Legal Week in Review

Once again there were a number of excellent articles contributed in the legal category during the past week; however, it seemed that there were fewer submissions in the category. I have selected a number of them for review and these are set out below. Please take some time and follow the links to the individual articles and also take a moment and visit the Legal Feature page for all of the recently submitted articles. There are a variety of topics in the legal arena that are ripe for articles. Take some time and look around for some ideas and submit your own article under this section. If you have any articles, even your own, that you would like reviewed, contact me through Associated Content.

In the article – What is a Paralegal and What do they Do? – Details of Employment and Education Degrees Needed by Timothy Sexton an excellent overview and breakdown of the duties of a paralegal is provided. Along with this, Sexton provides some valuable information on how one goes about obtaining a degree and being able to work in this field.

Sexton does a good job in providing an overview of how paralegals do a job different from, but related to and supportive, of an attorney. It is also explained how paralegals may often and frequently do work for law firms, it is also possible for them to work in areas other those related to law or even in legal areas but outside of traditional law firms. Sexton also explains that the job done by one paralegal may be entirely different from another paralegal as the duties and functions are largely dependent on the specific job. Sexton also gives the reader a clear understanding of what is required in the way of education for a paralegal. Good information on general salary expectations is also provided.

Overall, Sexton has submitted a clear and concise, easy to read and understand article of what a paralegal does and how one becomes one.

The article New Jersey Law Update: Live with Full Service Gas or Die – New Jersey (and Oregon) Stand Tall – For Now – by Parenthetically Inexplicable an interesting subject is approached.

Though many, if not most, take the concept and availability of self service gas stations for granted, New Jersey and Oregon, according to this article, still require gas stations be full service. There are no self service stations, by state law, allowed in either state.

The article is interesting in that it points out that people don’t get to pump their own gas and as a result have some of the highest prices in the nation – at least in New Jersey where the writer is from. The writer goes on to talk about a certain New Jersey state senator that is interested in this law and the fact that he was interviewed on the Daily Show. Apparently this bothers the writer in that the Daily Show appears on Comedy Central.

At the end of the day, the article sets the reader up for an interesting article and topic by providing a very catchy and engaging title; however in writing the article, the writer (I use the term “writer” as this particular author doesn’t give their name) does little other than rant and rave and provides little in the way of information other than New Jersey doesn’t allow people to pump their own gas and Oregon might be the same. While I did chuckle in reading this article, I question why this article was published in the legal category.

Doing your Own Background Checks – by Scott McMahan. This article addresses a subject that provides valuable information on two fronts. First it gives an overview of how easy it is to find information, often quite private and personal information, relating to other people. From a simple internet search to more detailed searches, if you have a person’s full name, you can find a great deal of information. The more information you have about a person, the more information you can find. While some of this information is available for a fee, other information is available only in certain situations or to certain individuals or businesses.

The second front where this information is valuable is to people who want to safeguard personal information. It is troubling that information is so readily available.

This is a good article that provides information on a very important subject that all should take a moment and read – in case they want to find out information about someone or to safeguard their own information.

Finally, in Sexual Harassment in ABC Bank – A Hypothetical Case by Lauren Podolsky, a fictional case of sexual harassment is considered and discussed.

In undertaking this task, Podolsky spends time and gives a good discussion of what sexual harassment is and how it developed. The approach of the article is that a fictional case of harassment that occurred at a financial institution is addressed. This bank has never before had this problem, so guidance on how to address the problem is given. Strategies are discussed and approaches are given to handle this situation.

People know sexual harassment exists, but they may not know what it involves or how to identify it. This article gives a good starting point on getting a handle on this issue; understand the basics of the law, spotting it and, ultimately, how to approach addressing it.