Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal (and PLW!)

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Welcome to your daily round-up of stories in today's edition of The Legal Intelligencer. Click the links below to access stories directly, or head to The Legal homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

As is the case every Tuesday, today's paper is especially full, because it includes our Pennsylvania Law Weekly section, which includes analysis pieces, our Verdicts & Settlements section, and contributed columns by Samuel Stretton (Ethics), Brandon Swarz (Personal Injury), and Jeff Jubelirer (Public Relations).

But let's begin with The Legal.

Topping today's front page, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel has an analysis piece regarding the impact of the state Supreme Court's decision in Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania v. Koken. Even though Koken eliminated the Pennsylvania Insurance Department's command that automobile policies have mandatory arbitration clauses, attorneys around the state say that arbitration remains popular for the resolution of motor vehicle claims brought by motorists against their insurers under their uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motor vehicle policies.

Below the fold, senior staff reporter Gina Passarella has the sixth and final piece in her weekly series examining the impact of e-discovery on the practice and business of law. This week, she writes that much is said about the burdens and challenges of e-discovery, and rightfully so, but the list of organizations dedicated solely to improving the process are nearly just as prevalent. 

Inside, in our Page 3 Regional News section, Gina has another business of law story, this time about a new practice. Dechert has created an outsourcing and offshoring practice under the umbrella of its intellectual property department in order to take advantage of the growing desire of its clients to outsource certain non-core business functions.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2. The top stories from our sister publications across the country make up our Page 4 National News section.

The Legal's contributed columns today include an "Eastern District Practice" column by Peter F. Vaira of Vaira & Riley, who discusses litigation costs that may be awarded to the prevailing party in a lawsuit pursuant to Local Civil Rule 54.1 and 28 U.S.C. § 1920. The article will not discuss the award of attorney fees.

Our second contributed article is "Upon Further Review," Howard Bashman's appellate column. Bashman hails the advent of cameras in the courtroom, calling it a "new day for openness" in the Pennsylvania appellate courts.

Today's Pennsylvania Law Weekly section begins with a story by reporter Ben Present, who writes, "A controversy in Western Pennsylvania stemming from allegations that a judge ordered her court reporter to alter transcripts from a murder trial became more complicated Thursday after the court reporter's lawyer said the court reporter denies altering the transcript and plans to sue one of the attorneys alleging misconduct."

Below the fold, reporter Zack Needles has an analysis piece regarding the continuing legal troubles of the Orie sisters. He writes, "As state Sen. Jane C. Orie, R-Allegheny, faces a new round of charges and a retrial on the horizon, legal watchers say her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, may be feeling the heat now more than ever."

And that is just the front page! Head to the main website of the PLW section to check out even more content from across the commonwealth.

Have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole? E-mail me or any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal and PLW!

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal. Follow her on Twitter at @JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail [email protected].