March 21, 2012 – A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision forecloses the argument that pre-dispute arbitration agreements in nursing home admission contracts are void as against public policy. In this article, lawyers discuss the risks and benefits of arbitration agreements in the nursing home context.

March 21, 2012 – Defendants now may be able to remove more cases from state to federal court, and at later times during the course of a case. Those cases will be streamlined by not including state law claims that do not qualify under the supplementary jurisdiction statute. In cases involving foreign persons, or corporations or insurers with significant foreign operations, close examination will be needed to determine if federal jurisdiction exists.

March 21, 2012 – In a 3-3 split, the Wisconsin Supreme Court effectively dismissed a case to decide the constitutionality of state regulations on political speech as they relate to campaign finance laws. Cases pending in federal court, awaiting a state court decision, may now proceed.