ShareVault offers lawyers and their clients a powerful, secure online data room to enhance efficiencies, reduce costs, and strengthen the attorney-client relationship by facilitating communications and collaboration. Anytime and from anywhere, law firms and in-house counsel can easily access, publish, manage, and search all types of documents as well as share them with multiple parties including legal teams, clients, expert witnesses, and litigation support vendors, while at the same time tracking access to the documents.

ShareVault provides for the secure sharing of large volumes of documents in litigation, arbitration, mediation and appellate cases. Whether it’s a case involving a few parties or a more complex litigation matter, ShareVault can significantly streamline the legal process. ShareVault easily adapts to handle thousands of users and the massive number of documents involved in a complex litigation.

For litigation, arbitration and mediation support, ShareVault provides a number of important benefits:

Present your documents in a well-organized, professional structure
Manage, search, review and share documents including depositions, records produced in discovery, pleadings, motions, legal research, appellate records and briefs, and other critical writings and compilations by placing your documents in a structured hierarchy. ShareVault allows you to easily map your files and folders to its flexible and intuitive tag structure. Often, the same document needs to be placed in multiple locations in the index. With ShareVault, just apply multiple tags to the document. No other data room provider offers this simple yet powerful tagging capability:

• No need to replicate files in multiple locations
• No paying for additional pages in replicated documents
• No need to combine document access statistics for multiple instances of the same file

Secure your valuable information without slowing down document sharing
ShareVault automatically converts your documents to an encrypted PDF format that provides the industry standard document viewing experience, including continuous scrolling and high-speed rendering. Some competing VDRs, because they use the dated TIFF document standard, will slow down document review due to sluggish page rendering, lack of continuous scrolling and inability to view more than one page at a time. The PDF document encryption used by ShareVault allows you to revoke access to any document at any time, even if the document has been downloaded. Sharevault also provides you with the ability to apply additional security attributes, including inhibiting document download, preventing printing, applying secure dynamic watermarks, identifying the user, and blocking screenshots.

Accelerate document access and sharing
ShareVault supports PDF streaming, so that documents open to the first page instantly, even if there are many thousands of pages. Most competing virtual data rooms suggest that you break up large documents into smaller volumes so that they’ll load more quickly, but with ShareVault you can keep document review moving quickly without getting bogged down by large documents.

Respond efficiently and securely to questions from clients and third parties
Unlike email and other traditional document delivery methods, the efficient and secure ShareVault Q&A facility further streamlines the communication and collaborative process by optimizing the response to questions regarding documents from your clients and third parties. Questions can be asked privately and securely from right within the data room, so that you and your team can easily respond from the centralized Q&A module. You can also change the privacy level on each question so that other users can refer to questions that you have already answered.

Prepare quickly for a case
As you prepare for a case, the last thing you need is a complex and lengthy process for preparing your data room. ShareVault customers are consistently impressed by the intuitive simplicity of inviting users, creating the document management structure, uploading documents and setting permissions / policies. From drag-and-drop user/group management, to the unique in-browser drag-and-drop uploader and automated PDF conversion pipeline, ShareVault has been designed for rapid, streamlined deployment.

Find documents quickly through indexed full-text search
Users will be able to instantly find documents that relate to relevant key words. Only ShareVault provides relevance ranking, in-place document synopses and zoomable first page thumbnails for each search result, so users can quickly and easily isolate the documents that contain the information sought. With its powerful search capabilities and unparalleled speed, ShareVault expedites communication and collaboration between lawyers and clients, reducing the duration of document sharing and review.

Count on our high reliability and 24/7/365 support team
With over 99.9% up-time, you can be confident that your documents can be accessed from anywhere in the world, around the clock. Our 24/7 support hotline is answered by experts with the ability to not only respond to technical questions, but also to provide pro-active, knowledgeable advice on how to use ShareVault to streamline your project. Each member of our support team can also initiate a remote screen- sharing session so they can work virtually by your side to answer your questions, provide advice or resolve an issue.

