News from July 2024
OPINION: Georgia should look to Florida for solutions to its car insurance crisis
By Georgia News Gazette Editorial Board | Jul 31, 2024
Georgia drivers are paying an average of $2,469 annually for full coverage car insurance, which is more than the national average. For Georgians earning the statewide average salary of $52,264, that means spending 5.99% of your after-tax earnings on car insurance. Young drivers, individuals with poor credit, and residents of areas like Atlanta pay significantly more.
Former gym owner indicted on multiple federal child exploitation charges
By J. D. Suayan | Jul 31, 2024
STATESBORO, GA: The former owner of a Toombs County fitness and tanning business has been indicted on federal charges involving the sexual exploitation of multiple children.
Law school named among top in nation for quality, classroom, and professors
By J. D. Suayan | Jul 31, 2024
The School of Law was recently ranked among the best law schools in the nation for quality of life (4th), classroom experience (6th), and professors (8th). The annual rankings produced by The Princeton Review are based on its survey of students and school-reported data.
AFFF litigation progresses with bellwether plaintiffs selection
By R. B. Pepalis | Jul 30, 2024
The Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) litigation is currently being overseen by Judge Richard Gergel in the United States District Court of South Carolina. This case is significant due to the widespread impact of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination, which has affected many water sources across the country.
Fisher-Price proposes $19 million settlement over Rock 'n Play Sleeper
By K. R. Nelson | Jul 30, 2024
Fisher-Price and its parent company, Mattel, have proposed a $19 million settlement to resolve class action claims related to the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper. This baby sleeper was recalled in April 2019 after it was linked to the deaths of infants.
Man pleads guilty to threatening Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene
By M. N. Tirado | Jul 30, 2024
Sean Patrick Cirillo has pleaded guilty to transmitting interstate threats to injure U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch presents at Clifford Symposium on tort law
By K. R. Nelson | Jul 30, 2024
Callaway Chair Elizabeth Chamblee Burch presented "Deal Making and the Ethically Slippery Slope in the Quest for Global Peace" at the 30th Annual Clifford Symposium on Tort Law and Social Policy hosted at DePaul University College of Law during June.
California courts advance bellwether social media addiction lawsuits
By A. I. Benavidez | Jul 30, 2024
We continue to take on some of the biggest names in social media—Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. The firm is pursuing claims on behalf of thousands of individuals, both adults and minors, who have suffered injuries due to addiction to these platforms.
Foohey presents book on consumer bankruptcy at SEALS conference
By C. D. McHugh | Jul 29, 2024
Professor Pamela Foohey presented her coauthored book "Debt’s Grip: Risk and Consumer Bankruptcy" (University of California Press, forthcoming 2025) as part of the "Current Issues in Consumer Debt" panel at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools 2024 Annual Conference during July.
Norins presents on Georgia's transparency laws to international journalists
By E. F. Cullerton | Jul 26, 2024
Clare R. Norins, Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the First Amendment Clinic, presented on Georgia's Open Meetings Act and Open Records Act to journalists from 17 countries. The presentation took place during the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program in June.
Levin presents at Clifford Symposium on tort law and social policy
By A. I. Benavidez | Jul 25, 2024
Smith Professor Hillel Y. Levin presented "Using Public Nuisance Litigation to Address Industry Misconduct: Common Law Statutes, Delegation Doctrine and Systems Theory" at the 30th Annual Clifford Symposium on Tort Law and Social Policy hosted at DePaul University College of Law during June, alongside T. Lytton.
Phillips-Sawyer presents on vertical restraints at King's College London
By M. N. Tirado | Jul 24, 2024
Wilson Associate Professor in Business Law Laura Phillips-Sawyer presented "Reassessing Vertical Restraints: How Global Value Chains Have Rewritten the Boundaries of the Firm" at the Rethinking Economic Regulation conference held at King's College London during July.
North Carolina man sentenced to life for roommate's murder
By A. I. Benavidez | Jul 23, 2024
A Greensboro, North Carolina man has been sentenced to life in prison following his conviction for the murder of his roommate and co-worker. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the jury's decision on Thursday, July 18.
Court rules against company accused of selling dangerous chemical linked to suicides
By J. D. Suayan | Jul 23, 2024
Beasley Allen, along with its co-counsel C.A. Goldberg, PLLC, recently secured a win at the motion to dismiss stage on behalf of four families. These families tragically lost their loved ones due to an Alabama company allegedly marketing and selling sodium nitrite—a dangerous chemical with no known household use.
Dean Rusk International Law Center receives grant for German externships
By A. A. Sanchez | Jul 23, 2024
The Dean Rusk International Law Center has received a grant from The Halle Foundation to support six law students in semester-long externships in Germany over the next three years.
Judge denies J&J's bid against Beasley Allen amid ongoing talc litigation
By A. D. Bamburg | Jul 23, 2024
On July 19, 2024, Judge John Porto of the New Jersey Superior Court ruled that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had not provided “any credible basis” for its claims that Beasley Allen’s Andy Birchfield had formed an unethical alliance with one of the company’s former lawyers.
Attorney sues law firm Morgan & Morgan over ‘unfair and deceptive advertising’
By A. D. Bamburg | Jul 23, 2024
Arkansas-based attorney Jody Shackelford filed a lawsuit on July 17 against the national personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan, alleging that the firm’s "extensive advertising campaigns" violate state and federal rules and give the firm an unfair advantage over its competitors.
Redmon discusses RICO cases in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By R. B. Pepalis | Jul 22, 2024
Clinical Assistant Professor and Prosecutorial Justice Program Director Melissa D. Redmon was featured in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations cases and jury selection. The article titled "Fani Willis’ marquee cases against Donald Trump and Young Thug are thrown into chaos" was written by Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman and published on July 20, 2024. The article was republished by other media outlets.
Assistant Professor Assaf Harpaz featured in Newsweek on federal income tax elimination
By J. D. Suayan | Jul 22, 2024
Assistant Professor Assaf Harpaz was featured in Newsweek regarding the impact of eliminating the federal income tax by creating an "all tariff policy." The article titled "Trump Tax Plans: What Could Happen" was written by Aliss Higham and published on July 22, 2024.
Savannah roundtable highlights efforts against sexual harassment in housing
By A. I. Benavidez | Jul 22, 2024
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, in collaboration with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and its Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG), hosted a roundtable in Savannah aimed at addressing sexual harassment in housing. This event is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative.