General Litigation
| Ex Parte Communications |
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| An ex parte communication is a written or oral communication with a judge that involves only one side of a pending lawsuit or that involves a matter that could become the subject of a future case before the judge. Ex parte communications include a judge's interactions with persons interested in the outcome of a case such as attorneys, parties, jurors, witnesses, and law enforcement personnel. Generally, ex parte communications are prohibited because they can influence the judge's decision. More... |
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| The Office of the Independent Counsel |
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| Following the Watergate scandal, Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Ethics Act). The law created a Special Prosecutor (the name was later changed to Independent Counsel) to investigate possible crimes by high government officials. The Independent Counsel provision of the Ethics Act expired, and new Independent Counsel legislation that was passed in 1994 expired in 1999 and was not renewed. The Attorney General of the United States now has sole discretion to appoint an outside prosecutor. More... |
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| Quo Warranto |
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| A writ in quo warranto, which is Latin for "by what warrant," is an extraordinary legal remedy. It requires a person to show his/her authority for holding an office or challenges the wrongful exercise of powers. A common quo warranto claim is that a government or corporate officer was not validly elected to office or is exercising powers in excess of his/her authority. A state might bring a suit in quo warranto demanding a person or corporation to show the authority for exercising some franchise or privilege granted to it by the state.
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| Impeachment of Federal Judges |
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| Under the United States Constitution, the President of the United States, with the approval of the United States Senate, appoints federal judges. Federal judges are appointed for life but can be removed from office by impeachment. More... |
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| Using Mediation in Workers' Compensation Appeals |
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| Mediation is a method of alternative dispute resolution. A mediator (neutral third party) helps the litigants resolve their dispute in an informal process. The mediator facilitates negotiations and helps the litigants identify issues, problem solve, and explore settlement possibilities. The mediator has no authority to make a decision about the case. Mediation is increasingly being used to resolve appeals in workers' compensation cases. More... |
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