How to Decide on the Right Law School

By Preston Clark

So you still want to be a lawyer, huh? Well, don’t say we didn’t we try to talk you out of it– but if you’re dead set on making it happen, check out The Law Insider’s Top 5 List of Things to Consider When Deciding on the Right Law School. Here we go!

#1: Location, Location, Location

When deciding on your undergraduate institution, there are a great number of factors to consider– but typically it all comes down to what’s the best place you can get into for the money. Law school is similar in that regard, but perhaps unlike your undergraduate education, where you go to law school is going to have a tremendous impact on the geography of your professional career.

That is to say, if you decided to get your liberal arts degree in Michigan, it didn’t necessarily mean that you were committing yourself to a professional career in Michigan. But law school is graduate school, my friends, and that means this is the last stop before you enter the real world of making money and paying off loans. Law schools go out of their way (hopefully) to help you network… Keep reading

Oscar Nomination for Documentary: Undefeated

A good high school friend of mine, TJ Martin, along with co-director Daniel Lindsay, were just nominated for an Oscar. I tried to come up with a great thelawinsider.com take on the film– like the contractual implications surrounding its purchase by Weinstein Co. or some law related theme embedded into the story. But alas, I’m just going to give it a plug and tell everyone to go see this AWESOME FILM!

Check It Out:

BMW Recalls the Rolls-Royce Phantom

CNNMoney.com is reporting that BMW of North America has announced that it will be recalling 198,000 BMW and Rolls-Royce cars due to a flaw in the braking system.

Among the cars being recalled is the 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom. With an MSRP price tag ranging from $380,000 – $450,000, the recall of the 2010 Rolls Royce Phantom may be the most expensive per vehicle recall in history. And what’s most remarkable is that BMW, owner of Rolls-Royce, is reporting that no accidents or injuries have resulted from the brake problem.

So why is BMW preemptively recalling one of the most expensive models in the world without a single report of incident? Toyota may be the answer.

In August, The Law Insider reported on the mass recall by Toyota resulting from a faulty accelerator pedal design. Toyota was not so fortunate as to preemptively recall its vehicles prior to accidents occurring because of the faulty design. As a result, Toyota has faced numerous class action products liability law suits both in the US and Canada that will cost the company millions of dollars. Perhaps even more significant than the cost of the recall and… Keep reading

Celebrity Law: Lohan Out on Bail

Our favorite case study in celebrity misdemeanors, Lindsay Lohan, was released on $300,000 bail late Friday night, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

Speculation about whether or not Lohan is receiving special treatment from the court system because of her celebrity is spreading across the blogosphere.

Let The Law Insider clear things up here: Lohan was NOT given special treatment.

Lohan was sentenced to a harsh 90 day sentence resulting from a DUI incident in May of this year. Fast forward to August, she was released after serving just 13 days of the 90 day sentence. Because of overcrowding in LA County jails, shortened sentences are par for the course. But fast forward again and Lohan was just recently charged with a misdemeanor parole violation for failing a drug test (cocaine).

Facing the charges, Lohan appeared in front of Judge Elden Fox on Friday and was denied bail. And as much as we’d all really like to deny Lohan bail, Judge Fox crossed the line by denying release in a misdemeanor. Denying bail is not to be used by judges as a form of punishment– but is rather the legal… Keep reading

Friday Legal Blawg of the Day – Real Lawyers Have Blogs

I follow a small country’s worth of attorneys on twitter and I just came across an awesome legal blawg while digging through my twitter friends. Great lay out. Great content.  Kevin O’Keefe is a lawyer turned blawger turned LexisNexis business developer– which pretty much makes him my hero. His blog is Real Lawyers Have Blogs and it offers blogging and website design/strategy advice to attorneys looking to break into online marketing.

I found this video on O’Keefe’s site. It was created by Seattle based Common Craft and it teaches the basics of blogging. Pretty cool.

Did France Just Ban Islam?

CNN.com is reporting that the French senate approved a law banning any veils that cover the face. Not only did the law pass with overwhelming support in the senate and the parliament, but the Pew Global Attitudes Project reports that the French people approve of the legislation 4 to 1.  

At a time of growing polticial and relgious unrest between Americans and Muslims relating to the 9/11 anniversary and the proposed Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero, the notion of targetting and banning certain religious garb seems dangerously hostile. The First Amendment would prevent such legistlation from ever gaining traction in the US– but such is not the case in France. 

What strikes me as particularly bold is that this legislation has not veiled (excuse the pun) its true intent but is very much directed at maintaining the predominate cultural norms in France. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life estimates that France has about 3.5 million Muslims, or about 6 percent of the population. Assuming half of these are women and also assuming that less than all wear burqas, the French people are sending a very strong message to a relatively small group of people. Which begs the question, is France really… Keep reading

The Canadian Prince of Pot and the Future of Weed in America

Marc Emery, the infamous “Prince of Pot”, who has disregarded US marijuana laws for years in the name of drug law reform, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison. Emery pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Friday to charges stemming from his sale and distribution of cannabis seeds in the US. It is alleged that Emory has made millions of dollars in the illegal drug trade and has played a key rule in funding the pro-marijuana lobbyists in Washington.

As a native Seattle-ite, who grew up in the grunge-era, I am no stranger to the pro-legalization culture. And still, the underlying motivations of the proponents of legalization have never been entirely clear to me. Emery was making millions through the sale of pot seeds and did so self-righteously in the name of civil disobedience. He disagreed with the law and profited from breaking it. Granted, he spent a lot of money to support the pro-legalization movement, but it’s safe to say his operation was not a non-profit. Emery reached iconic status and he made money off his brand. Saying that he believed in the legalization of marijuana is like saying George Bush believes… Keep reading

Friday Legal Blawg of the Day

I stumbled upon a really interesting post on ClientRevolution.com last night. Client Revolution is a cool legal blawg that was ranked among the top 100 legal blawgs by the ABA in 2009. They posted a video yesterday from a Ted lecture by Dan Ariely. I know it’s a bit off topic for The Law Insider, but this is really worth watching if you have any interest in consumer psychology or behavioural economics. Heck, even if you don’t, it might be worthwhile to know what the modern day Don Drapers are doing to get your money these days.

CENSORED: Craigslist Adult Services Blocked in U.S.

Craigslist has finally made changes to its website early Saturday morning, censoring its “adult services” section in the United States.

Craigslist has been under fire for years for facilitating prostitution via its “adult services” section. Last week the attorney generals from 17 states collectively made a call to action for Craigslist to once and for all remove this portion of the site.

The question remains, however, if the efforts to halt the advertising of prostitution on Craigslist will have any real effect on slowing down of the use of the internet to solicit prostitution or if the practice will just shift would be prostitutes to other sites. Backpage.com and other similar sites have received much less of the bad press but provide a similar platform for the solicitation of prostitution.

A CNN investigation of Craiglist’s “adult services” section, tallied more than 7,000 ads in a single day country wide. While Craigslist may indeed be the biggest site facilitating prostitution, it certainly is not alone.

It’s also worth noting that the 2009 “Craigslist Killing” of Julissa Brisman was purportedly the result of an ad posted on… Keep reading