Are you interested in a governmental gig but not down with joining the feds in D.C.? Does your state capital make you yawn? Not inspired by the thought of clocking in at the U.N.? Maybe you need to start working for the city. As part of our affiliate partnership with Indeed, we’re bringing you the three coolest jobs we could find this week – all in city government in shining metropolises throughout the U....
At age 13, arguably the greatest soccer player in the world signed a playing contract on a paper napkin in a Spanish tennis club. Lionel Messi agreed to play for Barcelona “as long as the conditions agreed are met,” and his allegedly forged signature joined a few other jots at the bottom of what may now be the most famous napkin in history. Of course, more specific contract terms were later codified in a proper playing contract, but the question remains: would the napkin be legally binding?...
The makers of Frigo underwear are suing Derek Jeter for backing out of deals to market their brand. The baseball player vehemently denies the company’s claims that they had a contract or that he called the Frigo marketing plan both “too gay” and “too urban.” Reportedly, the company sued Jeter because he backed out of a deal, unhappy to market the underwear alongside rapper 50 Cent, per TMZ. The athlete also allegedly shirked his duty to become director of the company, fearing Frigo’s “sporty” marketing strategy would strain his relationship with Nike....
A New York patent attorney made the classic mistake of representing himself in an emotional divorce case, where he quickly found himself in over his head. He was in deep water, as in the Titanic-going-down deep. Here’s just the tip of the iceberg at the end of a custody hearing: The court: “Is there anything else” Lawyer: “Yeah, your Honor. I am tired of these lies coming from you on the record....
The firm of Chadbourn and Parke is run by an ‘all-male dictatorship’ that denies equal pay to its female partners and shuts women out of leadership, according to a class action lawsuit brought against the firm – by some of the firm’s own leaders. Lead plaintiff Kerrie Campbell joined Chadbourne as a partner less than two years ago, but alleges that she was systematically denied leadership roles and compensated much less than her male counterparts, according to the New York Times....
These days, everyone’s talking about a side hustle, either doing one, fixin’ to do one, or just daydreaming about the possibilities. Side hustles take up a lot of spare time, but can make you a lot of spare money too! If you’re thinking about joining the gig economy, but aren’t sure it’s for you, keep in mind these three trending side hustles that are still illegal, despite their popularity. 1. Growing Weed for Sale Numerous states have legalized pot in one form or another, and many people believe that even the feds are about to join the ranks....
We rely on our well-trained law enforcement officers to make a lot of tough calls in the field. Halloween candy or meth? Marijuana stalks or hibiscus flowers? Cell phone or hash browns? Cops have made mistakes before, and Jason Stiber claims they made another one, when an officer who issued him a $300 driving citation mistook his McDonald’s breakfast for a phone. Stiber initially made the argument himself to a judge last year, though unsuccessfully....
“Shoot for the moon” is a common idiom, typically meaning to strive for excellence; to do your best. Well, an Arizona man was arrested Friday after doing his best to actually shoot at the moon – like, with a gun. Probably not what folks had in mind when they coined the phrase. Local police weren’t impressed either. What kind of trouble can you get yourself into when your literal take on an idiom makes you look like an idiot?...
Jenny Afia, a privacy lawyer and partner at Schillings law firm in London, speaks at least three languages: English, lawyerese, and teen. English helps her with clients on both sides of the Pond, but it is her command of lawyerspeak and teen talk that is making headlines on the World Wide Web. Afia translated Instagram’s “terms of use” into language that teens can understand. In a new report titled “Growing Up Digital,” Afia says that most people don’t read the terms of use on websites they visit....
French Prison Officials Face ‘Dopey’ Allegations Over Inmate Version of Famed Bike Tour Traditionally, if you’ve had dreams of bicycling around the idyllic French countryside for a month in the summertime, you’ve had to be either an elite pro cyclist or a well-heeled man or woman of leisure. Now, you just need to be French and convicted of a serious crime. In June, 196 French prisoners and 124 guards will embark on a 2,300 km bicycle trip around the country, starting in the city of Lilles and following the route of the official Tour de France race....
