Corporate Law Firms – A Layman’s Explanation

We’ve all seen the dramatic depictions of criminal defense attorneys in shows like Law and Order, but there’s much more to the world of legal practice. Although they don’t share the same dose of cinematic limelight as criminal trials, corporate law firms play a big role in how the business world and the overall economy operate.

The History

In the United States, each state has its own system of corporate rules and regulations. Following World War II, the American Bar Association created the Model Business Corporation Act in an effort to standardize the widely disparate legal standards regarding businesses state by state. Now followed by 24 states, the revised MBCA dictates state level regulations while federal laws dictate publicly traded corporations. After the Great Depression, Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933 to regulate the sale of securities on a federal level and inform investors on business operations with appropriate disclosure. While legislation alters particular aspects of law over time, these acts remain influential in how business is conducted and how corporate law firms advise companies to this day.

The Numbers

According to Harvard Law School, there are “between 760,000 and 1,100,000” lawyers practicing in the United States as of 2007. The numbers are difficult to pinpoint but around six percent of those lawyers work in business law. The largest concentration being insurance, with around 11,000 lawyers actively practicing in this field. After insurance, the largest sectors are employment, manufacturing, commercial banks, and investment banks and securities. Each of these sectors employs around 4,000 lawyers. The corporations with the largest in-house corporate law departments in 2006 were familiar names like Citigroup, GE, Liberty Mutual, and State Farm. While these in-house legal departments are large, Citigroup alone employed 1,500 lawyers in 2006, independent corporate law firms still employ the majority of lawyers. In terms of location, most of these lawyers work in the US, but a growing number of US attorneys practice outside the US with top law firms basing around ten percent of their employees abroad. At around 5,000, the United Kingdom has the largest amount of US lawyers in a foreign country.

What They Do

On a basic level, corporate lawyers advise companies on the legality of operations, from legal obligations regarding transactions to the internal responsibilities like accounting and employee contracts. They facilitate transactions between corporations to ensure full legal compliance in their specific industries. As such, the corporate lawyer generally needs to be well versed in contract laws, licensing and tax laws. Larger corporations tend to employ in-house legal counsel while smaller corporations contract external counsel from corporate law firms for specific needs like drafting company governance policies and stock option plans.

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Is Law School Worth It Anymore

Personal anecdote: I have a friend, well call him Fletcher, who is considering enrolling in law school as soon as he finishes his undergraduate studies at Syracuse University. Ever since Ive known Fletcher, he has dreamed of pursuing a career in law. The field of law has changed over the years. At first he was looking to be a criminal defense attorney, one day he decided to pursue immigration law, then there was the year he thought he should specialize in copyright law. Right now, Fletcher is in ambition mode, and wants to primarily focus on constitutional law. That is he attends law school at all. His once unwavering enthusiasm has been somewhat tampered as his undergrad days come to a close. Many of his family friends have been working at steering him away from applying to law schools. Fletcher says he receives a few articles a week in his e-mail inbox from these people, all of which paint a gloomy outlook for law school students? Why, I asked myself and him. Shouldnt those who want to enroll in law school be encouraged? Sure, its a tough route, but doesnt it lead to one of the most lucrative careers an American possibly have?

The answer is that used to be true. That used to be true even as recently as 2007. That year was a record breaking year for law school graduates in search of employment. Many of these graduates were able to find entry level positions at some of the biggest law firms in the country, firms that offer a sizeable starting salary. This was the boom year. But like so many booms, a bust inevitably follows. This bust happened fairly quickly too. In March of 2012 alone, the legal industry lost close to 1,300. Thats on top of the staggering loss of jobs in 2011, which equated to 2,500. According to the National Association for Legal Career Professionals, only 87.6 of law school graduates are currently employed, the lowest that total has been since 1996. Of those currently employed, only 50.9% of them had careers at a law firm.

The decline in employment for law school students can be traced back to a few reasons. One of them is the general state of the American economy. The entire country is currently plagued by an unemployment epidemic. Even as jobs are steadily increasing, it is happening far too slowly. The unemployment rate has been slightly north of the 8% mark for the past year. The boom of 2007 is another reason that many recent law school graduates are having a terrible time finding work. Since so many of those top positions were filled only a few years back, the top candidates have been forced to seek employment at mid-level firms in smaller markets. This shakes all the way down to the mom and pop firms that employ two to ten attorneys. While graduates who are able to land jobs even at the latter firms are typically grateful to have been able to find employment at all, the salary is far lower than what they were anticipating on.

