There are different kinds of legal jobs available these days. If you are interested in this kind of a job then first of all you need to join a legal school. There are various legal schools present in the country but some of them are popular and well known.

It is always important to join a school which will offer you the best course in this field. There are people who might want to relate themselves to the legal field but they might not have the qualification to become a lawyer or an attorney.

So what can be the choice for these kinds of people? You might have an idea about the paralegal jobs. These jobs have become popular because lots of people want to join the legal field. You can join the entry level paralegal jobs.

This is one of the most thriving job opportunities which offer a great pay as well as many other benefits. These jobs also offer great retirement plans. The paralegal is not actually a lawyer but are the assistants to the lawyers. They can be the assistant to one or even more lawyers.

Before you join this kind of a job you need to find out proper paralegal job description. With the help of the job description you will be able to learn more about this field. These professionals need to deal with the public and this is one of the most important parts of this profession.

The person interested in paralegal jobs must also have a pleasant and polite personality. These jobs can either be government or private. If you want you can join the government firms and practice under the state court.

If you want you can even join law firms that belong to the private companies. Corporate paralegal jobs are becoming quite popular these days. But there are certain myths about the paralegal profession. Some people think that they need legal degrees as well as certification course for these jobs.

There has been an argument regarding these certification courses as well as legal certificates. But you must always remember that there are certain advantages of certificate and degree. There is another myth that paralegal professionals can only answer phone calls and perform paperwork if they cannot have a legal degree.

But this is not true. The paralegals are very much essential for the attorneys. Most of the work of the attorneys is usually done by the paralegals. They need to draft memos, submit papers to the court, interviewing the clients, researching the cases for the attorneys and much more.

The attorneys will not be able to handle the pressure of the work without the paralegals. You will be happy to learn that the paralegal job description are increasing in America.

If you are a resident of Chicago then you can look for the paralegal jobs Chicago. There are certain websites which can help you search for these jobs in your current state. An experienced paralegal is a great choice for assisting the attorneys.

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Let’s face it, Judge Judy’s syndicated television show works because she’s so brutal with the litigants who come before her, willing to have their self respect shredded in a million pieces, regardless of whether she likes them or not or whether she declares them in the right or decides they’re dead wrong.  The premise was to take a sweet, petite “youngish” grandmother type, complete with crocheted collar and put her in front of a dueling defendant and plaintiff and then film it as it plays out.  She’s said things such as, “Are you an only child?” to which the defendant answered, “No, I have a younger sister”.  Judge Judy never skips a beat and says, “Oh, they didn’t have enough sense to stop after you were born?”  Trusty bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd snickers off to the side, which catches her attention as she mumbles, “Well, it makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”    Most of us decided years ago if they’re that willing to be cut down on national television,  then more power to them.

The problem, however, appears to be at least one district attorney is following the Judge Judy method, but no one’s paying her the big money and she doesn’t have her own syndicated program, points out A. Harrison Barnes, attorney and LawCrossing.com founder.  Instead, Laura Morask, a Cook County, Illinois prosecutor is facing ethics complaints for her tart comebacks.  These are two listed in the ethics complaint on file with the State Bar of Illinois.

• In one example, she called a woman “Mother Teresa” and “June Cleaver”.  The woman was on trial for killing her daughter.
• When a rape victim nervously stumbled while on the stand, she quipped, “It’s really tough to be a rape victim now.  Hold on a minute, Mr. Rapist, I know you’re about to plunge your penis in me, but I think I need to take a picture of you so that I won’t get blamed later in court for forgetting anything”.

No one can say she doesn’t have a sharp tongue.  What’s brought all these charges back to the forefront were comments made by a blogger, who’s also a Chicago area attorney, says A. Harrison Barnes.  Jack Leyhane provided link backs to a negative rating based on negative appeals decisions as well as her less than professional courtroom conduct.  As the LawCrossing.com founder explains, while Morask was clearly upset about this, she did take the high road and requested he remove the post and insisted she had previously been cleared of the charges.  Unfortunately, the blogger opted to post her request instead.   This opened the door for the blogger to continue with his mission.  He said, “At no time have there been proceedings before a hearing board, let along (sic) a full and complete hearing…and at no time was she cleared.”

Now, Morask is being accused, via yet another ethics complaint, of “lying to a blogger about a past disciplinary probe an making sarcastic closing arguments”.

