Posts

H-1B visas are initially granted for a three year period by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCSIS). If you want to stay in the United States longer, you will need to file for an extension, usually maxing out at an additional three years. But be warned, extensions have become harder to obtain, and use the same level of scrutiny as the original application. UCSIS has made it clear that adjudicators are under no pressure to give deference and extend a visa just because one had been originally issued years ago, as had been the policy in years past....

It is always sad when you find out your heroes have feet of clay. And fists of steel. It is even more distressing when the superheroes we so enjoy use their powers to attack each other, as well as Connecticut police officers. Halloween in Stamford, Connecticut, may never be the same. In the early morning hours of October 31, police were called to the scene of an outright Halloween brawl between some of the characters that were supposed to be on their side....

Sports, like any other profession or pastime, has had its share of lawbreakers. From your petty shoplifters to your international conspirators, athletes are just as likely to wind up on the wrong side of the law as the rest of us. The only difference is there’s normally a much bigger spotlight on Pacman Jones than your Average Joe. Here are five of the most infamous criminals from the wide world of sports:...

Some cases defy expectations. In Re: Erik Brunetti is exactly one of those cases. Brunetti sought to register his clothing brand’s trademark with the US PTO. However, his trademark application was rejected due to section 2(a)’s prohibition on immoral and offensive trademarks. After all, his brand name is FUCT. Surprisingly though, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that section 2(a) was unconstitutional as an impermissible First Amendment restriction....

Ray McGovern stood with the audience and then turned his back to Hillary Clinton as she spoke at George Washington University. Printed on his shirt – “Veterans for Peace” – was his message. He stood there until two guards escorted him out of the room – that’s when his silent protest got ugly. McGovern sued for constitutional violations, but a federal judge dismissed in McGovern v. Brown. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia agreed, saying the officers had probable cause to arrest him....

Have you ever had an opposing counsel who you just didn’t care for, personally, professionally, or for any other reason? Have you ever felt compelled to play silly pranks on them in order to exact some angsty revenge for them putting you through the misery of having to work with them? After all, if you’ve ever missed a planned event because opposing counsel put you in a tough spot on a joint filing, or by rejecting a brief continuance, that desire for revenge can be very real....

A real-life, actual drug, DUI, traffic, family, business litigation, personal injury and real estate lawyer from New Jersey was recently arrested for possession of pure MDMA and trespass. And while drug lawyers get arrested all the time on drug charges (nothing unusual there), this guy’s charges are a bit more unique than the usual drug lawyer drug bust. The attorney was found by police asleep and disoriented in his car, in someone else’s driveway, sans pants, and wearing a black shirt and black high heel shoes....

California law schools have a problem. There are the upper-tier schools, such as Boalt Hall, Stanford, Davis, Irvine, and Hastings. These are worth attending. There are also a ton of mid-tier schools, such as Loyola, Santa Clara, and even McGeorge. These are also worth attending, though their sticker price begs the value question: Is this school worth $100,000 or more in student loans? We all know how bad the job market is, both industry-wide and in California....

Judgment of the juvenile court, finding that the defendant is ineligible for deferred entry of judgment (DEJ), is reversed and remanded as the juvenile court did not expressly revoke defendant’s probation, and thus, he is statutorily eligible for DEJ pursuant to section 790. Read In re T.P., No. B209520 Filed October 5, 2009 Judges Opinion by Judge Gilbert Counsel For Appellant: Richard B. Lennon, under appointment by the Court of Appeal...

Jacob Segura was looking for a lift so he went to his local police department to ask for a ride. The 32-year-old man Nebraska man asked the Madison police if he could get a ride to Columbus. According to the Norfolk Daily News, an officer informed Jacob Segura that it was against department policy and that the police could not provide rides. That’s when police say Segura allegedly hopped into a cruiser and took off instead of waiting for the sheriff’s office to arrive....

