e-bar (Volume 9, No. 29)
Article Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
SCHOOLS HAVE NO RIGHT TO SEEK FEES, APPEALS COURT RULES
The N.C. Court of Appeals ruled today that poor school districts that sue North Carolina over education quality have no right to seek payment of their attorney fees. The unanimous verdict upholds a lower court ruling denying payment of attorney fees to five counties (Hoke, Cumberland, Halifax, Robeson and Vance) that originally filed suit against the State in 1994. Noting that plaintiffs’ counsel “performed a significant public service” in devoting more than 17,000 hours over 14 years to the Leandro lawsuits, “the trial court found no legal basis upon which to award attorneys’ fees,” the opinion stated.
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/5620512/
2009 NCBA ANNUAL REVIEW CLE SCHEDULED OCT. 8-9
Attorneys who prefer the convenience of obtaining a year’s worth of credit hours at one program, including those who supported the annual review previously hosted by Wake Forest University, will be pleased to learn that that our CLE Department is introducing the NCBA Annual Review this fall. The 2009 NCBA Annual Review, a comprehensive program offering 12.0 credit hours, will take place Oct. 8-9 at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro. Access the link below for additional information.
https://www.ncbar.org/cle/programs/index.aspx?id=628ARP
IN MEMORIAM
Judge John R. Mull, 59, died Sunday near Morganton after pulling his son from the Catawba River. Services are scheduled Friday afternoon preceded by visitation Thursday evening; click here for details. Mull served on the District Court bench in District 25 comprised of Caldwell and Catawba counties and his native Burke County. Judge Robert Alfred Hedrick of Raleigh died Saturday at the age of 86. He was appointed to the N.C. Court of Appeals in 1969 and served as chief judge from 1985 until 1993. Funeral and reception scheduled Wednesday in Raleigh; click here for details.
http://www.ncbar.org/membership/memoriam/index.aspx
FRAUD ENFORCEMENT AND RECOVERY ACT PROVIDES TOOLS, MESSAGE
The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama on May 20, provides government agencies with greater resources and stronger legislation with which to battle financial and mortgage fraud. With these tools comes a clear signal regarding an increased emphasis on fraud enforcement in the financial arena. It is important that businesses understand these changes and the impact they may have on compliance and defense resources, as noted in coverage accessible via the link below.
http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=1202432306470&Fraud_Enforcement_and_Recovery_Act_Sends_Law_Agencies_New_Tools_and_a_Message
ECONOMY PART OF THREE-PRONGED ATTACK ON FIRM OPERATIONS
The economy is no doubt having an effect on how law firms large and small operate and manage the practice of law. But is the current economic situation just one part of a three-pronged attack that also includes changes in the area of cost recovery and increasing demands for alternative billing arrangements? Access the link below for analysis from consultant Robert Mattern provided via Law.com.
http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/PubArticleFriendlyLT.jsp?id=1202432372449
WEB SITE OF THE WEEK
Smart Growth America is a coalition of national, state and local organizations dedicated to improving the manner in which cities, towns and metropolitan areas are developed. Its recent report, “The States and the Stimulus,” examines how states and cities are spending their stimulus funds. Click here to access the report; access link below for home page.
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/