The recently decided case of Wiseman Park LLC v. Southern Glazer Wine and Spirits LLC may open a floodgate of litigation in California, or not. The case reversed a trial court decision sustaining a demurrer to a lawsuit brought by an alcohol retailer against an alcohol distributor. The distributor sought the demurrer on the basis that California’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) held the exclusive jurisdiction over all legal claims between alcohol retailers and distributors....
Even though the penny pinchers that appear on TLC’s Extreme Couponing go so far as to dumpster dive for coupons, it’s rare that anyone even approaches the line of becoming a coupon thief. But one coupon queen in Denton, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly doing just that. She’s been accused of masterminding a coupon crime spree. A local distributer had recently complained to police that someone had accessed several of his newspaper boxes, stealing coupon inserts from the papers....
In US v. Baugham, No. 07-3145, the court of appeals affirmed defendant’s sentence for various federal drug and conspiracy offenses, on the grounds that 1) defendant never asserted that a misstated name in the information caused him any hardship or confusion; 2) while the district court erred in neglecting the 18 U.S.C. section 851(b) colloquy, the error was harmless; and 3) the district court’s reasoning did not exhibit vindictiveness. Menominee Indian Tribe v....
From free coffee to “Government Cheese” pizza, “shutdown specials” to furloughed employees are all the rage at restaurants and eateries in Washington D.C. But members of Congress shouldn’t expect any freebie love from these joints. At least four eateries have announced members of Congress are not only excluded from the discounts – in some cases, they’ll be charged double until they get it together and reopen the government. No Soup for You After getting the cold shoulder from D....
Written testimony offered by a cat. That is just the beginning of the feline folly that ensued last week when the Barre, Vt. city council seriously considered authoring a leash law for, that is correct, the town’s cats. It all began when the council began reviewing its animal and leash laws with an eye to overhauling them. The legal “claws” causing concern? According to an ordinance passed in 1973, “No owner or keeper of an animal shall allow his, theirs or its animal to run at large....
Sometimes, lawyers learn very expensive lessons. Unfortunately for one Southern California lawyer, a $300 wage dispute ballooned into a six-figure judgment after he made a couple critical mistakes. Mistakes which he is not likely to repeat again. His first mistake: failing to file a cover sheet on his complaint. His second mistake, and one he now acknowledges: representing himself. The whole dispute arose after an employee abruptly quit. The attorney phoned in the employee’s hours so that he could be paid his final check, and the payroll processor accidentally underpaid the employee by $300....
We recently read a Mashable article that gave tips to the general public about how to be happier at work. Of course, they noted that the average American works 100,000 hours, but for us lawyers? You could probably double that. A few weeks ago we talked about giving a digital detox a try. So, maybe you don’t have a weekend to just tune out. But you could probably spare 5 minutes, no?...
Ever wonder why in movies, the Dark Knight is always running away from both the Joker and from the police? It’s because carrying concealed weapons, being a vigilante, and trespassing are all crimes, even if you are Batman. Cops were called when Williams was seen hanging off the side of a building at around 12:40 a.m., reports The Petoskey News-Review. Williams must have had a pretty heavy utility belt, since he’s facing charges stemming from:...
After pleading guilty to several sexual assault and child pornography charges, former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. And one of his former employers, Michigan State University is trying to bring its culpability in his decades of abuse to an end. The school, accused of covering up complaints of Nassar’s treatment of students and athletes while he was employed in the athletics department, has reportedly agreed to pay $500 million to 332 women who say they were assaulted by Nassar....
President Trump is preparing a presidential proclamation to empower a new federal rule regarding asylum, which will be in direct conflict with current laws regarding asylum seekers and point of entry. Trump claims this is within his power as Chief, but Civil Rights activists claim this is illegal. Here’s what you should know: The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department teamed up to draft a new federal rule regarding asylum entry at the southern border....
