Legal Internet Marketing For Attorneys

May 21st, 2009

Many lawyers are neglecting one of the the most powerful legal marketing tools available: search engines.  Although search engine marketing or optimization is best left to the experts, lawyers can help their cause by first hiring a competent web designers.  It is important that attorneys looking to improve their search engine rank know that a website designer is not a SEO specialist.  Quite the contrary, usually designers are usually worried about how a website looks and not whether it is well structured for search engine purposes though they might claim they know “SEO”.

This is not to say your presentation should be neglected.  Your website needs to tell potential clients that you are an established professional.  You can accomplish this on a budget for under $300, but better site designs will cost more.  Before hiring a webdesigner for your legal website, research on what different services and packages cost and the quality of work and reputation you are getting in exchange for your money.

Free Legal Services

March 13th, 2009

Finding legal services for free can be a difficult task, but if you search diligently you may be able to get free legal advice, consultation or representation.  One way is to locate your nearest law school.  Law schools often have free events where lawyers assist students in giving information.  A caveat to this is you may need to qualify to participate in such programs by having a household income of lower than $40,000/year.

An alternative to this is finding about other state sponsored pro bono programs.  It is high recommended by State bars that lawyers strive to meet a certain number of pro bono hours each year.  These programs are commonly held within the community and give clients in need of legal advice a chance to receive it for free.

You may also want to contact a lawyer directly and explain your situation.  Sometimes circumstances are so extenuating that an attorney may take the case on a pro bono basis.  Often times, an attorny who takes such a case will believe strongly in the merits or cause.

Games Downloads Center of Legal Controversy

February 25th, 2009

The gaming world has had a huge effect on the Internet.  It has opened up a huge market online.  However, the game download industry, such as wii downloads, has also created the need for new legislation and piracy laws.  The primary reason driving stricter enforcement of laws is peer to peer sharing or P2P.

P2P shares are when online game players make resources and other items (such as mp3s) available to others at no cost.  This is happening with mobile games as well as standard home based games.  Sometimes this is not an illegal transaction at all.  For instance, some rock bands want their music to be shared to promote popularity and growth.  Nevertheless, typically established products or music are exchanged for free to the dismay of creators.

Many landmark cases have arisen for this with courts generally deciding in favor of license and copyright holders.  In essence, may shares across the internet are nothing more than hi-tech stealing.  You couldn’t go into a game store and take a free game home despite the fact one person has already purchased it.

Acai Berry Diet Helping Attorneys

February 25th, 2009

You can buy acai berry at several websites online.  This new phenomenon has become very popular in America as a natural health improvement drink or food.  The acai berry diet has also hit the legal field as many lawyers are seeking to improve their health after years of stress and unhealthy habits such as drinking or smoking.

At acaiberrysite.com, you can find quality acai products to review and research on whether or not acai berry supplements are in your future.  You will need to weigh the side effects against the beneficial results of acai such as weight loss, better sleep, improvement in your immune system, and various other positive results acai berry juice is said to have on those who consume it.

If you are unsure whether you will enjoy the taste, acai is said to be like a blend of chocolate and berries and has received some glowing reviews.  If you are unsure, free trials are available on the web.  If you feel like your legal practice would be aided by this fruit from the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, you can research it further at many websites on the web.

Criminal Lawyers

February 8th, 2009

Those who have been charged with a crime are entitled to legal representation.  A public defender is counsel appointed for free to represent the accused.  A private San Antonio Criminal Attorney charges a fee to repesent the person charged with a crime.  A criminal lawyers job is to zealously defend on behalf of their client.

Criminal Law is an action in which the state brings an action against the individual charged.  A district attorney will review the evidence and usually offer some sort of plea deal to the individual’s attorney.  The definitions and penalties for different states vary from state to state.  You can see your states respective criminal codes by looking at the 2009 penal code publishing.

The list of criminal statutes includes a list of criminal offenses, which are established by Congress or state legislatures.  The primary objective of criminal law is to set punishment for criminal offenses. The burden of proof in a U.S. state or federal criminal prosecution is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.  In civil law, this proof falls under the much less stringent standard of preponderance of the evidence.

