Moyo rejects NIC, reasserts authority as MRP leader

Last
month,
a
grouping
of
MRP
members
announced
they
were
dissolving
Moyo’s
National
Executive
Committee
(NEC)
due
to
poor
performance,
and
appointed

Thembisani
Mfulongashi
Mpofu

Matabeleland
North
Chairperson
and
Mudenda
Chilumbo

youth
chairperson
to
coordinate
party
activities
until
a
congress
was
held
next
year
in
April.

Moyo
was
accused
of
mismanaging
party
assets
and
engaging
in
divisive
policies,
amid
claims
that
several
NEC
members
were
based
in
South
Africa
displaying
arrogance.

In
the
latest
twist,
Moyo’s
NEC
has
also
announced
that
it
still
exists
under
the
provision
of
the
party’s
Constitution,
with
Rule
16
declaring
it
as
the
highest
organ
of
the
party
between
conferences.

This
NEC
has
moved
in
to
expel
the
two
co-chairpersons
of
NIC

Mpofu
and
Chilumbo
while
suspending
other
committee
members,
as
part
of
disciplinary
measures.

“Part
(g)
of
Rule
16
authorises
the
NEC
to
appoint
anyone
whom
it
deems
suitable
to
fill
a
vacancy
that
arises
within
the
NEC.
Regarding
press
conferences,
Rule
5
(i)
of
the
Constitution
forbids
any
party
member
to
publish
or
distribute
any
information
about
the
party
to
any
media
house
without
seeking
and
securing
authorisation
from
the
NEC.
In
terms
of
the
dissolution
of
NEC,
Rules
11
and
34
provide
for
the
dissolution
of
NEC
only
at
the
National
Conference.
It
further
states
that,
between
National
Conferences,
NEC
can
only
be
dissolved
through
consultations
with
relevant
party
structures,”
said
Velile
Moyo,
a
NEC
member
and
national
spokesperson.

Moyo
told
CITE
that
as
“the
MRP
leadership”
they
met
in
consultation
with
their
structures
to
review
what
these
“comrades
had
done.”

“We
inquired
with
all
provinces
and
other
charters
as
to
the
action
taken
by
some
of
the
members.
Most
of
our
structures
denied
their
involvement
and
attributed
that
this
was
done
by
individuals,”
he
said.

“We
further
made
a
decision
to
involve
disciplinary
measures
based
on
our
constitutional
provision
to
act
upon
members
who
would
have
taken
steps
that
bring
the
party
in
disrepute.
The
decision
we
have
taken
is
termination.”

The
spokesperson
claimed
it
was
in
light
of
this
constitutional
background
and
how
the
members
who
announced
this
dissolution
conducted
themselves,
that
the
purported
dissolution
of
MRP’s
NEC
is
dismissed
as
unfounded
and
non-existent.

“After
the
illegal
press
conference,
the
deviant
members
proceeded
to
form
what
they
termed
the
National
Interim
Committee.
MRP’s
constitution
makes
no
provision
for
such
a
structure.
This
sets
all
members
in
the
NIC
in
opposition
to
the
party
and
the
constitution,”
Moyo
said.

“We
also
take
cognisance
the
names
of
certain
party
members
were
appended
on
the
press
statement
giving
the
impression
that
they
agreed
with
the
false
and
illegal
statement,
yet
those
members
never
consented
to
the
whole
or
parts
of
the
deal
whose
members
most
have
publicly
declared
their
non-involvement
in
the
NIC
and
its
chronological
activities.
We
understand
that
this
is
a
criminal
offence
that
attracts
retribution.”

Moyo
said
through
their
actions,
the
NIC
members
defamed
the
character
of
members
who
were
in
good
standing
with
the
party.

“The
members
who
declared
the
dissolution
of
NEC
also
injured
the
integrity
of
other
members
and
planted
factionalism
within
the
movement.
In
light
of
the
foregoing,
the
National
Executive
Committee
of
MRP
announces
the
termination
of
party
membership
of
the
following
with
immediate
effect
– 
Thembisani
Mfulongatshi
Mpofu
and Mudenda
Chilombo,”
said
the
NEC
member.

“The
above-mentioned
are
no
longer
members
of
MRP.
They
cannot
speak
or
act
in
any
way
on
behalf
of
the
party.
Further
to
the
above,
a
decision
was
also
taken
to
bar
all
NIC
Executive
members
as
listed
on
their
communique/memo
dated
1
October
2023,
they
cannot
either
speak
or
act
on
behalf
of
the
party
from
today;
they
are
also
barred
from
using
any
party
properties
including
party
emblems
and
logos.”

