JD Journal » law

Iran Begins New Web Crackdown

chelsei — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:27:32 +0000

As the government in Tehran experiences greater difficulties stemming from economic problems and threats of international sanctions, Iran is implementing new guidelines regarding internet expression including statutes that will increase the amount of video surveillance in places such as internet cafes.

In its most pervasive move, Iran is requiring internet cafes to put in security cameras, begin collecting personal details on their customers, and monitoring the online presence of their users, and has only given them 15 days to do so.

Many people in Iran believe their home computers are no longer private and have flocked to internet cafes as an alternative option. Until recently, such places have been popular among young people in most neighborhoods. However, this week internet users in Iran have reported that many favorite sites are now blocked, and they have had difficulty accessing social networking sites in particular. Internet connections have also been slow. These difficulties are likely the beginning of a new development that Iran has been looking to implement – a domestic intranet. The purpose of this initiative is to protect Iranians from the ideas and influence of a non-Islamic Western culture. It is purported that internet access will soon be replaced with this new intranet. Testing of the intranet is presumed to have caused the slow connection experienced by cybercafé patrons. A spokesperson for the computer systems union reports the intranet will be ready to go live within a few weeks.

The internet has become a persistent problem in the political arena ever since it was used by activists to plan and implement widespread protests against what they considered the rigged re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009. Since then, attempts have been made to control the internet and what information is available to the citizens of Iran. The intranet represents the grandest effort to assert such control.

With the implementation of video surveillance, Iran joins such nations as Libya and China who also monitors and tracks who uses the internet. Under Moammar Gadhafi, Libya extensively monitored web access and use. China not only filters and censors what is available on the web, but also requires internet café patrons to show identification before being given access to the internet.

The internet crackdown in Tehran comes in the midst of Iran’s parliamentary elections scheduled for March 2. Political parties advocating reform have already boycotted the upcoming election. In addition, Iran is experiencing continued worsening economic problems such as decreased foreign sales, rising inflation, and a devalued rial, the currency in Iran.

The rial is experiencing a record low of dropping 40% against the U.S. dollar in the past few weeks resulting from threats by United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran’s banking system and an embargo on Iranian crude oil because they suspect Iran is continuing to acquire nuclear weapons. Also, U.S. military officials continue to propose limiting access to the Persian Gulf which would greatly limits Iran’s ability to export their oil.

Joint Degree Possible for New York Law School Students

chelsei — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:48:28 +0000

New York Law School students will soon be able to get a joint degree in law and a master’s in mental disability law studies in four years, instead of the previously set five years.

In May of 2010, NYLS teamed up with the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a college within the City University of New York located around five miles north in Manhattan. Starting sometime next fall, the schools will offer the joint degree together.

”It will provide student the great benefits of having courses being taught from the two perspectives of the psychology faculty and the law faculty as well and having classmates in both disciplines,” said Liane Bass, who is the senior administrator of NYLS’ online mental disability law program, which was launched in 2000 with one class.

The program has come a very long way since then. In the recent years, it expanded through partnerships at the other law schools in the U.S. and abroad.

”We offer more courses in mental disability than any other law school in the world. Most law schools offer zero or one — we offer 13,” said Professor Michael Perlin, who actually designed and teaches the program.

This program aims to train lawyers to represent a gamut of people with mental disabilities, like homeless persons, sexually violent predators and those committed to institutions. But the courses are not just aimed at future lawyers. This program is branched as an M.A., not an LL.M., in order to try and attract mental health professionals rather than just law students.

Domestic and international students include attorneys, psychologist, psychiatrists, forensic, other mental health professionals, human rights workers, activists, and advocates.

The course list includes Mental Health Issues in Jails and Prisons; Sex Offenders; Forensic Reports, the Role of Experts and Forensic Ethics; and Mental Disability and the Criminal Law.

This program is being shortened from five years to four because students can now essentially ”double dip” 12 of the credits, said Perlin.

A few of the classes are online, while the rest are an in-classroom format. Perlin is the one and only full-time professor, but between 15 and 20 adjuncts teach within the program. Teachers from all across the country teach its online course, giving Perlin ”the whole nation to choose from,” he said.

