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If you only speak one language, or you just aren’t comfortable speaking that second language you learned over a decade ago, you may not think it’s possible to expand your practice to cater to non-English speaking clients. However, thanks to modern technology, even a monosyllabic and monolingual lawyer can easily and effectively communicate with clients who don’t even speak their own language. Unfortunately, there may not be one single app that solves the language barrier problem....

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Edward Lee Elmore’s 29-year-old murder conviction on Tuesday. The court, in a 2-1 decision, ruled that Elmore was entitled to habeas corpus relief on his Sixth Amendment claim of ineffective counsel because his trial lawyers blindly accepted the State’s forensic evidence. The court described the situation as “one of those exceptional cases of ’extreme malfunctions in the state criminal justice systems’ where habeas relief was appropriate to remedy injustice....

Federal courts are going dark as the government shutdown becomes the longest in history. Court administrators, trying to keep the courts going, are running on empty. Without paychecks, they are tapping reserves and deciding which workers are essential for basic justice. All 94 federal district courts are figuring how to stay open until the political stalemate lets up. Some will run out of money this week. No Money in Maine In the U....

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued an amended opinion for In Re Amy Unknown, the child pornography restitution case it decided last month. The amended opinion involved U.S. v. Wright, one of the restitution claims in the litigation. In the amended opinion, the Fifth Circuit concluded that, because the government did not appeal and Amy did not seek mandamus review in Michael Wright’s case, Wright’s sentence should be affirmed....

Our only question is: where’s our invite? Today, over breakfast, Google announced a flurry of product launches and updates, including their much-adored 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet, a major update to the Android operating system, a cheap video streaming device, and a few other goodies. For lawyers and other working professionals, the updated Nexus 7 is the most exciting development. For students, Google Play Textbooks might be even more significant. Nexus 7 … 2?...

For in-house lawyer interviewees, questions about salary expectations can often induce foot-in-mouth-itis. You know, that particular affliction where you say the wrong thing because you weren’t prepared. Fortunately, for those soon-to-be in-house lawyer interviewees, if you prepare properly, you might be able to use the fear inducing salary question to talk yourself up, or at least make yourself look confident. Below, you can read about a few ways to respond without over or under selling yourself....

Years after the Penn State Sandusky scandal first came to light, further drama has gripped the attention of in-house lawyers across the nation. A Pennsylvania Superior Court has quashed various criminal charges against several Penn State employees because the school’s lawyer had violated their individual confidences. Although the case technically only binds Pennsylvania, in-house lawyers everywhere should appreciate the details of the case. The School’s Lawyer The case revolves around who knew what in the years leading up to the Sandusky scandal....

Update 10 – Final Update (10:55 a.m. PT): Attorney Gen. Eric Holder’s speech to the ABA in sum: With budget cuts and an overpopulated, overburdened penal system, we can no longer afford to maintian the status quo. Holder said the Obama administration will be exploring alternatives to incarceration to reform and curb mandatory minimum sentences. Those sentences often result in unfair penalties for nonviolent drug-related offenders, along with disparate sentences for minority offenders, Holder said....

If tomorrow, you were to receive a letter in the mail that accused you of violating a patent by using your copy machine or scanner, and that letter demanded $1,500 per employee, you’d probably ignore it. After all, you are a seasoned attorney, and you probably know all about patent trolls. Not all companies are as lucky as your company, however, and not all of them are so informed, especially when that letter comes with a draft of a lawsuit that the company, MPHJ, “plans” to file against you....

When news came out that two New Jersey defense attorneys had spied on a plaintiff through Facebook, there was obvious buzz within the legal community over bright-line rules and attorney ethics. Just what qualifies as an “unauthorized” communication? Lawyers should always take steps to tread carefully in these “novel ethical issues.” First impression or not, you don’t want to end up being the poster child. A New Jersey ethics case arose out of two defense attorneys who used their paralegal to gain access to the opposing party’s Facebook page by having her send a friend request to that party and getting it accepted....

