2010 was a busy legal year, especially for free law advocates. Here are some of Justia’s legal predictions for 2011:
- Lawyers and legal professionals will continue to embrace free law as fast as our Law.gov movement friends can crank it out. Free law will continue its dramatic growth, and Justia remains proud to support the efforts of Carl Malamud’s work at Public.Resource.Org, along with Google, Fastcase, LII and other friends.
- SCOTUS will grant certiorari after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit renders a decision either affirming or denying a lower court ruling that California’s ban against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
- Immigration will become the ‘new abortion’ litmus test for politicians, as more states and localities try to assert jurisdiction over the federal government’s immigration authority.
- Patent holding companies will continue providing a steady supply of litigation work for IP lawyers. Critics will unsuccesfully lobby Congress to overhaul the current U.S. Patent Act, as big bucks are spent on all sides of the debate.
- The FTC will strongly push for a ‘do not e-mail registry’ similar to the FCC’s ‘Do-Not-Call’ list, but it won’t happen.
- Consumer bankruptcies will continue to rise.
- Foreclosure proceedings will slow dramatically, giving homeowners a welcome reprieve. Class actions will continue uncovering unlawful robo-signings, and ruin the reputations of a select number of lawyers and other firms representing banks in foreclosures.