With the experience from deploying hundreds of secure document sharing solutions, you can rely on ShareVault to securely and efficiently support your next litigation, arbitration or mediation.

ShareVault offers lawyers a powerful, secure legal extranet to enhance efficiencies, reduce costs, and strengthen the attorney-client relationship by facilitating communications and collaboration. Anytime and from anywhere, law firms and in-house counsel can easily access, publish, manage, and search all types of documents as well as share them with multiple parties including legal teams, clients, expert witnesses, and litigation support vendors, while at the same time tracking this access.

Law firms use ShareVault to exchange thousands of confidential documents online with clients and third parties as a highly secure and intuitive legal extranet. ShareVault as a legal extranet is a cost-effective, turnkey state of the-art solution that can also work in concert with existing environments such as Microsoft SharePoint® and other document management systems. As a legal extranet, ShareVault provides a number of important benefits:

Present documents and work product in a well-organized, professional structure
Manage, share and track documents and work product with your legal team, clients, and third parties by placing your documents in a structured hierarchy. ShareVault allows you to easily map your files and folders to its flexible and intuitive tag structure. Often, the same document needs to be placed in multiple locations in the document index. With ShareVault, just apply multiple tags to the document. No other data room provider offers this simple yet powerful tagging capability:

• No need to replicate files in multiple locations
• No paying for additional pages in replicated documents
• No need to combine document access statistics for multiple instances of the same file

Secure your valuable information without slowing down document sharing
ShareVault automatically converts your documents to an encrypted PDF format that provides the industry standard document viewing experience, including continuous scrolling and high-speed rendering. Some competing VDRs, because they use the dated TIFF document standard, will slow down document review due to sluggish page rendering, lack of continuous scrolling and inability to view more than one page at a time. The PDF document encryption used by ShareVault allows you to revoke access to any document at any time, even if the document has been downloaded. Sharevault also provides you with the ability to apply additional security attributes, including inhibiting document download, preventing printing, applying secure dynamic watermarks, identifying the user, and blocking screenshots.

Accelerate document access and sharing
ShareVault supports PDF streaming, so that documents open to the first page instantly, even if there are many thousands of pages in length. Most competing virtual data rooms suggest that you break up large documents into smaller volumes so that they'll load more quickly, but with ShareVault you can keep document review moving quickly without getting bogged down by large documents.

Respond efficiently and securely to questions from clients and third parties
Unlike email, the easy-to-use ShareVault Q&A facility further streamlines the communication and collaborative process by optimizing the response to questions regarding documents from your clients and third parties. Questions can be asked privately and securely from right within the data room, so that you and your team can easily respond from the centralized Q&A module. You can also change the privacy level on each question so that other users can refer to questions that you have already answered.

Prepare quickly for a case or transaction
As you prepare for a particular case or transaction, whether it be a fundraising, M&A, IP licensing, litigation, or other client or case matter, the last thing you need is a complex and lengthy process for preparing your data room. ShareVault customers are consistently impressed by the intuitive simplicity of inviting users, creating the document management structure, uploading documents and setting permissions / policies. From drag-and-drop user/group management, to the unique in-browser drag-and-drop uploader and automated PDF conversion pipeline, ShareVault has been designed for rapid, streamlined deployment.

Find documents quickly through indexed full-text search
Users will be able to instantly find documents that relate to relevant key words. Only ShareVault provides relevance ranking, in-place document synopses and zoomable first page thumbnails for each search result, so users can quickly and easily isolate the documents that contain the information sought. With its powerful search capabilities and unparalleled speed, ShareVault can greatly facilitate communication and collaboration between lawyers and clients, reducing the length of document sharing and review.

Count on our high reliability and 24/7/365 support team
With over 99.9% up-time, you can be confident that your documents can be accessed from anywhere in the world, around the clock. Our 24/7 support hotline is answered by experts with the ability to not only respond to technical questions, but also to provide pro-active, knowledgeable advice on how to use ShareVault to streamline your project. Each member of our support team can also initiate a remote screen- sharing session so they can work virtually by your side to answer your questions, provide advice or resolve an issue.

