The Legal Intelligencer Blog

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Tuesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer, which also includes this week’s edition of Pennsylvania Law Weekly. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Also inside today’s paper is the Litigation: Medical Malpractice supplement, so be sure to give that a read.

The top story in today’s packed Legal is the Lackawanna County guardian ad litem being sued in federal court, along with the Lackawanna County Common Pleas Court. As reporters Ben Present and Zack Needles write, a Lackawanna County man is alleging the family court’s guardian program deprived litigants of constitutional rights and that the court’s sole guardian, Danielle M. Ross, “thoroughly misunderstood and misapplied her role.”

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Saranac Hale Spencer writes that a bill of more than $360,000 that was to be recovered by defendants for e-discovery costs has been slashed by more than 90 percent by 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Vanaskie. The judge said that organizing electronic files cannot be considered part of the copying expense.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporters Gina Passarella and Shannon Green write that the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia has placed its general counsel, Timothy Coyne, on administrative leave in what appears to be a continued effort to bring in new outside and in-house legal counsel. A source indicated that Coyne is not expected to return to the role, which is set to be filled in the interim by a Conrad O’Brien attorney.

Also below the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that lawyers for the former Catholic archdiocese secretary of clergy, Monsignor William J. Lynn, have said that his Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel would be violated if the archdiocese is able to assert an independent attorney-client privilege.

In more Regional News on Page 3, Weil Gotshal & Manges has opened a four-lawyer office in Princeton, N.J., led by veteran litigator Diane Sullivan.

Also on Page 3, Gina Passarella writes that Lackawanna County businessman Louis DeNaples and members of his family will receive a break on some of the taxes from a $40.9 million settlement to take their land for the construction of a county highway.

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

In a Legal Marketing column on Page 5, Holly Lentz Kleeman writes about the search for meaning in marketing and business development.

In a column about the U.S. Supreme Court on Page 7, Stephen A. Miller and Diana Lin write that the justices are set to revisit affirmative action for universities.

Today’s lead story in PLW is a look at the Lackawanna County guardian ad litem, Danielle M. Ross, and the conflict that has arisen since she took the role in 2008. Zack Needles and Ben Present write that court records show several litigants have petitioned to have Ross removed from their cases.

Below the fold on Page 1, Ben Present writes that a split among the state Supreme Court justices let stand a Commonwealth Court ruling that gives workers’ compensation judges discretion in suspending benefits of workers who fail to attend a required physical examination after claiming workers’ compensation.

On Page 3, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that a Philadelphia judge has held a lawyer-witness in contempt for making a comment to a juror while advocates in the case were engaged in a sidebar conference.

There’s much more inside this week’s PLW, including Samuel C. Stretton’s Ethics Forum, in which he discusses state rules governing legal advertising; a commentary on Family Law by Christian V. Badali, in which he wonders whether the 9th Circuit’s decision in Perry v. Brown is a success or a setback for same-sex marriage; the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office appealing a judge’s ARD grant; and a judge ruling that a police officer needs probable cause for a DUI stop.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to e-mail any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Tuesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer, which also includes this week’s edition of Pennsylvania Law Weekly. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

The top story in today’s Legal is U.S. District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones II of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania looking at the Defense of Marriage Act’s validity in a Cozen O’Connor benefits disputes. As Gina Passarella writes, the dispute is between the parents of a deceased Cozen O’Connor partner and her wife. Both sides provided briefs on the constitutionality of DOMA but de-emphasized it, instead focusing on the terms of Cozen O’Connor’s benefits plan.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that prosecutors in the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex-abuse case want to present expert testimony on the process sexual abusers of children use to “‘groom’” their victims.

Below the fold on Page 1, Gina Passarella writes about the ongoing dispute between Elliott Greenleaf and a former partner. The firm has amended its complaint against the ex-partner and his new firm, Stevens & Lee, for his alleged remote access to the firm’s files. It now includes the theft of more files via portable drives and the misappropriation of escrow funds.

In more Regional News on Page 3, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that a federal judge has ruled that a French firm must comply with federal discovery rules.

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

In a Litigation column on Page 5, Howard J. Bashman writes a guide to delays on appeal, wondering if there is an appellate traffic jam ahead.

In a Real Estate column on Page 7, Martin J. Doyle and Ross E. Bruch write about the number of different ways a recent state Superior Court case on judgment liens can be instructive.