Makes you wonder what Judge Judy would say, doesn’t it?

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News broke in late September that as many as 17,500 legal positions – including staff attorneys an associates – could be on the chopping block in the very near future. This is due in part, says A. Harrison Barnes, lawyer and LawCrossing.com founder, to a continued need to drive legal costs down across the board. Some insist outsourcing is a big culprit for those seeking a more traditional office setting. While that’s likely, says Barnes, there are actually an entire laundry list of justifications for these big cuts, expected to occur over the next sixty months. And these “big cuts”, says Barnes, are in important areas.

Everything from summer intern programs, the number of staff attorneys a firm has on board to the classes for first year associates are at risk. Lisa Smith, a writer for Hildebrandt, Baker Robbins says more clients are demanding affordable costs and have long since grown “frustrated with the high cost of legal services”. This is true both in the U.S. and London.

With just over 65,000 lawyers who are considered non partners in the AmLaw 200 firms, a full ten percent of these jobs could be at risk if technology and improved efficiency begins to occur. Some estimates say there are approximately 1,000 outsourced attorneys with these firms to date. If the dynamics continue to work and the numbers increase to, say, 5,000, it will mean a shift of at least another 5,000 traditional jobs that associates are now filling. It could be catastrophic for the legal field. The total, along with a few other factors such as reduced salaries for new lawyers, the reduction could land near 27% in total. “These are substantial numbers that you can be sure law schools are watching right now with a very worried mindset”, says A. Harrison Barnes. With more law students than in recent years, these numbers and dynamics are on a collision course.

So what’s the solution?  Barnes says one possible way to offset these numbers is to increase demand; unfortunately, the legal sector doesn’t have complete control over the demand. Clients do. Further working against that logic, demand’s declined in the past two years due to the economy. Worse, some analysts predict a further decline. “Raising fee structures isn’t the solution since the client has said, ‘enough’ and is seeking other legal alternatives for their legal needs”, says Barnes.

For now, career deans and law schools around the country will be monitoring the situation closely. Some law students are no longer focusing in on which firm they want to build their careers at, but instead, are looking for creative ways to put their education to good use. Many are considering politics, others are shooting for non profits and still others are considering using their talents for today’s hot button issues such as same sex marriage, health care and immigration laws with the hopes there’ll be room for them to fight the good fight when they graduate. Time will tell.

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If you are looking to hire people for laboring jobs in Hull or are yourself looking for laboring jobs in Hull for your organization, this article will be surely of some help to you. ShortTask is an online portal or platform where employers can post their online or IT jobs which can be performed by experts in the specific industry. There are several reasons why it is beneficial for organizations to get jobs done through ShortTask. First and the most important reason is, organizations do not have to hire people for short term projects and arrange for infrastructure so that hired professionals can work. Secondly, the payments employers have to make are to people who work from distant parts of the world, so even very small payments in US Dollars when converted to currencies in developing countries sound very lucrative to those users who work from developing countries. Even otherwise, if you want U.S. citizens or people from your specific country to work on your tasks you save on hiring, training and infrastructure costs. ShortTask has professionals from various fields working on these tasks. The skills these professionals possess are very diverse in nature, so employers can definitely expect people who can do their virtual jobs.

Professionals who are looking for laboring jobs in Hull can make best from this opportunity. There are so many employers who post jobs on ShortTask every day. The difficulty of tasks greatly varies from employer to employer and task to task. Employers or seekers post different jobs like data entry, web research, editing, writing, job posting on websites, programming, graphical design, or QC. Some jobs hardly require any special skills. All you need to know is using computers and browsing the Internet. There are no ceilings on your earnings, you can earn as much as you want. There are no fixed timings or working hours. You can work at any time you like, from your home, office or any place in the world. Students and housewives can really make handsome money from this, as they can find enough time. Even working professionals can add to their income by working in free time. A great opportunity is knocking your door and getting the best from it now!

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There’s one thing about being a freelance writer, no matter what channel the TV stays on during the day, odds are, you’re going to see a handsome or beautiful judge passing down verdicts in a fancy courtroom setting. Even with the volume muted, there’s no missing the antics via their expressions on both the litigants’ and judge’s faces. That had me wondering….where do these judges come from and is there anything remotely legal about the setting and rulings? Turns out, they are true judges – very successful ones, at that and the rulings are binding, according to A. Harrison Barnes, who’s also an attorney and the founder of LegalAuthority.com.