With the experience of managing hundreds of extranets for a wide range of companies, you can rely on ShareVault to efficiently handle your next legal extranet.

As you prepare your firm for reviewing the due diligence documents for a potential acquisition target, you’ll need to determine which data room to choose. The right data room can help you accelerate the transaction and track the due diligence process, while keeping a detailed audit trail. ShareVault provides the ideal platform for reviewing your target’s due diligence materials during a buy-side M&A transaction, providing important benefits throughout the entire process, from initial document review through to post-merger integration.

To learn how Varian Medical recently used ShareVault for several buy-side M&A transactions, click here: Varian Medical adopts ShareVault™ virtual data room for acquisition due diligence

Find documents quickly through indexed full-text search
Your entire due diligence team will be able to instantly find documents that relate to relevant key words. Only ShareVault provides relevance ranking, in-place document synopses and zoomable first page thumbnails for each search result, so users can quickly and easily isolate the documents that contain the information sought. With its powerful search capabilities, ShareVault helps your due diligence team more quickly answer the questions they have about your company, compressing the timeframe of the document review phase.

Bi-directional publishing and asymmetric inter-group privacy
You need your acquisition target’s employees to be able to publish documents directly into the data room, but you need to be sure that you don’t reveal private information to your target. ShareVault allows for bi-directional publishing and asymmetric inter-group privacy so that you can quickly and easily get all the content uploaded and tagged by your acquisition target, and then assign the appropriate teams to review each section of dataroom containing the documents that respond to each question in your due diligence questionnaire.

Quickly create a due diligence questionnaire so that the target's documents are well-organized and easy to review
Have your target place their documents in a structured hierarchy that streamlines the due diligence process. Only ShareVault allows you to structure your documents using tags, rather than folders. Often in a buy-side scenario, the same document will answer multiple questions in the due diligence questionnaire. With ShareVault, your targe just applies multiple tags (questions) to the document. No other data room provider offers this simple yet powerful capability:

• No need to replicate files in multiple locations
• No paying for additional pages in replicated documents
• No need to combine document access statistics for multiple instances of the same file

Accelerate the due diligence phase
ShareVault supports PDF streaming, so that documents open to the first page instantly, even if there are many thousands of pages. Most competing virtual data rooms suggest that you break up large documents into smaller volumes so that they’ll load more quickly, but with ShareVault you can keep document review moving fast without getting bogged-down with large documents.

Respond efficiently and securely to questions from your due diligence teams
The easy-to-use ShareVault Q&A module further streamlines the due diligence process by allowing your due diligence team to efficiently ask questions of the target, allowing your corporate development department to act as a moderator. Questions can be asked securely from right within the data room and then, with the optional Q&A workflow feature the corporate development team can route the questions to the appropriate expert(s) within the target’s organization, and then back to the Q&A moderator for approval before posting the final response to your internal team. You can also change the privacy level on each question, so that information pertaining to sensitive matters, such as Human Resources, can be tightly controlled.

Prepare quickly for due diligence
As you work with your acquisition target to prepare for due diligence, the last thing you need is a complex and lengthy process for preparing your data room. ShareVault customers are consistently impressed by the intuitive simplicity of inviting users, creating the due diligence structure, uploading documents and setting permissions / policies. From our drag-and-drop user/group management tool, to the unique in-browser drag-and-drop uploader and automated PDF conversion pipeline, ShareVault has been designed for rapid, streamlined deployment.

Find documents quickly through indexed full-text search
Your users will be able to instantly find documents that relate to relevant key words. Only ShareVault provides relevance ranking, in-place document synopses and zoomable first page thumbnails for each search result, so users can quickly and easily isolate the documents that contain the information sought. With its powerful search capabilities, ShareVault helps prospective buyers to more quickly answer their own questions about your company, compressing the timeframe of the document review phase.

