| Volume 88 Number 9 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
If you have reason to believe your personal information has been compromised and you may become a victim of identity theft, put in a fraud alert with the credit bureau. Federal law requires that the credit bureau keep this alert on your file for 90 days.
Find out how to learn more about preventing identity theft!
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Senate Passes Student Loan Rate Deal
On Wednesday, the Senate passed a bipartisan deal to temporarily lower undergraduate student loan interest rates to 3.86%. The rates will be retroactive to July 1, when student loan rates jumped to 6.8%. The deal has both House and White House support.
Student loan dollar amounts will be capped based on the student's academic year (freshman, sophomore, etc.). Graduate students will pay 5.41% for loans this fall.
If rates on Treasury notes rise, so to will rate on student loans.
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House Rejects Plan to Stop NSA
A coalition of unlikely allies (on both sides) teamed up for a showdown at a US House of Representatives vote on whether to restrict the broad authority of the National Security Administration. By a very narrow vote, the House rejected an effort to curb NSA surveillance authority.
What happened? What side do you take?
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The World's Worst Airports
Do you loathe spending time at the airport?
Airports can be both exhausting and frustrating, especially for frequent fliers. However, some travelers may have it worse than others.
According to a recent list, New York's La Guardia airport is especially bad, with few frills and terrible connecting transportation. LAX and DFW also score poorly for an entirely different set of reasons.
What are the worst airports in the world? Why?
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Your Money
How long will your money last with systematic withdrawals?
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For the Lawyers
Court follows Sutter and affirms attorneys’ fee award.
The D.C. Court of Appeals relied on the Supreme Court’s opinion in Oxford Health Plans LLC v. Sutter, 569 U.S. ___ (June 10, 2013), and refused to vacate an arbitration attorneys’ fee award. Co-counsel argued the arbitrator exceeded his powers by addressing an issue outside the scope of the arbitration and by basing his award on notions of ethics instead of the co-counsel agreement.
In its analysis, the court summarized that the “‘sole question’ before the court in a challenge [that an arbitrator exceeded his power] is ‘whether the arbitrator (even arguably) interpreted the parties’ contract,’” citing Sutter. Given that limited question, and the fact that the court said there was “no doubt” the arbitrator reached his decisions after interpreting the parties’ co-counsel agreement, the court affirmed the district court’s denial of the motion to vacate.
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