Lawinsider.com Launches Largest Freely Searchable SEC Contract Database in the World

Free database aims to disrupt the contract and business document industry.

Your Liability as a Landlord

Renting out your home can be a great way to make extra income, but it is essential to ensure that you have a firm understanding of all of the applicable laws. Although you will not be required to carry the same level of protection as a property management company that has a community with hundreds of units, you will still need to get landlord insurance to make sure that you are covered for a wide variety of potential issues. Keep in mind that your homeowner’s policy will not extend to many of the issues that landlords can face.

What is Landlord Insurance?

Landlord insurance will provide you with financial protection from damage to the building and any belongings that you have stored inside of it, including appliances.… Keep Reading…

Under Suspicion of Embezzlement?

Few things are more intimidating than being told you are being investigated for embezzlement. Embezzlement does not always mean money is being stolen in large quantities, sometimes it applies to misappropriation of funds or inflating expense reports that requires a lawyer to rectify.

Understanding embezzlement

Embezzlement charges may be felonies or misdemeanors depending on the amounts involved. Embezzlement is considered a white-collar crime and may also result in additional charges such as fraud. In some cases, before charges are filed, you may find you are the target of an investigation.

Investigative procedures

In some cases, embezzlement investigations are the result of simple mistakes or miscommunication.… Keep Reading…

Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Are We There Yet?

By Aaron Blumberg

After years of promises that Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) was on its way, we finally have a plan in place.  On Tuesday, April 16, 2013 the “Gang of Eight,” a bipartisan group of Senator’s, unveiled an 884 page immigration reform bill, called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. It’s perhaps the biggest and most sweeping change to the immigration landscape presented in the last twenty years.  We are just in the very early stages of CIR and the next few months of committee revisions, Senate and House debate, and cries from the media and the public, will dictate what our future immigration system and border security will look like.… Keep Reading…

RPI Status: The Path Towards Legalization

On Tuesday, April 16th history was made when a group of both Republican and Democratic Senators unveiled a landmark comprehensive immigration reform bill, that finally addresses the plight of millions of hard working people who are living in the US without legal status.  The bill, known as the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013,” not only removes the threat of deportation for most people without a criminal record, but it also gives them a coveted path towards work authorization and eventually US citizenship.  Under this proposed bill, millions of people who have been living in the US without legal status since before December 31, 2011 would be eligible to apply for Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status.… Keep Reading…

The Business of Cannabis: A New Frontier in the Legal Profession

By Preston Clark

In our ongoing interview series with innovative lawyers who find success off the beaten path, we dive into the uncharted waters of cannabis law. This week, The Law Insider connected with the leading Seattle-based (where else!) cannabis attorney, Hilary Bricken, of Canna Law Group, to explore this new niche in the legal industry.

What’s I-502 and why should lawyers pay attention?

I-502 decriminalizes certain amounts of cannabis for adults 21 and over under state law, and establishes a comprehensive regulatory licensing scheme, to be administered by the state’s Liquor Control Board, for producers, processors, and retailers of cannabis products.… Keep Reading…

Should researchers and scientists be able to claim human DNA as their intellectual property?

Should researchers and scientists be able to claim human DNA as their intellectual property? That is the question the U.S. Supreme Court must now decide after hearing oral arguments yesterday. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post reported that the Justices expressed trepidation as they listened to the parties’ explanations of patent law and the complexities of biochemistry.  The overriding hesitation by the Supreme Court may be due to the fact that this decision has the potential to shape the future of medical and genetic research as well as the potential to have profound impact on pharmaceuticals and genetically modified crops.

A coalition of researchers, genetic counselors, cancer survivors, breast cancer support groups, and scientific associations filed suit in 2009 against Myriad Genetics, a Utah biotechnology company, challenging the company’s patent of genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.  Myriad discovered and isolated the two genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, which are highly associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.… Keep Reading…

How to Write an Employee Handbook – Sample Employee Handbook

How to Write an Employee Handbook

The employee handbook is a one-stop resource that includes all policies and procedures of an organization.  It reinforces what is expected of the employee and in turn identifies the organization’s goals and purpose, as they relate to the employee.

Free Employee Handbook Template from RocketLawyer

Before jumping into creating an employee handbook, you should first decide what information is to be included.  Consider your audience and what you are trying to convey.   Start by compiling a list of the topics that you’d like to cover, and then outline each subtopic. This will help to create the structure of your handbook.  Be sure to include your Senior Management team in your brainstorming sessions; these are the individuals that have been trusted with managing the different departments and have key insight in the various components of the organization.… Keep Reading…

8 Reasons Why You Need to Establish Yourself as an Authority on Google+

In the last few weeks I’ve been digging through articles and case studies on the topic of Google Authorship. Goal? To substantiate this (not so) crazy idea that Google Plus and Google Authorship can drive traffic to this blog. As of now, I have three blog posts that get considerable daily organic traffic in the range of 100-300 unique visitors a day per article. I’m now working to multiply this strategy and will be adding three new articles on topics relevant to legal services, legal documents, and the business of law.

For more information about Google Authorship, please take a few minutes to read this great case study by Jeff Sauer that I found over the weekend. 8 Reasons Why You Need to Establish Yourself as an Authority on Google+

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

1.… Keep Reading…

The Voters Rights Act & Amex’s Next Chapter

A Day At the U.S. Supreme Court—February 27, 2013

By  Christopher King

Out In The Cold

Here’s how things work at the U.S. Supreme Court. You get up pre-dawn, trudge past the ghostly Capitol in freezing weather (it’s February!), and notice in the distant mist an incredibly large crowd already lined up parallel and adjacent (L shaped) to the tall pillared building, and a second merely large crowd lined up (I shaped) on the landing at the top of the steps. It’s 7:15 A.M.

If you’re lucky, you’re a member of the Supreme Court bar and get to line up with the merely large crowd.… Keep Reading…