Class action needs new lawyers
A U.S. judge ordered students in a class action over college financial aid to find new lawyers, temporarily pausing the litigation while counsel is replaced. The procedural disruption could delay outcomes and funding implications tied to high-profile university litigation. (reuters.com)
Henry et al. v. Brown University is docketed as No. 1:22-cv-00125 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, where U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly is the presiding judge. (courtlistener.com) The plaintiffs’ lead and settlement-class counsel listed on court filings include Berger Montague PC, Freedman Normand Friedland LLP, and Gilbert Litigators & Counselors. (docketalarm.com) Earlier tranches of settlements gained court approval totaling roughly $284 million from ten universities, and follow‑on approvals and additions have pushed aggregate settlements toward about $319–$320 million. (whyy.org) Court and press summaries identify several defendants who remained in active litigation after those tranches, including the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Cornell University, the University of Notre Dame, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (topclassactions.com) Local reporting and docket snippets say recent disclosures about outside financing — described in some accounts as a previously undisclosed or “secret cash” arrangement tied to the plaintiffs’ side — prompted heightened judicial scrutiny in late March 2026. (hoodline.com) Court dockets show active entries with a March 30, 2026 update, and the official settlement administrator and PR filings list final‑approval orders, notice plans, and class notices for multiple university settlement tranches. (courtlistener.com)