Today’s lead story in PLW is the state Supreme Court hearing oral arguments last week in a case that deals with a last-minute jury substitution. As reporter Zack Needles writes, a principal juror in Bruckshaw v. Frankford Hospital, a medical malpractice trial in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, was inexplicably replaced with no notice to the attorneys or the judge.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Ben Present writes that the state Supreme Court also heard oral arguments last week about whether a Bucks County School District’s board of directors had effectively forced out the school’s tax collectors by lowering their pay rates.

On Page 3, Ben Present writes about a workers’ compensation case for which the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week, in which a woman who belatedly applied for several jobs listed in a labor market survey had work “available” to her for the purpose of her employer’s request to modify workers’ compensation benefits.

There’s much more inside this week’s PLW, including Samuel C. Stretton’s Ethics Forum, in which he discusses the ethics of judges using social media; a commentary on Family Law by Andrew D. Taylor, in which he writes that the doctrine of paternity by estoppel is hanging on by a thread; a sex-abuse case in which a step-grandfather was determined to be a “perpetrator”; and the W-2 forms of public school employees are not public records, according to a Commonwealth Court ruling.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to e-mail any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Tuesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer, which also includes this week’s edition of Pennsylvania Law Weekly. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is the first in a series looking at law firm revenue trends and how firms can find growth in a no-growth market. As reporter Gina Passarella writes, Pennsylvania firms are lagging behind their national brethren in revenue growth in a post-recession market.

Below the fold on Page 1 is a story about litigator Diane Sullivan departing Dechert to take her practice to Weil Gotshal & Manges in New York. Reporter Zack Needles, along with Sara Randazzo of Legal affiliate The American Lawyer, writes that Sullivan decided to make the move after spending two years brushing off calls from Weil.

In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that Montgomery County Common Pleas Court’s new president judge believes that the lawyer-driven civil system is a reflection that attorneys should have responsibility for handling their cases. In a recent interview, Judge William J. Furber Jr. discussed a variety of topics regarding the Montgomery County system.

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

On Page 5 is today’s Appellate Law column, as Howard J. Bashman writes about the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ negative views toward requests to exceed word limits on briefs.

Today’s Page 7 column is Technology Law, where Matthew P. Keris writes about reducing medical malpractice-related e-discovery issues and costs.

As it is Tuesday, it’s also your chance to read this week’s Pennsylvania Law Weekly. The lead story for PLW comes from Zack Needles, who writes about a Luzerne County case in which an insurer was prejudiced by an insured’s failure to timely notify it that a phantom vehicle had been involved in an accident before filing a claim for uninsured motorist benefits.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Ben Present writes an analysis piece that takes a look at the redistricting lines for the upcoming primary. Following the recent decision, it appears likely that the 2001 lines will be used.

On Page 3, Ben Present writes that an addition to a house can be consider an “improvement,” and therefore invoke consumer protection law.

There’s much more inside this week’s PLW, including Samuel C. Stretton’s Ethics Forum, in which he discusses judicial officers using social media; Matthew Mangino’s Criminal Practice column in which he takes a look at cross-examination and inaccurate eyewitness identification; a government contracts article detailing a contractor unable to collect a seven-digit debt owed to it by the city’s redevelopment authority; and an error that forced a man to testify at his wife’s trial.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to e-mail any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

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].

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), Robert M. Bovarnick (Politics), Jim Malone (Taxation) and Cliff Rieders (Civil Practice).

But let's begin with The Legal.

Topping today's front page, U.S. Courthouse Correspondent Shannon P. Duffy has an analysis of last week’s decision from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that ordered a new sentencing for former state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo. The decision is sure to be mined by prosecutors and defense lawyers for the guidance it provides on how to conduct sentencings in complicated white-collar crime cases.

Below the fold, senior staff reporter Gina Passarella has the fourth in her weekly series examining the impact of e-discovery on the practice and business of law. This week, she writes that the list of judges who are at the forefront of e-discovery case law roll off the tongues of e-discovery lawyers like Con-law professors can spout the intricacies of the Bill of Rights. To read all the previous parts in this series, as well as related content, click here.

Inside, in our Page 3 Regional News section, Gina adds yet another chapter in the Wolf Block saga. The defunct law firm has filed an appeal with the state's Superior Court related to a discovery dispute in the legal malpractice case filed against the firm by car dealership owner Alan Potamkin.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, along with a Letter to the Editor today from Astor Weiss attorney Jerrold Moss regarding one of Sam Stretton's recent Ethics columns. The top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

The Legal's contributed columns today include an "Asset Management" column by David B. Bruckman of Citrin Cooperman Wealth Management, who wonders if purchasing life insurance on adult children is prudent.