Pleading in the alternative has long been an accepted practice for both plaintiffs and defendants. Although courts may be quick to knock out causes of action for being duplicative, many practitioners don’t hesitate to plead almost every viable alternative theory, or request for relief. For attorneys on the fence on whether or not pleading in the alternative is a good idea, below, you’ll find a short list of pros and cons to help you weigh your decision....

FindLaw columnist Eric Sinrod writes regularly in this section on legal developments surrounding technology and the internet. Not too long ago, Facebook didn’t even exist, while phone companies had provided means of communications for many decades. Then Facebook was born as a social networking site for college kids. In just a handful of years, Facebook has exploded nationally and internally to the tune of 750 million current users. This, not surprisingly, has attracted the attention of the phone companies, who want equal regulatory treatment....

You just finished a new client’s estate plan and were blown away by how much wealth she’s amassed from her dog washing on demand app startup – and she’s looking for investors in her next project. Or maybe a prospective client comes to you for help incorporating a new business. He’s got a great business plan, a lot of experience, but not enough cash to cover legal fees. Should you invest in that Uber for pet grooming?...

In a strange twist of fate, Texas’ attorney general is continuing to fight for Texas’ gay marriage ban in De Leon v. Perry – despite the fact his law school friend is one of the plaintiffs. Attorney General Greg Abbott now has to square the reality that he is choosing to defend Texas’ gay marriage ban while his long-time friend Mark Phariss fights for he and his partner to be legally wed, reports The Associated Press....

One often overlooked, but widely used and awesome, provision of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is the little subsection that allows incorporation or adoption by reference. Thanks to FRCP Rule 10, subsection (c), we lawyers don’t have to pay someone to retype out whole contracts or other documentary evidence for use in complaints or other pleadings. Incorporation by reference allows whole contracts to be made part of a pleading simply by attaching it to one pleading in the litigation, then basically just writing that you’re “incorporating [said document] by reference....

District court’s conviction of defendant for unlawful use of a communication facility in connection with a drug trafficking offense in exchange for the dismissal of a drug conspiracy charge in an indictment, and sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment, the statutory maximum is affirmed where: 1) the sentence fell within constitutional limits as it did not exceed the statutory maximum set by Congress; 2) district court’s drug quantity estimate represents a reasonable view of the record and is therefore not clearly erroneous; and 3) defendant’s sentence is procedurally and substantively reasonable....

NASA deliberately crashed a $4 billion spaceship into Saturn. It was inevitable, the space agency said, because the craft was out of fuel and had completed its mission years ago. Plus, it could have contaminated one of Saturn’s moons if it crashed there. So goes the rationale and our tax dollars at work, but it gives pause for earthbound lawyers to ask themselves: when should you trash your old tech? This article is not about upgrading; it’s about saving....

Though the Tenth Circuit got there first, yesterday’s Fourth Circuit oral arguments in Virginia’s gay marriage ban appeal were highly anticipated. The Tenth is handing appeals from Utah and Oklahoma, while the Fourth Circuit is debating Virginia’s ban. If a split emerges between these circuits, or the other circuits with same-sex marriage appeals, a Supreme Court showdown could be (okay, almost certainly is) on the horizon. How did the arguments go?...

As a lawyer, you’re a leader, whether you work in a solo practice, as a first year associate, or partner in a large firm. It’s your job to take the lead with clients, support staff, and even the court. But leadership doesn’t always come naturally, even for the most brilliant lawyers. It’s a skill that must be practiced, developed. Here are seven ways to switch from being just a good lawyer to becoming a great leader:...

Do elections unmarred by court battles happen anymore? Between birther lawsuits and Citizens United challenges to state election laws, it seems like elections, absent legal challenges, are a thing of the past. Now, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals could decide the latest case in the long line of court-decided ballot battles. The Virginia Republican primary, if you haven’t heard, is currently a two-man race between Ron Paul and Mitt Romney....