Former Miss California Sues For Religious Discrimination

National News

The Courthouse News Service is reporting that Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean sued pageant officials for libel and religious discrimination, claiming she was told to not mention God long before she made her controversial remarks against gay marriage on national TV last April.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims California pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler told Prejean not to mention God on her application or in speeches at least two months before the Miss USA contest, in which Prejean was the first runner-up.

Prejean was stripped of her crown in June for allegedly failing to make required appearances and for making unapproved appearances.

Related listings

  • Disney Will Buy Marvel Comics

    Disney Will Buy Marvel Comics

    National News 08/31/2009

    Courthouse News reports that Walt Disney Co. announced today that it would buy Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, giving Disney ownership of a huge stable of comic book characters, including Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, the Silver Sur...

  • Corporate Partner Louis Lehot Expands

    Corporate Partner Louis Lehot Expands

    National News 08/21/2009

    According to a press release distributed by Shepard Mullin today, Louis Lehot has joined the Silicon Valley office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Corporate practice group.  Lehot joins Sheppard Mullin f...

  • 3rd Circuit Appeal Challenges Judge's Outside Research In Bench Trial

    3rd Circuit Appeal Challenges Judge's Outside Research In Bench Trial

    National News 08/20/2009

    According to the New Jersey Law Journal, a federal appeals court has been asked to limit the right of judges to do their own research in bench trials, lest they be swayed by facts not before them. US Magistrate Patty Shwartz in Newark, N.J., no-cause...

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.