Democrats criticize hiring of firm for House remap

Recent Cases

Democratic lawmakers are raising complaints about Republican House Speaker Jim Tucker's decision to hire a law firm with national GOP ties to submit the state House remap to federal officials.

The head of the House redistricting committee, Democratic Rep. Rick Gallot, said Friday the choice creates the appearance of impropriety because the firm had given the Republican delegation advice about redistricting.

The Senate is using its staff to do its redistricting submission.

Tucker has hired Washington, D.C.-based Holtzman Vogel PLLC to guide the redesign of the 105 House districts to the U.S. Justice Department for review under the Voting Rights Act.

Tucker says he chose a firm with the expertise needed for the complex legal work.

The managing partner of Holtzman Vogel is chief counsel to the Republican National Committee.

Related listings

  • 2 charged with insider trading involving law firms

    2 charged with insider trading involving law firms

    Recent Cases 04/06/2011

    Federal authorities have charged two men with running an insider trading scheme that netted more than $30 million with information stolen from law firms. Garrett Bauer is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday aftern...

  • Court-appointed lawyer denied for torture suspect

    Court-appointed lawyer denied for torture suspect

    Recent Cases 03/20/2011

    A judge has denied a court-appointed attorney for a Texas man accused of torturing a woman for two weeks on a device used for skinning deer.The judge said Monday during Jeffrey Allan Maxwell's initial court appearance that the 58-year-old wasn't indi...

  • Court Won't Get Involved in Eminem Royalty Suit

    Court Won't Get Involved in Eminem Royalty Suit

    Recent Cases 03/20/2011

    The Supreme Court won't get involved in a fight between Eminem's former production company and Universal Music Group over downloads of the rapper's songs and ringtones.The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from Universal Music Group.The ...

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.

Business News

Clayton, MO Federal Criminal Defense Attorney The Law Offices of John M. Lynch, LLC, provides strong representation for clients with federal criminal defense. >> read
DuPage IL worker's comp lawyers The law firm of Krol, Bongiorno & Given, Ltd. has been a leader in the field of workers’ compensation law in DuPage, Illinois. >> read