The looming problem for these graduates is the debt they are in the second they graduate. According to U.S. News & World Report, the average law school student graduates with a debt burden of $100,433, and this is a debt they have to start paying immediately. For a lot of recent graduates who cant find employment, paying the monthly fee is at best impossible. This exorbitant debt is largely attributed to the skyrocketing tuitions at law schools. Even schools listed in the bottom fourth of law schools have tuitions north of $37,000 per year.

People like my friend Fletcher are all of a sudden being dissuaded from pursuing law school. In the past, people have been dissuaded only because of the huge work load and a lack of passion. But for possibly the first time, there are monetary reasons as well. For more information about labor and employment or automobile accident lawyers, check these out.

Benjamin Leavitt – Domestic violence lawyer Westchester, NY

Benjamin Leavitt puts forth the strongest criminal defense strategy possible to defend you in a criminal case.

I graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2001. While there, I was an editor of Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, a director of legal clinical programs and was recognized for my role in the law school’s public service program. I have been, and continue to be, dedicated to defending those in need. As a Public Defender in New Hampshire (one of most respected defender programs in the country), I saw countless cases where hardworking people caught up in the legal system and who benefited from experienced legal assistance. My success there carried over into my representation of clients in private practice in Manhattan. While taking a passionate interest in your defense and your personal needs, I will also be your advocate in the courts, putting my knowledge of the law and trial skills to work. No lawyer can guarantee success, but with a proven track record, I strive to bring you the best possible outcome. I am a member in good standing with the: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers New York Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers New York Defenders Association New York State Bar Association Westchester County Bar Association When you find yourself in need of experienced legal assistance, whatever the matter may be, contact me at Leavitt Legal today.

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How Can You Help Your Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injury lawyer needs your help for filing your personal injury claim after the accident and your help throughout the case is vital for winning your claim case. The various help offered by you all through the claiming procedure can reward you with a successful settlement in the end. You should collect maximum possible evidences from the accident scene because you are the person involved in the accident and readily available in the accident area.

Your personal injury lawyer will find it useful if you record all information of evidences related to the accident whether it is road accident, personal injury case or a car accident, the information you offer will help your lawyer to properly plan to get your entitled settlement amount. The help you offer your lawyer include the following:

=Preserve copies of bills such as hospital bills, medical bills and medicine bills with the duplicate copies made.

=Record any other accident related expenses and obtain receipts for them.

=Maintain a perfect record for the number days you lost your wages.

=In order to prove efficiently you should maintain a perfect record of the drugs you have taken such as pain medicines, muscle relaxants and details of any other medicines if taken. You should also record the amount of relief received by taking those medicines. This will help your lawyer to prove the depth of pain suffered by you.

=You should take photographs of the injuries because photos can be additional support to prove severity of the accident.

=If your motor vehicle is damaged in the accident do not try to repair it before taking photos of the damages from all possible angles. Photos will help your lawyer to prove the accident in case your claim case goes to a court of law for final settlement.

=You should obtain a repair estimate for repairing your damaged motor vehicle. This will help your lawyer to prove how severe was the collision.

=It is important for you to maintain a diary with all details recorded right from the time of accident.

If the above listed directions are followed carefully it will help your personal injury lawyer to build your claim case for a maximum settlement amount from your opponent.

You can also help your personal injury lawyer by recollecting certain information from around the accident area. Information such as model and make of the other vehicle and registration number will be of great help for your lawyer in the process of your case. If you are able to collect names and contact details of witnesses your lawyer will be able to prepare them for winning your claim case. An accident report from any authority from the accident spot will be helpful to your lawyer to prove the accident. Collecting information regarding the other driver’s insurance details is very important for your lawyer to negotiate for an out of court settlement. On the whole it is very important for you to offer all the information to your lawyer that may have some influence on your accident.

Law Courses And Career Scope

If the world of law inspires you and the system of justice fascinates you, a career in law is for you. Legal profession is a fast growing, lucrative and the most respected career in India today. It is a very exciting and adventurous career. To pursue a career in law, one needs to pursue professional law courses. There are a number of institutes and universities in India that offer law courses. One could specialize into one of the various arms of law such as: corporation law, civil law, criminal law, and international law, labor law, patent law, tax law and so on.

In India, both government and private institutes offer under-graduate and post-graduate law courses to students. One could pursue LLB and LLM after graduation from these universities. Apart from the degree law courses, some institutes also offer diploma law courses in various disciplines such as Administrative Law, International Law, Labour Laws, Tax Laws and Corporate Laws. These small law courses are also helpful in building a successful career in law.

There are various branches of specialization in the field of law. These include civil law, criminal law, corporate law, property law, income tax law, marine law, public international law, family law, labour law, press law, excise law, constitutional law, administration law, sale of goods law, trade mark, copyright and patent law etc. Thus, there are numerous options for one to choose from. The eligibility to pursue LLB is 10+2. Course duration is 3-5 years and for a PG programme in law, the eligibility is LLB degree. Duration of LLM is two years. Once you pursue a course in law, you can opt for employment in different courts of law, in government service, as a law teacher, as a legal advisor to a company or a business house. One could also practice privately as a legal advisors advocate, solicitor etc.

On completion of the course, one can enroll with the local State Central Bar council. The Bar Council of India and the State Bar Councils are the statutory bodies that form a self regulated code of law for legal professionals practicing in India. Thus, all aspiring lawyers are required to enroll with these councils. Lawyers enjoy a position of reputation in the society and their services are required at different fronts in different situations of life. One falls back to the legal system when all else fails so the demand for legal practitioners is always high in society. During any dispute or a matter of legal concern, it is the duty of lawyers to counsel their clients about their legal rights. Lawyers suggest legal remedies and course of action in matters of contention. It is also the duty of lawyers to draw up legal documents like wills and contracts. Lawyers also represent clients in court and tribunal proceedings and conduct negotiations on behalf of their clients. .

To become a successful lawyer, just academic qualification is not sufficient. One needs to acquire professional competence through experience and practice under the mentorship of efficient lawyers. One learns the ropes of the profession and the shrewdness that is required with experience. The personal attributes that are required to be a good lawyer include communication skills, patience, logical reasoning, and a very good memory. A good lawyer would be well updated with the latest information on nay changes in law and would have done a fair amount of reading.

With a law degree, if one takes up additional qualification too, it will help in making the person eligible for a variety of employment opportunities such as government services where lawyers are appointed through UPSC and can join Indian Legal Service and serve as Law officers, Dy. Legal Advisors and Legal Advisors. One can also join judiciary where the posts are that of the magistrate, district and sessions judge, sub-magistrate, public prosecutor, solicitors, attorney general, advocate general, notary and oath commissioner. Then, there are law inspectors, legal officers in banks, judicial members of income tax, sales tax and excise departments, government advocates and staff in the registrar of companies’ office. Thus, there is no dearth of employment opportunities for those who have done law courses. With a law degree and an additional course, one can aspire to make a very successful career in the field of law.

Few useful links:
www.shiksha.com
http://arts.shiksha.com/getCategoryPage/colleges/arts/All/All/Law-Legal

Choosing the right immigration asylum lawyer

When you ask for asylum in the United States of America, you must have a very good reason for doing so. Immigration asylum is generally given to people that have been oppressed by the governments of their own countries, as a result of several reasons ranging from skin colour, sexual orientation, and race to political differences, different views and ideas, and even speaking your mind and standing up for what is right. However, asking for asylum is not enough to get you in the clear. You have to convince the US government that you deserve it, and that you really are persecuted by your government. This is where an immigration asylum lawyer comes handy. That is not easy, and can be quite daunting and difficult if done alone. You don’t have any experience practicing law in the United States, and you certainly don’t know the entire constitution and immigration legislations, not to mention the fact that you might not even be able to speak the language correctly, let alone compile a case and build a strong defence around it. The best chance you have is with an immigration asylum lawyer

by your side. And while you’re at it, why not pick the best one? Picking the best one is a hard thing to do, because each and every one of them will advertise themselves as much as they can as being the best asylum immigration So what you have to do is look beyond the advertising and look at how they actually present themselves. Look at the immigration asylum lawyer’s past work, look at how they express themselves, and look for their confidence in your case. If you feel that a certain immigration asylum lawyer is confident, you will feel confident around them and you will know that together you will have higher chances of success. After you make up your mind, and you chose your immigration asylum lawyer, you have to work with him/her on your case. You have to build a case together, build a solid defences together, compile evidence together, and do everything that is in your power to iron out all the kinks and creases before you go to your interview or court hearing.

You Might Qualify for a Grant for Improving Ontario Water

The current application deadline is June 30, 2012 and then there will likely be a re-institution of a similar program in several stages: four application periods for a water testing grant. Grant recipients are receiving up to 80% of eligible costs for things like upgrading or decommissioning a well; sealing and capping abandoned and unused water wells; connecting to a municipal drinking line – the funding goes toward labor costs, fess, materials, and supplies.

The Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program – Early Response program was created under the Clean Water Act (2006) to provide the funding for projects that protect municipal water supplies from contamination. Landowners in Well Head Protection Areas (WHPA) and Intake Protection Zones (IPZ) may be eligible to apply for grants to reduce the risk. Communities will be required to form a plan to protect the sources of the drinking water for the municipality and take action to reduce the risk.

From spring 2007 to spring 2010 there was twenty-one million dollars available in total for projects like decommissioning or upgrading wells, septic system inspections, runoff and erosion control, and pollution prevention reviews for businesses.

Surface pollutants can potentially get into ground water through abandoned, unsealed, or improperly maintained wells. The risk of contamination to local aquifers and drinking water sources can be reduced by upgrading, repairing, or decommissioning such wells. If a landowner has a well in an area that could contaminate groundwater of municipal sources, then he qualifies for the grant.

The protection of public water sources is refreshingly open to public participation. The planning process is open to the community; the act also requires that the plans and actions be based on good science. This has been the tradition since 1882 when they brought out the Municipal Waterworks Act to begin a municipal water system – paid for by municipal taxes rather than provincial funding.

The need for constant maintenance of clean water systems was made apparent by the Walkerton tragedy where, in May 2000 drinking water contaminated with E. coli and campylobacter bacteria killed seven people and made over 2,300 ill. A number of pieces of legislation dealing with preserving clean water were passed after Walkerton, including the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act., the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Nutrient Management Act, and the Drinking Water Systems Regulation.

There are about two dozen laboratories licensed by the Provincial government to carry out water quality testing in Ontario. The Province has been a leader in clean water technologies through the participation of municipal, provincial, and federal governments. The safe treatment of wastewater and the access to clean drinking water are ensured by those laws. Municipalities first managed Ontario water systems in 1849 with the passage of the Baldwin Act (Municipal Act). Until that time water systems were owned by private citizens.

Farmers, landowners, and small and medium businesses can get financial assistance for activities that reduce threats of contamination to water sources. Protecting the water resources is everybody’s responsibility so there are dozens of laboratories licensed to carry out well testing and other water testing services to prevent a rash of deaths similar to Walkerton.

The second phase of the Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program started in January, 2011 under the supervision of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment that represents the province’s 36 conservation authorities. The second phase is voluntary and tackles specific threats to public water sources. Over 2,100 projects were supported by the ODWSP in its first four years.

Legal Immigration Difficulties

I decided to begin a conversation using the issues of legal immigration, due to the fact they are the most severe and most tough problems of immigrants. The first guidance could be to seek out immigration lawyer will assist you to to legal problems might be. Locate immigration lawyer could be challenging and pricey, so I gave some recommendations on legal immigration. Common difficulties of legal immigration before immigrants from about the planet:

* To obtain permission to remain residence over initially believed when I wrote a temporary visa which permits only stay for 3 months and now you would like to remain longer or permanently.
* To obtain permission to perform pursuits that you are not currently approved to accomplish these kinds of work. This can be just about the most typical difficulties along with your immigration status is defined by your visa (entry paperwork), only to justify selected actions.
* Give mother and father within the region, by way of example, husband or wife, young children, parents or fiance (e) to join you within the new region of residence.
* On the danger of leaving the new host region.
* Because the custody of immigration authorities within a detention center or the airport. What occurred to my mothers and fathers who had legal immigration documents and was arrested in the airport for greater than two hrs, just due to the fact the immigration authorities on the airport could not understand how African college students had the money to fly into and from the U.S., so he determined that he’s involved in suspicious exercise. We needed to get immigration legal professional to assist us. It has also been not too long ago renowned Indian Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan was detained within the U.S. in the airport. So even folks legal immigration paperwork, US immigration issue, some just depending on discrimination, racial or otherwise.
* Do you have a passport and didn’t know regardless of whether you might be eligible for US passport from home.
* Need to grow to be a citizen, and you also change your immigration status.
* Keen to travel (eg, emergency or family members leave), but were afraid to travel because you usually do not know no matter whether you would return in the new nation of residence.
* Do you’ve got the best to make use of state services or declare benefits, these as schooling, well being, housing, social services, housing benefits, Council tax benefit. Be aware: This also applies to legal immigrants who pay taxes, though they at times usually do not qualify for social benefits.
* Do you might have the best to vote.
* A relative or pal has to be returned towards the airport or harbor once they arrive for you.ou.

