December 1, 2008

• Feds indict six on charges of scheme to siphon $40 million from Cendant, Bank of America and NASDAQ class action settlements through filing of false claims [Alibaba, Karlsgodt]
• Sovereign immunity? Never heard of it: Sixth Circuit rules Vatican can be sued directly in church sex abuse cases [WSJ law blog, earlier]
• Mini-history of asbestos litigation controversies quotes MI paper, Brickman, Copland, Epstein [SE Texas Record]
• Columbia's George Fletcher has new book "Tort Liability for Human Rights Abuses", looks like it lauds expansion of such liability [CUP press release, Hart Publishing, Childs, TortsProf]
• "Pre-emptive demolition": how historic preservation laws can backfire [NYT, Adler @ Volokh]
• Continued background buzz over push for "workplace bullying" cause of action at state level [George Lenard, Michael Fox; earlier here, here, etc.]