Cyberbullying and Suicides: 5 States Want New Laws New York, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, and Maine are among a growing list of states who want to put more comprehensive measures in place to combat cyberbullying. Growing concerns over a recent spate of suicides from cyberbullying in the digital age have made lawmakers sit up and take note that new laws conforming to the new realities are sorely needed. The recent incident... (5 views)
Scope of Computer Fraud Law Limited by the 9th Circuit In a major 9-2 decision on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, San Francisco held that the government's interpretation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act was broader than intended. The court opined that if the government’s interpretation was to be accepted then strict application would lead to the prosecution of millions of citizens for harmless activities.... (5 views)
Early Investing: Get Rich Slow It's never too early to start squirreling away your newfound salary. Find answers to your most pressing questions about investing, then learn about three funds you should check out before you can say 'year-end bonus.' (5 views)
The Case of environmental disaster and Exxon By the time I was halfway through ''Beowolf,'' I began to feel a little sorry for the dragon. I was 12. Now I am considerably older. I've been reading Case No. 07-276 in the Supreme Court, and I'm feeling a little sorry for ExxonMobil Corp. The thing is, even dragons have their good sides. (5 views)
How "emotion's play a decisive role in the court rooms At least once in everyone's life there comes a time when a decision is made purely on emotion. Whether it involves agreeing to see the ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend even though you know you really shouldn't, buying those expensive but fabulous stiletto heels, or eating that dessert after already indulging in a four- or five-course meal, sometimes you just let your brain... (5 views)
Law Firm Heller Ehrman Suffers Losses With 65 staff members fired and two leading partners now at rival firms, what does the future hold for law firm Heller Ehrman? (5 views)
Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit Construes Attorney’s Advice as Property In a curious case of extortion, the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld last week the conviction of investment adviser Giridhar Sekhar, holding that an attorney’s legal counsel can be construed as “property” to justify extortion charge. (5 views)
Lawsuit against FBI Surveillance of California Mosques Tossed Out On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney dismissed a lawsuit charging that the FBI violated civil liberties by sending an informant into several California mosques to spy on US Muslims. In his 36-page order, the judge wrote that he was reluctant to dismiss the case before it could be litigated, but was compelled to do so in balancing national security against... (5 views)
The Advantage of installing a Wireless network to stay connected on the Internet You started your own firm and are growing your business and doing what you love. But you didn't go to law school to become an IT person. With your own practice comes the responsibility of setting up and maintaining the required technology for getting business done—likely several computers, a printer/fax machine, and a reliable connection to the Internet. The question... (5 views)
Bar Groups of New York City Challenge NY Indigent Defense Plan Six bar groups have challenged the legality of the indigent defense plan of New York City, which was adopted in 2010. The plan of the city to shift tens of thousands of criminal cases from the hands of private attorneys to the Legal Aid Society and other nonprofit groups has come under scathing criticism. (5 views)
Faulty Software Scares Law Students 08/15/07 After taking the two-day bar exam in New York on a laptop, hundreds of students came close to losing their essay answers when the software on their computers malfunctioned. (5 views)
Preparing For and Taking Law Exams Lawyers are constantly chided about “legalese,” a phrase that has come to mean verbosity and pomposity. There is a one- word response to these gripes, however, that even the most ardent lawyer-hater cannot argue with: precision. Yes, we would like our contracts to read as smoothly as an Elmore Leonard thriller. But it’s much more important that they accurately... (5 views)
Secretaries as a Resource During Your Legal Job Search THESE PEOPLE ARE VERY USEFUL DURING THE LAW JOB HUNT. THEY can also serve as enormous obstacles. Luck and some skill will aid in distinguishing among the secretaries and receptionists that can for (5 views)
Terrorist-Financing Suit against Arab Bank Dismissed On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by a U.S. citizen wounded in the Middle East seeking damages and holding Arab Bank liable for his injuries as allegedly it provided support to the Palestinian group Hamas. U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein held that the plaintiff, Matt Gill had failed to prove that the Arab Bank was responsible for the injuries he had... (5 views)
Lawyers Finding Jobs in the Financial Industry No corporation could long exist without a financial control center which may be known variously as the treasurer's office, comptroller's office or the accounting and finance department. In some corporations it also includes a separate and distinct internal audit department which on a day-to-day basis performs duties similar to those of an outside auditor, but in greater... (5 views)
