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The Colorado trial of Allen Andrade for the brutal July 2008 murder of transgender woman Justin “Angie” Zapata begins today, according to CNN. The case received widespread coverage back when it occured, and has become a focal symbol of the transgender community’s efforts to be protected within hate crime legislation across the nation. CNN gave some background for the case, indicating that authorities believe Andrade and Zapata met online via a social networking site when Zapata was 18 years old and Andrade 32....

Under certain circumstances, a seemingly valid contract may be struck down as unenforceable. It can potentially happen even if both parties seemingly agree to all of the contract’s terms. Courts may refuse to enforce a contract for a number of reasons. So how does the law determine which promises are enforceable contracts and which are not? Here are five common errors that can make contracts unenforceable: To make sure your contract isn’t rendered unenforceable by a court, you may want to sign up for a personal legal plan like LegalStreet, which includes attorney contract reviews (up to 10 pages) and on-call access to local lawyers who can answer a wide range of legal questions....

You’ve got a lot on your mind as a small business or startup company. First and foremost, there’s your product. After that, you’re thinking about marketing, design, and technology, and, not least of all, how much all of it is going to cost. One thing that you might not have included in your budget is legal advice. From incorporation to intellectual property rights, you’re going to need the counsel of an experienced attorney, and, unfortunately for small business owners, that advice doesn’t always come cheap....

If you believed in doing things someone else’s way, you probably wouldn’t have your own business. Still, just because you have a vision and goals for your enterprise does not mean you do everything on your own, and especially not payroll. There are some aspects of running a business that are best left to experts. So even if you are good with figures and eager to keep costs low by handling as much as possible on your own, outsource employee payroll....

One of the most overlooked areas of hiring is how you should manage an employee’s first few days. So you may want to pay attention to some “onboarding” tips. There are many articles written about interviewing and choosing the best candidates. But many employers are completely unprepared for how to manage their newly assembled “dream team” once they start working for them, reports The New York Times. The first few days (or even hours) on the job are critical for your new hires....

Today marks the 47th anniversary of the 25th Amendment’s ratification. So what do you know about the 25th Amendment? While the more well-known constitutional amendments, like the First and Fourth amendments, get all the attention, the 25th Amendment is significant because it describes what happens if the president dies, resigns, or becomes disabled while in office. Here are five fun facts about the 25th Amendment that you may not have known:...

Can You Answer These 5 Basic Questions About Your Finances? Analyzing the Black Box of Personal Finance. What is a subprime mortgage? What is a FICO score and what role does it play in getting a loan? What is 1% of $50,000? When you need quick cash, do you overdraft a check, wire money, get a credit card advance or apply for a short-term payday loan? How much time would it take to pay off your credit cards by only making minimum payments?...

Car accidents can easily turn even a calm person into a cauldron of rage and resentment. But even with poor impulses, there are a handful of things you shouldn’t ever do after a car accident. Insurance and patience can solve many of your car accident woes, as well as remembering what not to do or say. Here are a few suggestions: Related Resources: Car Accident Checklist: 5 Things to Do at the Scene (FindLaw’s Injured) Legal How-To: Filing a Minor Car Accident Claim (FindLaw’s Injured) Is There a Statute of Limitations for Car Accidents?...

Settling a car accident with insurance is relatively straightforward. But what happens when one or both insurance companies are not involved? Although not an ideal situation, settling an auto collision without insurance is possible. If you’d rather settle without getting your insurance company involved, don’t forget to take these five steps after an accident: Settling a car accident without insurance can take some time, so make sure to hang on to the police report, mechanic estimates, and all other documents related to the collision....

Workplace injuries can be caused by a variety of mistakes or omissions, and sometimes the victim feels that he or she is entirely to blame. And it’s not entirely untrue. As this series of Canadian workplace safety PSAs illustrates (in incredibly graphic fashion), an “accident” at work is likely due to a combination of preventable errors on both a supervisor and employee’s part. The workers’ compensation system in America is based on this trade-off: You won’t sue your employer in court if he or she pays for your workplace injuries, regardless of who’s at fault....

Whether you stole a t-shirt from Target or a couple wireless headphones from the mall, theft is not a crime to take lightly. Even if you’re charged for theft under $500, you still need a lawyer. The state will be represented by a prosecuting attorney, so shouldn’t you have representation, too? A lawyer will know how to argue for leniency, obtain the lowest possible sentence, or even a dismissal of the charges....

Chicago has joined a handful of cities in proposing to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. A group of aldermen in the Windy City have put forward a plan to raise the city’s minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $15 an hour, reports Reuters. This plan is separate from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s panel which has been tasked with providing recommendations for raising minimum wage. What does this minimum wage proposal mean for Chicago employers?...

If you are small business employer in Colorado, snow may not be the only precipitation falling from the skies this winter. Colorado minimum wage is anticipated to drop from $7.28 an hour to $7.24 per hour on January 1, 2010, one cent below the federal minimum wage. Colorado is one of 10 states that has its minimum wage tagged to cost of living. This means that an increase in cost of living triggers minimum wage increases....

A California court has ruled against Starbucks “baristas” in their class action suit to recover tips they had claimed were wrongfully shared with Starbucks “shift supervisors”. This overturns a previous judgment requiring Starbucks to repay the baristas $85 million in allegedly unpaid tips. The baristas in the case had argued that a provision of California’s labor laws prohibited the shift supervisors from getting piece of the tip box pie because the law stated:...

Sexual harassment on Mars? Well, not quite, more like in NASA’s Phoenix Mars mission (allegedly). And, like most instances of sexual harassment, this one could lead to the disruption if not destruction of at least two careers. Harvard-trained scientist Dr. Suzanne Young has filed a sexual harassment and gender discrimination suit against her former supervisor Professor Samuel Kounaves and Tufts University, who she says failed to investigate her claims and then retaliated against her for the same....

In a Facebook post, the company’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced he is taking two months paternity leave when his child is born. His wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, is also planning to take time off, Zuckerberg wrote this month, citing studies that show leave for working parents is good for families. Speaking of Dreams While Zuckerberg and Chan are fortunate to be able to decide how much time to take off, their road to parenthood has reportedly been rocky....

An instructor and an 11-year-old boy were killed in a hang gliding crash near Jean, Nevada last March. A subsequent investigation revealed that the instructor did not have the proper permits to be flying in that location, and his business wasn’t licensed in the counties in which it was operating. So who regulates hang gliding companies, and who is liable in a hang glider accident? Industry Self-Regulation Hang gliding is regulated by the U....

Every case is different, but there are some common themes to defending a personal injury lawsuit. Here are a few: Defenses to Negligence Claims Most personal injury lawsuits are based on negligence. Most defenses to negligence lawsuits are based on the elements of the claim itself: Duty: You could claim you didn’t owe the plaintiff a duty of care. Breach: You could prove you performed any duty you did owe the plaintiff....

A judge will rule at the end of March on whether or not to dismiss the suit which has most recently prevented the Illinois parental notification law from taking effect. Cook County Judge Daniel Riley will announce his decision on March 29. According to the Tribune, the ACLU says the law violates constitutional guarantees of privacy and due process and also violates the state law prohibiting discrimination based on gender. Defending the law for the state is Assistant Attorney General Thomas Ioppolo....

Knowing how to respond to a lawsuit can be incredibly valuable in warding off future legal issues. Failing to file a proper response can have serious consequences for your case. So whether it’s knowing when you’re actually being sued or knowing when your response is due, the ability to respond properly to a lawsuit is key. Here are the basics for how to respond to a lawsuit: Not all legal notices mean that you are being sued....