The criminal prosecution and defense process consists of a variety of elements and procedures.  However, not all criminal prosecutions involve so many layers or as complex.  The list includes pleas, arrest, charges, trials, pretrial hearings, discovery, evidence review, arraignment, grand juries, dismissed cases, pleas, discovery, jury selection or voi dire, evidence, motions, appeals, and posttrial remedies.

Types of Action in the Legal System

January 1st, 2009

An action is conduct or behavior on one’s part.  It can also mean a criminal or civil judicial proceeding.  Actions legally divide into several, related and independently distinct categories.  Related categories can fall under the type of entity you are bringing an action against.  For example, an in personam action is an action brought against a person while an action in rem is an action to determine the title to property and the rights of the parties with respect to it.

Action to quiet title is a proceeding brought to establish a plaintiff’s title to land by compelling an adverse claimant to establish a proper claim to the land or be estopped from asserting one.  A real action is an action brought for the recovery of land.  As you can see by this sampling, there are many types of actions.  Most can be defined by simply using a common sense approach.

San Antonio Criminal Lawyer Website

December 26th, 2008

For information on criminal law and lawyers in San Antonio, you should read SanAntonioCriminalLawyer.org.  This is a blog style legal site with information on DWIs, public intoxication, theft, Internet crimes, white collar crimes, and other felonies and misdemeanors.  A better San Antonio criminal lawyer will have experience in the jurisdiction and crime charged with.  Be sure to research your attorney and their reputation before making a choice on who will defend you against charges.  It is also helpful if you learn more about the Texas Penal Code in regards to what you have been charged with.

Exclusionary Rule Scope

December 17th, 2008

This blog will discuss the standing to object to the admission of evidence. The concept of standing to object to the admission of evidence seized during an illegal search refers to a party’s legal right to object. Traditionally, to have standing to contest a search, a party must have had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the place searched. Some courts recognized that standing was required to challenge a search while other courts did not. In Alderman vs. United States, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that a 4th Amendment violation can only be brought up by the person whose rights were violated, not by those who were collaterally hurt by the introduction of such evidence. This decision was based, in part, on the public policy that the public has an interest in seeing criminals prosecuted on the basis of all the evidence which exposes the truth.

Knowledge in Criminal Law

December 14th, 2008

A person acts knowingly with respect to the nature of his conduct or to circumstances surrounding his conduct when he is aware of the nature of his conduct or that the circumstances exist. A person acts with knowledge with respect to a result of his conduct when he is aware that his conduct is reasonably certain to cause the result. In State vs. Beale, a subjective test for knowledge offered that it was not enough that a reasonable person would know, Beale himself must have known that the merchandise was stolen. The court said this was the test for criminal liability. This is not the rule in every jurisdiciton. The true test for knowledge was to ask did the defendant in this case know the goods were stolen? Direct proof was not required. It is enough if Defendant is made aware of circumstances which caused him to believe that the goods were stolen. The court was concerned with the defendant’s conduct and whether it evidenced showing awareness.

Constructive Trust

December 11th, 2008

Constructive trust is a court imposed trust to get around constitutional provision that you cannot lose your property rights because of crime, to prevent unjust enrichment; mechanism that recognizes your legal title but separates from beneficial title which is the next of kin from decedent. The action must be intentional and with malice; beneficiary in the wrong; conviction alone not enough. The burden of proof is on claimant who seeks to impose the trust; preponderance of evidence standard; cannot use criminal conviction to prove intent. Simultaneous death – if betty survived, then to her heirs, if not then alternative beneficiaries. Statute – whether there is direct evidence that the father died before betty Lou. Case was amended. The 120 hour rule says they are considered simultaneously dead if beneficiary doesn’t survive benefactor by 120 hours. To be an heir or beneficiary individual must outlive decedent. There is survival rule of 120 hours. If a person survives the decedent but dies prior to the expiration of the survival period, then the property passes had the person actually predeceased the decedent. If they don’t live 120 hours after decedent dies, then they predecease the decent. No simultaneous death.