News published on GA News News Gazette in December 2025

News from December 2025


PACER updates password reset and MFA enrollment procedures for CM/ECF users

On October 16, 2025, PACER introduced an update that allows users with CM/ECF-level access to reset their own passwords if their account search status becomes inactive due to inactivity.


UGA Law students assist coastal conservation through legal fellowships

Law students from the University of Georgia are contributing legal expertise to support the state's coastal regions through a partnership between Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant and the university’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.


UGA law professor Sonja R. West featured in Fortune article on defamation lawsuits

Sonja R. West, who holds the Brumby Distinguished Professorship in First Amendment Law at the University of Georgia School of Law, was featured in a recent Fortune article.


U.S. District Court appoints merit selection panel for magistrate judges

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has established a new standing Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel.


Former engineering manager sentenced to eight years for embezzlement in Savannah

A former employee of a manufacturing company in Savannah, Georgia, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzling nearly $500,000 from his employer.


Beasley Allen attorney secures $1.4 million settlement in trucking case

Ben Keen, an attorney at Beasley Allen Law Firm's Atlanta office, has achieved a $1.4 million settlement in a trucking case that focused solely on psychological damages.


UGA law students win regional moot court competition, advance to nationals

A team of third-year law students from the University of Georgia School of Law has won the regional round of the National Moot Court Competition, which took place in Atlanta over the past weekend.


Hillel Y. Levin publishes article on firearm manufacturer liability in Buffalo Law Review

Smith Professor Hillel Y. Levin has published an article in the Buffalo Law Review, titled “A Primer on the Proximate Cause Requirement of PLCAA’s Predicate Exception: Holding Firearm Manufacturers Liable for Third-Party Criminal Misuse of Their...


University of Georgia features Sharon R. Gamble in fall staff appreciation coverage

Sharon R. Gamble, Associate Director of Career Development and Public Interest and Government Employment Specialist, was highlighted by UGA Today for her participation in the University of Georgia's 2025 Fall Staff Appreciation Reception.


Phillips-Sawyer explores antitrust law’s evolution in new Oxford University Press volume

Wilson Associate Professor in Business Law Laura Phillips-Sawyer has contributed a chapter to the new book "Can Democracy and Capitalism Be Reconciled," edited by S. Miller and S. Milkis and published by Oxford University Press in 2025.


Federal charges announced after seizure of nearly 1,600 pounds of meth hidden in fruit shipments

Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, a Mexican national previously convicted of drug trafficking, and Nelson Enrique Sorto have been charged with federal drug offenses after authorities seized nearly 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in blackberry...


University of Georgia School of Law named top law school for return on investment

The University of Georgia School of Law has been recognized for offering the best return on investment among law schools, according to a recent ranking by LawCrossing.


Gavin King receives 2025 Chad Stewart Award from Beasley Allen

Gavin King has been named the recipient of the 2025 Chad Stewart Award by Beasley Allen, a recognition established in memory of former firm lawyer Chad Stewart.


Georgia man sentenced to prison for role in $24M Medicare fraud scheme

A Georgia man has been sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $7.2 million in restitution for his involvement in a Medicare fraud and kickback scheme.


U.S. District Court for Northern Georgia updates local rules effective December 2025

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has announced amendments to Local Rules 16.2 and 67.1, as well as Appendix B to the Local Rules, which will take effect on December 1, 2025.


Federal courts implement amended civil, appellate, and bankruptcy rules effective December 2025

Amendments to several sets of federal rules and forms took effect on December 1, 2025.


Wrongful death lawsuit filed after fatal plane crash near Attalla

On a November morning in 2023, Charles Walker Pickering, Jr. was piloting his Piper PA-32R-301T aircraft from Tennessee to Alabama when the plane experienced engine failure and crashed near Attalla, Alabama.


Decatur woman sentenced to 30 years for fatal shooting of husband

A Decatur woman has pleaded guilty to charges related to the 2022 shooting death of her husband.


Pamela Foohey discusses rising U.S. bankruptcy filings in Newsweek feature

Pamela Foohey, a professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, was featured in a Newsweek article discussing the rise in bankruptcy filings among individuals and businesses.