with known side effects....