Wake Up Call: Facebook Fight Pits ACLU Against NJ Law Firm

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• A small dispute over a New Jersey Facebook group is growing into a larger legal battle centered on the politically connected law firm Rainone Coughlin Minchello. The firm, co-founded by New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and known for representing local governments, is defending three community group administrators while also pursuing a counterclaim accusing plaintiffs Alan Levy and Lisa Vandever-Levy of “malicious abuse of process.” (Politico)
• High Point University’s Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law received provisional approval from the American Bar Association. The school launched in fall 2024 with an inaugural class of 72 students. A second cohort of 75 students began classes in August 2025. (National Jurist)
• Las Vegas trial lawyer Steve Morris died at 88. In the fallout of the 1980 fatal MGM Grand fire, Morris became head counsel for the hotel, which had been sued by relatives of those who died in the fire. He also represented multiple other resorts along the Vegas Strip before retiring in 2024. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Cheryl Isaac joined Alston & Bird as a partner in its financial services group in Washington.
• Phyllis Young joined Eversheds Sutherland as a partner in its finance practice in Houston.