News
Second Circuit Vacates Denial of CitiBank’s Motion to Compel Arbitration
March 10, 2014
On appeal from the S.D.N.Y., Citibank challenged the district court’s denial of Citibank’s motion to compel arbitration and decision that the agreement to arbitrate was not binding on the parties. The S.D.N.Y. concluded that Signature Cards signed by appellees when opening their accounts with Citibank did not incorporate by reference the Client Manual, which contains the arbitration agreement. The Second Circuit vacated the district court judgment and remanded for further proceedings because...
March 10, 2014
On appeal from the S.D.N.Y., Citibank challenged the district court’s denial of Citibank’s motion to compel arbitration and decision that the agreement to arbitrate was not binding on the parties. The S.D.N.Y. concluded that Signature Cards signed by appellees when opening their accounts with Citibank did not incorporate by reference the Client Manual, which contains the arbitration agreement. The Second Circuit vacated the district court judgment and remanded for further proceedings because...
Federal Securities Class Action Filings Grew 10% in 2013
March 10, 2014
Two recent reports, one by NERA Economic Consulting, and the other by Cornerstone Research, indicate that the number of securities class actions filed by plaintiffs in the federal courts grew by approximately 9-10% in 2013 as compared with 2012. The two reports use different classification schemes, and consequently list different total numbers of filings (234 according to NERA, 166 according to Cornerstone), but they both agree that filings have risen significantly over the previous year. ...
March 10, 2014
Two recent reports, one by NERA Economic Consulting, and the other by Cornerstone Research, indicate that the number of securities class actions filed by plaintiffs in the federal courts grew by approximately 9-10% in 2013 as compared with 2012. The two reports use different classification schemes, and consequently list different total numbers of filings (234 according to NERA, 166 according to Cornerstone), but they both agree that filings have risen significantly over the previous year. ...
How to Tell if Someone Is Lying
March 10, 2014
Researchers in the academic, business, and military communities have spent years trying to uncover a few simple methods for detecting trustworthiness but, despite their best efforts, continue to come up short. All those books promising to teach you how to spot liars through body language? None has empirical support. The temptation, of course, is to look for one “tell” that indicates someone can’t be trusted. Is it a false smile? Shifty eyes? The reality, though, is that any single cue is ambiguous....
March 10, 2014
Researchers in the academic, business, and military communities have spent years trying to uncover a few simple methods for detecting trustworthiness but, despite their best efforts, continue to come up short. All those books promising to teach you how to spot liars through body language? None has empirical support. The temptation, of course, is to look for one “tell” that indicates someone can’t be trusted. Is it a false smile? Shifty eyes? The reality, though, is that any single cue is ambiguous....
The New York Times is Creating a New Data-Driven Journalism Venture
March 9, 2014
The New Republic has this story: [David] Leonhardt will take over a new Times website located “at the nexus of data and news [that] will produce clear analytical reporting and writing on opinion polls, economic indicators, politics, policy, education, and sports” Initial contributors will include Nate Cohn, Justin Wolfers, Amanda Cox and Michael Beschloss. We’re happy at The Monkey Cage to see this get off the ground. Political and policy journalism is going through a quiet transformation,...
March 9, 2014
The New Republic has this story: [David] Leonhardt will take over a new Times website located “at the nexus of data and news [that] will produce clear analytical reporting and writing on opinion polls, economic indicators, politics, policy, education, and sports” Initial contributors will include Nate Cohn, Justin Wolfers, Amanda Cox and Michael Beschloss. We’re happy at The Monkey Cage to see this get off the ground. Political and policy journalism is going through a quiet transformation,...
OUTERNET: Company Plans to Beam Free Wi-fi to Everyone from Space
March 9, 2014
You might think you have to pay through the nose at the moment to access the Internet. But one ambitious organisation called the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) is planning to turn the age of online computing on its head by giving free web access to every person on Earth. Known as Outernet, MDIF plans to launch hundreds of satellites into orbit by 2015. And they say the project could provide unrestricted Internet access to countries where their web access is censored, including...
