Latest news with #lawyers
Japan Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Lawyers file lawsuit to nullify Upper House election
A group of lawyers filed a lawsuit with Osaka High Court on Tuesday to nullify the results in six electoral districts, including Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo, of Sunday's House of Councilors election, claiming that the election was unconstitutional in terms of vote-value disparities. Similar lawsuits are expected to be filed elsewhere in the country later on Monday. According to estimates by Jiji Press, the maximum vote-value disparity in the Upper House election was 3.13 times, between Fukui, which had 308,428 voters per Upper House seat, and Kanagawa, which had 965,500 voters. The figure was up from 3.03 times in the previous election three years ago. In the written complaint, the lawyers argue that the apportionment provisions for Upper House seats did not meet the constitutional requirement of population-based proportional representation. "Japan is the only major developed country that uses proportional representation not based on population," Hidetoshi Masunaga from the lawyer group told a news conference. "We hope the court will declare the election unconstitutional." In 2023, the Supreme Court deemed the disparities in the 2022 Upper House election constitutional, saying that there was not necessarily a significant expanding trend in the disparities, while noting that there had barely been concrete progress in efforts to correct them.
Washington Post
21 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Carolyn Hax: Family disappointed in daughter for choosing science PhD over law
Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My dad, uncle and grandfather are all lawyers, and I always thought I wanted to be one, too. Until I realized in college I was much more interested in science. I switched my major to microbiology and graduated with honors. Now I'm in my last year of my PhD program, but according to my dad, I'm a huge failure and a disappointment. My younger cousin graduated from law school and joined the family law firm, and it's all he can talk about. My mom said I shouldn't have gotten his hopes up all those years I said I wanted to be a lawyer. They also are still complaining that my switching majors cost them extra tuition. It's not like I pulled a deliberate bait-and-switch; I changed my mind. When my dad asked what my plans were and I told him I'd be looking for a postdoc position, he said I was going to waste my life in academia and never make any real money. I think most parents would be overjoyed their daughter is getting a doctorate, but mine act like I'm a dropout and a failure. There's no way to make your parents supportive or proud of you, though, is there? — Changed My Mind Changed My Mind: Not having these parents' support sounds like a compliment. I'm sorry. Your dad's ego is bad enough, but the flights of absurdity your mom undertook to normalize it were a thing to behold. A Blue Angel of enablers. Sweet deity. You can't make them stop complaining about your PhD (!), but you can take your ears somewhere blissfully free of their strain of narcissistic jerkery at its onset. First whisper thereof. Every time. Except when your dad asks about your work. Then say, always, verbatim, 'Wasting my life in academia and not making any real money.' I realize trashing your parents is complicated; no doubt there's love there, plus parental approval carries special weight. (Like a third doughnut.) But there's nothing defensible in their behavior — except perhaps in its power to motivate you to go all in on backing yourself. If détente is what you want, then don't underestimate the power of your father's vanity as a pathway back in: 'Pop, take some credit for the intellectual variety of the gene pool.' And since apparently it has occurred to no one in that pool to say this: Congratulations. Re: PhD: My parents don't understand my PhD, either. Mine is in studying fire. My mother literally referred to me as a 'pyro' throughout grad school and my postdoc. Now that I have a rather prestigious full-time position, I have been upgraded to 'scientist.' I can't help bring your parents around — they either will or won't on their own — but I can say there are jobs out there they can't even imagine. All they know of, probably, are the terribly paid and exploited adjunct professor positions in the news. They are worried about you and showing it in the worst way possible. Hopefully. — Scientist Scientist: Thanks. Not bad for a pyro. For PhD: If it makes you feel any better, my father said 'I hope this is not the end of your academic career' during my law school graduation. Why, yes, he has a PhD. — Lawyer Lawyer: Can we get the two dads together? (And then run?) Re: PhD: Please stop going to a well that is dry. You are asking for approval, acceptance, even an 'I'm happy for you,' and neither of your parents has it to give. Cultivate other relationships that are genuinely supportive. — Anonymous Re: Pyro: Now, now. That is Dr. Pyro to you. — Dr. Pyro Dr. Pyro: Right. My bad.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
Alabama man's death is ruled a homicide after police kneeled on his neck
The death of an unarmed 52-year-old man who died after an Alabama police officer kneeled on his neck was ruled a homicide by a county coroner, according to an official autopsy reviewed by The Associated Press. The finding led lawyers representing Phillip Reeder's family on Monday to compare his death to that of George Floyd in 2020 .
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Uber Alleges Inflated Injury Bills in Los Angeles Insurance Fraud Lawsuit
Uber Technologies Inc. is suing a group of lawyers and medical providers in Los Angeles who it says have made fraudulent insurance claims that cost the company millions in legal fees — the third such lawsuit it's filed this year. In the federal case, filed Monday in the central district of California, Uber accused the defendants of directing passengers to 'pre-selected medical providers' who submitted inflated bills to treat negligible or non-existent injuries from minor collisions between 2019 and 2024. Uber said the personal injury lawyers named in the case took advantage of a state-mandated $1 million rideshare insurance policy limit by fraudulently inducing 'significantly larger settlement payments.' In one case, it said, the medical bill was 10 times more than the norm.
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
FaatGo Officially Launches: A Hong Kong-Based Legal Platform Specializing in Criminal Defence and Injury Compensation
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 21 July 2025 - In response to the increasing demand for accessible and trustworthy legal information, FaatGo ( has officially launched as a new digital legal platform focused on two of the most pressing legal needs in Hong Kong: criminal defence and personal injury compensation. Designed to address the information gap faced by many residents when encountering legal trouble, the platform provides professionally written legal content, free consultation tools, and direct access to experienced lawyers—without intermediaries or commission-based referrals. The platform offers in-depth legal insights and resources in two major areas. First, FaatGo covers a wide range of common criminal offences, including indecent assault, physical assault, criminal intimidation, theft, money laundering, and drug-related offences. Each topic is explained clearly and precisely, with a focus on legal procedures, sentencing considerations, and practical steps to be taken after arrest or charge. Second, the platform also features comprehensive guides on work injury and traffic accident compensation, helping victims understand their entitlements, calculation methods, documentation requirements, and potential for pursuing additional damages beyond basic insurance. The content is developed in consultation with legal practitioners and aims to simplify what are often highly complex legal processes. All materials are published in Traditional Chinese and tailored to the Hong Kong legal context. Legal information is structured for clarity and ease of understanding, without the use of excessive legal jargon. The platform is specifically designed to empower users to understand their legal position and take action accordingly, whether they are facing prosecution or seeking rightful compensation. FaatGo also provides a free legal consultation form, allowing individuals to submit a summary of their case. The internal team will assess the information and match the user with a suitable lawyer for an initial legal opinion. The service is free of charge, with no commissions or obligations, and all consultations are handled directly by qualified legal professionals. A verified criminal defence lawyer directory is also available for those who wish to engage legal representation independently. Since its soft launch, FaatGo has already supported multiple individuals, including families seeking mitigation strategies for loved ones facing charges, and injured workers who were initially unaware of their full compensation rights. These early successes reflect the platform's commitment to delivering fair, unbiased, and timely legal assistance to those who need it most. FaatGo operates under the principle that legal knowledge should not be limited to a privileged few, but rather made available and understandable to all. By providing regularly updated articles, case studies, and consultation tools, the platform aims to improve public legal literacy and ensure that legal support is accessible in moments of real need. Hashtag: #FaatGo The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. HKFindLawyer
