Bargaining for Freedom, a Day in Criminal Court
July 23rd, 2010 · 
2 Comments
By: CHRIS BLANKINSHIP, ESQ.
I recently spent a full day at the Airport Courthouse in the West District of Los Angeles helping a friend who had been charged with a misdemeanor. I have never been charged with an offense, nor have I ever been on the defendant side of a lawsuit, so this was a new experience. A few things happened I feel are worth sharing so others in similar situations...
Tags: General·Lead Counsel Corner
Home Loan Mods: A Case for Attorneys
July 14th, 2010 · Comment Now
By: CHRIS BLANKINSHIP, ESQ.
Loan mod assistance and representation remains one of the most misunderstood businesses in the market. During my commute to work this morning I heard several ads for loan mod companies promising to lower my principal or find violations in the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”). What’s worse, each company claims to be the highest regarded in its class or the...
Tags: General·Lead Counsel Corner
IRS May End Payments to Some Tax-Cheat Whistleblowers
July 5th, 2010 · 2 Comments
BY TIM GRENDA, J.D.
A recent change in how the Internal Revenue Service rewards whistleblowers who help expose tax cheats may leave some tipsters holding the bag.
Whistleblowers often play key roles in taking down tax-evasion schemes and other elaborate financial crimes. In many cases,...
Tags: General·Lead Counsel Corner
Workplace Drug Testing… Can You Be Fired for Medical Marijuana or Other Prescription Drugs?
July 1st, 2010 · 4 Comments
By: LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.
Interesting case in the news today… A Wal-Mart employee was fired for failing a customary drug test because he was a medical marijuana user. (This case is in Michigan, which has legalized medical marijuana for qualified medical purposes.) Apparently he was one of...
Tags: Drugs·Federal·General·Labor & Employment Law·Lead Counsel·Lead Counsel Corner·Lead Counsel News·Legal Trends·Litigation
Supreme Court Strikes Down Gun-Control Law as Violation of the Right to Bear Arms
June 28th, 2010 · Comment Now
By: LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.
An individual’s right to own and posess a gun versus gun-control laws has been one of the most debated issues in our history. On one side of the issue is an individual’s right to own and possess guns under the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms and an individual’s right to self-defense. On the other side is the issue of...
Tags: Constitutional·Criminal Law·Federal·General·Lead Counsel·Lead Counsel Corner·Lead Counsel News·Legal Trends·Legislation & Policymaking·Litigation