Some activities must continue even as cities, counties and states effectively shut down to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Obviously our hospitals, doctors’ offices and emergency responder systems must remain open. Grocery stores are essential and so are pharmacies.

Coloradans must take this virus seriously or the government will step in and do it for us.

Employees on the front-lines of the coronavirus pandemic are truly essential. Employers must treat them as such.

The world has been thrust into an unprecedented time. The White House has estimated that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die in the coming months as a new virus sweeps through the nation and that’s if we implement and execute the recommendations from our doctors and scientists. About 700,000 jobs were lost in the U.S. in March as mayors and governors across the nation responded responsibly by forcing all but the most essential businesses to close.

President Donald Trump is treating life-saving medical equipment as emoluments he can dole out as favors to loyalists. It’s the worst imaginable form of corruption -- playing political games with lives. For the good of this nation during what should be a time of unity he must stop.

Easter Sunday and this week of Passover --- even for those who don’t observe the Christian and Jewish holidays --- will be stained with sadness.

We understand why unrest is bubbling among those who are unemployed and entrepreneurs who could lose their businesses. But the alternative to stay-at-home orders is allowing the highly contagious new coronavirus to rip through our communities.

Gov. Jared Polis is charting a smart and sustainable course for Colorado.

(United States Second Circuit) - Vacated and remanded. A complaint alleging claims for forced labor and human trafficking in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was improperly dismissed because the plaintiff plausibly stated claims.

(United States Second Circuit) - Affirmed. Defendant appeals his bribery conviction, arguing improper jury instructions and insufficient evidence. The court finds the “official act” standard from McDonnell does not apply to Guinea’s Penal Code, and any potential evidentiary errors were harmless. Judgement is affirmed.

(United States Second Circuit) - Questions on appeal concern cross-jurisdictional tolling of a class action. Because the appeal presents state law questions that New York’s courts have yet to address, the court certifies the case to the New York Court of Appeals.

(United States Second Circuit) - Vacated and remanded. Finding the promise to arbitrate in the franchise application was supported by adequate consideration, the panel vacates the district court’s denial of DAI’s motion to compel arbitration and remands for further proceedings.

(United States Second Circuit) - Vacated and remanded. Plaintiff, who is profoundly deaf, appeals from dismissal on summary judgment her claim that a hospital violated the Rehabilitation Act by failing to provide an ASL interpreter. The panel concluded that material issues of fact preclude summary judgment.

In kitchens across the world, focaccia gardens are blooming. On top of the flatbreads, cherry tomatoes open like petals, with long scallion stalks for stems. Yellow-pepper sunflowers stand tall with Kalamata olives at their center. Red onions bud in bushes made from fresh herbs.

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the Court of International Trade's decision affirming a Department of Commerce ruling in the administrative review of an earlier anti-dumping order, the court held that no error occurred in the determination that a Chinese saw blade manufacturer was seeking to sell their products at less than fair market value in the United States.

(United States Second Circuit) - Vacating the district court's determination that a carpenters union was entitled to summary judgment as to Sherman Act Antitrust charges, but affirmed summary judgment for them as to unfair labor practices charges in a case where the union used subcontracting to include ironworking in their activities because the union did not qualify for the non-statutory exemption to antitrust liability, but qualified for the construction industry proviso.

(United States Third Circuit) - Affirming a district court dismissal of a case brought by numerous taxi associations seeking to prevent Uber from taking their business because Uber's conduct didn't arise to an antitrust violation, attempted monopoly, or other unfair business activity, even if it is killing the old taxicab businesses.

(United States Second Circuit) - Affirmed that magazine publishers did not violate antitrust laws by trying to drive a wholesaler out of business. The wholesaler delivered magazines to retail stores and it alleged that when it tried to impose a surcharge on the publishers in 2009, they conspired to boycott and drive the wholesaler out of business. On appeal, the Second Circuit found that the wholesaler had presented insufficient evidence of a boycott scheme to survive summary judgment. The panel also affirmed summary judgment against the publishers' counterclaims.

(United States First Circuit) - Affirmed the dismissal of two putative antitrust class actions alleging that a pharmaceutical company took steps to block the entry of generic versions of its leukemia-treatment drug into the U.S. market. The plaintiffs, including several labor union benefit funds, claimed that the drugmaker engaged in anticompetitive conduct by bringing sham infringement lawsuits against manufacturers trying to enter the market with generic versions of that drug. Dismissing the complaints, the district court held that the plaintiffs had not plausibly alleged their claims, and the First Circuit affirmed.

(United States Second Circuit) - Affirmed the dismissal of a liquor distributor's claim under the RICO statute against other liquor distributors. The New York metropolitan area's exclusive distributor for many leading brands of liquor brought this suit alleging that two of Maryland's largest liquor distributors were smuggling liquor into New York, cutting into its sales. The district court dismissed the case because the smuggling operation, as alleged, did not directly cause the plaintiff to lose sales, and therefore the plaintiff did not adequately allege proximate cause under RICO. Agreeing, the Second Circuit affirmed.

