Lawyers and Law

Archive for August, 2010

The reason it has a reputation for being so dull is because, a court reporter must turn out page after page of legal jargon, but what they don’t consider is that the reporter is a first hand witness to some exciting and dramatic court room drama.

What Qualifications Do You Need To Be Able Offer A Court Reporting Service?

In order to be a certified reporter, an individual has to pass the State Licensure Exams which is executed by a panel of court reporting specialists. He or she may be a member of either the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA) or the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). To become eligible to be a member of the NVRA you will have to be able to type 250 words per minute, and to qualify as a member for the NCRA the minimum requirement is 225 words a minute.

For additional improving of abilities in the reporting field, they are obligated to undergo quite a few tests like writing, transcriptions examinations, and speed tests categories like Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) or Real Time Verbatim Reporter (RVR).

Court reporting services

Aside from documenting and transcribing the depositions and litigation in court, a court transcriptionist ought to offer various services:

A good quality transcript or report of all the occurrences that happened in the courtroom. The stenographer should preferably write in flawless grammar with the proper spelling and punctuations. For that reason, the court reporter should have an outstanding knowledge of the spoken and written language.

A quality litigation reporter would certainly also know the fundamental facts of the case they are reporting on. This is so that they can completely understand the proceedings amongst the lawyers, Judge, Defendant, Plaintiff and the Jury, and what charges or complaint is against the accused. This can also help the reporter to keep themselves updated on all of the jargon, and they might be able to predict what could be said in future proceedings.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/what-you-should-know-about-court-reporter-services-3173176.html#ixzz0yFQSDyLc
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

In a survey conducted by the ABA Coalition for Justice, 1,200 state trial judges have revealed some surprising facts about litigants who handle legal matters on their own. Though the number of people who have chosen to represent themselves has risen, the survey shows that it may not be a great idea to do so.

While we all are acutely aware of the effects the economic downturn has had, it is still interesting to see the impact it is having on individuals. In an effort to save money, many people are choosing to represent themselves in foreclosures, domestic relations, consumer issues, and non-foreclosure housing matters, among others. The results? The judges who were surveyed revealed that the people who choose to represent themselves aren’t doing a great job and are, thusly, creating more work for an already burdened court system.

Over 60% of the judges imparted through the survey that representing yourself in court will typically lead to a bad outcome for the litigant.

This survey supports a statement that I make often: Don’t decide to file bankruptcy on your own unless you’ve seriously considered the consequences. Filing bankruptcy is no easy task. It requires you to handle important documents, negotiate with the trustee, and take care of any obstacles that will inevitably pop up. Am I saying it is impossible to file bankruptcy by yourself? No. I am, however, telling you that it is a huge task to take on and you should evaluate the consequences carefully.

Remember: Filing on your own doesn’t always mean you’ll save money—and it certainly doesn’t save you any time. By making one easy mistake, you put yourself and your family at risk of not receiving a discharge. That means you could’ve done all that work and spent all that money only to not receive a discharge.

The best way to get a great outcome for your case is to do the proper research, evaluate your situation, and choose the pathway that will give you the best outcome, not the one that will cost you the least amount of money.

Am I saying that it is always better to file with a lawyer than to file a bankruptcy case on your own? Not necessarily. To have the best bankruptcy experience possible, you must choose a qualified, experienced bankruptcy attorney. If you end up picking an attorney because of a low price or one that has limited experience, you could be putting yourself in just as dangerous a position as if you’d filed on your own.

If you are struggling with this decision, make sure you fully research all of your options and think about what risks you are willing to take. See what reputable attorneys have to offer in terms of free information. You will probably find blogs, bankruptcy FAQ, and possibly even free publications that will point you in the right direction.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/new-survey-shows-filing-bankruptcy-on-your-own-could-be-a-detriment-3111780.html#ixzz0xSsPIgu0
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Manga are far more respected in Japan than our produced works. They are read by all demographics and are viewed as an art-form like any other. It is visual storytelling, using panels of pictures with speech and sound effects.

Battle Angel Alita, volume 1, was published back in 1991. After writer-director James Cameron finishes his magnum opus, Avatar, he will turn his attention to adapting to the silver screen this wonderful sci-fi action-adventure. When reading this manga note that, although translated into English, the book is “printed in the original Japanese format in order to preserve the orientation of the original artwork”. So you read right to left, back to front.

Right from the awesome image of a robotic woman with angel wings on pages two and three, we are thrust into the world far, far into the future. This is a future where cities float in the sky, and shift in their moorings to the ground according to the moon. Like much manga and anime, technology has advanced exponentially to almost unrecognisability, and there is an exploration of the nature of humanity. Here the relationship between human and machinery has blurred. Artificial intelligence exists, where robots are just as sophisticated as nature. Humans are revived and augmented and are now cyborgs happily living (though the health-care system is only for the wealthy). The influence of writers Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? aka Blade Runner) and Isaac Asimov (I, Robot) are felt.

Volume 1 focuses on the scrapyard city below the floating utopia of Tiphares. Those that have not, it seems, live below Tiphares. Environmental damage that has been on the forefront of many minds in Japan currently has taken root, and this scrapyard city is a sea of neon and metal, with no signs of vegetation or birds or animals (except dogs). I wonder if that is the reason why this manga is drawn in shades of black and white, without any colours – which potentially represent nature, as well as hope?