Moyo
added
NEC
has
also
provisionally
suspended,
while
further
investigations
continue
on
their
membership
status
and
involvement,
part
of
the
NIC
Executive
Members
are
Edmon
Xakaxwayo
of
Matabeleland
South,
Eugene
Ncube
from
Bulawayo,
Bembethe
Khumalo
from
Matabeleland
North,
Sehliselo
Ndebele
from
Matabeleland
North,
Alick
Moyo
from
Matabeleland
South,
Cengiwe
Khumalo
from
Matabeleland
North
and
Jabulani
Sibanda
from
Midlands.

“The
public
will
notice
that
Mbonisi
Gumbo
is
not
included
in
the
list
because
he
was
no
longer
a
member
of
the
party
when
he
addressed
the
press
concerning
the
alleged
dissolution
of
the
NEC,”
summed
up
the
national
spokesperson.

How Innovative GCs Are Fusing Tradition And Tech – Above the Law


How
do
we
successfully
implement
new
technology
in
the
legal
industry? 


In
the
latest
UpLevel
View
podcast,
host
Liz
Lugones
is
joined
by
Janine
Asgeirsson,
Chief
Legal
Officer
at
Analog
Devices,
to
explore
diligent
change
management.


Janine
highlights
the
importance
of
effective
communication
to
overcome
resistance,
noting
that
it’s
the
responsibility
of
the
leaders
of
legal
functions
to
connect
the
work
their
team
is
doing
to
the
vision
and
strategy
of
the
business.


“We’re
building
a
cathedral,”
she
says. 


Curious
about
how
legal
professionals
are
revolutionizing
their
practice
by
blending
time-honored
values
with
the
power
of
AI,
automation,
and
digital
collaboration?
This
podcast
is
for
you. 

Bulawayo City Council adopts gender-responsive budget

The
local
authority
adopted
a
‘standstill’
budget
of
US$264
million
with
the
revenue
budget
pegged
at
US$
167
462 100
and
the
capital
budget
at
$96
602
316.

Speaking
during
the
budget
presentation
in
the
council
chamber
on
Monday,
the
chairperson
of
the
Finance
and
Development
Committee,
Ward
26
Councillor
Mpumelelo
Moyo
said
that
women
constituted
the
larger
number
of
people
who
attended
the
budget
consultations,
and
their
input
was
considered
in
coming
up
with
the
final
budget.

“Women
constituted 52
percent
of
the
total
residents
that
participated in
the
budget
consultative
meetings
while
men
constituted 48
percent.
In
general,
Bulawayo
has
more
women
than
men.
The
city
has
a
total
population
of
665
940
of
which
307,983
(46%)
are
male
and
357,957
(54%)
are
female according
to
the Population
Census
Report
(2022).
Given
a
sex
ratio
of
86
males
for
every
100
females
the
import
of
this
figure
is
that
Council
cannot
ignore
gender
issues
in
its
budget,”
Cllr
Moyo
said.

“In
preparing
for
the
2024
budget,
Council
considered
gender
and
inclusion
issues
by
ensuring
that
the
gender
focal
persons
and
gender
champions
are
included
in
all
budget
planning
meetings
and
their
input
was
invaluable.
City of
Bulawayo
used
WhatsApp
platforms,
newspaper
adverts
and
Council
websites
to
disseminate
information
on
GRB
process.
The
Budget
Sub-Committee
of
the
Council
was
exposed
to
Gender
Responsive
Budgeting
through
attending
workshops
organized
by
stakeholders
such
as
Gender
Links
and
the
Ministry
of
Local
Government.

“The
views
expressed
were
recorded
and
taken
up
to
promote
informed
decision-making
by
the
Council
Management.
Going
forward
there
is
a
need
to
have
online
surveys
disaggregated
by
sex
and
disability
for
the
stakeholders
and
the
community
to
express
their
views;
this
will
be
a
faster
and
broader
way
to
engage
with
the
community
at
large.
The
challenges
encountered during
the
budget
consultation
were
lack
of
time
and
poor
turn
out
of
community
members
and
stakeholders
because
of
the
election
period.”

Cllr
Moyo
also
said
that
the
local
authority
acknowledges
gender
budgeting
as
an
essential
part
of
good
local
governance.

“In
that
regard,
the
Gender
and
Disability
Policies
were
adopted
in
2017
to
further
promote
gender
equity
and
social
inclusion.
These
policies
address
the
component of
Gender
Responsive
Budgeting
as
they
seek to
promote
gender-sensitive
and
inclusive
environments,”
he
said.

