Pro Bono Legal Help

Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada PSA 3

Established in 1958, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada is a private, non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization that ensures equal access to justice through free legal advice and representation for those who cannot afford to hire an attorney. Service areas include domestic violence, child abuse, consumer fraud and social security. Free classes are offered in bankruptcy, divorce, custody, small claims, guardianship and foreclosure mediation. Funding is provided through private donations, government grants and pro bono hours donated by local attorneys. Please visit [ www.lacsn.org ]www.lacsn.org for more information or to make a donation.

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Becoming a good lawyer or just hiring one

Becoming a good lawyer or just hiring one

Securing a good lawyer can prove challenging if not frustrating. However the basic guidelines are the same in most countries. It is recommended to get a lawyer who can be your ‘legal coach’ and agent all at once. From the start, a good lawyer connects with his client. Determine if there is a fit, albeit the personality fit is very important, as you, the client must get sense of security from the initial contact. Jamaican Attorney-at-law Charles Williams, with over 25 years experience advises the client to ask many questions, and pay attention to vital testers such as chemistry and accessibility, right from the start.

He says lawyers should be able to give an idea of the time frame involved and necessary stages for resolving the problem to be achieved. Clients need to ‘know’ that they have the last word, although the lawyer advises on all possible outcomes says another attorney Jacqueline Samuels. The client should therefore recognize the critical value of outlining his or her desired course of action. In any country, clients must research whether the lawyer is fully certified, and qualified to represent you, especially in court, by the relevant body. In Jamaica, lawyers conduct minimal advertising such as telephone directory listings. However, directory listings are not sufficient guidelines to locate a good lawyer.

The old-fashioned way – through friends, families and acquaintances can never wear thin. Additionally, choosing, based on reputation or observation, can be highly beneficial. Observations can be done by attending court and seeing lawyers in action or, at times, through knowledge of a successful transaction already in progress, where allowed. The General Legal Council of Jamaica, the body responsible for discipline and rules governing lawyers cannot recommend lawyers. The crux of hiring a lawyer is often times based on the lawyer, experience, nature of case, nature of issues and complexities, the type and amount of work required. Initial consultation is, in many instances, free. Within Jamaica’s free market, both parties must get together to decide on a rate to be paid or fees to be charged outside of statutory required fees.

This, as lawyers are free to charge whatever fees, they believe, their services are worth. Some lawyers charge a total fee from the get-go, while others charge an initial retainer, plus additions over time for extra elements such as court appearances. (NB: In Jamaica, cases can drag through the courts for two to three years, or up to 20 years in extreme circumstances.) Still, there are lawyers, who charge an hourly fee after the initial retainer. In the case of commercial transactions such as land matters, fees are calculated as a percentage of the value of the property involved. Critically, clients should, at all times, have a clear idea on the basis of the fee structure and, hence, the fee to be charged to avoid misunderstandings and budgetary problems. Further, clients should, at all times, be mindful of available legal aid (called pro bono in the US) as supplemented by the government.

Through a partnership between government and attorneys, legal aid is made available, as private attorneys agree to accept significantly reduced fees from persons, who have financial problems. In the case of criminal matters, with a few exceptions such as drug cases, legal aid is made available. Three legal aid clinics exist in Jamaica, namely Kingston Legal Aid Clinic, Legal Aid Clinic, Norman Manley Law School, Mona, St Andrew, and the Montego Bay Legal Aid Clinic Ltd in St James. The cost may begin at JA,000 (1US$=apprx JA). Lawyers also volunteer, on call, as duty counsel at police stations, where they give advice or represent persons detained or arrested.

Tips to bear in mind: When choosing a lawyer, research level of experience and expertise. Choosing between barrister and solicitor is no longer an issue as Jamaican lawyers are now able to operate as both. Lawyers who may not have adequate time to devote to your case, as a result of heavy workload, should inform you. Information on statutory duties and costs can be obtained from public agencies and offices such as the Registrar of Titles. Finally, never assume that a ‘friendly’ lawyer has your best interest at heart. Make sure that even these ‘friendly’ lawyers speak directly, especially in telling you when to make contact, in the event you are not contacted first.