Gain valuable insight into the due diligence process through detailed reporting
As the due diligence process unfolds, having a clear picture of how the buy-side teams are spending their time in ShareVault can provide key insights into their level of interest, and can help you understand their areas of concern. The ShareVault reporting module provides high-level metrics such as number of pages viewed and/or amount of time spent by each user group in each section of the data room, as well as detailed metrics such as specific pages viewed, and the amount of time spent within each document by each user. The combination of both fine-grained and summary information with interactive filtering and intuitive query tools, allows you to quickly and easily answer any question you might have about the buy-side user activity within your ShareVault.

Count on our high reliability and 24/7/365 support team
With over 99.9% up-time, you can be confident that your documents can be accessed from anywhere in the world, around the clock. Our 24/7 support hotline is answered by experts with the ability to not only respond to technical questions, but also to provide pro-active, knowledgeable advice on how to use ShareVault to streamline your project. Each member of our support team can also initiate a remote screen- sharing session so they can work virtually by your side to answer your questions, provide advice or resolve an issue.

Get started early, and be ready for your transaction
Ask any experienced CFO or Investment Banker about when to get started preparing for your M&A transactions, and you'll get the same answer: "As early as possible." Being prepared for due diligence is easily done using ShareVault Ever Ready, a special configuration that gives you a very affordable way to get your documents organized and secured in a ShareVault, so when you're ready to start your transaction, the due diligence can start right away, without delay.

With the experience of hundreds of transactions worth tens of billions of dollars, you can rely on ShareVault to securely share the due diligence documents for your next buy side M&A transaction.

Choosing the right virtual data room is just one of the important decisions that you will make as you ready your firm for sale. The right data room can help you accelerate the transaction, while assuring the security of critical business documents. ShareVault provides the ideal platform for securely presenting a company's due diligence materials during an M&A transaction, providing important benefits throughout the entire process, from initial marketing phases to potential buyers, through to post-term sheet due diligence.

Present your due diligence materials in a well-organized, professional structure
Put your company in the best possible light by placing your documents in a structured hierarchy that streamlines the due diligence process. Only ShareVault allows you to structure your documents using tags, rather than folders. Often, the same document needs to be placed in multiple locations in the due diligence index. With ShareVault, just apply multiple tags to the document. No other data room provider offers this simple yet powerful capability:

• No need to replicate files in multiple locations
• No paying for additional pages in replicated documents
• No need to combine document access statistics for multiple instances of the same file

Secure your valuable information without slowing down document access
ShareVault automatically converts your documents to an encrypted PDF format that provides the industry standard document viewing experience, including continuous scrolling and high-speed rendering. Some competing VDRs, because they are based on the dated TIFF document standard, will slow down document review due to sluggish page rendering, lack of continuous scrolling and inability to view more than one page at a time. The PDF encryption used by ShareVault allows you to revoke access to any document at any time, even if the document has been downloaded. Sharevault also provides you with the ability to apply additional security attributes, including inhibiting document download, prohibiting printing, applying secure dynamic watermarks, identifying the user, and blocking screenshots.

Accelerate the due diligence phase
ShareVault supports PDF streaming, so that documents open to the first page instantly, even if there are many thousands of pages. Most competing virtual data rooms suggest that you break up large documents into smaller volumes so that they’ll load more quickly, but with ShareVault you can keep document review moving fast without getting bogged-down with large documents.

Respond efficiently and securely to questions from potential buyers
The easy-to-use ShareVault Q&A facility further streamlines the due diligence process by optimizing the response to questions from your potential buyers. Questions can be asked privately from right within the data room, so that you and your team can easily respond from the centralized Q&A module. With the optional Q&A workflow feature, questions can be routed to the appropriate expert, and then back to the Q&A moderator for approval before posting the final response. You can also change the privacy level on each question so that other users can refer to questions that you have already answered.