“Other
policies
that
currently
address
gender
and
employee
welfare
that
are
in
place
include recruitment
and
selection, sexual
harassment, employee
wellness,
youth,
safety,
health and
environment
and the
City
of
Bulawayo
code
of
conduct.”

Federal Judge Intercepts Brett Favre’s Defamation Suit Against Shannon Sharpe – Above the Law

(Photo
by
Patrick
McDermott/Getty
Images)

Yesterday
a
federal
judge
in
Mississippi
gave
Brett
Favre
a
lesson
in
First
Amendment
law
when
he

dropkicked

a
defamation
suit
the
Hall
of
Fame
quarterback
filed
against
sports
talkshow
host
Shannon
Sharpe,
also
a
Hall
of
Famer.
He
also
schooled
the
retired
athlete
on
the
phenomenon
known
as
the
“Streisand
Effect”
with
a
ruling
that
thrust
Favre’s
role
in
the
diversion
of
welfare
funds
back
into
the
news
cycle.

For
the
past
three
years,
Mississippi
has
been
roiled
by
a

massive
corruption
scandal

that
saw
$77
million
in
federal
welfare
funds
siphoned
off
to
projects
associated
with
allies
of
then-Mississippi
Gov.
Phil
Bryant.
Favre,
who
returned
$1.1
million
in
“speaking
fees,”
is
alleged
to
have
helped
steer
$5
million
to
upgrade
the
volleyball
facility
at
his
daughter’s
college.
He
also
helped
arrange
for
$2
million
of
that
sweet,
sweet
TANF
cash
to
go
to
a
biotech
startup
he’d
invested
in

which
doesn’t
exactly
scream
“Temporary
Aid
to
Needy
Families.”

A
normal
person
would
take
his
lumps,
apologize,
and
go
put
himself
in
time
out
for
a
minute.
But
Brett
“Green
Crocs”
Favre
is
used
to
showing
whole
ass
to
the
world.
So
naturally
he’s
screaming
bloody
murder
that
his
good
name
is
being
besmirched
by
association
with
this
scandal.

Toward
that
end,
he
hired
former
Trump
White
House
lawyer
Eric
Herschmann
to
sue
sports
talkshow
hosts
Shannon
Sharpe
and

Pat
McAfee
,
themselves
both
NFL
veterans,
for
defaming
him
in
comments
on
their
respective
programs.

In
his

complaint
,
filed
in
the
Circuit
Court
of
Lamar
County
Mississippi
in
February,
Favre
wrote:

Defendant
Sharpe,
on
his
popular
national
sports
television
program,
which
has
an
audience
of
hundreds
of
thousands
of
viewers
daily,
has
made
egregiously
false
and
defamatory
statements
that
Favre,
the
Hall
of
Fame
quarterback
and
native
son
of
Mississippi,
was
a
“sorry
mofo
to
steal
from
the
lowest
of
the
low”
that
Favre
was
“taking
from
the
underserved
[in
Mississippi],”
and
that
“[Favre]
stole
money
from
people
that
really
needed
that
money.”
There
is
no
basis
anywhere
for
these
outrageous
falsehoods,
which
Sharpe
made
knowing
that
they
were
false
or,
at
a
minimum,
with
reckless
disregard
for
the
fact
that
they
were
false.

Both
cases
were
immediately
removed
to
federal
court,
and
Favre
dismissed
his
suit
against
McAfee
in
May
after
McAfee
apologized
on
air.
But
Sharpe
did
not
back
down,
defending
his
statements
as
protected
hyperbole.
And
that
argument
carried
the
day
with
Judge
Keith
Starrett,
a
GWB
appointee
in
the
Southern
District
of
Missouri,
who
dismissed
the
case
yesterday.

After
recounting
the
allegations
against
Favre
based
on
public
reporting,
the
court
rejected
the
claim
that
listeners
came
away
from
“Skip
and
Shannon:
Undisputed”
convinced
that
Favre
personally
tackled
impoverished
Mississippi
residents
and
stole
their
food
stamps.

The
reference
to
“taking”
and
“stole”
figuratively
refers
to
the
diverting
funds
from
the
TANF
for
purposes
other
than
helping
the
underprivileged.
Similarly,
Sharpe’s
use
of
the
words
“people
that
really
needed
that
money,”
the
“lowest
of
the
low,”
and
“the
underserved,”
again
are
examples
of
protected,
colorful
speech
referring
to
needy
families
in
Mississippi.

