Author: Ring of Fire Staff

President Obama’s new nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit started his legal career with a firm representing the interests of such “notable” clients as Bank of America, Exxon Mobil, Fannie Mae, Goldman Sachs, and Enron. The president has been pressing senators to confirm Sri Srinivasan, currently the Principal Deputy Solicitor General for the U.S. Justice Department, as a federal judge, and, unlike Obama’s last nominee, Caitlin Halligan, some conservatives seem more than willing to support his confirmation. After law school, Srinivasan clerked for Reagan-appointed conservative Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III and then for Reagan-appointed Judge Sandra...

There are universal rules and guidelines put in place for all attorneys and if these rules are violated, there can be serious repercussions. Instances such as hiding profits or committing fraud are very quick routes for an attorney or firm to end their career. Prenda Law, a firm that has targeted and sued over 20,000 users for violating copyright laws alleging they illegally downloaded pornography, plead the Fifth Amendment in court yesterday after being asked by the judge why there were no other plaintiffs besides Prenda pursuing copyright cases taken on by the firm. Presiding Judge Otis Wright cross-examined...

New national science standards could make climate change education part of the public school curriculum. The new Next Generation Science Standards were developed in a collaborative effort by the National Research Council (NRC), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Achieve, along with 26 states. These new standards apply to students from kindergarten to high school, and will include information about the human contribution to climate change such as emission of greenhouse gases and the use of fossil fuels. Along with the 26 states involved in the development of the curriculum, 15 other states have said they will likely adopt the new...

In an internal justice system that protects its criminals, the military has let a sex offender walk away without proper punishment. U.S. Air Force pilot, Lt. Col. James Wilkerson’s conviction of aggravated sexual assault was overturned last month by Lt. Gen Craig A. Franklin. What was supposed to be a sentence of one year in prison, forfeit of pay, and dismissal from the military, has now dwindled down to the inability to receive a promotion to colonel and his relocation to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona,  as the 12th Air Force Chief of flight safety. A military jury...

The usually defensive National Rifle Association (NRA) is switching its stance and going on the offense with its push for the National School Shield Program, which would put armed guards in place at schools across the nation. The NRA presented its plan to Congress today in a report that details its findings on past mass shootings and how future gun violence within schools can be prevented. The report is being used to shift the Senate’s attention from the gun control debate to focus more on preventing gun violence in schools.The timing couldn’t have been more orchestrated as the presentation of the NRA’s...