Court won't hear appeal on Boy Scouts land rental
National News
The Supreme Court will let stand a ruling saying the Boy Scouts cannot lease city-owned parkland in San Diego.
The court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from San Diego-area Boy Scouts who have traditionally leased Balboa Park camp space.
Federal judges have said the Scouts are a religious organization and the lease violated federal law that prohibits the government promotion of religion.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued San Diego and the Boy Scouts in August 2000 on behalf of a lesbian couple and an agnostic couple, each with scouting-age sons. They filed the lawsuit after the City Council voted to extend the group's 50-year lease for another 25 years.
The Boy Scouts say they have no theology and only hold the position that children should "do duty to God" to become productive citizens.
Related listings
-
Howrey law firm shifts pay, development of entry-level attorneys
National News 04/28/2010When the Howrey law firm called its incoming associates into a conference room last June to announce it was breaking from industry custom and changing the role of its entry-level attorneys, there was a fair amount of apprehension. After all, the news...
-
Poll: 4 out of 5 Americans don't trust Washington
National News 04/19/2010America's "Great Compromiser" Henry Clay called government "the great trust," but most Americans today have little faith in Washington's ability to deal with the nation's problems.Public confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in a ha...
-
NY judge prefers open records in Sept. 11 cases
National News 04/18/2010A federal judge who rejected a Sept. 11 health settlement says he would prefer more open records in litigation stemming from the World Trade Center attack and might consider unsealing all records.Judge Alvin Hellerstein commented Thursday after heari...
USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.