Here,
no
reasonable
person
listening
to
the
Broadcast
would
think
that
Favre
actually
went
into
the
homes
of
poor
people
and
took
their
money—that
he
committed
the
crime
of
theft/larceny
against
any
particular
poor
person
in
Mississippi.
Sharpe’s
comments
were
made
against
the
backdrop
of
longstanding
media
coverage
of
Favre’s
role
in
the
welfare
scandal
and
the
State’s
lawsuit
against
Favre.

Applying
Mississippi
precedent,
Judge
Starrett
found
that
a
normal
person
would
understand
that
the
entire
point
of
sports
talkshows
is
shittalking,
AKA
“rhetorical
hyperbole

robust
language
used
to
express
Sharpe’s
strong
views
about
the
new
information
that
emerged
about
Favre’s
participation
in
the
welfare
scandal.”

“Undisputed
is
not
a
news
outlet
where
viewers
expect
genuine
initial
reporting
of
events,”
he
continued.
“It
is
a
debate
format
sports
entertainment
talk
show
with
lively,
pointed
banter,
and
Sharpe’s
comments
are
properly
seen
in
that
context
as
constitutionally-protected
speech.”

But
Favre
will
get
one
more
shot
at
that
trophy,
as
he’s
sued
Shad
White,
the
state
auditor
who
uncovered
the
scandal.
That
case
is
proceeding
in
state
court,
so
perhaps
Favre
will
get
some
more
money
out
of
the
Mississippi’s
coffers
by
suing
a
civil
servant.
Not
as
fun
as
stealing
welfare
money
from
poor
people,
but
you
take
your
fun
where
you
can
get
it.


Judge
dismisses
Brett
Favre
defamation
suit,
saying
Shannon
Sharpe
used
hyperbole
over
welfare
money

[AP]

Favre
v.
Sharpe

[Docket
via
Court
Listener]





Liz
Dye
 lives
in
Baltimore
where
she
writes
about
law
and
politics
and
appears
on
the Opening
Arguments
 podcast.

ZINARA Has Relocated And Renamed Shamva Tollgate


The
tollgate,
previously
located
between
the
19.5km
and
20.5km
pegs
just
outside
Harare
city
limits,
has
been
moved
north
to
the
40km
and
41km
pegs.
The
new
tollgate
site,
now
known
as
Juru
tollgate,
was
officially
gazetted
in
Statutory
Instrument
217
of
2023
by
the
Minister
of
Transport
and
Infrastructural
Development,


Felix
Mhona
.
In
a
public
notice,
ZINARA
explained
that
a
temporary
structure
will
be
used
at
the
new
site
until
the
planned
toll
plaza
is
installed.
Read
the
notice:


RELOCATION
OF
SHAMVA
TOLLGATE


Members
of
the
public
are
advised
that
the
Shamva
tollgate,
located
at
the
19.5km
peg
along
the
Harare-Nyamapanda
road.
will
be
relocating
to
a
new
site
at
the
40km
peg
along
the
same
highway.
In
this
new
location,
the
tollgate
will
be
referred
to
as
Juru
Tollgate
and
is
housed
in
a
temporary
structure
ahead
of
the
planned
construction
of
a
toll
plaza.


The
relocation
is
effective
today.
the
27th
of
October
2023,
as
gazetted
in
the
SI
217
of
2023.

ZINARA’s
decision
to
relocate
the
Shamva-turnoff
tollgate
to
the
Juru
site
aims
to
improve
traffic
flow
and
provide
a
better
experience
for
drivers.
Mrs.
Tsungie
Manyeza,
ZINARA’s
head
of
corporate
communications,
told The
Herald
 that
the
move
considers
factors
like
traffic
patterns
and
road
safety.
The
goal
is
to
minimize
disruptions
and
inconvenience
to
drivers,
ensuring
a
seamless
transition
and
a
smoother,
safer
journey
through
the
tollgate
area.
She
said
ZINARA
is
committed
to
delivering
efficient
and
reliable
services
to
the
public
during
this
relocation.

Post
published
in:

Featured

ChatGPT? More Like Edgar Allan Esquire – Above the Law

Happy
Halloween,
dear
reader.
As
if
reaching
your
billable
hours
wasn’t
terrifying
enough,
that
superego
of
yours
still
demands
you
do

something

festive
to
commemorate
the
holiday.
You’re
in
luck

we
at
ATL
are
happy
to
scare
up
some
content
for
you.
If
you
were
to
associate
a
creature
with
lawyers,

we’d
definitely
be
some
kind
of
fae
:
obsessed
with
contracts,
required
to
follow
the
letter
(but
not
the
spirit
of
the
law),
and
are
really
good
at
exploiting
loopholes.
But
what
if
you
wanted
your
lawyerly
Halloween
to
run
a
little
more…
Gothic?
Look
no
further
than

Albany
Law

for
a
dark
conglomerate
of
property
law
and
artificial
intelligence:

For
those
who
prefer
reading
iambic
pentameter
to
reading
it,
the
script
is
provided

here
.

AI
or
not,
the
Poe
inspired
meditation
on
land
contracts
is
about
as
enjoyable
as
talking
about
real
property
gets
without
discovering
a
long
lost
uncle
decided
to
include
you
in
his
will.
The
pool
for
ATL
contests
like
law
revue
are
currently
restricted
to
human
participants,
but
you’ve
got
some
serious
competition
once
AI
starts
submitting!

Happy
Halloween!


A
Tale
of
Property
and
Dread,
ChatGPT
Pens
Story
about
Land
Contracts
(in
the
style
of
Edgar
Allan
Poe)

[Albany
Law]



Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
 He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
cannot
swim, a
published
author
on
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor
,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.

Steno’s Web Deposition Software Now Available As A Zoom App For Easy Exhibit Marking And Sharing – Above the Law


StenoConnectZoomApp-Featured-png-1280×720-
Ever
since
its
founding
in
2018,

Steno

has
been
on
a
mission
to
disrupt
depositions.
It
started
as
a
court
reporting
agency
that
also
offered
non-recourse
financing
of
deposition
costs,
and
then
in
2020
launched

Steno
Connect
,
its
own
web-based
video
conferencing
technology
specifically
built
for
remote
depositions
and
exhibit
handling.

In
the
early
days
of
the
pandemic
when
the
company
developed
Steno
Connect,
it
did
so
to
provide
lawyers
with
an
alternative
to
Zoom
for
depositions.
At
the
time,
many
legal
professionals
were
concerned
about
the
security
of
Zoom
meetings
and
many
others
were
unable
to
install
the
Zoom
client.

But
in
the
years
since,
as
Zoom
has
enhanced
its
security
and
functionality,
and
as
it
has
become
ubiquitous
among
lawyers
and
legal
professionals,
Steno’s
customers
began
asking
for
Steno
Connect
to
add
more
of
the
kinds
of
features
they
regularly
used
in
Zoom,
such
as
breakout
rooms,
chats,
and
virtual
backgrounds.

“We
were
forcing
our
customers
to
choose
between
the
experience
of
Zoom
and
the
functionality
of
Steno
Connect,”
said

Dylan
Ruga
,
Steno’s
president
and
cofounder
and
a
Los
Angeles-based
litigator.

Rather
than
continue
down
that
path,
Steno
decided
to
take
the
functionality
of
its
web
platform
and
rebuild
it
as
a
Zoom
app,
so
its
customers
could
get
the
best
of
both
worlds.
The
app
is
now
available
in
the
Zoom
app
store
and,
in
launching
it,
Steno
becomes
the
only
court
reporting
agency
with
a
Zoom
integration,
according
to
Ruga.


Easy
Exhibit
Handling

For
depositions,
the
key
functionality
that
Steno
Connect
brings
to
Zoom
is
exhibit
handling.
With
the
app
installed,
lawyers
get
drag-and-drop
functionality
to
upload,
preview,
number,
share
and
annotate
exhibits
during
a
deposition,
and
then
save
them
all
back
to
Steno’s
Firm
Dashboard.

The
app
appears
as
a
panel
to
the
right
of
the
Zoom
screen.
(See
image
above.)
Within
it,
the
lawyer
can
upload
exhibits
to
be
marked,
either
by
dragging
them
to
the
app
or
by
selecting
specific
files.
Once
the
exhibits
are
uploaded,
the
lawyer
can
preview
the
unmarked
exhibits,
without
anyone
else
able
to
see
them.


Screenshot-2023-09-11-at-2-14-51-PM-png-1437×957-

Sharing
an
exhibit
in
Zoom
via
the
Steno
Connect
app.

When
the
lawyer
wants
to
mark
an
exhibit,
the
lawyer
simply
selects
“Introduce.”
The
app
assigns
an
exhibit
number
(which
the
lawyer
can
edit)
and
asks
the
lawyer
to
confirm
that
that
the
exhibit
should
be
introduced.

The
numbered
exhibit
then
appears
in
the
marked
exhibits
window
at
the
top
of
the
app.
There,
lawyers
can
still
preview
exhibits
or,
when
ready,
present
them,
which
opens
the
exhibit
and
shares
it
with
everyone.

The
app
also
allows
exhibits
to
be
annotated
in
Zoom
and
saved
with
the
annotations.

On
the
back
end,
all
the
marked
exhibits
are
downloaded
to
Steno’s
system
so
that
they
are
available
when
the
deposition
is
over.

You
can
install
the
app
directly
from
the
Zoom
apps
store,
but
in
order
to
use
it,
you
have
to
be
in
a
Zoom
meeting
initiated
through
Steno.
Participants
in
the
deposition
get
an
invite
to
a
Steno
Connect
web
page,
from
which
they
can
open
the
Zoom
session.
(Zoom
enterprise
accounts
may
require
permission
from
an
administrator.)

Even
if
a
user
does
not
have
the
Steno
Connect
app
installed,
the
user
can
still
upload
and
access
shared
exhibits
from
the
initial
Steno
sign-in
page.

Once
you
have
the
Steno
Connect
app
installed,
you
can
invite
other
meeting
participants
to
install
it.


Disrupting
Depositions

In
May,

Steno
raised
$15
million

in
a
series
B
round,
with
the
goal
of
continuing
in
its
mission
to
revolutionize
depositions
and
litigation
support
services.

Ruga,
a
former
Steptoe
&
Johnson
partner
who
founded
his
own
plaintiffs’
litigation
firm
in
2016,
first
conceived
of
the
company
as
a
vehicle
for
financing
deposition
costs.

He
took
the
idea
to

Greg
Hong
,
an
entrepreneur
who
had
previously
founded
Reserve,
a
restaurant
reservation
system,
and

sold
it
in
2018

to
another
restaurant
reservation
company,

Resy
,
which
was
later
acquired
by
American
Express.
Together
with
CTO

Dan
Anderson
,
they
launched
Steno
in
2018
as
a
court
reporting
agency
paired
with
the
non-recourse
payment
option,
DelayPay.

After
the
pandemic
shut
down
live
depositions,
the
company
developed

Steno
Connect
,
a
remote
video
deposition
platform,
and
then

Digital
Firm
Dashboard
,
on
which
a
firm
can
manage
all
its
litigation
support
services.




Bob
Ambrogi


bob-ambrogi-large
is
a
lawyer,
veteran
legal
journalist,
and
award-winning
blogger
and
podcaster.
In
2011,
he
was
named
to
the
inaugural
Fastcase
50,
honoring
“the
law’s
smartest,
most
courageous
innovators,
techies,
visionaries
and
leaders.”
Earlier
in
his
career,
he
was
editor-in-chief
of
several
legal
publications,
including
The
National
Law
Journal,
and
editorial
director
of
ALM’s
Litigation
Services
Division.

Sam Bankman-Fried Courtroom Sketch Becomes Metaphor For Crypto Industry – Above the Law

That
is
Sam
Bankman-Fried.

Allegedly.

The
latest
sketch
from
inside
the
courtroom
at
his
trial
appears
to
have
accidentally
captured
the
goofy
boy
billionaire’s
alter
ego
Tyler
Durden.
You
know
what
they
say:
the
first
rule
of
Fight
Club
is
you
do
not
talk
about
using
client
funds
to
bail
out
Alameda
Capital.

Given
the
official
sketches
coming
out
of
his
criminal
trial,
it
wouldn’t
be
crazy
for
Bankman-Fried
to
try
to
get
some
better
images
circulating.
But
there’s
a
fine
line
between
sprucing
up
the
public
image
and
recasting
yourself
as
an
anime
hero.

Winning
the
courtroom
sketch
battle
is
all
the
rage
these
days.
Donald
Trump
recently
shared
this
image:

Trump

That
guy’s
last
trial
was
a
civil
disturbance
charge
that
ended
up
with
the
death
penalty
so
I’m
not
sure
Trump
should
be
too
enthusiastic
about
this
development.
That
the
portrait
is
apparently
the
product
of
one
Peter
Gerard
Scully,
a
rapist,
sex
trafficker,
and
child
sex
abuser
sentenced
to
life
in
prison
plus
129
years
might
be
another
reason
to
shy
away
from
it.

As
for
Bankman-Fried,
the
new
artwork
definitely
departs
from
the
official
iconography:


Screenshot 2023-10-31 at 11.31.34 AM
The
above
sketch
of
former
Alameda
CEO
Caroline
Ellison
perfectly
tracks
courtroom
artist
Jane
Rosenberg’s
aesthetic
of
grim
expressionism.
Remember
when
Rosenberg
caught

Tom
Brady
deflating

or

Trump
contemplating
a
raid
on
Whoville?

Whenever
Rosenberg
tackles
a
courtroom
scene
the
result
is
never
a
straightforward
portrait,
but
a
parade
of
bleak
caricatures
that
capture
the
mood
more
than
the
look
of
the
players.

