Human Rights Watch Monday called on the United Nations Security Council to act quickly to end ethnic cleansing in Sudan's Darfur region. The group is requesting an arms embargo and travel sanctions on Sudanese officials for their failure to disarm the Janjaweed militias. Six other aid agencies have also called for immediate action, saying previous [...]

A report released Monday by the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) says that lawyers' contingent fees in medical malpractice cases are essential in preserving access to justice, and that proposed limitations being considered in Florida and elsewhere risk compromising the availability of the courts to individuals. Among its findings, the [...]

In Monday's corporations and securities law news, Dow Jones & Co. has settled a defamation suit with Australian mining magnate Joe Gutnick. The suit arose out of an online publication of a story which portrayed Gutnick as a schemer given to fraud. This is considered a groundmaking case in Australia as the nation's Supreme Court [...]

American Express announced Monday that it is suing fellow credit card giants Visa and MasterCard, along with eight banks, alleging anticompetitive practices which prevented American Express from issuing credit cards through US banks. American Express said that it would seek damages "in the billions of dollars." In October, the Supreme Court denied hearing an appeal [...]

New Jersey Governor James McGreevey submitted his letter of resignation on Monday. The letter simply reads, "Dear Madam Secretary, I resign effective 11:59 p.m. on Monday, November 15, 2004." Aides reported that McGreevey's last day in office was expected to be quiet. The governor is not expecting to grant pardons or conduct other state business. [...]

A Florida state judge issued an injunction Monday preventing a newly-approved constitutional amendment from coming into effect. Amendment 8, approved this month by 70 percent of voters, would cancel the license of any doctor who commits three acts of medical malpractice. The Florida Hospital Association sued to block the amendment until aspects of it can [...]

Reuters is reporting that Boeing's former CFO has pleaded guilty to aiding in the illegal hiring of an Air Force official. 12:10 PM ET – Former Boeing CFO Michael Sears pleaded guilty to a single count of aiding and abetting illegal employment negotiations. Boeing hired a top Air Force procurement officer who has admitted she [...]

The US Supreme Court Monday reversed the death sentence of a Texas man because jurors were not instructed to consider mitigating evidence when deliberating on the sentence. LaRoyce Lathair Smith was convicted of murdering a former co-worker during an attempted robbery at a Dallas Taco Bell. Read the court's per curiam opinion . AP has [...]

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has said that Ireland should give greater rights to same-sex couples. Ahern's comments come in response to a suit brought by a lesbian couple married in Canada seeking Irish recognition of their marriage. Last week, as reported on JURIST's Paper Chase, an Irish judge ruled that the case merited a [...]

The UN Security Council meets Monday to consider a draft French resolution proposing sanctions against Cote d'Ivoire. The proposed sanctions include an arms embargo, travel restrictions on those actively violating the cease-fire, and the freezing of governmental assets. The region has been highly unstable in the last 10 days, following the death of 9 French [...]