This article gives general guidance on securing a lawyer for any reason, whether civil or criminal. It makes limited reference to Jamaica, but the points remain general.

Legal group offers free advice

Legal group offers free advice

The 12th Judicial District Pro Bono Committee will host a free legal help event Saturday at the Otero County Courthouse.

Read more on Alamogordo Daily News

Legal System A Strong Selling Point To Woo FDIs, Says Mustapa

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Bernama)– Malaysia’s legal system remains as one of the country’s strongest selling points in attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs), said Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

Read more on Bernama

Legal action on ‘zombie cookies’

Lawsuit filed in San Francisco district court after firms resurrected deleted browser cookies.

Read more on BBC News

Ogletree Abbott Law Firm Pro Bono Project Gives Students an Important New Tool to Research Legal Education

The Ogletree Abbott law firm has launched a new Law Student Assistant program on their nationally known website, OgletreeAbbott.com. This new tool is being provided pro bono by the Ogletree Abbott Law Firm to help college students research law schools in the United States and provide links to the law school’s main webpage as well as to professor profiles.

(PRWEB) September 17, 2007 — The Ogletree Abbott law firm has launched a new Law Student Assistant program on their nationally known website, OgletreeAbbott.com. This new tool is being provided pro bono by the Ogletree Abbott Law Firm to help college students research law schools in the United States and provide links to the law school’s main webpage. This new research tool provides one site where prospective law students and locate law schools with complete contact information, view law professor resumes and articles and give them more information, in one place, than ever before. The Law Student Assistance resource page also gives law students an idea of what they can expect when they attend the various law schools, by painting them a picture of their time at the school of their choice. Prospective law school applicants can look into each law school and better determine requirements, areas of study, tuition cost, school activities and research law professors in the law schools. Students also have the opportunity to look into clubs, groups and organizations law that they would find to be of interest.

The Law Student Assistance pages give students the option of looking through web pages of law professors and reading about law professors, their writings, credentials and, in some cases, read what law professors have to say to new law students through their posts on the site. This new tool will give prospective law students and actual law students an opportunity to choose law classes and professors that match their interests. The law professor pages make for an interesting read and contain useful information regarding the law professors past articles, books, courses, and other information. Law students can see photographs of law professors, course descriptions and many other items of interest about law professors. Law professor can communicate to prospective students and actual students about themselves, their courses and the general study of law. Many law professors have contributed to the site and database and seem excited about increased communication between students and professors.

In addition to traditional law schools, the site also includes information about On-Line law schools. These schools make it possible for students to study law that might not be able to attend traditional law schools. There are new interesting choices for working mothers with children, fathers working swing shifts or disabled students that didn’t exist a few years ago. On-Line law schools give students the option of going to a law school on their own time, by providing flexible course schedules where students can attend and still have time for their daily routines, including a myriad of challenges such as jobs and children. Students are able to browse the on-line law schools and read reviews from other students. On-Line catalogs from traditional and On-Line law schools help students to determine course schedules, hours and requirements for graduation.

The new Ogletree Abbott Law Student Resource site is unlike any other in that it provides students with many answers to questions about each law school, law professors and what it takes to gain admittance to law school and make it all the way to graduation. This pro bono project is continuing commitment of the Ogletree Abbott Law Firm for the purpose of encouraging the study of law and thereby improving both civil and criminal justice in this country. You can find the new Law Student Assistance area at http://www.ogletreeabbott.com/student-assistance.

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College Planning – Completing Your Law School Personal Statement

College Planning – Completing Your Law School Personal Statement

Writing your law school application personal statement can be as nerve-wracking as preparing for the LSAT exam. You probably feel as though much of your future hinges on getting accepted into the college of your choice. Even the smartest of undergraduates struggle to find the right words to say. Before the panic attacks start, try this advice first.

Consider the purpose of a law school personal statement, which is two-fold. First, you must try to convince an admissions committee that your accomplishments are worthy of consideration. Second, you need to prove that you are not only lawyer material, but you are also a perfect addition to the student body at that particular institution. These are the two main questions that you need to answer.

Like a good courtroom argument, you need to focus your efforts on offering evidence. Emotional pleas may move a jury to tears, but only evidence will convict. The admissions committee is your jury, and they need to see the proof that backs up your arguments. ‘I work hard’ is not an evidentiary statement. How do you work hard? How have you demonstrated your work ethic throughout your lifetime, particularly in your undergraduate studies and employment? Your college grades at your undergraduate school will provide some evidence as to how hard a worker you are. Sharing your experiences in the workplace will too. Talking about your volunteer work and community service is another powerful piece of evidence. Faced with this type of evidence, your ‘jury’ will be convinced you are a hard worker.

For the first part of your law school personal statement, supply proof that you are law-school material. Refer to your GPA, especially if it was high (your transcript will back this up). Expand on the courses that you took in college and how they inspired and prepared you for this venture. Share how your job experiences have prepared you for a career in jurisprudence.

The second part of your essay needs to persuade your ‘jury’ that you are a fit for that school. What is it about the institution that attracted you in the first place? For example, if the law school you are making application to has a strong commitment to encouraging pro bono work, describe why this appeals to you. Follow that by sharing related volunteer work that you’ve done.

It isn’t wrong to use emotional arguments. Sharing your emotions lets your ‘jury’ know that you are a real person with an intense passion for the law. It expresses your desire to be a part of that particular college. But don’t rely solely on emotional arguments. Whenever you make an emotional statement, back it up with evidence. In other words, you might state ‘I am drawn to working with at-risk youth.’ Then, refer to the two years that you spent volunteering as a mentor at a homeless shelter for teenagers. This proves that you’re more than just a lot of talk. When faced with your body of evidence, your ‘jury’ will have a hard time refuting your desire to pursue a law career.

Since Justice Is Green Make It Affordable

Since Justice Is Green Make It Affordable

Do you not pay for convenience? Have you not recently went to your local fast food restaurant, bought you a nice sized hamburger or a good warm sandwich made with fresh bread, dripping with your favorite toppings, with a cool refreshing drink of some sort? Or purchased a smoothie made with your favorite fruit, mixed in with some sort of energy supplying supplement?

All restaurants offer services to you that you undoubtedly know that you can do yourself. You know how to make a sandwich and you can make smoothie just by going to the grocery store, buying some fruit and juice, and throw it in a blender with a few other edible items. You also realize that all the ingredients used at your favorite restaurant or smoothie store are available to you, in wide variety, at the grocery store. So why do we pay to have someone else do what we know we can do ourselves….because it is convenient and affordable. It is convenient to have someone trained to do what they do best. It is that extra attention to detail in the preparation of making the food taste good or that special treatment, coupled with an affordable price , that makes you pay X amount of dollars at restaurant’s. So why this affordable convenience can’t come as easy for you when it comes to seeking help with legal problems, or can it?

Legal problems can arise at a moment’s notice often leaving a person with the daunting task of trying to figure out how to resolve the problem themselves. Of course, the internet has conveniently made the availability of legal documents and information abundant, but even so, when it comes to dealing with the legal system and its numerous legal procedures all the resources in the world mean nothing to you if you don’t know what to do with them. When faced legal situations, some of which can change your normal standard way of living, most people attempt to ignore it, or some start towards a solution but come to realize that the problem is bigger than once thought, and others can throw money at it allowing someone else to do the work for them; someone trained to find the details in the law that can work towards their clients advantage that otherwise a person untrained would look over, unless your Erin Brockovich. Which person can you identify yourself with more? Would you not want to be the person that can throw money at a situation and allow someone else to do all the fact finding and research necessary to get you out of legal trouble?

Today, there are legal services available that can guide you through the entanglement of the legal system and of course help you through your legal problem. As easy and convenient as is it is to go to your local restaurant and get an affordably priced meal you can afford the convenience of hiring a lawyer to walk you through any legal situation you may encounter. From divorce to will preparation, to child support or domestic violence you can hire an attorney to do all the legal work necessary to see you through your legal problem until it has been resolved, all at an affordable price at Legal Services Online also known as Legal Provision, Incorporated.