So
Bankman-Fried
must
have
gotten
a
little
tired
of
looking
like
this
in
all
the
trial
coverage:

SBF2

And
overcorrected
with
his
new
sketch
as
a
Phoenix
Wright
NPC.

Normally
Rosenberg’s
work
captures
the
spirit
of
the
proceedings,
but
this
time
it
may
be
the
artistic
conversation
she
prompted
that
gets
to
the
heart
of
it.
Cultivating
an
image
divorced
from
reality?
Throwing
money
at
a
problem
to
disguise
glaring
faults?
Does
it
get
any
more
heavy-handed
than
this?


HeadshotJoe
Patrice
 is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer
.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a

Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search
.

Colorado Donor-Conceived Person Protection Law Opens Public Comments On Proposed Rules – Above the Law

On
May
31,
2022,
Colorado
was
the
first
state
in
the
country

and
the
only
one
to
date

to
sign
into
law
wide-ranging
regulations
focused
on
protecting
“donor-conceived
persons.”
That
law,
entitled
the

Donor-conceived
Persons
and
Families
of
Donor-conceived
Persons
Protection
Act
,
is
slated
to
go
into
effect
on
January
1,
2025.

In
the
meantime,
the
Colorado
Department
of
Public
Health
and
Environment
(CDPHE)
has
been
hard
at
work
engaging
in
regulatory
rulemaking.
Recently,
the
CDPHE
published
a
set
of

proposed
rules

to
implement
the
law
and
has
invited
stakeholders
to
submit
comments,
either
through
four
upcoming
scheduled
live
Zoom
sessions
or
through
submitting
written
comments.
And,
assuming
you
read
this
the
day
it
is
published,


the
first
session
is
tomorrow,
November
1
!


Remind
Me
What
This
Law
Does?

Well,

a
lot
.
This
law
makes
Colorado
the
first
state
in
the
country
to
place
firm
requirements
on
identity
disclosure
in
egg
and
sperm
donations,
and
moreover,
limits
the
number
of
families
that
can
receive
donations
from
a
single
donor,
as
well
as
the
number
of
egg
retrievals
a
donor
can
undergo.
Among
the
requirements
of
the
new
law
are:


  • Licensure. 
    All
    fertility
    clinics,
    gamete
    banks,
    and
    gamete
    agencies
    matching
    recipients
    with
    egg
    or
    sperm
    donors
    unknown
    to
    the
    recipients
    at
    the
    time
    of
    donation
    in
    Colorado or
    to
    Colorado
    residents
    must
    be
    licensed
    under
    the
    new
    law.

  • Elimination
    of
    fully
    anonymous
    donation.

    All
    donors
    after
    the
    effective
    date
    must
    agree
    to
    have
    their
    identities
    released
    to
    donor-conceived
    offspring
    upon
    such
    person
    reaching
    18
    years
    of
    age.

  • Collecting
    and
    updating
    medical
    history.

    Responsible
    entities
    covered
    by
    the
    new
    law
    must
    collect
    a
    comprehensive
    medical
    history
    from
    each
    donor
    and
    attempt
    to
    update
    that
    medical
    history
    at
    least
    once
    every
    three
    years.

  • Written
    materials.

    Fertility
    clinics,
    gamete
    banks,
    and
    gamete
    agencies
    are
    required
    to
    provide
    written
    materials
    to
    recipients
    and
    donors
    that
    have
    been
    developed
    by
    the
    CDPHE
    in
    conjunction
    with
    mental
    health
    professionals
    to
    address,
    for
    recipients,
    the
    needs
    and
    interests
    of
    donor-conceived
    persons,
    and,
    for
    donors,
    the
    emotional
    and
    social
    impacts
    of
    donating
    gametes,
    among
    other
    enumerated
    points.

  • Limiting
    each
    donor
    to
    no
    more
    than
    25
    families.

    The
    regulated
    entities
    must
    make
    efforts
    to
    know
    how
    many
    families
    have
    received
    donations
    from
    the
    same
    donor
    and
    must
    not
    facilitate
    donations
    from
    the
    same
    donor
    beyond
    25
    families.

  • Egg
    donors
    limited
    to
    six
    retrievals. 
    Egg
    donors
    are
    subject
    to
    a
    lifetime
    limit
    of
    six
    cycles
    per
    donor,
    with
    possible
    exceptions
    for
    a
    family
    wishing
    to
    conceive
    an
    additional
    child
    with
    the
    same
    donor.

To
name
a
few.


How
Ca
n
I
Comment?

The
CDPHE
welcomes
comments
from
all
stakeholders

no
need
to
be
a
fertility
doctor
or
assisted
reproductive
technology-specialized
attorney.
Although
those
professionals
may
especially
want
to
weigh
in.
The
CDPHE’s
four
live
Zoom
rulemaking
hearings
will
each
focus
on
discussing
different
parts
of
the
bill.


  • Session
    1:
    Wednesday,
    November
    1,
    2023
    (Noon
    to
    2
    p.m.
    MT).

    This
    session
    is
    scheduled
    to
    focus
    on
    the
    introductory
    sections
    of
    the
    proposed
    regulations,
    specifically
    those
    on
    purpose
    and
    authority,
    definitions,
    and
    licensing.

  • Session
    2:
    Wednesday,
    November
    15,
    2023
    (Noon
    to
    2
    p.m.
    MT).

    This
    session
    is
    scheduled
    to
    focus
    on
    donor
    consent,
    tracking
    donor
    information,
    and
    donor
    information
    disbursal.

  • Session
    3:
    Wednesday,
    November
    29,
    2023
    (Noon
    to
    2
    p.m.
    MT).

    This
    session
    is
    scheduled
    to
    focus
    on
    educational
    materials
    and
    licensing
    processes.

  • Session
    4:
    Wednesday,
    December
    13,
    2023
    (Noon
    to
    2
    p.m.
    MT).

    This
    session
    is
    scheduled
    to
    focus
    on
    certain
    family
    limits
    and
    retrieval
    limits
    on
    donations
    of
    genetic
    material.

For
those
who
wish
to
participate,
all
sessions
require

pre-registration
.
Separately,
as
noted
above,
if
you
have
a
little
bit
of
stage
fright
or
didn’t
get
a
chance
to
share
all
your
thoughts
in
a
Zoom
meeting,
CDPHE
accepts

written
comments

on
the
proposed
rules.
All
written
comments
must
be
submitted
by
5
p.m.
Mountain
time,
Friday,
December
29,
2023.

The
more
stakeholder
eyes
are
on
these
rules,
and
the
more
constructive
feedback
that
is
provided
to
the
CDPHE,
the
better. So
regardless
of
your
viewpoint,
I
hope
to
see
you
tomorrow!




Ellen TrachmanEllen
Trachman
is
the
Managing
Attorney
of 
Trachman
Law
Center,
LLC
,
a
Denver-based
law
firm
specializing
in
assisted
reproductive
technology
law,
and
co-host
of
the
podcast 
I
Want
To
Put
A
Baby
In
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Stroock To Dissolve, Close Its Doors After Nearly 150 Years In Business – Above the Law

After
months
upon
months
of

failed
merger
talks
,
partners

leaving
the
firm
in
droves
,
a

round
of
layoffs
,
and

reduced
hours
and
pay

for
senior
staffers,
Stroock
&
Stroock
&
Lavan
is
calling
it
quits.
The
firm
plans
to
dissolve.

The

American
Lawyer

has
the
scoop:

In
an
email
sent
to
the
firm
Monday
evening
and
obtained
by
Law.com,
firm
co-chairs
Jeff
Keitelman
and
Alan
Klinger
said
they
anticipate
the
executive
committee
will
soon
implement
an
Oct.
24
vote
of
the
partners
authorizing
the
“committee
to
dissolve
the
firm
at
the
appropriate
time.”

“We
plan
to
give
you
advance
notice
of
that,”
the
email
said.

Stroock
has
known
of
these
plans
to
dissolve
since
last
week
on
October
24.
The
firm’s
co-chairs
noted
that
their
conversations
with
Hogan
Lovells
started
in
early
September,
and
that
a
“large-scale
lateral
group
acquisition,
not
a
merger”
was
always
on
the
table.
Was
this
one
of
the
“options”

a
future
dissolution
rather
than
a
merger

that
led
Stroock
to

step
away
from
its
talks
with
Pillsbury
?

In
their
email,
Keitelman
and
Klinger
said
they
were
“excited”
that
so
many
Stroock
lawyers
are

headed
to
Hogan
Lovells
.
“We
are
confident
that
this
move
will
offer
the
best
opportunities
and
growth
potential
for
the
most
members
of
our
firm,”
they
wrote.

We
know
that
Stroock’s
remaining
partners
are
likely
to
do
just
fine,
but
what
about
its
associates
and
staffers?
We
certainly
hope
that
they
will
be
able
to
move
on
to
other
firms
without
too
much
trouble.
Stay
tuned
for
coverage
on
what
the
anatomy
of
Stroock’s
dissolution
may
look
like.


Stroock
Planning
Dissolution

[American
Lawyer]



Staci ZaretskyStaci
Zaretsky
 is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
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