If you’re an attorney, why aren’t you on LinkedIn? The social networking site is geared toward professionals and is where many of your peers are probably set up as you read this. It can also help you manage your reputation, public image, and assist you with landing the right clients. How can LinkedIn help you and your legal practice? Here are three ways you can utilize the website for its maximum impact and potential:...
Defendant’s conviction and sentence to thirty months in prison and three-year term of supervised release for threatening federal officials is affirmed but special conditions in connection with supervised release ordering defendant to not possess pornography, not enter places where pornography could be obtained, not have contact with children, and submit to invasive sex offender tests are vacated and remanded as the district court offered scant explanation for any of the challenged special conditions and no explanations for the pornography conditions....
We don’t give BlackBerry nearly as much attention as the other guys, in large part because almost nobody uses a BlackBerry anymore. Nonetheless, the company’s CEO John Chen reassured the world that they are “still in the phone business.” OK, but what exactly does that mean? How about a new flagship phone: the Passport, which we’ve mentioned before. And the modern take on a throw-back design, the Classic, which is set for release next month....
It’s been less than two years since Edward Snowden revealed the extent of warrantless government surveillance, hopped on a plane, and made his new home in freedom-loving Mother Russia. Since then, several lawsuits have attempted to halt the National Security Agency’s bulk telephone metadata collection program. A few of them were even initially successful. The new year could see those cases dismissed as moot, though government surveillance lingers on. For a brief period in 2015, it seemed like the court system might be able to halt or limit the NSA’s surveillance....
It is a known fact that public defenders have more cases than any other type of lawyer out there. In some jurisdictions, public defenders might have upwards of around 200 active cases at any given time. Compounding matters, because most public defender offices are underfunded, these overloaded attorneys are also over-burdened by a lack of support staff, like law clerks, paralegals, and investigators. That means that nearly all of the administrative and investigative work that district attorneys have help with must be done by the public defenders themselves....
Chinese Citizen’s Petition for Review of BIA’s Denial of His Motion to Reopen Removal Proceedings Denied Zhu v. Holder, 10-1042, concerned a Chinese citizen’s petition for review of a BIA’s decision denying his motion to reopen removal proceedings based on a claim of changed country circumstances. In denying the petition, the court held that the BIA did not act in an arbitrary and capricious manner in denying petitioner’s motion to reopen, but rather, it carefully considered all of the evidence on which the petitioner rested his case and provided a clear explanation of its reasoning in finding the evidence insufficient to support his motion to reopen....
Even though he entered a “straight” guilty plea, and was sentenced to the bottom of the range suggested by the federal Sentencing Guidelines, Carlos Torres-Landrua appealed to challenge the reasonableness of his sentence. Torres was charged with just two counts of drug trafficking and one count of money laundering, but received 168 months (that’s 14 years). He was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that moved cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico and then to the U....
Above the Law. They throw quite the party, don’t they? On Friday, I was lucky enough to attend ATL’s first ever Attorney @ Blog Conference in New York City, a symposium on everything blawg – from search engine optimization to tackling trolls. And, of course, since we’re all opinionated lawyers and bloggers, there was plenty of Twitter interaction throughout the day. Here’s a sampling of some of the tweets and topics that stuck with me after a long (and fun) St....
Carter Tillery walked into the Petersburg, Virginia branch of Swan Dry Cleaners, brandished a firearm, and walked out with a laptop and $40 to $100 in cash. He made the sole employee strip to her underwear and tied her up. He was caught after trying to sell the laptop to the barbershop next-door. He was obviously displeased with the result. After all, he robbed a small town dry cleaner and ended up with federal charges....
Yesterday, we put in our two cents about the recent hacking of America’s BigLaw firms by Russian hacker, Oleras. Hopefully you weren’t one of the many firms on that list. But if you’re feeling a little more secure in your firm’s network because you’re a solo lawyer, don’t. Hackers are after your discovery. We’ve reviewed some security suggestions that came up at the recent 2016 ABA TechShow. Follow these steps to safeguard your firm’s sensitive information....