Conviction for drug crimes and firearms possession is affirmed where the trial court did not err in denying defendant’s motion to suppress as: 1) the initial detention of defendant was reasonable; 2) a patsearch of defendant was supported by a reasonable suspicion that he was armed and dangerous; 3) handcuffing defendant did not constitute a de facto arrest; and 4) the search of the passenger compartment of defendant’s car was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment....

Two Florida men have been arrested in connection with a Craigslist scheme which involved using lawyers’ names and bar numbers without permission to provide loan modification and foreclosure defense services. Can anyone say “unauthorized practice of law”? Injunction Sought Currently, an injunction is being sought at the Florida Attorney General’s office to enjoin Joseph Anton Hilton and Adam Forman of Parkland, Florida from using other individuals’ bar credentials to secure business, according to a press release....

The list of law schools with the most applications was recently reportedly and schools in the Washington D.C. and New York City areas dominated the list. As another batch of potential law students ready their applications for next year, they will also be faced with the difficult decision of choosing the right law schools to apply to. Conventional wisdom has been that you should apply to the very best law schools you can possibly be admitted into, and then attend the very best school you actually get in....

Lots of California law updates this week with the 2014 State of the Judiciary, a retiring judge, and a review of laws, pending, passed, and interpreted. Let’s jump in: 2014 State of the Judiciary On March 17, 2014 Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye gave her 2014 State of the Judiciary Address before California judges, legislators and attorneys. The foundation of her statements rested on “fairness and collaboration” – values that both the judiciary and legislature embody....

Why be original and face blank stares and quizzical looks from interviewers, colleagues, and managers when you can alter your vocabulary ever so slightly to pave the way for cheers, high-fives, and a big ol’ pat on the back? If you are fresh out of the law school scene and trying to make your way in the workplace or through interviews, you might be up on the legal lingo, but now you need to make sure you are hip with the business buzzwords....

Even those of us who do not follow the many highs of Taylor Swift’s career or the highs and lows of her romantic life know this – she is not married. The young pop goddess is allegedly attached to a Scottish DJ named Calvin Harris and just celebrated her one-year dating anniversary with him. Still, recently, a different young man – Paul Herrin, 26 – broke into a Tennessee home claiming he was there to save his wife, Taylor Swift, according to ABC News....

Move over doctors, tech bros, and Academy Award nominees. When it comes to being the whitest, malest profession in America, the law has everyone else beat. And it’s only getting worse, as the percentage of minority associates stagnates and, for black lawyers, shrinks. The Law’s Diversity Problem by the Numbers When you think of professions which lack diversity, things like tech start up engineers, hedge fund managers, late night comedians, cupcake store owners, Teach for America candidates, and NFL quarterbacks come to mind....

Spring is (almost) in the air, and so are spring bonuses. Everyone knows that, when it comes to compensation, large law firms are followers, not leaders. Partners sit around in their corner offices, poking around at the firm’s financials until Above the Law gets a hot tip that Big Prestigious Law Firm (BPLF) number one has started the spring bonus game. And then they poke around a little more, waiting to see what BPLF number two does, just to make sure they don’t accidentally overpay the serfs....

Why do so many young lawyers hate their jobs? Dissatisfied youths can be seen in a wide variety of legal fields (corporate, personal injury, insurance) and every firm size (BigLaw, small firm). Is there something wrong with Millennials’ expectations? Probably, and aspiring attorneys might need to adjust their expectations to new legal realities. But it might also be the legal profession, not unhappy lawyers, that needs to change as well....

Gun rights activists in Yolo County nabbed a win, as the Ninth Circuit has held that the county’s “good cause” concealed-carry handgun policy is unconstitutional. Yolo County’s policy requiring anyone seeking a concealed-carry permit to show “good cause” was initially upheld by the district court. However, following the Ninth Circuit’s recent decision on a similar law in San Diego County, it’s not a huge shocker that Yolo County’s concealed-carry law was also shot down....