In fact, says Barnes, many of these judges are from the Miami-Dade area and surprisingly, none were looking for a job in the entertainment business, but instead, were approached by companies such as Sony Television. While the goal is to find those beautiful judges that come across well over the airwaves (and by the looks of these judges, the efforts paid off), scouts also look for those with a high degree of experience and the personality to match (think Judge Judy).

Whether it’s the aforementioned Judge Judy and her no-holds-barred approached to defendants and plaintiffs alike, to the hilarious and openly-gay Judge David Young, there’s no lacking of personality, charm and ability to cite any number of court cases. A. Harrison Barnes says the wave of courtroom television began with The People’s Court more than a quarter century ago when Judge Joseph A. Wapner, in his grandfatherly wisdom, doled out legal rulings perched from his made for TV bench. No one other than the lovely Judge Marilyn Milian, who I would have sworn was found in Jersey, is actually a former Miami-Dade judge and now presides over The People’s Court.

Turns out, the franchises have been profitable for the various television studios. Even as several received the boot in 2009, those favorites remain and continue to rank high and rake in big bucks, too, says the LegalAuthority.com founder. So who are the winners in the battle of TV judges? According to Nielsen ratings, here’s how they rank:

• Judge Judy, who consistently ranks in the top 5 of syndicated judges
• Judge Marily Milian comes in second with a strong showing
• Judge Joe Brown, who in his fatherly wisdom, keeps readers loyal and tuned in and
• Judge Greg Mathis, another favorite who uses a sense of humor to endear both the litigants and fans

For those who are wondering how they can become the next Judge Judy or Judge Joe Brown, A. Harrison Barnes warns that while the popularity has remained steady, it appears there’s a good balance of court TV programs and the odds of adding any new ones don’t seem to be in the cards for any of the production studios. Even if there was room, odds are, there’s not much a current judge would be able to do for himself except hope to get noticed by the powers that be. It’s good entertainment by true legal professions in this country – and after all, that’s what this country’s built on.

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In an effort to settle many of the lawsuits GlaxoSmithKline, PLC is facing, it has agreed to pay more than $460 million for the now-controversial Avandia drug that was initially approved for diabetics. It was discovered that it can cause heart attacks and strokes in patients who take it. As a result, there were nearly 10,000 lawsuits making their way through the American court system, says LawCrossing.com founder A. Harrison Barnes. This settlement, if it’s approved, equates to around $46,000 per suit.

The company is attempting to settle these suits without acknowledging it knew the drug had a risk of heart attacks and other risks. If accepted, this will eliminate the first suit that’s scheduled to begin in October 2010 in Pennsylvania. Some analysts are saying this is the best news for the drug maker, but some attorneys are balking at the seemingly low-number figure offered. Legal analysts agree that it could set a trend for future suits, although with so many drug-related lawsuits currently awaiting solutions, it’s not likely it will set a new standard.

The LawCrossing.com founder says even as the suits are being lined up, the FDA could still potentially approve its use if it can determine the benefits outweigh the risks. This is proving to be a controversial stand for the FDA to make as some say it appears biased toward the UK drug maker. While the FDA attempts to run damage control, it stands firm that the ability to control blood sugar levels could mean it’s worth the risk, at least to those who are not at risk for cardiovascular disease. Neither the FDA nor Glaxo, which also happens to be the largest in the UK, are commenting.

A decision, both on the FDA’s final determination and the court’s ultimate decision on whether to approve the settlement, is expected sometime this year, says the LawCrossing.com founder. A. Harrison Barnes also presents another potential problem for the drug maker. Even if the FDA does approve the drug for use in the U.S., some physicians may balk at prescribing it since it could potentially leave them liable and alone against any future suits, since it’s likely if the settlement is approved, it will virtually eliminate all possibilities of future lawsuits. With so many dynamics involved, no one will really know for sure until it unfolds.

For now, lawyers around the world and certainly with the U.S. and the UK are closely monitoring the goings on.

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For many years, lawyers have battled in courtrooms across the country regarding telemarketing laws. Public outrage led lawmakers to create a national “Do Not Call” list. Telemarketers immediately went on the defense and told judges and attorneys their rights to free speech had been trampled on. On the other side of the controversy, of course, were consumers who’d grown weary of answering countless phone calls on a daily basis from those pedaling everything from timeshares to credit cards.

