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Law

Northeast Grad Schools Among Nation's Best Programs In New Rankings Northeast Grad Schools Among Nation's Best Programs In New Rankings
Northeast Grad Schools Among Nation's Best Programs In New Rankings Graduate programs across the Northeast are being recognized among the best in the nation, according to a new report. U.S. News & World Report released its 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings on Tuesday, April 7. The list evaluates programs in several fields, including business, law, medicine, engineering, education, and nursing. The media outlet said it compared grad programs based on factors like research performance and career outcomes. "We know a graduate degree is a major commitment," said LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at U.S. News. "That is why we are dedica…
Who Is Lindsey Halligan? Trump Taps Mar-a-Lago Lawyer As Virginia’s Top Prosecutor Who Is Lindsey Halligan? Trump Taps Mar-a-Lago Lawyer As Virginia’s Top Prosecutor
Who Is Lindsey Halligan? Trump Taps Mar-a-Lago Lawyer As Virginia’s Top Prosecutor President Donald Trump has nominated a familiar face to become Virginia's top prosecutor after Erik Siebert stepped away on Friday. Trump announced that he is nominating Lindsey Halligan, a senior aide in the White House, to serve as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia as he continues to target political adversaries. "It is my honor to appoint Lindsey Halligan, who has been serving as Special Assistant to the President at the White House, as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia," he posted on Truth Social late on Saturday, Sept. 20.  The preside…
Medical Debt Returning To Americans' Credit Reports After Judge Reverses Biden-Era Rule Medical Debt Returning To Americans' Credit Reports After Judge Reverses Biden-Era Rule
Medical Debt Returning To Americans' Credit Reports After Judge Reverses Biden-Era Rule A federal judge in Texas has overturned a Biden-era rule that removed medical debt from Americans' credit reports. Judge Sean Jordan scrapped the regulation in a ruling on Friday, July 11. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized the rule on Tuesday, Jan. 7, about two weeks before former President Joe Biden left office. The decision came exactly a week after President Donald Trump signed the previously named "One Big Beautiful Bill" into law. Experts warn that the Republican-backed budget reconciliation legislation makes sweeping cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, while incr…
Adult Websites Would Require Age Verification Under Proposed NY Law Adult Websites Would Require Age Verification Under Proposed NY Law
Adult Websites Would Require Age Verification Under Proposed NY Law New Yorkers trying to access adult websites may soon need to prove they’re 18 or older, under a proposed state law designed to shield minors from sexually explicit content. The bill, introduced by Republican State Sen. Jake Ashby, would require any pornographic website operating in New York to verify a user’s age before granting access. Verification would be done using tools like government-issued IDs, credit card payments, or other commercially accepted systems that confirm age through public records. The legislation targets “sexual material harmful to minors” and defines that broadly—ra…
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter Dies Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter Dies
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter Dies David Souter, a Republican-appointed Supreme Court justice who became known for siding with its liberal wing in nearly two decades as a justice, has died. He was age 85. The court announced he died "peacefully" on Thursday, May 8, at his home in Concord, New Hampshire. No cause of death was given. The Harvard University graduate and Melrose, Massachusetts native joined the high court in 1990 after being nominated by former President George H.W. Bush. Souter served on the Supreme Court until 2009, when he retired at age 69. He had served as New Hampshire's attorney general and was a …
Diddy Pleads Not Guilty: Past Hudson Valley Resident Sean Combs Faces New Charges, Report Says Diddy Pleads Not Guilty: Past Hudson Valley Resident Sean Combs Faces New Charges, Report Says
Diddy Pleads Not Guilty: Past Hudson Valley Resident Sean Combs Faces New Charges, Report Says Embattled New York native and hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has pleaded not guilty to the latest charges against him as he and his legal team rapidly approach his trial for sex trafficking, racketeering, and more.  Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty to an expanded indictment against him during a hearing on Monday, April 14, according to a report by People.  The disgraced music icon faces one more count each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, which are both connected to a plaintiff only named as "Victim-2" in the indictment, the outlet reported.  C…
Former US Attorney Found Dead In Home, Investigation Underway: Police (DEVELOPING) Former US Attorney Found Dead In Home, Investigation Underway: Police (DEVELOPING)
Former US Attorney Found Dead In Home, Investigation Underway: Police (Developing) A former top federal prosecutor in Virginia has died suddenly, police in Alexandria confirmed Saturday. Jessica D. Aber, the former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was found unresponsive around 9:18 a.m. Saturday, March 22, inside a home on the 900 block of Beverley Drive, according to the Alexandria Police Department. She was 43 years old. Officers were called to the residence for a wellness check and found Aber deceased, as detailed in a release. An investigation is ongoing, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of …
Diddy Attorney Steps Down: Can't 'Effectively Serve' Past Hudson Valley Resident, Reports Say Diddy Attorney Steps Down: Can't 'Effectively Serve' Past Hudson Valley Resident, Reports Say
