Happy Monday! Check out Law Street’s best stories of the week below, ICYMI:

1. Senator Claire McCaskill Live Tweets Jury Duty

Most people don’t really like jury duty. Turns out that Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri, is not most people. The senior U.S. Senator from Missouri and lawyer took to Twitter today to live tweet her jury duty experiences, and proclaimed that serving on a jury is on her “bucket list.” Read the full article here.

2. What We Can Learn from the Boy who Snuck into the Democratic Debate

Amidst commentary on how Hillary Clinton has ramped up, pointed attacks on Bernie Sanders, and Sanders’ constant mention of how well he is polling, you may have missed one of the most interesting points of the Democratic debate this past weekend: a 17-year-old boy in a handmade silk jacket who–although he didn’t seem out of place–certainly wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Check out the story here.

3. Best Legal Tweets of the Week

Twitter is a great place for law school students, lawyers, and those interested in the legal field to vent their feelings. Check out the top legal tweets of the week in the slideshow here.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ICYMI: Best of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Most people don’t really like jury duty. Turns out that Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri, is not most people. The senior U.S. Senator from Missouri and lawyer took to Twitter today to live tweet her jury duty experiences, and proclaimed that serving on a jury is on her “bucket list.”

McCaskill’s Twitter feed included tips for potential jurors, including seat choice, lunch recommendations, and fashion advice:

As usual Callow has succinct advice. “@publiceyestl Sit near an outlet.” Check. pic.twitter.com/QnfertUqZZ

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 25, 2016

I recommend dark casual slacks and gray cardigan. #whatimwearinghttps://t.co/6cZEOvQrCv

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 25, 2016

I brought some salad and hard boiled eggs from home. #preparedhttps://t.co/8AxnEkMCfK

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 25, 2016

McCaskill also shared an amusing series of tweets about the control of the TV in the waiting area for the jurors:

This is gonna get https://t.co/AGxJhnqDyc in the room where we’re waiting.Someone for the remote. Now what channel? #pleasegodnotfoxnews

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 25, 2016

Are you crazy? No way I want the remote. I work for these people… https://t.co/3j8X28gLbV — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 25, 2016

Remote person settled on Comedy Central. Not bad, kinda safe choice. But noticed one woman grimacing over off color jokes. #juryroomdrama — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 25, 2016

Eventually, McCaskill did get called into the back for a voir dire–essentially both sides questioning her to determine if she’ll be on the jury–but it’s unclear whether or not she’ll actually make it on to the jury itself. Given that she’s a lawyer in addition to being a U.S. Senator, it’s unlikely.   

A lawyer I know just walked by me in hallway, did double take, said hello and “they don’t want lawyers”

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 25, 2016

After receiving her JD from the University of Missouri, McCaskill worked as a prosecutor in Kansas City, as well as in private practice, and she clerked for a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals. Lawyers often exclude those with legal backgrounds for their juries however, due to perceived biases that could sway the juror’s view of the case, whether consciously or not, or that other jurors could defer to them because of their legal background.

We’ll have to stay tuned to McCaskill’s Twitter feed to see if she ended up being selected, but either way, she found a fun way to pass the time while she waited.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Have you ever gone to check out of your hotel room, maybe after a nice relaxing vacation, only to discover that there are “resort fees” that you owe? Resort fees can include things like use of the pool, wi-fi, housekeeping, or “complimentary” breakfast. But they usually aren’t advertised up front, so these fees come as an unpleasant surprise to the guests when they try to check out. But, if Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez gets her way, Congress will do something to protect consumers from these tricky hidden fees.

Ramirez wrote a letter to 10 members of Congress, asking for them to draft legislation to prevent hotels from charging these expensive, and hidden fees. She specifically targeted representatives who had previously spoken out against the fees. Last year Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) called on the FTC to investigate online hotel booking sites and the hidden fees they may have that “push the price of the hotel room beyond what the actual hotel would charge.” Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) and Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania)  have also encouraged the FTC to look into these fees. Right now, the FTC looks into each allegation individually, on a case-by-case basis, and has warned different hotels that their hidden fees may “violate the law” in the past.

A study by a non-profit consumer advocacy group called Travelers United recently found that these kinds of fees have been increasing in California, with “nearly 200 hotels in California charging an average mandatory resort fee of $17 per night.”  However, a hotel trade group, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, has stated that the number of hotels that charge these fees is on a decline overall. Rosanna Maietta, a spokeswoman for the group, stated:

The lodging industry provides guests full disclosure for resort fees charged upfront. Those fees, in addition to the base travel and hotel charges, remain transparent whether consumers book online or with the hotel directly.

However, that hasn’t stopped people from getting surprised with resort fees, and many Americans believe that fees should be disclosed before guests book anything. A poll commissioned by Travelers United found that 80 percent of respondents want resort fees included in advertised pricing, and 87 percent would be less likely to stay at a hotel if they were charged fees for amenities they did not use or want.

Whether Congress will actually take action will be interesting to watch–given that a few congresspeople have already been talking about the issue it certainly bodes well, but only time will tell.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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