Volunteering at Expensive Legal Conferences to Make Contacts Dear Lawcrossing, My boyfriend wants to go into Securities Law. We found out about a seminar being given next month in New York City on securities law, and obviously there will be many securities practitioners there. We think it would be a great opportunity but it costs over a thousand dollars! He is a recent law school grad, awaiting bar results ... in other words,... (5 views)
Strategies for Recovering After Blowing a Major Interview Dear Lawcrossing, I feel like a complete idiot. I went to a job fair and I got an interview with my dream employer. It was scheduled for four o'clock. I didn't want to stand around for the rest of the day so I signed up for three interviews with other employers before that, and they turned out to be all in a row. By the time I got to the interview I really wanted, I was... (5 views)
Lawyer Not Expressing Suspicion about a Juror Doesn’t Constitute Ineffective Counsel On Thursday, U.S. District Judge William Pauley denied the motion for a new trial by convicted Deutsche Bank employee David Parse, who claimed that he deserved a retrial as his lawyers hid their suspicions about a juror who lied about her identity, and thus he was provided ineffective counsel. However, the federal court in Manhattan found that the lawyers had hidden their... (5 views)
Preparing for Your Semester at Law School You should set aside as much time as possible before school starts to prepare for your classes. Used properly, this period could be one of the most productive of the entire semester. You will be able to come to the first lecture with a good lead on most of your fellow students and you will have time available right from the beginning to handle not only the mandatory... (5 views)
Reviewing Your Skills to Ensure You Get the Right Type of Job Before you start looking for a job, you need to know what type of job you want. For people who have had extensive experience or who have a license or certificate in one type of job, this is a simple decision. Licensed beauticians, electricians, barbers, teachers, social workers, auto repairpersons, plumbers, and so forth usually know exactly what type of job they... (5 views)
Facing the Geographical Challenges of a Job Most of us would prefer a job that is close to home—ideally within a short walking distance. But jobs are rarely so convenient, so many people must travel great distances. The problem may be that you live in a small town that has very few jobs. Or you may live in a suburban residential area that has virtually no jobs. Or the type of job you prefer may not exist near your... (5 views)
Enhancing Your Legal Practice With Qualitative Group Surveys If individual interviews cannot or will not be used by an attorney to gather client information, a group interview or "focus group" is an effective option. In the case of firms and even practice groups, the technique uses panels of clients to focus on broad concerns. (5 views)
How to Respond to Denial, Wait-Listing and Other Disappointments If you have followed our suggested approach, you have applied to six to ten schools. Only one or two of them are in the "likely" category and several others are very likely to turn you down. Prepare yourself for rejection by some of your choices. (In fact, if you get into every school, perhaps you have not aimed high enough.) (5 views)
Stephen Martin Thinks Outside the Box as General Counsel for Corpedia, Inc. Stephen Martin believes that a successful general counsel needs to have the ability to think outside the box and to be proactive. (5 views)
Being Sure About Yourself before Joining a Paralegal Program Many variables come into play when comparing paralegal training programs; in addition to the type and length of the program, cost, location, and reputation of the school must also be taken into account. So how do you begin to determine which program is right for you? Start by taking stock of yourself. You have to figure out what you need to get out of a paralegal training... (5 views)
How Attorneys Can Enhance the Role of Their Staff in External Marketing Training for business development involves workshops, seminars, and courses aimed at sharpening client/service skills. It involves programs for attorneys, professional staff, and support employees. In larger firms, training can be provided using in-house resources. Examples are: (5 views)
Can a legal career run in a the family for three decades? Ever wonder what it's like to grow up in a family full of attorneys? Kfir Luzzatto and John Pendleton could tell you. Both of them said that having a tradition of law in their families instilled in them love and respect for the legal profession. (5 views)
Keeping a Record Keep a record of each resume sent and note the dates of your calls and interviews. Also indicate the results of each call and interview, and follow-up with thank-you letters. Don't leave anything to your memory; maintain a written record. (5 views)
Which Job Must I Take Up? You've spent weeks on the hunt and you've bagged your quarry: two or three job offers. Now you have a new problem. Your thoughts change from "How do I get the job I want?" to "Which one shall I accept?" What? You think that's an easy decision and that you'd take the job that offers the most money? Well, maybe yes, and maybe no. There's more to be considered than just... (5 views)