While the environment has apparently suffered, on the other hand scientific knowledge has grown. There is a mechanics genius whose shop sign reads: “Daisuke Ido, Mechanic • Cyborgs • Androids • Robots • Repairs of all kinds, Tuning & Maintenance Cybernetic Repair Workstation”

A main Character Mad-haired Dr Daisuke occasionally wanders into the mountain of scrap looking for robotic elements to build from. He comes across the head of a robotic girl, with a neck and part of her torso still attached. She is 200 or 300 years old but her brain is intact and he manages to revive her, and then constructs a body for her. She is without memory and so Daisuke names her after his dead male cat, Alita, until she remembers her given name.

The police no longer exist. Instead ‘Factories’, administrative centres, register bounty hunters who catch criminals for a fee. Like much Japanese originated sci-fi, there has been a societal breakdown. Fearsome criminals now roam the streets. Daisuke, is not only a scientist, but one of these vigilantes, who captures criminals “for the rush” – showing that not all computer whizzes are nerds.

Alita follows him one night and is forced to help him. In protecting him she unleashes and unknowingly unveils her gifts as a fighter and decides to become a bounty hunter herself while she learns who she really is. This theme can be seen also in James Cameron’s post-apocalyptic television show, Dark Angel, where a genetically modified woman (Jessica Alba) fights for good while on her own journey of self-discovery. This society is not in good shape, what with vampire serial killers, and drug-addicted cyborg murderers. This latter killer is in fact a nutty Nietzsche-spouting snake-borg, Makaku, who eats the brains of humans and dogs to get their natural endorphin chemicals. Daisuke is right, when he says, “Damn, he’s scary!” So bounty hunters Alita and Daisuke lock horns with Makaku in a grand, brutal struggle.

There is plenty of action, though it unfortunately can be a bit confusingly portrayed at times; while the violence is tempered by the imagination on display and the lack of colour.

Battle Angel Alita is a grapically amazing comic book with a heart, and a gripping mystery story at its core. I rate this 4 stars

“There’s nothing in this world of value…nothing worth risking our lives for…except, perhaps…what little we can create ourselves. Without you Alita my life has no value,” says Daisuke. A reference perhaps, to not only children, but to also art, and job satisfaction?

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/rusty-angel-battle-angel-volume-01-review-3062351.html#ixzz0wu6I2PQ4
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Cyclists are frequently demonised by pedestrians and motorists because of the behaviour of a few, who ride as though there are no legal restrictions upon them. Because of this it seems that motorists give little regard to the safety of cyclists and it is rare for the courts to decide that an accident wasn’t partially or entirely the fault of the motorist. This is good news for cyclists as the injuries suffered are often severe with even the most minor of falls leading to painful and disabling injuries

If you are knocked from your bike there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of bringing a successful claim.

* The first thing to do is to make sure that you have all the details of the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident; this includes their name, address and telephone number. At the very least get their vehicle registration number as their insurers can be traced through their VRN.
* Get yourself medically examined; this can mean going to see your doctor or more often than not you will be better off going to your local A&E or medical walk-in centre. You should do this for two reasons:
o To make sure that you have not sustained any serious injuries
o So that there is a record of the fact that you sustained injury in the accident; it won’t kill your claim if you don’t get checked-out but it is always easier to obtain medical evidence if you have been examined.
* Start to keep a list of all expenses you may incur as a result of the accident. This can include medication and treatment costs, the cost of the repair of your bike, if any property such as clothes/helmet or spectacles were damaged get quotes for their replacement or repair (don’t throw the damaged item away as the other side’s insurers may want proof of their damage). If you are off work make sure that you obtain sick notes if appropriate.
* If you need to get a taxi or a bus to go for medical examination or treatment or for any reason get a receipt or keep your ticket; the more you can prove the more you can claim.
* Likewise if you use your car for such purposes then keep a note of any mileage incurred, this can be claimed a set rate per mile.
* If your injuries are such that your spouse/partner/family or friends have to help you out with everyday activities again, keep a record. You can claim for their help even if that help was given without you paying for it.
* If you are likely to have some time off work then try and get together payslips for the 13 weeks before the accident; your solicitor will be able to get this information from your employers but it will speed things up if you have them to hand; some employers don’t regard helping you as a priority and their failure to respond can cause problems.

The above points will help you claim what are known as ‘special damages’ that is financial losses that can be calculated to the penny.

In addition you will be able to claim for what are known as ‘general damages’. General damages are sums that can not be specifically calculated and, in the main, relate to compensation for your pain and suffering as a result of the accident.

The valuation of your general damages will be based upon a medical report following an examination by a consultant appointed by your solicitor. The consultant will, as well as examining you, review your medical records which is why it is important that you seek medical assistance for as long as you need it; don’t just grin and bear it. If there are no records of medical treatment or attendance at your doctor or hospital it will be harder for the consultant to give a full account of your injuries and symptoms.

There has been a growing trend for the insurers of the offending vehicle to contact injured parties and offer a quick settlement saying that they, the injured party, will have to pay high fees if they instruct a solicitor. This is not true, if you have a good case a solicitor will act for you on a no win- no fee basis whereby all your costs will be paid by the other side without any deduction for your damages and, if you instruct a solicitor chances are you will receive a higher award.

To ensure that you get the maximum amount of compensation and all that you deserve speak to a solicitor who knows what they are doing and who specialises in cycle claims. This way you will ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-injury-articles/claiming-for-cycling-accident-3026321.html#ixzz0wQYQWthO
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution