July 2009 Archives

The movement to legalize gay marriage has found its way back into the closet.  And this time everyone can join in. 

Designers Marc Jacobs and American Apparel have unveiled their line of t-shirts to help equal-rights-for-all enthusiasts make a statement without saying a word.  "I pay taxes, I want my rights" can be yours with the choice of an American Flag and dollar sign backdrop or a lesbian couple and child on tshirts designs and sold by Marc Jacobs.  Or, to avoid confusion while still showing support, the "Legalize Gay"  tee is a bold option being proffered by American Apparel.

Now, like you, we're wondering when Gucci will make a faux mink purse that says "bite me" to support animal rights or when Prada will unveil its fall line of sustainable pumps that feature the tagline "carbon footprints are so last season".

Around this time you may find a would-be Bar exam taker decide not to take the three-day, seventeen-subject marathon that is the California Bar Exam that begins today.  It is, however, rare to find someone petitioning the state supreme court for the chance to sit for the exam---and being backed by the state governor.

Sara Granda graduated from UC Davis School of Law in 2009.  Being awarded a coveted Juris Doctor degree from one of the country's top fifty law schools is made more meaningful by the fact that Granda is paralyzed from the neck down following a car accident she was in over a decade ago.  Her bar exam snafu occurred when the California State Bar failed to to process her application after the California's Department of Rehabilitation sent a $600 check to cover her exam fees.  It turns out the State Bar website requires payment be made by credit card rather than check. 

Distinction without difference? You be the judge.

Considering the delicate state of the economy, the recent announcements of cutting back (or completely cutting out) of summer internship programs, layoffs in law firms and legal departments as a norm and not an exception, and the somehow constant economy-proof stream of lawyer jokes, we hear the incredulous rumble of law associates across the legal spectrum---"can we catch a break around here?!"

When life gets rough, pitch a tent. And when you have a goal, think beyond big. 

The recent exploits of founder and CEO of internet marketing firm OvercomeAnything, Tellman Knudson, are catching peoples' attention and remind us that sometimes it's just mind over matter.  And sometimes getting a new perspective is all about taking your shoes off.

UC Irvine School of Law this week announced its brand new Korea Law Center, partnering with law schools at Seoul National University and Sogang University in Seoul to focus on issues involving U.S. and Korean Law.  The Center will be housed in the International Commerce & Law Institute, and according to UC Irvine Law School Dean, Erwin Chemerinksy, is intended to be followed up by other international collaborative pursuits in Asia, Europe, and North America.

It's not everyday that an attorney is called an unequivocal champion, delivers eight major wins over the course of a few years, nets nearly $3M in earnings---and struts on all fours.  Lawyer Ron was one special counselor and following the announcement of his passing last week after complications from colic surgery, we take a moment to salute him.  

Dear July 2009 Bar Exam Takers:

Over the past few months we couldn't help but notice that we see you a lot less.  There have been fewer movie nights, dinners, weekend barbeques, we're playing man-down in tennis (which believe us, is no fun when you're playing doubles) and haven't you missed like four weddings and a bar mitzvah this summer?   And when it was a struggle to get you out to catch Fourth of July fireworks, we knew it was serious, I mean aren't you always quoting random res ipsa loquitur cases and assumption of risk premises from your Torts class---which, by the way, for a long time we thought was a baking seminar.  I mean, don't get us wrong, we would rather see you when you are relaxed rather than the stressed out ball of energy we admittedly tried to avoid whenever law school final exams loomed nearby.

Just in time for the release of the latest Harry Potter celluloid phenomenon set to open tonight, Azkatraz 2009--A Harry Potter Symposium--starts tomorrow in San Francisco.  It fittingly kicks off with the midnight showing of Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince and continues with quirky, curious, and fan-atic events throughout the weekend.

And now muggle-lawyers can get in on the action too...

Some of our most challenging queries on FindLaw Answers come from the Immigration Board. They can be complex because each set of facts is unique and involves international considerations while also implicating other fields of life and law.

Here, user Lupita_2009 describes her sticky situation and calls for help. Her scenario:

My boyfriend was arrested for first time domestic battery against me and was transferred to a judicial center, and they had told me he has a DUI from 5 years ago and also has an immigration hold.

Coming to terms with a relationship that has involved abuse is a major issue in itself; however for this user, it is only a part of her situation:

He has been in custody for 40 days. I wanted to know if there is a way the immigration hold could be removed because I am a US citizen and so is his 5 month old. We are not married, [but if we did get married], would this help in removing the immigration hold?

While many attorneys out there are watching the economy bludgeon then throttle their dreams of becoming rich and important partners, many aspiring jurists who wanted to go to the University of Miami School of Law are about to witness the economy bludgeon and throttle their dreams of becoming attorneys in the first place. 

The law school received more acceptances than its algorithm, or whatever, predicted, so now the school is offering students incentives to defer their enrollment until next fall in order to avoid an overcrowded 1L class.  The incentives aren't much, but apparently the dean of the school is hoping that this will give people some time to think over whether they really want to enter the legal world, or whether they're just looking at the current economic realities and thinking "Law school - why not?" 

Previously, we pointed you toward the wealth of typography advice available at Typography for Lawyers. If you share our enthusiasm for the subject, and want to know more, today we follow up with a few more typography resources. Delve in and learn, or just marvel at how much complexity there is in this seemingly simple subject:

TypoWiki. From the people at Typophile. TypoWiki is a wiki containing all manner of typography-related information -- history, terminology, and more. If you want to read about the Roman contribution to engraving, or about Gutenberg's invention of letterpress printing, this is a good place to start.

i love typography. A typography blog, and another good resource for definitions, pointers to good and useful font families, and more. There's also a lot here about developing new fonts, in case you're thinking of a career change, or at least acquiring a new hobby.

set in style. A blog aimed at the attorney audience, with tips on writing, publishing, and typography. The emphasis is on writing technique and common errors, and there's even help for those trying to create firm-marketing materials.

Microsoft ClearType. This one relates not to the printed page, but rather to Microsoft's technology for improving the display of onscreen type on LCD monitors. Those running Windows Vista should have the feature enabled by default, and XP users can see this FAQ for instructions to turning ClearType on. Most people will find that they much prefer the clearer, smoother type produced by ClearType.