A U.S. appeals court has cleared the way for an Oregon woman to adopt two foster children, ruling that the state’s requirement for adoptive parents to affirm a child’s gender identity and sexual orientation violates constitutional rights. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, overturned a lower court’s decision that had blocked Jessica Bates from adopting under the Oregon Department of Human Services’ policy.

July 24 (Reuters) – A federal judge in Alabama has disqualified three attorneys from the U.S. law firm Butler Snow after they unintentionally submitted court filings containing fabricated citations generated by artificial intelligence. In a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco reprimanded the lawyers for making false statements and referred the matter to the Alabama State Bar for possible disciplinary action. Unlike other recent cases involving misuse of AI in legal documents, the judge opted not to impose financial penalties.

A federal judge is currently considering whether to refer several U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers for disciplinary action over their handling of deportation cases involving Venezuelan immigrants. The issue stems from allegations that government attorneys may have misrepresented facts or failed to disclose key information in court regarding the Biden administration’s shifting stance on protections for Venezuelan nationals. The judge expressed concern that the conduct may have misled the court or compromised the integrity of proceedings. A decision on the potential referral could carry serious professional implications for the lawyers involved and may spark broader scrutiny of DOJ practices in politically sensitive immigration matters.