| BLOG
by: Motley Rice
International Women’s Day is an occasion when we focus on women’s issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women. It is also a day when we should take a moment and reflect on the role women have played in all aspects of our world’s progress, including their impact on the professional world.
| BLOG
by: Grace P. Chandler, Jonathan D. Orent
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs Ozempic® and Wegovy®. These powerful pharmaceuticals have taken the media, internet and pharmacies by storm. However, there are increasing numbers of reports on the side effects of Semaglutide that have not been previously warned about.
| BLOG
by: M. Nolan Webb
After years of frustration, the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW), a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) affiliate, has petitioned to shut down South Carolina's state-run Occupational Safety and Health Administration program (SC OSHA), citing a litany of failures that compromise worker safety.
| BLOG
by: Abigail Burman
The rapid development and implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in everyday services and products has become an increasingly important legal issue as the technology develops faster than the legal frameworks that regulate it. In response to these concerns, on Oct. 30, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order aimed at preventing and addressing harm caused by AI.
| BLOG
by: Joseph F. Rice
More than 93,000 people have filed claims with the Department of the Navy seeking help for severe, life-threatening health problems caused by contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The victims, who are Marines, family members and civilian workers who worked or lived on the base, are desperate for the answers and resources they need to move forward with their lives. Until recently, their pleas for action have largely been ignored.
| BLOG
by: Jodi Westbrook Flowers
The worst act of terrorism to ever to occur on American soil stole the lives of 2,977 people. Even more are injured, including emergency, rescue, and recovery workers. Twenty-two years later and still they wait for justice. Unraveling the al Qaeda plot led the survivors and victims’ families to discover that culpability spread far beyond Osama bin Laden. Saudi Arabia was eventually identified as the eye of the storm al Qaeda operators passed through in preparation for the attacks. Saudi agents are accused in the cases of providing material support in the form of housing, transportation, logistical support, and more.
| BLOG
by: Laura K. Stemkowski
Federal agencies and officials, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Surgeon General, as well as national medical associations like the American Psychological Association (APA) and American Medical Association (AMA), have all released reports documenting the mounting concern surrounding the negative psychological impacts of social media use. Alarmingly, it seems social media platforms have suspected or known of this link for years, and yet did nothing to stop the harm caused by their products.
| BLOG
by: Laura K. Stemkowski
For the first time in over 80 years, the FDA’s authority and ability to regulate cosmetics has expanded due to the passing of a new federal law, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MOCRA). MOCRA marks the beginning of a shift in how cosmetics are regulated in the United States and is a victory for consumer safety advocates.
| BLOG
by: Louis M. Bograd
At the end of January, the Third Circuit handed down an important bankruptcy ruling that may both protect injured mass tort plaintiffs and preserve the constitutional right to trial by jury. In In re: LTL Management, LLC (the Johnson & Johnson talc bankruptcy case) the court of appeals ordered the dismissal of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition filed by LTL, a J&J subsidiary created for the sole purpose of resolving its talc liabilities through bankruptcy. The decision is a significant setback—though not necessarily a death blow—for the infamous “Texas two-step” bankruptcy maneuver invented by a defense law firm.
| BLOG
by: James W. Ledlie
I recently read a great article on the VA’s roll out of processing PACT Act disability compensation claims and the need to alert veterans of scammers who may be trying to profit off veteran’s injuries. The article explains that veterans can often file by themselves or with help offered for free by accredited veteran service organizations.