Articles by Michael
Criminal Records
Expungement: How to Clear Your Criminal Record
Having a criminal record can affect your ability to be hired for certain jobs or obtain a promotion for a job you already hold. You may not qualify for a loan or clear a background check when you apply to rent or lease an apartments. Many people also want to have their criminal record expunged...
When I first saw the Super Bowl ad featuring a personal injury lawyer, I thought that it was for an upcoming television miniseries based on a John Grisham novel I hadn't read. The premise of a reformed criminal lawyer who seeks to avenge his brother’s death and represent car wreck victims was...
With these seven tips, anyone can learn how to effectively reduce their tax liability and maximize their deductions. But it is important to remember that you can't have good tax planning without the planning. Once you become familiar with the basics and how to spot opportunities, the process...
Citizenship
How to Apply for Citizenship by Naturalization
Once you have determined that you are eligible to become a U.S. citizen, you are ready to move forward with the Application for Naturalization, Form N-400. The processing time taken by each U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field office can vary and may take several months...
A teenage boy, whose drunk driving killed four people and seriously injured two others, was spared any jail time as a result of his being a “victim” of his family’s excessive wealth. In a DUI case that has sparked national outrage, a Texas judge sentenced the 16 year old defendant suffering from...
Naturalization is the process of a foreign citizen being granted United States citizenship. Before you can apply for citizenship with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), you must first meet all the requirements. This article will help you determine whether you are...
Permanent Residence
How to Get a Green Card: Eligibility and Qualification
“Green Card” is the informal name frequently used for a U.S. Permanent Resident Card. It allows a person who is not a United States citizen to reside in the country indefinitely. The card may also serve as a path to U.S. citizenship. A green card may be obtained under certain circumstances...
A user of Google Glass was allegedly removed from an Ohio movie theater and interrogated for several hours under suspicion of bootlegging a film. The moviegoer was wearing Google Glass with prescription lenses, an option that Google said would become readily available when the beta product would...
LinkedIn, one of the world's largest professional networking sites, filed suit against unknown hackers who registered thousands of phony accounts in order to harvest valuable member data. The complaint, filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, was the first step the company...
Landlord Obligations
Tenants Rights in New York City: Utilities, Repairs, Safety
While New York City tenants generally enjoy strong local support from government and in the legal system but they need to be aware of their rights and remedies. Your landlord should make every effort to ensure that your basic tenants' rights are protected - your rights to a safe, comfortable and...
Sprinkle some magic powder on your food and you'll have a gym body without going to the gym in no time. Slim down just by rubbing some sweet smelling cream in strategic places. Do these promises of fitness without dieting and exercising sound too good to be true? The FTC thought so and charged...
Has anyone recently perused the Search Provider Agent Directory at the U.S. Copyright Office website for a DMCA / copyright infringement agent other than myself? You should because you might not be able to find your company listed. Browsing through the alphabetized entries would seem elementary...
Yesterday the California Supreme Court ruled that a Mexican immigrant, living illegally in the United States for 20 years, may not be barred from becoming a state licensed attorney. Despite acknowledging that an undocumented immigrant's presence in the country was an ongoing violation of federal...
Over the past week we've received a massive amount of virus infected spam, ostensibly from the prestigious law firm, Latham & Watkins. With the subject "Urgent court notice" comes a zip file, such as the one named Court_Notice_Latham_and_Watkins__NY82008.zip or using the Jones Day name. It...
A U.S. citizen who plans to marry a person who is a citizen of foreign country may wish to bring their fiancé / fiancée to the United States prior to the marriage ceremony. In such circumstances, the U.S. citizen who is engaged to be married can petition the immigration authorities for a K-1...
Law, Procedure, Other
USCIS Change of Address Rules & Requirements
Virtually all foreign nationals and aliens (those who are not U.S. Citizens) are obligated to inform the U.S. Citizen Immigration Services (USCIS) of a change of address in a timely fashion. Other than a few exceptions, a lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) has a short period of time...
Dangerous Drugs
Pharmaceutical Drug Law: Accountability and Liability
Lawsuits involving prescription drugs, medication and medical products usually concern product liability law. In general, product manufacturers are charged with a duty of care. They must make reasonable efforts to protect the consumer from harm.
Drug Manufacturer Testing Requirements and FDA...
Telemarketing companies using autodialers to make "robocalls" are finally being met with tougher federal regulation. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revised its rules and regulations in February concerning the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). These changes went into effect...
New York State Attorney General Eric T. Shneiderman announced in September that 19 search engine optimization firms and private companies agreed to pay fines exceeding $350,000 (in the aggregate) and cease creating fraudulent reviews online. The year long "Operation Clean Turf" was targeted at...
Juvenile Crime
Juvenile Delinquents and the Juvenile Justice System
When a child or a minor commits a crime, he or she enters the criminal justice system. However, the system treats minors differently than adults. Rather than calling the minor a “criminal defendant,” the special term used to describe this young person is a “juvenile delinquent.”
The Definition...