Most people who recognize that it’s necessary to have a professional attorney work on their case, but think they can’t afford one, seek legal services such as legal aid, which is free, but you only get to speak to a lawyer for about 10 min. (there are so many people waiting to see the same lawyer and not only that, a lot of people get turned away, either they don’t qualify because of their income, or there are those issues legal aid just won’t accept). I don’t know about you but how many legal situations you think can get resolved in 10 min or less? Legal services online will provide you with an attorney that will literally hold your hand and guide you through all the legal work that needs to be done on your case, even represent you in court if necessary. All legal problems accepted, unless of course you are incarcerated, but at that point it would be too late would it not?

Legal services online will put you in contact with a local attorney that you can either call or visit at your convenience, who works on your time schedule. No more having to wait in long lines at legal aid clinics, or do online research that takes hours out of your life devoted to something you may know nothing about. Simply call your attorney on the phone, get the legal advice you need and go get yourself an affordably priced meal at your favorite restaurant.

Established in 1958, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada is a private, non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization that ensures equal access to justice through free legal advice and representation for those who cannot afford to hire an attorney. Service areas include domestic violence, child abuse, consumer fraud and social security. Free classes are offered in bankruptcy, divorce, custody, small claims, guardianship and foreclosure mediation. Funding is provided through private donations, government grants and pro bono hours donated by local attorneys. Please visit [ www.lacsn.org ]www.lacsn.org for more information or to make a donation.

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Illinois Legal Aid Online’s Teri Ross Awarded Public Interest Law Fellowship

Illinois Legal Aid Online is proud to announce that Teri Ross, our Outreach Coordinator, is the 2009 recipient of the Kimball R. Anderson and Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship. Teri received the award at the Chicago Bar Association and The Chicago Bar Foundation’s Annual Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon on July 28, 2009.

Baron & Budd, P.C. Attorney Natalie Duncan Named 2005 Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteer by the Dallas Bar Association Volunteer Attorney Program

Natalie Duncan, an attorney with the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., has received the 2005 Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteer award by the Dallas Bar Association’s Volunteer Attorney Program.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 14, 2005 — Natalie Duncan, an attorney with the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., has received the 2005 Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteer award by the Dallas Bar Association’s Volunteer Attorney Program.

The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program’s neighborhood legal clinics conduct evening clinics and provide legal representation for low-income applicants with problems in a variety of civil law matters. Ms. Duncan received the award for her pro bono work through the program’s legal services clinic in Garland, Texas.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.:
Since 1977, the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has championed the rights of people and communities harmed by corporate misconduct. With over 80 attorneys and offices in Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana and New York, Baron & Budd enjoys a national reputation as a leader of the plaintiffs’ bar. The firm represents individuals with mesothelioma and other diseases caused by asbestos; leukemia and lymphoma caused by benzene; and injuries caused by other toxic substances and pharmaceuticals. The firm also represents water authorities seeking clean-up costs for drinking water contamination; securities investors defrauded by corporate wrongdoing; and consumers. For more information about Baron & Budd, call 1-800-222-2766 or visit www.baronandbudd.com. (http://www.baronandbudd.com)

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June 17, 2005 – Jay Leno interviews Michael Jackson’s Attorney Tom Mesereau on “The Tonight Show”.Thomas A. Mesereau, Jr. is widely recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in the country. He has been selected by his peers as one of “The Best Lawyers in America” and has been listed as one of the “One Hundred Most Influential Attorneys in California” by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He first gained national attention during a three-week televised preliminary hearing in the Robert Blake murder case. Mr. Mesereau is internationally known for having acquitted music legend Michael Jackson of all counts in a highly publicized trial in Santa Maria, California. Additionally, Mr. Mesereau is widely recognized for his 25 years of pro bono, free legal work for the poor and underrepresented. Mr. Mesereau is a well known presence in the African-American community where he operates a free legal clinic and assists local organizations and churches in drug recovery and youth counseling. He defends at least one death penalty case each year for free in the Deep South. Mr. Mesereau specializes in criminal and civil trials (state and federal).