Diddy Attorney Steps Down: Can't 'Effectively Serve' Past Hudson Valley Resident, Reports Say A member of the legal team for embattled New York native and hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has stepped down from the case, according to reports.  In a request submitted to the Southern District of New York on Friday, Feb. 21, attorney Anthony Ricco filed a motion to leave Diddy's case, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.  In his filing, Ricco reportedly gave a short statement with a vague explanation, as reported by Deadline: "Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I con…
Hochul Won't Extradite Hudson Valley Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill Hochul Won't Extradite Hudson Valley Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill
Hochul Won't Extradite Hudson Valley Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill New York will not extradite a Hudson Valley doctor who was criminally charged with violating Louisiana’s abortion laws, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. It comes after a jury indicted Ulster County-based Dr. Margaret Carpenter, of New Paltz, along with her company, Nightingale Medical, and the mother of a minor girl on Friday, Jan. 31, alleging that Carpenter shipped the girl an abortion pill. The pill, Mifeprestone, caused the girl to have a medical emergency which terminated the pregnancy, Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB reports. All three were charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion-in…
NY Baby Formula Suppliers Accused Of Price Gouging Agree To $675K Settlement NY Baby Formula Suppliers Accused Of Price Gouging Agree To $675K Settlement
NY Baby Formula Suppliers Accused Of Price Gouging Agree To $675K Settlement Thousands of cans of baby formula are being distributed to families in need across New York after a settlement was reached with two companies accused of illegal price gouging. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Monday, Dec. 18, that her office had secured $675,000 worth of baby formula from Marine Park Distribution Inc. and its affiliate, Formula Depot Inc., following an investigation into price gouging during the nationwide formula shortage in 2022. The companies allegedly raised formula prices by more than 60 percent in some cases, with costs doubling for certain product…
Trump Names Ex-SEC Chief To Replace Damian Williams As SDNY's Top Prosecutor Trump Names Ex-SEC Chief To Replace Damian Williams As SDNY's Top Prosecutor
Trump Names Ex-sec Chief To Replace Damian Williams As Sdny's Top Prosecutor President-elect Donald Trump is looking to replace Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, with a familiar face from his previous administration who hails from Pennsylvania.  Trump announced on Thursday, Nov. 14 that he would nominate Jay Clayton, who has no experience as a criminal prosecutor, to be the next US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.  Clayton, age 58, previously served as Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission from May 2017 to December 2020, a role in which Trump wrote he "did an incredible job." Before that, he…
Ex-NY Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time Ex-NY Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time
Ex-NY Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time A former New York attorney is heading to prison after confessing that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his clients. Former Long Island resident Douglas Valente, age 57, now of Florida, was sentenced to between one and four years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Aug. 22. Prosecutors said Valente, the former principal attorney at the Valente Law Group in Stony Brook, stole more than $800,000 from three former clients by taking money from his escrow account. Earlier Report: Former NY Attorney Stole Nearly $1M From Clients, DA Says Among the victims was a cl…
'Jury Of Our Peers Act' Allowing Convicted Felons To Serve On Juries Passes NY Legislature 'Jury Of Our Peers Act' Allowing Convicted Felons To Serve On Juries Passes NY Legislature
'Jury Of Our Peers Act' Allowing Convicted Felons To Serve On Juries Passes NY Legislature New Yorkers with felony convictions could soon serve on court juries after state lawmakers passed legislation reversing the lifetime ban on such service. The New York State Assembly on Friday, June 7, passed the “Jury of Our Peers Act,” which would allow those convicted of felonies to serve on New York juries once they are released from prison or have otherwise satisfied all of their sentencing requirements. Advocates say the move will help rectify an underrepresentation of minorities on juries. “Black New Yorkers have been systematically denied the right to serve on juries as they are dis…
Well-Respected Judge, Westchester Native Dies Well-Respected Judge, Westchester Native Dies
Well-Respected Judge, Westchester Native Dies A popular and well-respected Hudson Valley judge has died. Dutchess County Judge Gerald V. Hayes of Poughkeepsie, age 82,  had been battling lymphocytic leukemia for three years. Hayes, who died on Saturday, Jan. 27, was a man of deep faith, hard work, great sacrifice, profound wisdom, remarkable accomplishments, and the highest character, his obituary said. Hayes originally studied to become a priest but changed his mind and received his juris doctorate from Fordham Law School in 1968. Shortly after he went to work as Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan.  In 1971, his obit…
$31M Trip-Fall Fraud Scheme: Attorneys, Doctor Sentenced For Defrauding NY Businesses $31M Trip-Fall Fraud Scheme: Attorneys, Doctor Sentenced For Defrauding NY Businesses
$31M Trip-Fall Fraud Scheme: Attorneys, Doctor Sentenced For Defrauding NY Businesses Sentences have been handed out for two attorneys and a doctor convicted of defrauding New York businesses and their insurance companies of more than $31 million through a massive, three-year trip-and-fall fraud scheme. The three men all live on Long Island -- 60-year-old George Constantine in Plainview, 50-year-old Marc Elefant in Woodmere, and 67-year-old Andrew Dowd in Miller Place. Constantine and Dowd were convicted at a trial in mid-December 2022 of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud. Dowd was also found guilty of additional counts of conspiracy to co…
