April 7, 2023 at 4:29 pm
· Filed under Public Interest Law News Bulletin
Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives
Photo: Harris and Ewing Collection, Library of Congress
Hello, interested public! Lots of big news stories this week, especially out of Ottawa, where the federal privacy commissioner launched an investigation into OpenAI out of privacy concerns, and Washington DC, where Senator Van Hollen announced a new effort to force the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt binding ethics rules after recent revelations from Pro Publica about gifts accepted by Justice Clarence Thomas. Meanwhile, the right to counsel in eviction picked up a few additional jurisdictions while New York debated a first-in-the-nation bill to create a right to counsel in immigration proceedings.
As always, these stories and more are in the links below.
Take care of one another,
Sam
Editor’s Choice(s)
Eye on AI
In Canada, “[t]he federal privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into the company behind ChatGPT, an explosively popular artificial intelligence-powered chatbot. The watchdog's office announced Tuesday that it is initiating the investigation into the U.S.-based company OpenAI because it received a complaint alleging ‘the collection, use and disclosure of personal information without consent.’ ”
Also in Canada, Kitchener City News reported that “a number of legal experts [] suggest, much the same as generative AI has led to a rise in cheating concerns in academia, it could also be used to try and cheat the legal system. ”
In the United States, “the EEOC [] published a guidance titled ‘The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Use of Software, Algorithms, and Artificial Intelligence to Assess Job Applicants and Employees.’ ”
Also in the United States, “[President] Biden said [] it remains to be seen whether artificial intelligence (AI) is dangerous, but underscored that technology companies had a responsibility to ensure their products were safe before making them public. ”
In Australia, “[a] regional Australian mayor said he may sue OpenAI if it does not correct ChatGPT's false claims that he had served time in prison for bribery, in what would be the first defamation lawsuit against the automated text service. ”
In the world of business, “[a]s artificial intelligence pushes deeper into the legal industry, Fastcase and vLex are merging in a deal the legal research companies said [] will speed up the creation of AI tools for lawyers. London-based private equity firm Oakley Capital and Bain Capital Credit, part of global investment firm Bain Capital, are investing an undisclosed amount into the combined company, which will be named vLex Group. ”
Student Loans & Student Debt
Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Rights
Reproductive Rights
Environmental Crisis
Immigration & Refugee Issues
Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring
In Washington DC, Government Executive noted that “[President Biden’s proposed 5.2% pay raise for federal workers] if enacted, [] would actually be the biggest since 1980 [but because] inflation [is] running at 6%…after more than a year [] between 7% to 9%…if feds actually wind up getting a 5.2% pay hike, by the time it takes effect in the first paycheck of the new year after a hike is approved–feds might lose rather than gain in the neighborhood of a nickel per dollar of buying power, compared with 2022. [And t]hen, there’s the fact that annual pay adjustments have lost steadily–and significantly–for years versus even modest inflation. ”
Also in Washington DC, “[t]he State Department is not backing down from its commitment to protect the ‘dissent channel’ established for its career diplomats, telling lawmakers that complying with their subpoena would violate the trust the agency has established with its workforce. The union that represents career Foreign Service officers [warned] that betraying that trust would make employees think twice before conveying their honest professional opinions. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee [had] issued the subpoena for the dissent channel cable written by State employees in July 2021 allegedly warning of potential governmental collapse in Afghanistan. ”
Again also in Washington DC, “[t]he Biden administration will later this week release its detailed plan for spending the unprecedented $80 billion cash infusion for the Internal Revenue Service, with its new leader promising less wait time for customer service, better tracking of returns and additional crackdowns on wealthy tax cheats. ”
Also again also in Washington DC, “[t]he embattled Homeland Security watchdog and other officials filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the federal watchdog council, taking aim at what they say are ‘vexatious’ investigations into them and their structure. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges that for three years Inspector General Joseph Cuffari ‘has been endlessly harassed and had his office’s resources drained by a series of baseless inquiries headed by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Integrity Committee,’ said the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit civil rights group that seeks to reign in unlawful powers from federal and state agencies, which is representing the plaintiffs. ”
Again also again also in Washington DC, “an analysis by University of Iowa law professor Derek Muller [has found that a]mong the 36 clerks hired by active [U.S. Supreme Court] judges for the upcoming October 2023 term, more than 80% have two or even three previous clerkships under their belt[.] ”
Also again also again also in Washington DC, “[s]ecurity clearance reform efforts made another step toward transparency and clarity with an announcement last week that reporting figures from the Office of Management and Budget will now include figures for all security clearance investigations. ”
In Bridgewater Township NJ, “[a] state Appellate Court has agreed with Bridgewater Township that it doesn't have to disclose residents' email addresses to a non-government organization that wants to send unsolicited emails to them to advance the organization's political and social objectives. Rise Against Hate, a Cherry Hill-based nonprofit with the goal of raising awareness about racism and civil rights, filed suit against Bridgewater in Superior Court in Somerville, claiming that the township violated the state Open Public Records Act (OPRA) by not disclosing the email addresses of residents who signed up to receive newsletters and notices from the municipality. ”
Access to Justice – Civil & Economic
In Jersey City NJ, “Mayor Steven Fulop, along with council members James Solomon, Frank Gilmore, and Yousef J. Saleh, said they will support ‘one of the strongest right-to-counsel laws in the nation’ for tenants facing eviction. And it will be paid for by developers who contribute to an affordable housing trust, they said. ”
In New York, “[a] bill being considered in advance of [the state’s] upcoming budget deadline aims to [guarantee] tenants' right to counsel in eviction proceedings across the state. ”
Also in New York, “[f]amily court lawyers representing children are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to address a funding shortage that has led to stagnant salaries and widespread departures, depriving the most vulnerable New Yorkers of their right to proper counsel and timely services. ”
In Quebec, “Legal aid lawyers [went] strike in several regions of Quebec[], including Montreal. ”
In Long Beach CA, “[the city] has extended a contract with Los Angeles County and an LA nonprofit to provide free legal services for low-income folks facing eviction and other rental-related issues…until June 30. ”
In Alaska, “[a] state senator wants to direct a larger share of filing fees paid to the court system toward a nonprofit legal aid organization that helps several thousand Alaskans a year with their domestic violence, family law, housing, elder advocacy and other cases. ”
In British Columbia, “the BC First Nations Justice Council announced five new Indigenous Justice Centres that are being built across the province, in Kelowna, Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo. ”
Access to Justice – Criminal
Criminal Justice Reform and Counter-Reform
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