Each year, about twenty students will take the program and demand will be gauged from here.

Every state has their federally-funded disability rights office that must offer legal services to people with disabilities, and he said the combination degree would help grads fill some of their empty slots.

Perlin admits that popular crime TV shows have upped the allure of pursuing such degrees.

”CSI has sparked interest in forensic-everything programs,” said Perlin. ”It keeps it out there so people know about it. They know about it more than when I did in law school at Columbia.”

Law Firm that Helped Write Legislation Now Suing State

jim — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:21:51 +0000

A law firm has filed a suit against the Wisconsin elections agency, the same law firm that helped the Legislature write the law that the firm is suing over. The law firms of Michael Best & Friedrich and the Troupis Law Office were hired by state republicans to create new legislative maps in 2011 and write legislation that would implement those maps. The state’s residents paid the two law firms over $400,000 in taxes for the work that was performed. Beginning in the fall of 2012, those new maps were to take effect, which was explicitly stated by the new law.

“This act first applies, with respect to special or recall elections, to offices filled or contested concurrently with the 2012 general election,” the law says.

The state Government Accountability Board, which conducts state elections, said that any recall elections have to be held in the old districts. A group of republicans is suing the state Government Accountability Board, claiming that the new maps must be used for any recall elections. Those republicans have hired Michael Best as their representative. As a side note, the new maps benefit the republicans.

Eric McLeod is the attorney from the firm of Michael Best representing the republicans. McLeod has also advised lawmakers on redistricting within the state.

“I can’t comment on the legal advice we provided to our client,” McLeod said.

McLeod claims that the accountability board should have said that any new elections be held in the new districts, despite the new maps not taking effect until fall of 2012. The reason for this is that the old districts have been declared unconstitutional because some of them have higher populations than others by significant amounts.

The group of republicans have asked the state’s Supreme Court to hear the case or to appoint a panel of three county circuit judges to hear the case. The state’s Supreme Court has not declared what it will do in terms of hearing the case or assigning it to a panel.

One problem could arise if the case is heard by the state’s Supreme Court. McLeod represented Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman in front of other justices after the Wisconsin Judicial Commission claimed he lied during a 2008 advertising campaign. The vote from the court was split at 3-3, which effectively ended the case, with no decision on whether or not Gableman had lied.

“I don’t think my past representation of a justice would result in the need for recusal,” he said.

Ethics rules outlined by the state claim that judges have to remove themselves from a case in which a well-informed party could question the judge’s efforts to be impartial when hearing the case.

“I would not be particularly bothered by Gableman hearing this case,” said James Sample, a Hofstra associate law professor. “The scope of any ruling on redistricting will dwarf what at best is a minor conflict.”

New Law Firm Alternative

jim — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:50:13 +0000

It’s no secret that working with a lawyer can be expensive. It’s also no secret that there are just times when you need a lawyer. If you say you cannot afford a lawyer, then you are assigned a lawyer who does not truly care about your case. The cost of a lawyer can also be unpredictable and their rates can shoot through the roof at any given moment.

However, there are times when you need the best lawyer money can buy. If your life or reputation is on the line, then you truly have no choice but to hire only the best. How do you go about finding the right law firm to hire?

That being said, there are times when hiring a top-tier national or international firm, even if expensive, might make sense. But how do you decide what work rises to the level of needing one of those firms? That question can be answered based on the type of legal help you actually need.

If you had to sum it up in one question, it would be “how strategic is the work?” One helpful way to think about this is to break down your legal needs into 3 categories: the company, important and commodity. There are studies that show a consumer can care less about the price as long as the product is delivered at a top notch rate.

It comes down to what the specialty of your lawyer is and how much you are willing to pay. No one knows if they can justify paying a lawyer $600 dollars an hour. But it has been done in the past and will be done in the future. Protection is also a key aspect in paying a lawyer that much. If the lawyer delivers what you are paying him or her to do, then most would say it’s worth paying top dollar.

You will be excited to know that getting a lawyer at a decent rate is becoming increasingly widespread. Not all law firms are out to get your money, in-fact a few are out to save you money. A law firm in the United States known as FLEX and another law firm in the United Kingdom known as Lawyers on Demand are prepared to make a difference.