Gwyneth Paltrow Sued: Former Northern Westchester Resident Was In Skiing Accident, Report Says Gwyneth Paltrow Sued: Former Northern Westchester Resident Was In Skiing Accident, Report Says
Gwyneth Paltrow Sued: Former Northern Westchester Resident Was In Skiing Accident, Report Says Former Northern Westchester resident Gwyneth Paltrow is being sued by a man who claims that she seriously injured him in a skiing accident, according to a report by BBC.  Paltrow, who once lived in the Lewisboro hamlet of Waccabuc, made an appearance in a US court on Tuesday, March 21 as the trial over the claims begins, the news outlet reported.  The incident in question happened in February 2016 at the Deer Valley resort in Utah, where Paltrow, age 50, was on vacation with her family.  While skiing, Paltrow allegedly crashed into retired optometrist Terry Sa…
Lived With 'Fervor, Tenacity': 43-Year-Old Legal Consultant From Westchester Dies Of  Cancer Lived With 'Fervor, Tenacity': 43-Year-Old Legal Consultant From Westchester Dies Of  Cancer
Lived With 'Fervor, Tenacity': 43-Year-Old Legal Consultant From Westchester Dies Of Cancer A 43-year-old woman from Westchester County who worked as a legal consultant and was a lover of traveling and the outdoors has died after an eight-year battle with cancer.  Scarsdale resident Rosanna Kelly died on Saturday, Oct. 29 from pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer, her obituary said.  Born in 1979 in the Dominican Republic, Kelly later moved to New York City and graduated from Mary Bertram High School before earning her law degree from Syracuse Law School in 2005, according to her obituary. Kelly worked as a legal consultant but then moved on to specialize in …
Corporate Vice President From Westchester Dies Suddenly At Age 39 Corporate Vice President From Westchester Dies Suddenly At Age 39
Corporate Vice President From Westchester Dies Suddenly At Age 39 A Westchester man died unexpectedly at the age of 39 while on vacation with his family in the Turks and Caicos. Christopher Sean Kelly, of Bronxville, a human resources vice president at American Express, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, June 28, due to heart complications, said his obituary. Kelly was born in Buffalo, New York, and attended Canisius High School. He graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in psychology and political science. He later received a law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a graduate degree from Cornell University in industri…
Bestselling Author Lawrence Otis Graham Of Northern Westchester Dies At 59 Bestselling Author Lawrence Otis Graham Of Northern Westchester Dies At 59
Bestselling Author Lawrence Otis Graham Of Northern Westchester Dies At 59 Lawrence Otis Graham, a prominent lawyer, activist, bestselling author, and longtime Westchester resident died at the age of 59 over the weekend. Westchester County Executive George Latimer took to social media on Sunday, Feb. 21 to announce the White Plains High School graduate and Chappaqua resident’s death. “His writing particularly struck a chord as he described growing up Black, well-educated, articulate and accomplished, and still facing prejudice and racism in this society,” Latimer said about the Graham, who also graduated from Harvard Law School and Princeton University. “H…
Former NY State Supreme Court Justice, Longtime Area Resident Ralph Beisner, Dies Former NY State Supreme Court Justice, Longtime Area Resident Ralph Beisner, Dies
Former NY State Supreme Court Justice, Longtime Area Resident Ralph Beisner, Dies Former Dutchess County Supreme Court Justice, lawyer and pastor Ralph Beisner died at 78 on Monday, Dec. 14.  “Ralph Beisner dedicated his life to his family and his community, and Dutchess County joins his loved ones in mourning his passing and celebrating his legacy of strong faith and devoted service," said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro of Beisner's passing. "Ralph was from Dutchess County and a lawyer, New York State Supreme Court Justice, author, artist, and pastor, but most important to him was his role as a husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend.  "We exte…
Race About Race? Faso Attack Ads Call Rhodes Scholar Delgado 'Big City Rapper' Race About Race? Faso Attack Ads Call Rhodes Scholar Delgado 'Big City Rapper'
Race About Race? Faso Attack Ads Call Rhodes Scholar Delgado 'Big City Rapper' U.S. Rep. John Faso, a Republican representing New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes the mid-Hudson Valley is seen as vulnerable this year. And now, Faso's campaign has resorted to racist attack ads calling Delgado a "big city rapper," according to multiple reports. The district, encompassing 11 counties including Dutchess, has been represented by Republicans for eight years. However, voter registration is nearly equally split among the GOP, Democrats and unaffiliated voters. Faso’s Democratic challenger is Antonio Delgado of Rhinebeck, a former rapper, Rhodes sc…
Trump Taps Former Giuliani Partner As Preet Bharara Replacement Trump Taps Former Giuliani Partner As Preet Bharara Replacement
Trump Taps Former Giuliani Partner As Preet Bharara Replacement President Donald Trump has nominated a former law partner of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to serve as United States Attorney Preet Bharara’s replacement in the Southern District of New York. If confirmed by the Senate in the next 120 days, Geoffrey Berman will take over for Bharara, who was fired last March by the president as he cleaned house from the Obama era. He will serve as an interim basis until confirmation, according to the Justice Department. Berman is a partner at Greenberg Traurig in Manhattan, where Giuliani remains a partner. He previously served as an Assistant United St…