Prepare quickly for due diligence
As you prepare for M&A due diligence, the last thing you need is a complex and lengthy process for preparing your data room. ShareVault customers are consistently impressed by the intuitive simplicity of inviting users, creating the due diligence structure, uploading documents and setting permissions / policies. From our drag-and-drop user/group management tool, to the unique in-browser drag-and-drop uploader and automated PDF conversion pipeline, ShareVault has been designed for rapid, streamlined deployment.

Find documents quickly through indexed full-text search
Your users will be able to instantly find documents that relate to relevant key words. Only ShareVault provides relevance ranking, in-place document synopses and zoomable first page thumbnails for each search result, so users can quickly and easily isolate the documents that contain the information sought. With its powerful search capabilities, ShareVault helps prospective buyers more quickly answer the questions they have about your company, compressing the timeframe of the document review phase.

Gain valuable insight into the due diligence process through detailed reporting
As the due diligence process unfolds, having a clear picture of how the buy-side teams are spending their time in ShareVault can provide key insights into their level of interest, and can help you understand their areas of concern. The ShareVault reporting module provides high-level metrics such as number of pages viewed and/or amount of time spent by each user group in each section of the data room, as well as detailed metrics such as specific pages viewed, and the amount of time spent within each document by each user. The combination of both fine-grained and summary information with interactive filtering and intuitive query tools, allows you to quickly and easily answer any question you might have about the buy-side user activity within your ShareVault.

Count on our high reliability and 24/7/365 support team
With over 99.9% up-time, you can be confident that your documents can be accessed from anywhere in the world, around the clock. Our 24/7 support hotline is answered by experts with the ability to not only respond to technical questions, but also to provide pro-active, knowledgeable advice on how to use ShareVault to streamline your project. Each member of our support team can also initiate a remote screen- sharing session so they can work virtually by your side to answer your questions, provide advice or resolve an issue.

Get started early, and be ready for your transaction
Ask any experienced CFO or Investment Banker about when to get started preparing for your M&A transactions, and you'll get the same answer: "As early as possible." Being prepared for due diligence is easily done using ShareVault Ever Ready, a special configuration that gives you a very affordable way to get your documents organized and secured in a ShareVault, so when you're ready to start your transaction, the due diligence can start right away, without delay.

With the experience of hundreds of transactions worth tens of billions of dollars, you can rely on ShareVault to securely share the due diligence documents for your next sell-side M&A transaction.

The recent global economic crisis has impacted companies of all sizes and generated a large increase in corporate restructuring and bankruptcy transactions including Chapter 11 reorganization and Chapter 7 liquidation. Court supervised bankruptcy places stringent requirements on company activities and information sharing with creditors, bond holders, banks, auditors, lawyers, consultants, trustees, workout management and other stakeholder parties. Full disclosure of material documents representing the current state of the company and ongoing updates is critical during the bankruptcy process. The right data room is essential for document review by debtor in possession investors, creditor and bondholder committees, preparing the reorganization plan, completing court approved Section 363 asset sales, facilitating the sale of claims or disposition of assets in a court approved Chapter 7 liquidation.

To learn more about how firms are increasingly turning using Virtual Data Rooms (VDRs) for managing bankruptcy scenarios, please visit this recent article from Financier Worldwide: Using VDRs To Manage Bankruptcy Scenarios.

Organize your company documents in a structured hierarchy for a professional presentation to bankruptcy review groups
By organizing your documents according to a well-structured due diligence list, you make it easy for auditors, lawyers, consultants, trustees, creditors and DIP financing investors to find relevant documents, and streamline the review process. Only ShareVault allows you to organize your documents using tags, rather than folders. Frequently, the same file needs to be placed in multiple locations in the due diligence index. With ShareVault, just apply multiple tags to the document. No other data room provider offers this simple, yet powerful, capability:

• No need to replicate files in multiple locations
• No paying for additional pages in replicated documents
• No need to combine document access statistics for multiple instances of thesame file

Secure your valuable company information without slowing down document access
ShareVault automatically converts your documents to an encrypted PDF format that provides the industry standard document viewing experience, including continuous scrolling and high-speed rendering. Some competing VDRs, because they use the dated TIFF document standard, will slow down document review due to sluggish page rendering, lack of continuous scrolling and inability to view more than one page at a time. The PDF document encryption used by ShareVault allows you to revoke access to any document at any time, even if the document has been downloaded. Sharevault also provides you with the ability to apply additional security attributes, including inhibiting document download, preventing printing, applying secure dynamic watermarks, identifying the user, and blocking screenshots.

