Nov 28, 2017
Jim Layton of Tueth Keeney filed suit this morning on behalf of a member of the State Board of Education who Governor Greitens attempted to fire last week. Governor Greitens appointed Tim Sumners to the State Board in October. But on November 20, a member of the Governor’s staff called Mr. Sumners to say that the governor had “withdrawn” the appointment. Governor Greitens then appointed Jennifer Edwards to the Board. When Mr. Sumners appeared at the November
read more
Nov 15, 2017
Tueth Keeney’s Jim Layton has filed an application for transfer in the Missouri Supreme Court on behalf of the Cole County (Missouri) Assessor. The case, Union Electric (Ameren) v Estes (No. SC96781) is the lead appeal among those from 16 counties where Ameren sought lower assessments on natural gas distribution property. The amount ultimately at issue is significant to school districts and others who rely on property tax: the amount could be as much as $600,000 annually in Cole County
read more
Oct 17, 2017
In two October presentations, attorney Jim Layton of Tueth Keeney is training attorneys general in the United States about the art of legal writing. On October 13, Jim delivered a presentation on “Legal Writing in the Digital Age” to all the attorneys in the Utah Attorney General’s office. Later in the month of October, Jim will address the same topic as a faculty member “” for the seventh time “” at the NAGTRI Persuasive Legal
read more
Sep 13, 2017
Today Tueth Keeney attorney Jim Layton, formerly Missouri Solicitor General, spoke in the plenary session of the Missouri Judicial Conference in Kansas City. The Conference includes Missouri’s 142 circuit judges, 201 associate circuit judges, and 39 court of appeals and supreme court judges. Jim’s topic was, “Five things every Missouri judge should know about the Missouri constitution.” The “five things” Jim discussed are:
- It’s not very old.
- It’s not a delegation of power.
- It’s about procedure, not
read more
Jun 29, 2017
On July 13, Jim Layton of Tueth Keeney will join University of Missouri Law School Professor Emeritus Carl Esbeck speaking about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer. The event at the United States Courthouse is sponsored by the Federal Bar Association, the Federalist Society, and the Federal Practice Committee of the U.S. District Court. Jim, formerly Missouri’s Solicitor General, argued
read more
Jun 26, 2017
The United States Supreme Court ruled today in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, argued in April by Tueth Keeney attorney James Layton. The case arose from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources applying Missouri’s long-standing constitutional provision barring money from the public treasury from being given to a church. Similar language is found in constitutions in most other states. Here, the constitutional language was applied to exclude the preschool ministry of Trinity Lutheran
read more
Jun 22, 2017
Jim Layton, head of Tueth Keeney’s appellate practice group, was on the faculty of the 2017 “Appellate Forum,” an annual training program for all Missouri appellate judges, held at the University of Missouri Law School on June 22. Jim’s topic was “Five Things Every Judge Should Know About the Missouri Constitution.” Jim often taught State Constitutional Law during his 20 years as a adjunct professor at
read more
Jun 13, 2017
Nearly six years ago, the Board of Regents for what was then called Linn State Technical College required drug testing for all students. This month, the court challenge to that policy, which began in September 2011, came to a quiet end as the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider the case. The State Technical College policy was intended “to provide a safe, healthy and productive environment for everyone who learns and works at Linn State Technical college by detecting, preventing
read more
May 19, 2017
On May 19, Tueth Keeney’s Jim Layton spoke on “The Leap from e-Filing to e-Briefing” at the Kansas Bar’s 2017 Appellate Practice CLE in Topeka, Kansas. Jim is a member and former Chair of the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers. As part of the Council, in 2016 Jim served on the committee that researched and wrote the report from which Jim’s presentation took its name: “The Leap from
read more
Apr 28, 2017
Jim Layton, who heads Tueth Keeney’s Appellate Practice Group, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on April 19, 2017. Layton represented the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, a case challenging a provision of Missouri’s constitution that bars money from the “public treasury” from being given to churches. It was Layton’s fourth argument before the Court. The case received national attention, both because of the important federalism and First Amendment
read more
James R. Layton