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“A creative singularity in which computers overtake human inventors as the primary source of new discoveries is foreseeable,” writes Ryan Abbott, a professor of law and health sciences at the University of Surrey’s School of Law. “Creative computers may require a rethinking of the baseline standard for inventiveness, and potentially the entire patent system.” Our patent system wasn’t built for robot inventors, but Abbott is arguing for it to be remade with artificial intelligence in mind....

Elite D.C. private school Sidwell Friends School is being sued for $10 million by Arthur Newmeyer, the father of a 5-year-old student at the prestigious institution. Huntington had worked at Sidwell Friends for 10 years, but was fired last February. The complaint states his firing took place about a year after Newmeyer raised complaints about Huntington, reports The New York Times. According to the complaint, Newmeyer’s wife allegedly arranged for her daughter to be evaluated by Huntington, with sessions taking place in the Newmeyer home....

We’ve written a lot about many dangerous drugs, most of which you can get with a prescription. But the world’s deadliest drug might be a home-cooked synthetic drug using over-the-counter pills as its base. Called “krokodil” in Russia, the drug is a DIY version of desomorphine – a powerful, fast-acting opioid – users can make at home using codeine, iodine, and red phosphorous. And if that doesn’t sound appealing, wait until we get to the side effects: gangrene, meningitis, and skin damage with tissue sometimes falling off the bone....

Nearly half of New York-area immigration lawyers are “inadequate” or “grossly inadequate,” with private immigration attorneys faring the worst, a survey of immigration judges finds. Still, immigrants facing deportation fare far better with lawyers than without, the survey finds. The survey found immigration lawyers were often poorly prepared, and sometimes failed to show up for hearings at five immigration courts in and around New York City, The New York Times reports....

When your employees want to take a sick day, can you require them to give proof that they were sick? With mandatory sick laws being passed in various cities and states, business owners have real reason to re-examine their sick day policies. Chief among these considerations is what kind of proof, if any, companies should require of their employees in order to take sick time off. Let’s examine some of the legal principles behind requiring proof for sick days....

So far, State Sen. Hiram Monserrate is on the losing side of his legal battle to fight his expulsion. According to the Associate Press, a judge rejected his attempt to block Monserrate’s expulsion from the Senate and to stop a special election March 16 to replace him. As previously discussed, Monserrate was convicted of misdemeanor assault for dragging his bleeding girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, through the lobby of his apartment building....

Fashion model Lauren Scruggs walked into a small plane propeller, losing her left hand and suffering facial injuries. The 23-year-old editor of LoLo Magazine is now recovering from the accident at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Scruggs took the small plane to the McKinney area, which is located around 30 miles from Dallas. She had taken the flight to view Christmas lights. The accident occurred when she walked into the front of the prop....

The massive Montana mesothelioma case may be finally coming to a resolution. The state is in the “final stages” of negotiating a $43 million settlement with the 1,100 Libby asbestos victims, the Daily Inter Lake reports. The work in the mine allegedly caused substantial airborne dust containing asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma asbestos cancer is a life-threatening disease that can affects millions of people that are exposed to asbestos due to their work environment....

It appears that not everyone is utterly enamored with the idea of medical marijuana. Take for example, the state of Montana, where the House of Representatives voted to repeal the state’s medical marijuana law. The reason for the attempted repeal of the Montana medical marijuana law is a belief held by many that medical marijuana was not being used for the reason the law was passed. In fact, house speaker Mike Milburn said the state was originally “duped” into passing the act, CNN reports....

North Carolina’s sterilization law harmed thousands of residents. Now, victims of the state’s eugenics program may soon be compensated. A task force assembled by the Gov. Bev Perdue is attempting to locate and contact living victims. North Carolina would become the first state to give sterilized individuals financial compensation. The eugenics movement started in the early 1900s. Sterilization laws were adopted in around 30 states. They were passed to benefit the human race by ensuring individuals who were “defective” did not procreate....

Family law judges have a new tool in their toolbox to help divorced parents stay in contact with their children. More and more judges are turning to virtual visitation, or e-visitation, as a supplement to regular visitation for non-custodial parents. This rise in the use of Skype and other web-chat services will allow parents to stay in contact with their children in a way that improves on the “old fashioned” telephone....

When you are meeting a lawyer for the first time on a real estate matter of any kind, it’s a good idea to make a list. Before your appointment, know your concerns and questions. That’s the first step. But it is a big one and will help with what’s next, which is meeting your lawyer. So let’s break down this list. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. Why are you meeting with the lawyer?...

An amphibious Ride the Ducks tour bus collided with a charter bus on Seattle’s Aurora Bridge yesterday, killing four students and critically injured 15 more people. Witnesses reported seeing the duck boat swerve into another car before hitting the tour bus head-on. The students were from North Seattle College’s international program, and were part of an orientation group heading to tour Safeco Field and Pike Place Market. A total of 51 people were treated for injuries in local hospitals....

It can be hard to get a line of credit for a new business so some owners are turning to credit cards instead. Credit cards provide a relatively easy way to get credit but that doesn’t make them a good idea for every purchase. There are drawbacks to swiping your plastic everywhere you go, both for individual and business purchases. The trick is knowing the drawbacks of using a credit card so you can figure out where it can be a benefit to your business rather than a burden....

Doctors have recently observed that domestic violence survivors are prone to the same neurological condition that retired NFL players are suffering: CTE. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative condition that causes cognitive decline, loss of muscle and emotional control, headaches, memory loss, and more. CTE is understood to be caused by repeated blows to the head. While CTE would seem to primarily affect athletes who play contact sports, the results, showing that domestic violence victims frequently suffer from the same condition at similar or higher rates, are troubling....

It’s safe to say no one looks forward to a jury duty summons, but at least you get time off for jury duty when you’re called. Yes that’s right, you at least get to take a few vacation days in exchange for serving jury duty. The problem is your “vacation” will be spent in a courtroom. But at least you’re doing your civic duty, right? But how do you go about telling your boss about this unscheduled, yet mandatory vacation?...

Teenagers seem to occupy a social and emotional middle ground: not children, but not quite adults; so much responsibility, but not all of it; independent in so many ways, dependent in others. Much of that is also true when it comes to legal grounds. The law is a little different when it comes to teenagers, so here are some of our best legal tips for teens, from our archives: 1. Is It Legal to Move Out at 17?...

In divorce, as in life, timing is everything. And while there might be a million factors affecting a decision to get divorced – not the least of which might be personal safety – there are also a few legal considerations to take into account when you’re pondering the right time to file for divorce. Here are a few tips on timing your divorce, from our archives: 1. When Is the Best Time to File for Divorce?...

Springtime means it’s time for “mudding” in many parts of the country. But when mudding-related injuries and property damage occur, who gets stuck with the bill? Mudding is basically off-road driving through wet meadows, fields, streams, and other muddy areas. It’s often characterized by spinning tires and throwing off mud, as well as tearing up grass and other vegetation. While some may find mudding a good way to blow off steam, it can also be dangerous and lead to lawsuits....

Yours truly is a Texas native, but we won’t blame you if you’re just arriving or simply here to visit. What Texans won’t appreciate is someone who’s clueless about the laws in the Lone Star State. So before your Southwest flight lands, check out these 10 laws you should know if you’re in Texas: Distracted driving. You can talk on your non-handsfree phone while driving in Texas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be cited for distracted driving if you’re texting and driving....