March 9, 2014
You might think you have to pay through the nose at the moment to access the Internet. But one ambitious organisation called the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) is planning to turn the age of online computing on its head by giving free web access to every person on Earth. Known as Outernet, MDIF plans to launch hundreds of satellites into orbit by 2015. And they say the project could provide unrestricted Internet access to countries where their web access is censored, including...
Call for Works-In-Progress Submissions
March 9, 2014
Dear colleagues I thought that you might be interested to learn that the University of Missouri is issuing a call for proposals for an upcoming works-in-progress conference as well as a call for papers for a student writing competition. Both of these calls are affiliated with a symposium that is being convened at the University of Missouri's Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution on Friday, October 10, 2014. The symposium is entitled "Judicial Education and the Art of Judging: ...
March 9, 2014
Dear colleagues I thought that you might be interested to learn that the University of Missouri is issuing a call for proposals for an upcoming works-in-progress conference as well as a call for papers for a student writing competition. Both of these calls are affiliated with a symposium that is being convened at the University of Missouri's Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution on Friday, October 10, 2014. The symposium is entitled "Judicial Education and the Art of Judging: ...
What’s Your LinkedIn Type?
March 9, 2014
In 2013, LinkedIn exploded in popularity among professionals, but not all LinkedIn users are created equally. Below are seven levels of LinkedIn users. See if you can identify your type. • The Absentee. • The Duplicate. • No Face. • Friends with Strangers. • The Benevolent. • The Closers.
March 9, 2014
In 2013, LinkedIn exploded in popularity among professionals, but not all LinkedIn users are created equally. Below are seven levels of LinkedIn users. See if you can identify your type. • The Absentee. • The Duplicate. • No Face. • Friends with Strangers. • The Benevolent. • The Closers.
Neudesic Pulse: Like a Law Firm’s Private LinkedIn
March 9, 2014
A challenge for large law firms is keeping tabs on their talent. Which lawyers have which skills and knowledge? Who are the go-to partners or associates for specific problems or issues? The larger and more dispersed the firm, the more difficult this becomes. Lateral comings and goings only further complicate the problem. A firm may house skills and expertise that others in the firm are unaware of or unable to identify. What if a firm could have a searchable, LinkedIn-like directory, accessible...
March 9, 2014
A challenge for large law firms is keeping tabs on their talent. Which lawyers have which skills and knowledge? Who are the go-to partners or associates for specific problems or issues? The larger and more dispersed the firm, the more difficult this becomes. Lateral comings and goings only further complicate the problem. A firm may house skills and expertise that others in the firm are unaware of or unable to identify. What if a firm could have a searchable, LinkedIn-like directory, accessible...
Online Vendor: The Customer Isn’t Always Right
March 8, 2014
It is natural for a company to want to go as far as possible to protect its online reputation, but business owners should think very carefully before attempting to inhibit negative reviews of their products. Attorney and former Arcata, Calif., Mayor Harmony Groves Kessler discusses the negative media attention bestowed on online retailer KlearGear.com, which attempted to claim $3,500 from a couple for writing a critical review. KlearGear.com had placed a nondisparagement clause in its terms of use prohibiting...
March 8, 2014
It is natural for a company to want to go as far as possible to protect its online reputation, but business owners should think very carefully before attempting to inhibit negative reviews of their products. Attorney and former Arcata, Calif., Mayor Harmony Groves Kessler discusses the negative media attention bestowed on online retailer KlearGear.com, which attempted to claim $3,500 from a couple for writing a critical review. KlearGear.com had placed a nondisparagement clause in its terms of use prohibiting...
Good Laugh at Conference Calls
March 8, 2014
While many issues highlighted here are applicable also to video conferences, at least there is no need to constantly state who’s talking (“hi, this is Beth”).
March 8, 2014
While many issues highlighted here are applicable also to video conferences, at least there is no need to constantly state who’s talking (“hi, this is Beth”).