In the agencies of New Jersey Immigration Attorney every consumer is treated having a excellent deal of value and we make certain that all your needs is going to be met with as significantly pace as accuracy that your situation demands.

Quantum Physics On Manifestation And Creating Your Reality With The Law Of Attraction

Thoughts are things waiting to materialize. If you know much about physics, you recognize that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. It simply changes from a solid form to energy and visa-versa. This brings us to the concept that our thoughts create our reality.

Taken on a purely non scientific but psychological level, you can see how your mind affects your actions. If you believe that someone dislikes you, you find ways of proving it true and also react differently to that person. Your behavior in effect, changes the way they perceive you and suddenly they do dislike you, whether your hypothesis was true or not originally.

This phenomenon was proven in a study by Rosenthal and Jacobson. It is labeled as Rosenthals self-fulfilling prophecy, also known as the Pygmalion Effect. Rosenthal and his partner, Jacobson, gave a test to elementary school children in 1968. They told the teacher that the test measured the childs intelligence and some of the children were particularly gifted. The results that the teacher received were actually the locker numbers of the children. By the end of the school year, a second test was administered to the children and the vast majority lived up to the potential of the locker numbers. This shows that the way the teacher thought about the children reflected in their accomplishment.

Quantum physics is the study of the most minute particles and their behavior. The word, particles, is inadequate because they are more than that. They are either waves or particles. The study shows that all material objects we see are made of the same energy, even humans. This energy creates the illusion of solids that we see everyday, but the underlying mass is not solid but a pulsating mass of particles and energy combined.

The question comes, can you change that energy with thoughts, still more energy. Often when you study the art of visualization, it emphasizes that you shouldnt watch for your goal to happen but let it occur naturally. In quantum physics, there are studies that show that the observer of an experiment actually changes the outcome. Could it be that our minds have the ability to change the mass of the universe, but that is thwarted by our own inability to trust the power and like a simmering stew, we keep checking it. Many people that practice creative visualization believe this is true.

If, the quarks, the smallest known particle, change to waves of energy, then, by the logic of physics, additional energy could change them to a direction that is desired. This would cause a materialization of a new form of solid mass. This may be the secret discovered by ancient practitioners of Yoga and other meditative practices. The slower brainwave brought about by meditation may be the key to the secrets of the ancients, all the way from Early Egyptian Mystery Schools, the ancient practice of Qigong, Yoga, and Wicca a form of meditation and silence occurred, although some after a whirlwind of ritual, that came with discipline and belief. Could these ancients have had the secret all along, only to lose it through the centuries of inadequate science? Now, new science finds that they were correct in their actions, even if they did not know why.

What You Need to Know When Contracting a Personal Injury Lawyer Tampa FL

We like to live with the thought that nothing bad can happen to us. However, a moment of inattention or simply bad luck can put us in a position where we have to face an accident caused by another person, often without bad intentions. Even if you don’t want to heard about such incident happening, the article below you can learn about your rights as a victim in an incident and also how you can receive compensation.

Steps to achieve a claim for personal injury

When customers contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Tampa FL, two of the most common questions they ask are “how long will it take?” And “how much will I get?”. Unfortunately, neither of these questions have an universal answer, because each case is unique and is influenced by several variables. Nevertheless, understanding what are the key factors can help you get a better evaluation of your case.

How much will I get?

As each case is unique, an estimate of the amount that can be claimed as compensation can not be made until all the details accident lawyer. Typically, cases are handled for Judicial Studies Board Guidelines (Judicial Studies Board – JSB – Guidelines), but judges may not literally follow this guide practice. Usually you can learn more about this procedure guide sites law firms dealing with such cases.

The first step you need to do is to find a lawyer to represent you. Later, once you have accepted the case, your lawyer must establish a private medical consultation to support your application, after which you will be able to get a more accurate estimate of how much compensation you could get. The medical report will be combined with any information you can provide on how the injury will affect the defendant to present your application.

In addition to compensation for the injury itself, your lawyer may include the following in the claim:

1. Damage to property, including clothing

2. Medical and drug costs

3. Travel and parking expenses sustained to reach the site of treatment

4. Care and support

5. Loss of income due to injury

6. Stress, loss experience, missing special events, depression and anxiety.

However, a good Personal Injury Lawyer Tampa FL will take the time to ensure that no detail is overlooked in the presentation of your application, since this could not only affect not only your chance of winning, but also the final amount of compensation.