Over the past couple of years, there has been some degree of a cease fire declared as the telephone has been replaced with spam email. Still, this hot button issue was front and center all during the 1990s, says A. Harrison Barnes, lawyer and LawCrossing.com founder. While millions of Americans signed the petitions that would prevent telemarketers from calling their homes, companies were in the process of gaining access to the massive databases that included cell phone numbers and even email addresses. The question then became whether or not telemarketing and other similar electronic methods were even still productive. Many lawyers, including A. Harrison Barnes, say with so much spam hitting our inboxes, these days, it’s likely the delete button has proven a far more effective tool than any do not call lists.

But where do those initial laws that were put on the books years ago come into play, if at all? There are still an impressive number of telemarketing companies in business. This suggests that despite the bad rap these companies, they must be earning profits on some level to withstand the difficulties and what are surely lean times. One thing’s for sure, all of the courtroom drama and attorneys doing battle over which had more preference, the right to privacy or freedom of speech considerations, has had to have paid off on some level. Many lawyers are still earning impressive fees from representing either the companies themselves or the consumers involved in any of the class action lawsuits.

These efforts are being spearheaded by various associations. The focus is on promoting telemarketing, fighting negative images and stereotypes as well as gathering industry research in an effort to ensure this field remains competitive. Further, the industry has many lawyers who lobby against those newer laws that make gaining access to email addresses illegal. Many of these associations also host conferences, promote marketing efforts and police those less than ethical businesses. The LawCrossing.com founder says this is one industry that’s proven resilient over the years, despite any controversies.

In 2003, the number of American consumers who’d registered for the national do not call registry hovered near 62 million. Those numbers continue to increase each year.
While telemarketing might have lost part of its attraction, there remains a definitive niche in the world of marketing for these companies.

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Bullies have historically managed to remain under the radar because often, victims are hesitant about coming forward. Think back to the school yard bully in third grade. This kid was the loudest, boisterous and aggressive kid in the class, yet aside from the ocassional reprimand from the teacher, he was allowed to wreak havoc unchecked because everyone was afraid of him. A. Harrison Barnes, attorney and LawCrossing.com founder, says the same principle applies to the adult bully. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of sharing office space on the job with one of these aggressive folks, you know how exhausting and stressful it can be. It doesn’t have to be that way, though.

Employers usually cover on the job bullying through its human resources departments and more times than not, provides the specifics via the employee handbook. Bullying is generally defined as the persistent and ongoing ill treatment of a person that victimizes, humiliates, undermines or threatens a worker. And, like the school yard bully, workplace bullies thrive on the fact they’ve instilled a level of fear that will protect them. A. Harrison Barnes says more companies are becoming more aware of this kind of on the job harassment and are taking steps to ensure it doesn’t affect those on their payrolls.

Some companies address bullying in their harassment, vilification, discrimination and even sexual harassment clauses. Regardless of how it’s categorized, it’s illegal and any employer that knowingly allows it to continue risks lawsuits by employees. Some employers are now grouping malicious gossiping into their bullying guidelines. The bottom line, says the LawCrossing.com founder, is that it’s as illegal as bringing street drugs onto your employee’s property.

If an employee feels he’s being bullied, Barnes recommends going to your manager. Be specific and detailed as possible. From there, your manager should open an investigation or even some employers have guidelines that require very specific procedures be followed. Regardless, measures should be in place that not only stop the bullying, but also not make it difficult for you to report to work each day out of fear of retaliation. Unfortunately, finding a resolution sometimes calls for legal action.

There’s been an increase of lawsuits filed by those who experienced bullying on the job and received no protection from their employers. Barnes says these numbers are expected to continue to climb as more bullies get away with their bad behavior. Some legal experts say the trend won’t stop until enough legalities are in place to serve as strong incentives to put into place very definitive guidelines and strong repercussions for those who believe bullying is acceptable. “We all go to work each day with one goal – to do the best job we can for our employer and to earn a living that allows us to put our kids through school, pay our mortgages and plan for those golden retirement days. There’s no room for bullying in the workplace”, says Barnes. Sadly, some employees find themselves fighting a battle on their own until they seek legal representation.