Our second contributed article is a Commentary by Richard Q. Hark of Hark & Hark, who writes that amendments to Pennsylvania's law change the self-defense landscape.

Today's Pennsylvania Law Weekly section begins with an analysis piece by reporter Ben Present, who writes that after hearing that Lackawanna County Common Pleas Court Judge Terrence R. Nealon sent a private e-mail in 2004 advising his fellow Democrats how to oppose a county voting redistricting plan -- a case over which he was presiding — "shocked" courtwatchers statewide reacted to a practice they said was "a thing of the past" -- ex parte communications.

Also on the PLW front page, we have another analysis piece by reporter Zack Needles. Now that former Luzerne County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark A. Ciavarella is serving a nearly three-decade term in federal prison for his part in the county's judicial scandal, all eyes have turned to his alleged co-conspirator and fellow former Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Conahan, whose sentencing hearing is set for Sept. 23. 

The PLW has much more, so head to the main website of that section to check out even more.

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].

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), Matthew T. Mangino (Criminal Practice), David Mandelbaum (Environmental Law) and Cliff Rieders (Civil Practice).

But let's begin with The Legal.

Topping today's front page, reporter Zack Needles writes that the height of the recession, many midsized firms said they were poised for an influx of work that typically goes to larger firms in better economic times. But did that flood ever come? And, if so, will it stay?

Sharing the top of the page, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel has a decision from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas: Judge Allan L. Tereshko, who threw out the case of Illinois residents who allege that brain cancers and tumors were caused by exposure to a toxic chemical, has refused to recuse himself from the case and rejected the plaintiffs' motion for reconsideration.

Below the fold, senior staff reporter Gina Passarella has the third in her weekly series on e-discovery. Preservation is far and away the most-cited trouble spot of e-discovery. (Click here to access all the articles in the series in our special Online Only package!) It's an area that can land both the client and the lawyer in hot water and one, lawyers say, is fraught with broad, vague standards. So should clients simply preserve everything at the first sign litigation may be forthcoming? David  J. Walton, the co-head of Cozen O'Connor's e-discovery task force, said, "Lawyers have to have the guts to make the tough judgment because if you say preserve everything to a client of any size, it will overwhelm you."

Inside, in our Page 3 Regional News section, Gina has a business of law story from the West Coast: Fox Rothschild's latest acquisition has all the buzz words of the current lateral market — Los Angeles, intellectual property, China. And for the firm, the acquisition of three-attorney IP boutique Chan Law Group met all of the points on its merger checklist. 

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

The Legal's contributed columns today include an article on damages by Jeff Willoughby and Jim Stavros  of Forensic Resolutions, who write that lost profits can be a minefield for practitioners; and a commentary by Alva C. Mather of Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, who thinks a new bill entangles Pennsylvania in liquor makers' relationships with wholesalers.

Today's Pennsylvania Law Weekly section begins with a follow-up piece by reporter Ben Present, who writes that, in light of the announcement that cameras will be filming state Supreme Court proceedings, appellate lawyers are welcoming the development with open arms.

Also on the PLW front page, Editorial Intern Jen Zimmerman writes that nearly two years after Pennsylvania established its first veterans court in Lackawanna County, the initiative has burgeoned into a "more than satisfying" specialty court program aiming to help veterans who are struggling with readjustment to civilian society.

The PLW has much more, so head to the main website of that section to check out even more.

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!

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

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), Gilbert P. High (Municipal Law), Kevin Greenberg and Greg T. Kupniewski (Liquor Law) andJoel Rose (Law Firm Management).

Today's paper ALSO includes our "Construction Law" supplement, so be sure to check that out.  But let's begin with the Legal.

U.S. Courthouse Correspondent Shannon P. Duffy writes that a law firm accused of malpractice for allegedly turning down a $25 million settlement offer has lost its bid to take the deposition of the chief mediator for the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who, the firm claims, would testify that no such offer was ever made. The malpractice suit stems from McKissock & Hoffman's representation of the plaintiff in Polymer Dynamics Inc. v. Bayer Corp., a case that resulted in a $12.5 million verdict in June 2005. Both sides were unhappy with the verdict and filed appeals. Polymer Dynamics argued in its appeal that it was hampered in it efforts to secure about $500 million in damages. Bayer argued that the jury's award was excessive.

