Reuters Legal

The American Bar Association sued the DOJ on April 23, claiming it illegally terminated federal grants in retaliation for the lawyer organization's public criticism of the Trump administration. The ABA asked a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to block the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from canceling $3.2 million in grants used to train lawyers to represent victims of domestic and sexual violence, saying the move violates the First Amendment. The ABA on April 24 sought a temporary restraining order from the court to block the government from terminating the grants. The lawsuit escalates the ongoing conflict between the White House and the ABA, which has about 150,000 members and advocates for the legal profession. Karen Sloan has more: https://reut.rs/3YhtEEV

A federal judge in New Hampshire restricted the Trump administration’s ability to cut off funding to public schools that engage in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts https://reut.rs/42wZzny 

A federal judge on April 23 said President Donald Trump appeared to be targeting unions that have challenged his policies in court by stripping hundreds of thousands of federal employees of the ability to collectively bargain over working conditions.   Senior U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman during a hearing in Washington, D.C., seemed to agree with the National Treasury Employees Union that Trump's March executive order, eliminating bargaining at more than a dozen federal agencies was an act of retaliation.   Trump in the order had said that curbing collective bargaining was necessary to protect national security and that union contracts were preventing agencies from enacting some policy changes.   Subscribe to The Daily Docket: reut.rs/4bYtR5B 

At the Social Security Administration, lawyers, statisticians and other high-ranking agency officials are being sent from the Baltimore headquarters to regional offices to replace veteran claims processors who have been fired or taken buyouts from the Trump administration.   But most of the new arrivals don't know how to do the job, leading to longer wait times for disabled and elderly Americans who depend on these benefits, according to two people familiar with the situation. Asked about the changes, an SSA official said in an email that reassigned employees ‘have vast knowledge about our programs and services.’   At the Internal Revenue Service, the internet has become so patchy since President Donald Trump ordered remote workers back to overcrowded offices that staff are resorting to personal hotspots, crashing their computers at the height of tax processing season, two IRS officials told Reuters.   Nearly 100 days into what Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk have called a mission to make the federal bureaucracy more efficient, Reuters found 20 instances where the staff and funding cuts led to purchasing bottlenecks and increased costs; paralysis in decision-making; longer public wait times; higher-paid civil servants filling in menial jobs, and a brain drain of scientific and technological talent. Read more: https://reut.rs/3Rt8JLo 

A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's administration from withholding federal funding from several so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that have declined to cooperate with the Republican's hardline immigration crackdown https://reut.rs/4lMoDhQ 

The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow implementation of his order banning transgender people from serving in the military, one of a series of directives by the Republican president to curb transgender rights https://reut.rs/42XcTBA  

Two U.S. judges grilled a Justice Department lawyer on April 23 over President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting prominent law firms WilmerHale and Perkins Coie, at hearings testing claims that the president's actions were retaliatory and unlawful.   The employment rate for law school graduates hit record highs in 2024, according to data, released by the American Bar Association on April 23, defying predictions that a double-digit enrollment surge would weaken job prospects.   President Donald Trump's administration moved a Venezuelan man who had worked in construction in Philadelphia to Texas for possible deportation after a federal judge had issued an order blocking his removal from Pennsylvania or the United States, according to court records.   A federal judge on April 23 said President Donald Trump appeared to be targeting unions that have challenged his policies in court by stripping hundreds of thousands of federal employees of the ability to collectively bargain over working conditions.   Here’s your legal file 👇

Democratic lawmakers pressed the DOJ to explain its decision to dispatch armed agents to deliver a letter warning a fired employee about her planned testimony before members of Congress.   Three Democrats condemned the move as an attempt to intimidate Liz Oyer, the Justice Department's former pardon attorney, and other career officials who may want to speak about President Donald Trump’s administration.   'Sending armed officers to Ms. Oyer’s residence is a clear abuse of the Department of Justice’s authority and resources, which exist to serve and protect the public, not intimidate congressional witnesses,' the lawmakers wrote in a letter to a top Justice Department official.   U.S. Marshals were mobilized on April 4 to deliver a letter to Oyer, whom the Trump administration had fired weeks earlier, warning her against revealing information about internal discussions, Oyer said.   Read more in The Daily Docket. Subscribe: reut.rs/4bYtR5B

Harvey Weinstein’s retrial on rape and sexual assault charges got underway on April 23, as a prosecutor and a defense lawyer offered starkly contrasting explanations for the disgraced movie mogul's encounters with women who hoped to make it big in Hollywood. Prosecutors have portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who promised career advancement to women, only to then coax them into hotel rooms and private apartments where he overpowered and attacked them. Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala rejected that characterization, saying the Oscar-winning producer had 'mutually beneficial' relationships with his accusers, who ended up with auditions and other show business opportunities. Lindsay Goldbrum, the lawyer of Kaja Sokola, who claims Weinstein assaulted her when she was a 16-year-old aspiring actress, accused the defense of 'victim blaming.' Read the full story for the latest updates ➡️ https://reut.rs/4jq6Tr2 #Weinstein #MeToo #Trial #Court #Hollywood #Lawyer

European Union antitrust regulators fined Apple $570 million and Meta $230 million to make the companies comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which seeks to allow smaller rivals into markets dominated by the biggest companies.   The DMA required Apple to allow developers to send customers outside apps to make purchases, and find other app distribution channels, free of charge, to avoid the fees Apple typically charges apps developers on its platform. The Commission found that the restrictions imposed by Apple kept app developers away from the advantages of alternative distribution channels outside the App Store.   The Commission said Apple failed to demonstrate that the restrictions are objectively necessary and proportionate.   Meta, on the other hand, introduced a ‘Consent or Pay’ model in November 2023 which gives Facebook and Instagram users who consent to be tracked, a free service that is funded by advertising revenue. To avoid ads altogether, Meta charges 5.99 euros per month on the Web and 7.99 euros per month on its apps.   The Commission said the model did not comply with DMA rules as users had fewer choices on how their data was used.   Read to know more: https://reut.rs/4cIpKLc