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed the dismissal of antitrust claims brought against two manufacturers of a material called containerboard that is used to make boxes. Held that there was not enough evidence of a conspiracy to proceed to trial on the purchasers' claims under the Sherman Act that the companies conspired to increase prices and reduce output.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Held that the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board's petition for review was premature in a case where the Federal Trade Commission had charged it with adopting an unlawful policy that restrained trade. Dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

From TFOI Toby Guerin: I thought that I would share an exercise which we posted this week through the Workplace Mediation Service at University of Maryland, Baltimore.  It can be easily adapted for classes and other environments. Several years ago Andrea Schneider and others wrote an article, “Cooking Up a Deal: Negotiation Recipes for Success.”  … Continue reading Toby Guerin’s Negotiation Exercise →

For many years, Guy and Heidi Burgess have organized a series of projects dealing with difficult, intractable conflicts, and they developed an incredibly rich website of resources. They recently collected the following series of statements about conflict and the coronavirus, including the following.  Here’s a list of the statements with links to each one.  They … Continue reading The Coronavirus and the Constructive Conflict Initiative →

I’m happy to share this reflection from my colleague Natalie Fleury who runs our small claims mediation clinic which, as elsewhere, was forced to distance mid-semester.  I expect we will all have lessons as we move forward and plan for the fall semester as well! “Could we try and mediate over the phone?” I was … Continue reading Student Lessons on Distance Mediation →

I won’t pretend to keep up with everything being written in the ADRsphere if you will promise the same. Having confessed that, and consistent with the regret implied in that confession, I thought I would offer an easy-to-skim Table of Contents view of the last two issues of Negotiation Journal – – a publication I commend … Continue reading Negotiation Journal : most recent two issues →

In what seems like a decade ago (but was only early March), the ever talented Liz Tippett interviewed me for her brilliant Oregon Law Lab (in person!) about Trump’s Art of the Deal.  Spoiler alert:  We conclude that the book should best be read as a handbook for how to deal with lying…  Enjoy!

(United States First Circuit) - Held that a Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority bondholder did not hold a statutory lien on certain toll revenues. The bondholder contended that, in response to Puerto Rico's financial crisis, the Puerto Rican government was diverting toll revenues to which the bondholder was entitled under a lien and using them for purposes other than paying the bonds. However, the First Circuit concluded that the bondholder held no statutory lien on the toll revenues.

(United States First Circuit) - Vacated an order denying a request by Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) bondholders for relief from an automatic stay. The bondholders argued that a statute enacted by Congress to address Puerto Rico's financial crisis did not preclude them from obtaining relief so that they could petition another court to place PREPA into receivership. Agreeing, the First Circuit held that the district court erred in concluding otherwise.

(United States First Circuit) - Affirmed a conviction on drug-smuggling charges. The defendant, who was caught with two other men aboard a vessel carrying 70 kilograms of cocaine, argued that he was a mere transporter of the contraband and thus was entitled to a minor participant reduction under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Finding no error in the sentence, the First Circuit affirmed.

(United States First Circuit) - Affirmed the dismissal of two putative antitrust class actions alleging that a pharmaceutical company took steps to block the entry of generic versions of its leukemia-treatment drug into the U.S. market. The plaintiffs, including several labor union benefit funds, claimed that the drugmaker engaged in anticompetitive conduct by bringing sham infringement lawsuits against manufacturers trying to enter the market with generic versions of that drug. Dismissing the complaints, the district court held that the plaintiffs had not plausibly alleged their claims, and the First Circuit affirmed.

(United States First Circuit) - Affirmed the dismissal of an Indian tribe's complaint against federal and Rhode Island agencies concerning a highway bridge reconstruction. The tribe argued, at base, that the state of Rhode Island broke a promise to give the tribe three parcels of land as mitigation for the expected negative impact on historic tribal land of an I-95 bridge replacement project. Agreeing with the district court, the First Circuit held that the tribe's claims were barred by federal sovereign immunity and lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

Toronto-based Rock Band, Across The Board Will Release Their Second Full-length Album, "Sonic Boom" On May 4, 2018. Produced And Recorded In Toronto By MC2 Music Media, The Album Pays Homage To A Band

Award Winning Canadian ProduceCJ Stain Tackles Social Injustice With Hit Single 'One' With Gender Culture

Which Names Spring To Mind When You Think Of Folk Rock Music? Jethro Tull, Perhaps?

Canadian Singer Jordan St.Cyr, Who Recently Was Selected As CMUnited’s Artist Of The Year At The 1st Annual Christian International Talent Contest, Is Releasing A New Single To U.S. Christian Radio

Beyond The Sun, The Canadian Reared Trio Of Brothers, Premiered Their Latest Release STOP On All Major Online Retailers Today.

Award-winning Canadian Singer-songwriter Tia McGraff Has Announced Her CD Release Party For New Album, "Stubborn In My Blood," (out August 13th.)

Body slams and pile drives can go on in the Sunshine State.

WWE started releasing professional wrestlers on Wednesday in budget cuts related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Brian Dennehy, the burly actor who started in films as a macho heavy and later in his career won plaudits for his stage work in plays by William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill and Arthur Miller, has died. He was 81.

Dear Amy: I am 63 and my husband (of six years) is 67. He drinks every night. Most nights he drinks to the point of stumbling, and not recalling what he says or does.

Gov. Jared Polis said Friday that his goal is to have Colorado’s restaurants reopen in May, possibly before Memorial Day, depending on the effectiveness of the state’s new “safer-at-home” phase.

The Denver Actors Fund on Tuesday announced a $35,000 emergency relief fund for Colorado theater artists who have been hurt by the coronavirus shutdown.

Members of the Acacia Tenants Union in Denver have posted banners saying "Don't Pay May" and "Rent Relief Now" after failing to reach terms for rent relief with their landlord, Olive Bark LLC.

After 10 years, has John Elway finally figured out the NFL draft? Broncos Country better hope so.

A toast to Brian Mullan. To Grandma Betty. To the nurses who selflessly, thanklessly, not only keep pulling their weight over the line. But ours, too.

Kieran Cebrian began playing hockey at age 4 where it was most convenient. From the family home in Wash Park, he could walk to the University of Denver.

Women’s flag football will become a varsity sport for NAIA schools by next year, the organization announced Monday.

Jakub Dombek will attempt to make a career out of college basketball at Hartford. The former Colorado Buffaloes forward announced via his Instagram account that he has committed to the University of Hartford.