Sharing the top of the page, senior reporter Gina Passarella writes that Villanova Law School was publicly censured by the ABA for misreporting admissions data, but was not fined or placed on probation given the ABA's findings that the school acted openly, honestly and in a remedial way to correct the problems. The school is now giving some more detail as to what happened.

Below the fold, Gina also has the second article in her weekly series examining the effects e-discovery has had on the practice of law. Today she reports that sanctions and taxing costs in e-discovery are more of a fear than an actual reality.

Our Page 3 Regional News story today is by reporter Ben Present, who reports on the Pennsylvania supreme Court's decision to televise its proceedings.

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

The Legal's contributed columns begin on Page 5, with a "Legal Marketing" column by Richard Alonso: At a recent seminar on "Understanding How Operations Affect a Firm's Ability to Build Value," the Philadelphia chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) explored the link between a law firm's business decisions and its ability to deliver client value. 

Today's second contributed article is a "Litigation" column by Charlotte E. Thomas of Duane Morris, who writes about effective mediation.

Today's Pennsylvania Law Weekly section begins with an article by reporter Zack Needles, who examines the long-term consequences of last month's orders by the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline  to officially remove former Luzerne County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael T. Toole and former Superior Court Judge Michael T. Joyce from the bench and bar both men from ever holding judicial office in the state again.

Also on the PLW front page, Ben Present has a criminal practice case in which a Pennsylvania ex-convict who admitted to writing a letter that threatened a Beaver County judge is back in prison after the state Commonwealth Court affirmed he engaged in assaultive behavior and, therefore, violated his parole.

The PLW has much more, so head to the main website of that section to check out even more.

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!

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

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), Jeff Jubelirer (Public Relations), Leonard Deutchman (Cyber Law) and Cliff Rieders (Civil Practice).

But let's begin with The Legal.

Topping the front page is the first of a new weekly series by senior reporter Gina Passarella examining the effects e-discovery has had on the practice of law. The e-discovery scales of justice are consistently tugged between ever expanding forms of data on one hand and improving technology and know-how to manage that data on the other. The question becomes how to bridge a gap that keeps getting wider and is compounded by the tension between the bench and bar's interest in broad discovery and a desperation to quell staggering e-discovery costs that threaten to overshadow the merits of litigation.

Below thew fold,  reporter Zack Needles has another story tied to the Marcellus Shale formation. The meteoric rise of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania in recent years has boosted the economies of some of the state's smallest and most rural counties. But for some members of law enforcement in those counties, the frenzy surrounding the Marcellus Shale has also led to rapid population swells and, by extension, more crime.

In our Page 3 Regional News section, U.S. Courthouse Correspondent Shannon P. Duffy writes about a case out of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals:  The Port Authority of Allegheny County cannot refuse to run ads on its buses that inform felons in Pennsylvania of their right to vote because it has previously allowed ads that promoted education about other legal rights, the 3rd Circuit has ruled. The unanimous three-judge panel concluded that the authority engaged in "viewpoint discrimination" because it rejected the ads despite allowing messages about women's rights, fair housing and tax information for the poor. 

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, where you'll also find a Letter to the Editor from Arlen Specter, defending Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille's opinion in a capital punishment case. And don't miss the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

Our first contributed article is Howard J. Bashman's appellate column, "Upon Further Review." Today’s column examines how the 3rd Circuit fared last term in another seven cases that did not originate from the 3rd Circuit but in which the Supreme Court expressly noted that it was resolving conflicts that involved the 3rd Circuit. 

Next up is the "Family Law" column by  Michael Bertin of Obermayer Rebmann axwell & Hippel, who writes that the Pennsylvania Superior Court has been weighing in on jurisdictional issues in in child custody cases. 

Today's Pennsylvania Law Weekly section begins with an article by reporter Ben Present on a workers' compensation issue: An injured employee has some leeway to file an imperfect notice of her injury and still collect workers' compensation because of the "humanitarian purposes" of the Workers' Compensation Act, the Supreme Court has ruled.

Below the fold, Zack Needles has an "Allocatur Watch" story: The state Supreme Court has denied allocatur in two underinsured motorist cases, effectively letting stand a Superior Court panel's ruling that benefits collected under a tortfeasor's umbrella insurance policy can offset the amount of recoverable underinsured motorist benefits.

The PLW has much more, including our weekly Capitol Report from Harrisburg, so head to the main website of that section to check out even more.

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].