Respond efficiently and securely to questions from multiple participants
The easy-to-use ShareVault Q&A facility further streamlines the due diligence process by optimizing the response to questions from third parties. Questions can be asked privately from right within the data room so that you and your team can easily respond from the centralized Q&A module. With the optional Q&A workflow feature, questions can be routed to the appropriate expert, and then back to the Q&A moderator for approval before posting the final response. You can also change the privacy level on each question so that other users can refer to questions that you have already answered.

Prepare quickly for due diligence
As you prepare for bankruptcy due diligence, the last thing you need is a complex and lengthy process for preparing your data room. ShareVault customers are consistently impressed by the intuitive simplicity of inviting users, creating the due diligence structure, uploading documents and setting permissions / policies. From drag-and-drop user/group management, to the unique in-browser drag-and-drop uploader and automated PDF conversion pipeline, ShareVault has been designed for rapid, streamlined deployment.

Find documents quickly through indexed full-text search
Your users will be able to instantly find documents that relate to relevant key words. Only ShareVault provides relevance ranking, in-place document synopses and zoomable first page thumbnails for each search result, so users can quickly and easily isolate the documents that contain the information sought. With its powerful search capabilities, ShareVault helps due diligence teams quickly answer the questions they have about the company, reducing the length of the document review phase.

Gain valuable insight into the due diligence process through detailed reporting
As the due diligence process unfolds, having a clear picture of how bankruptcy review groups are spending their time in ShareVault provides an audit trail to verify required documents have been accessed by each group, and can help you understand their areas of concern. The ShareVault reporting module provides high-level metrics such as number of pages viewed and/or amount of time spent by each review group in each section of the data room, as well as detailed metrics such as specific pages viewed, and the amount of time spent within each document by each review group user. The combination of both fine-grained and summary information with interactive filtering and intuitive query tools, allows you to quickly and easily answer any question you might have about user activity within your ShareVault.

Count on our high reliability and 24/7/365 support team
With over 99.9% up-time, you can be confident that your documents can be accessed from anywhere in the world, around the clock. Our 24/7 support hotline is answered by experts with the ability to not only respond to technical questions, but also to provide pro-active, knowledgeable advice on how to use ShareVault to streamline your project. Each member of our support team can also initiate a remote screen- sharing session so they can work virtually by your side to answer your questions, provide advice or resolve an issue.

With the experience of hundreds of transactions worth tens of billions of dollars, you can rely on ShareVault to securely share the due diligence documents for your bankruptcy/restructuring project.

News Feed Source: Law.com

• Risky business
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  The financial services industry and more than a dozen top law firms that represent the industry are expressing concern that reaction to JPMorgan's recent $2 billion loss could sour months of expensive lobbying work on Capitol Hill and before key regulatory agencies. Nowhere is this tension more apparent than in the push and pull over the pending multiagency Volcker Rule, which proponents say could rein in the activity that led to the company's massive trading loss.

• Did End of Missouri Malpractice Case Feed Dewey's Money Woes?
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  The abrupt dismissal of a $3 billion malpractice case came amid concerns about Dewey's finances and a stream of partner departures, but it's hard to know whether resolving it added to the fiscal woes that overtook Dewey. That's because the settlement's terms, and details about how much the firm agreed to pay out, are shrouded in secrecy.Also see: Dewey: Profiles in Something

• New Law Takes Canadian Spam Off the Marketing Menu
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  If you think your company doesn't send spam, you may want to double-check. A Canadian anti-spam law with global reach is poised to cast a wide net for offending communications. Given the hefty fines and class action potential, the new law is sure to prompt tough conversations between in-house counsel and company marketing departments.

