Peter Menell cited on Law.com, Feb. 5, 2016
As Professor Menell explains, studies show that whistleblowers frequently suffer job loss or demotion, personal shunning or blacklisting. This affects their finances, their families and their health.
Let’s talk about how some women can get the Zika virus, but not an abortion
Jill Adams quoted on Revelist, Feb. 4, 2016
“Common sense and compassion would dictate that governments ensure access to contraception and abortion in light of such a public health crisis as the Zika virus. Meaningful access would require the lifting of criminal bans and restrictions on abortion provision, as well as public education campaigns and the establishment of community clinics in rural and urban areas with fully funded reproductive health care.”
Lawyers anticipate more teeth in new data-transfer pact
Paul Schwartz interviewed by The Recorder (registration required) Feb. 3, 2016
“If that’s their new model,” Schwartz said, “people are going to have to take this much more seriously.”
David Boies’ dual roles at Theranos set up conflict
Steven Davidoff Solomon writes for The New York Times, Feb. 2, 2016
That Mr. Boies is representing an embattled client is nothing new. But this time, the lawyer has raised the ante by becoming a director of Theranos.
Killings down 45% in January in NYC, NYPD Commissioner Bratton says
Franklin Zimring quoted by Newsday, Feb. 2, 2016
“What is important about January is what is not happening,” said Professor Franklin Zimring of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, referring to the low crime numbers. “To the extent there is any news, it is good.”
UC-Berkeley students sue Google, alleging their emails were illegally scanned
Christopher Jay Hoofnagle quoted by The Washington Post, Feb. 1, 2016
“Google could use information it gleans from the messages for its own purposes – purposes it does not have to disclose to us,” Hoofnagle said. “In effect, Google could act as an intelligence agency, deeply mining relationships and ideas among groups of people,” such as new inventions students and staff at Berkeley are developing.
Feds launching ‘comprehensive review’ of S.F. Police Department
Franklin Zimring interviewed by KQED.org, Feb. 1, 2016
“COPS is going to be helping out the Police Department in two ways: It takes them off the hook from doing something — a lot better than either firing the chief or putting out bold new guidelines,” Zimring said.
How to boost L.A.’s sinking transit ridership
Ethan Elkind writes for Los Angeles Times, Feb. 1, 2016
If transit leaders want to improve ridership, they need to find ways to reduce fares and make them more equitable, such as by accounting for distance traveled and providing universal passes for students.
What you need to know about the amended Defend Trade Secrets Act
Peter Menell paper cited in Patently-O, Jan. 31, 2016
“The same routine non-disclosure agreements that are essential to safeguarding trade secrets can be and are used to chill those in the best position to reveal illegal activity.”
UC Berkeley students file lawsuit against Google alleging illegal scanning of emails
Christopher Hoofnagle quoted in The Daily Californian, Jan. 31, 2016
“(The data mining) would allow Google to understand the meaning of all of our communications: the identities of the people with whom we collaborate, the compounds of drugs we are testing, the next big thing we are inventing,” Hoofnagle wrote. “Imagine the creative product of all of Berkeley combined, scanned by a single company’s ‘free’ email system.”