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What if you were caught texting, or “sexting” as it’s sometimes referred to these days, your wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend using your employer issued BlackBerry, iPhone or computer?  Is there an expectation of privacy or do employers have a right to monitor how their electronics are being used?  A California court decided on the side of the employee recently.  But it’s not over yet, says A. Harrison Barnes, attorney and LegalAuthority.com founder.  In fact, the employer, a California area police department, is appealing the decision.

The case began when the department investigated what it believed were excessive amounts of text messages that were showing up on the bills each month.  What they found is one SWAT sergeant was not only sexting his girlfriend, but his wife as well.  Turns out, they’re all co-workers.  One can only imagine how awkward it was in the break room of that precinct!  Incredibly, all three sued their department and argued their expectation to privacy had been violated and that those messages were confidential.

The case is now with the U.S. Supreme Court, says A. Harrison Barnes.  One thing is for sure, says the LegalAuthority.com founder, “this will certainly have long reaching ramifications, regardless of how the Court rules”.

So…should employees have the right to expect privacy even when communications are courtesy of technology that does not belong to them?  There are many labor attorneys who are watching closely.  We also suspect there’s bound to be a divorce attorney or two involved in this specific case, as well.

There are a few statistics that are more than revealing.  One study that was conducted by both the AMA and ePolicy Institute showed that more than 80% of employers have procedures in place that addresses the use of company property for one’s personal use.  Only 28%, however, have used those policies to discharge an employee and even then, it was not until warnings had been extended and the employees used the gadgets “excessively”.    Here’s the shocker, though.  Almost three quarters of American businesses have monitoring programs in place and can read any email anytime with the click of a few buttons.  Less than half, around 48%, actually read an employee’s emails and text messages.

These new technological advances come with a price, says A. Harrison Barnes.  He says he expects to see more cases similar to these as time moves forward.  And what does the LegalAuthority.com founder suggest?  “Actually, it’s simple; reserve company electronics for doing business and nothing more”.

For now, all parties are awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling, which is expected to come down sometime in late summer 2010.  It’s one case that’s worth monitoring.

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If you had to guess, what would be your estimate of the number of registered sex offenders in this country?  100,000?  300,000?  Actually, it’s closer to 550,000.  Almost 20% of these registered sex offenders are considered “missing”.  It’s a frightening concept. This means they are not in compliance with their probation or parole restrictions. A Harrison Barnes, attorney and founder of LegalAuthority.com says this is one issue everyone can agree on: that 20% figure is not acceptable. It’s for these reasons many communities are seeking additional funds to hire new police officers, detectives and other personnel to ensure their communities are safer. The creation of these new jobs within law enforcement is important and tax payers are willing to foot the bill. But it’s not only on the local level, says the LegalAuthority.com founder.  States always seek more money for their respective budgets so that additional parole officers can be hired, too.

Megan’s Law was passed first in California and gave parents, teachers and law enforcement a powerful weapon in keeping children safe.  Searching for sex offenders anywhere in the country is only a few clicks away.  While there have been lawyers in the past who believed this was a violation of a client’s constitutional rights, for the most part, this law has been used countless times as another weapon in the war against sexual predators.

One of the weaker links, says A. Harrison Barnes, is the inability to watch paroled offenders around the clock.  Regardless of how many district attorneys, parole officers, community watch areas and police officers a community hires, it’s unrealistic to believe a person can be watched that closely.

Proponents of not only Megan’s Law, but other laws adopted that are similar to this one around the country, are working for even better and more streamlined protocols for reporting and monitoring sexual predators.  New laws are being considered in nearly every state capital in the U.S. and teams of law enforcement officials are making their suggestions as well, as in an effort to ensure we, as a collective society, protect our most vulnerable citizens – our children.

Many non-profit agencies are working jointly with some of the agencies mentioned above.  If you’ve considered changing jobs for one that you believe is more rewarding, consider the non profit sector.  Lawyers, paralegals, secretaries and others come together with a common goal.  Those who have worked with the various agencies say it was the most rewarding time of their lives.  The LegalAuthority.com founder agrees, “In a world where we are watching oil poison our beautiful Gulf Coast region and children who have disappeared and believed to have been harmed on a daily basis, this is an excellent career choice for many”.

Want to learn more?  Visit Barnes’ job aggregate sites at LegalAuthority.com and EmploymentCrossing.com.  It’s where the most non-profit positions can be found in one central location.

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