• As Facebook Goes Public, Privacy Lawyers Chase Its Billions
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  Facebook may rake in more than $18 billion in its initial public offering. And plaintiffs lawyers are already vying for a big chunk of the proceeds: Plaintiffs in a proposed privacy class action have filed an amended complaint demanding $15 billion in damages and injunctive relief.

• Justice's Disclosure Highlights Medical Marijuana Debate
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  New York lawmakers battling to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis are lauding an op-ed column by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Gustin Reichbach in which he admitted smoking marijuana to cope with the effects of cancer. But Reichbach's civil disobedience could be construed as disrespect for the law he is pledged to support.

• Pacenti's rant: Law firm layoffs
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  It's not easy being a lawyer these days. And even harder being part of the law firm's support staff as law firms are cutting back on those positions. John Pacenti asks "Is this more about management or greed?"

• How the Firms Reacted to the First Am Law 100
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  

• Telling The American Lawyer's Creation Story
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  

• Recorder Roundtable: Outstanding Trial Work
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  Four judges talk about the do's and don'ts of trial practice as observed from the bench.

• Fair use limits set in Ga. State digital copying decision
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  An Atlanta federal judge has set the standard for when schools can give their students access to excerpts of copyrighted works without paying licensing fees -- although her approach may be revisited in a potential appeal by publishers who had challenged practices at Georgia State University.

• Judge Allows EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit to Move Forward
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  A federal judge in Illinois has handed the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission a much-needed win, ruling that a disability discrimination suit may go forward even though the agency did not individually investigate and attempt to settle every class member's claim before filing suit.

• Justices Suspend Orie Melvin in Wake of Charges
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin was suspended by her fellow justices Friday immediately after being charged with nine criminal counts, including some felony counts, alleging she used legislative and judicial staff to perform campaign work. The charges represent the largest crisis for the state court since a 1994 impeachment.

• Yankees Score Multi-Million-Dollar Home Run in Federal Circuit
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed on Friday a $159.6 million damages award to nuclear utilities Yankee Atomic Electric Co., Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co. and Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co. in the long-running spent nuclear fuel battle with the federal government.

• Second Circuit Rebuffs Madoff Feeder Fund Investor Trying to Sue PWC
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  An investor who lost $60 million in the Madoff feeder fund Greenwich Sentry continues to be thwarted in his effort to sue the fund's auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers. On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a ruling that G. Philip Stephenson couldn't pursue his malpractice and fraud claims.

• Federal Circuit Will Hear Judges' Back-Pay Challenge
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  A group of federal judges who charge that Congress violated the Constitution by withholding pay increases will get a hearing before the full Federal Circuit. The six judges seek to overturn a 2001 decision that future judicial salary adjustments by the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 are not "compensation" protected from diminishment.

• Jurors banned from blogging about criminal cases
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  The Florida Supreme Court has issued an opinion that states that trial judges must tell jurors not to use electronic devices or computers to talk about cases, "including tweeting, texting, blogging, emailing, posting information on a website or chat room, or any other means at all."

• Odd Bedfellows Get Together Behind Prison Phone Rate Reform
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  Civil rights and conservative groups have banded together to form an unlikely coalition to ask the FCC to end "exorbitant" fees that many prisons charge inmates to make phone calls. A 15-minute collect call from prison typically costs $10 to $17 -- rates that garnered $152 million in revenue for prisons in 2011.

• D.C. Circuit Upholds Key Section of Voting Rights Act
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the constitutionality of the heart of the Voting Rights Act in a decision that sets the stage for an eventual U.S. Supreme Court battle. The case has been closely watched by states, civil rights groups and others.

• Criminalizing Wrongdoing: When Judges Disagree
  May 21st, 2012, 12:00 AM (PDT)
  Examining a recent Ninth Circuit ruling in a case involving a former executive search firm employee prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, attorney Joel Cohen weighs in on the perils of broad-brush criminal statutes and the challenges for judges tasked with interpreting the statutes.