As the details of Target’s massive data breach begin to emerge, the focus is beginning to shift to vendors. According to The Wall Street Journal, it seems the Target hackers breached the chain’s security systems by using electronic credentials stolen from a vendor. For in-house counsel, the immense breach highlights the need for companies to create a robust security system that extends to vendors and other interconnected business relations. Here are five ways in-house counsel can improve their company’s vendor cybersecurity:...
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday in an en banc rehearing of Doe v. Covington County School District, a case in which a plaintiff claims that a Mississippi school violated her civil rights by releasing her to an adult who raped her, despite the fact that the man was not on a list of approved adults who could check her out of school. The hearing focused on whether the school had an affirmative duty to protect the plaintiff based on the special relationship created by the school’s compulsory attendance policy, and whether the school’s actions constituted deliberate indifference under the Fourteenth Amendment....
Those who say that crime doesn’t pay are either lying or misinformed. Crime can pay very well. The more accurate statement is that criminals can be forced to forfeit the considerable fruits of their labor if they are convicted. Which is what happened in today’s Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals case. (The legal events in this case span 18 years, so try to keep up.) After Claude Duboc pled guilty in 1994 to drug trafficking and money laundering, a district court ordered Duboc to forfeit $100 million in proceeds from his crimes, along with a list of specified assets, including automobiles, bank accounts, and real estate....
In US v. Cardosa, No. 09-1216, the First Circuit faced a challenge to the district court’s denial of defendants’ motions to reduce their sentences for crack cocaine related convictions. In vacating the judgment and remanding the matter for reconsideration, the court held that where the defendant’s existing sentence was ultimately determined by the old crack cocaine guidelines rather than by the career offender guideline, resentencing is within the discretion of the district court....
Vanchurina v. Holder, 10-1309, concerned a couple’s petition for review of a final order of removal of the BIA. In denying the petition, the court held that substantial evidence supports the BIA’s finding that the nature and context of the petitioners’ claim - one that entails criminal extortion and threats - did not establish grounds for asylum. Also, substantial evidence supports the finding that the wife was not subjected to extortion on account of a protected ground....
Everyone needs an extra hand now and then. Especially in-house attorneys. Taking on outside counsel can help a legal department balance its existing work with new obligations, and add specialized expertise where needed. Finding a good match isn’t easy, however. About 30 percent of in-house counsel let their outside counsel go every year. You don’t have to be one of them though – if you pick well. Here’s three common mistakes GCs make when hiring outside counsel:...
But does it matter? No, We’re All Grown Ups Here Most companies have policies limiting employee Internet use at work, but those don’t seem to be having much of an impact. According to the FindLaw survey, 50 percent of adult Americans admit to using the Internet for personal matters while on the clock. The top five personal uses are: But perhaps it doesn’t matter. Proper management should ensure that employees are doing their work in a productive manner, regardless of whether they check Twitter on their breaks....
There’s a lot to do during the year. But during the last few weeks of the year, legal work can often slow down quite a bit. As such, it doesn’t hurt to spend a little time doing some of that digital housekeeping you’ve put off all year. In addition to taking stock of your hardware and making sure it has been properly serviced and updated over the past year, there are a few simple tech related chores that shouldn’t be ignored, especially more than annually....
The sayings about being early are numerous. From Benjamin Franklin’s “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” to “the early bird gets the worm,” we always hear that being early leads to success. But is it true? It turns out, to a certain extent, it is. A new study, soon to be published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, shows that managers have a “morning bias,” where they associate an early start time with conscientiousness, reports Quartz....
According to Reuters, French police arrived at Google Paris offices Tuesday and raided the location as part of an ongoing investigation into whether or not the Internet company is dodging taxes. The probe, opened last June, is part of an anti-corporation sentiment that started when the public became increasingly aware of multi-nationals taking advantage of tax avoidance schemes across the globe. Google has maintained that it is compliant with French law....
