If any small businesses have noticed the meteoric rise in “nerd culture” – from trivia nights to blockbuster comic book movies to the ever-expanding Comic Con that just completed in San Diego – they’ve probably been wondering how to capitalize on this burgeoning market. Nerd marketing is a thing these days, with companies large and small trying to cash in. So how can your small business appeal to the “nerd” demographic, and do so legally?...
It seems like every big news story has a legal angle. What are the limits for free speech when it comes to racism and public demonstrations? Can the president do anything he wants when it comes to immigration, and are courts allowed to stop him? What is a grand jury subpoena? Knowing the nuts and bolts of the laws underlying these controversies may affect how we view them, but not all of us have law school degrees, so how do we assess the legal assertions made in news coverage of the biggest stories?...
We may not realize how often we use buses, from airport shuttles to casino tours to intercity transit. And as you can see from the above links, bus accidents happen and people can be seriously injured in bus crashes. If you’ve been injured in a bus accident, you may be wondering if you can be compensated for your injuries, and if so, how much. While every accident case is different, some key factors may determine how much you can recover in damages....
What could be more American than the 4th of July? Parades, hamburgers, lemonade and fireworks. And injuries from fireworks resulting in lawsuits. To help us all truly celebrate the former and avoid the latter, herewith, some good old-fashioned guidelines and hints on ways to make your 4th of July funny, sunny and totally independent of injury. Fireworks Laws: All fifty states of our wonderful union have varying laws regarding the legal purchase and use of fireworks....
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (occasionally known to Californians as “the Governator”) gave his last State of the State addressto both houses of the California Legislature last week. Unhampered by reelection concerns but roped in by the ever-present state budget constraints, Gov. Schwarzenegger focused on his top priorities for the upcoming year which include education, tax reform and recovering money for the state from the federal government. The top three priorities he listed were, simply, “jobs, jobs, jobs....
President Obama’s uncle won his battle for a green card on Tuesday, after a federal immigration judge ruled that 69-year-old Onyango Obama could remain in the United States permanently. Judge Leonard Shapiro made his decision based on proof of Onyango’s good moral character and a federal law granting green cards to immigrants who entered the country before 1972, reports Reuters. The decision was made in spite of Onyango’s history of dodging immigration authorities, as well as his criminal record....
The Obama administration’s plans to house Guantanamo Bay detainees in an Illinois state prison have been delayed. The timeline for the transfer may take longer than expected. President Barack Obama originally said Guantanamo would close next Jan. 22, but that timeline has been extended. According to the Associated Press, it will take months for the federal government to buy an Illinois state prison and upgrade it to hold suspected terrorists. In addition, Congress also needs to change a law prohibiting detention in the U....
Hurricane Sandy is ramping up in parts of the country and one of the threats she’s bringing is a risk of injuries from sources that are otherwise safe. It’s not just hurricanes that bring about added danger. Snow storms, tornados, and other natural disasters can leave you in a dangerous position. The biggest risk is that you won’t know what to look out for. Besides making sure you’re covered by insurance in case of damage to your home, there are other things you need to think about when it comes to weathering the storm....
Rhode Island’s first gay marriages are set for August 1, now that Gov. Lincoln Chafee has signed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. The law was enacted almost immediately after it passed the state’s House of Representatives on Thursday, with Gov. Chafee proudly saying that “you are now free to marry the person you love,” Reuters reports. With Rhode Island becoming the sixth and final New England state to approve marriage equality – and the 10th to do so nationwide – the law brings a long awaited series of benefits and privileges to devoted same-sex couples....
Retailers in San Antonio, Texas are crying foul, claiming they are being made the scapegoats when the real criminals are the underaged smokers. The city council passed an ordinance set to go into effect January 1, 2019, which raises the age of selling tobacco products to customers that are 21 years of age and older. The plaintiffs in this case are three trade groups: the Association of Convenience Store Retailers, South Texas Merchants Association Cooperative, and Texas Food and Fuel Association....
Do you have a right to text message privacy on a work issued electronic device? Apparently some sexually inappropriate police officers in Ontario, California think so. The Supreme Court of the United States will rule on text message privacy and the workplace. According to the Baltimore Sun, the four police officers sued their police department after their text messages were read by the police chief. Some of the text messages were sexually explicit in nature....
A Georgia girl is suing two classmates and their parents in a Facebook cyberbullying case. The girl’s parents hope their daughter’s online bullying will lead to changes in the law. Alexandria Boston, then 13, cried when she found a fake Facebook page in her name, with photos that were distorted to make her look fat, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The fake page also contained videos and posts that suggested Boston was racist, sexually active, and smoked marijuana....
Theranos, the revolutionary blood testing company founded by Stanford dropout and Silicon Valley wonder Elizabeth Holmes, is having a bad year. The company is under investigation for securities fraud, in June its pharmacy chain partner Walgreens broke ties and shut down all of its Theranos blood draw centers, Holmes has been barred from owning or operating a blood lab for the next two years, and lawsuits abound. The latest claim comes from a patient who says that his faulty Theranos blood draw results contributed to his having a heart attack....
After our parents have taken care of us for so long, there comes a time when you might have to repay the favor. As our parents age, they may need help making financial decisions ranging from writing a will or trust to writing a check for bills. Taking on this role can bring with it emotional stress and family conflict, not to mention worry about what is legal and what’s not and the pressure to get it right....
Some are forced by local, state, or federal law, while others are forced to compete for the best talent, but most small businesses are upping their employee benefits packages, especially when it comes to offering family leave. Employers are offering more time off, more of it paid, and to more of their employees. So if you’re wondering whether expanding your family leave benefits is the right thing to do, or a legal thing you must do, you’ve come to the right place....
Utah could become the first state to require businesses to use the federal E-Verify program to check workers’ immigration status, under threat of criminal prosecution. The proposed bill would require that employees are legally able to work in the United States or employers could face criminal charges. According to the Associated Press, lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 251, which imposes criminal penalties for business owners who do not verify their workers’ immigration status....
Here is a story about the creative use of gubernatorial power. Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell (R) has decided he wants the nonviolent ex-felons under his jurisdiction to get creative and write an essay about their contributions to society since their release from prison. The result? If the secretary of the commonwealth likes the essay, they can have their right to vote back. Considering this is the governor just recovering from the bad grades he received from the likes of President Obama for his other creative proposal, that his state name April “Confederate History Month,” but not include any mention of slavery, you might think Governor McDonnell would consider toning down the creative efforts pouring forth from his administration....
Apartment buildings have thin walls so if your neighbor is always smoking, you probably know about it. Now you need to know what to do about it. Of course you might be one of the few people who don’t mind second-hand smoke, in which case you don’t have to do anything. But for most people, that cigarette smoke seeping through the cracks and invading your personal space can be difficult to bear....
Whether it’s an increase in dangerous equipment or tactics, a rise in citizen-police interactions and altercations, or just the ubiquity of cell phone and body cameras, the number of civil lawsuits filed against police officers, their departments, and cities has been skyrocketing. (This could also be due to the dearth of criminal charges filed against officers for misconduct.) At the same time, cities have been paying millions to settle police lawsuits....
Ending a business contract isn’t always pleasant experience, but getting out of one shouldn’t be the end of the world. Situations often change, and business owners may have to break contracts in order to protect their interests. Being prepared can help make the process easier. Knowing that the life of your business will contain more than a few curveballs, here are three potential ways to get out of a business contract:...