These companies want to offer legal support at the fraction of the cost of a regular law firm. Many are curious as to how they can make this happen. The key is to providing experienced lawyers but at the same time providing predictable fees. (No fee surprises.) These companies are prepared to lower their salaries and provide legal services to the general public at a smaller rate. The key is to figure out what kind of legal help you need and then go from there. Price and tolerance are two factors that may help this idea succeed.

Google Plus & The Business of Law?

jim — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:31:56 +0000

A new social media tool is in the market. This social media tool is by Google and known world-wise as Google+. The social networking site already has millions of users. It might be ready for some markets but is it ready for lawyers and law firms? However, a more important question is …can these law firms and lawyers handle Google +?

Larry Bodie who is a current EIC for various online magazines states “I see HUGE potential for using Google+ in law firm marketing,” Bodine says. “Many lawyers have already proceeded to set up Google+ accounts individually, not waiting for brands to be allowed.”

There are several features that can help a law firm. These features include the Pages aspect of Google+ and the business description capabilities. Google is certainly one of the most popular search engines of all times. Having a connection with this popular search engine cannot hurt your business in the slightest bit. There are several advantages to using Google+ to expand the knowledge of your law firm.

-Search engine optimization is an important key feature in Google’s search engine.

-Law marketing seems to be moving towards online video with places like You Tube.

- Google+ connects with email and is a great feature for your office.

All around using social media is a major perk for any business. Google+ has been known to be just as effective as using a blog. This is because when a person searches for your company, the search engine results may land them on your Google + page. One of the most favorite features of Google+ is the feature called Circles. There are also other features like direct messaging and sending the people in your circle a newsletter. You can also choose a feature that lets you update a status and expose it to the whole world. It’s not every day you get a chance to tell the whole world what you think.

As you can see, there are a lot of features with Google+ that make it easy for any law firm to use. It kind of replaces blogging and allows a person to find you. Your information can be displayed as well. It’s easy to access and that is what people are looking for when they search for a law firm or lawyer. Although, there are some features that do not set it apart from other networking sites. However, Google is working on adding features that are Google+ specific. Originality is important and Google is still aiming for that. Google+ is trying to be the best social media site out there by adding the best of all social media tools into one setting.

The biggest issue lawyers and law firms run into when using Google+ is getting users to actually sign up. While there may be 40 million users signed up, there are not 40 million users actually actively participating. Whichever way you look at it, Google+ is still a great tool for law firms and lawyers to reach a targeted audience or circle.

Immigration officials target employers

EmploymentCrossing — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:00:26 +0000

An immigration enforcement program by Obama administration called 1-9 Audit targets small and big employers in the US. The program is directed at determining undocumented workers employed in some companies. There are forms that must be filled by the employer and the employees. This policy is already proving effective in fishing out employers who take up workers without lawfully documenting them.

Read the original article here:

Employers Targeted by Immigration Officials

Same-Sex Health Benefits for Govt Workers

EmploymentCrossing — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:24:27 +0000

A state law lending Arizona same-sex health benefits for partners of government employees suffered a loss at the hands of the 9th circuit on tuesday when the court unheld a preliminary injuction blocking its enforcement. Unlike different sex couples, same sex couples cannot marry, and therefore will never have access to arizona health benefits so long as prop 120 remains law. Though the state argued that the denial of arizona same sex health benefits is a means to cut costs, the court also found prop 102 to be arbitrary and not rationally related to any state interest.

Read the original article here:

AZ Same-Sex Health Benefits for Govt Workers Protected by 9th Cir.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:57:53 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, September 13th. Here’s a quick recap of Friday’s stories.

The ACLU will represent defense lawyers against U.S. Homeland Security…

According to a CT TyMetrix Inc. and The Corporate Executive Board survey, billing rates in Washington, D.C. are the second highest in the U.S….

The Quellos Group owners pled guilty to fraud and tax evasion…

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was ruled unconstitutional in California’s 9th District…

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan disqualified herself from 10 more cases…

Law School admissions officers survey tells prospective students how to prepare…

Burleson Cooke added nine attorneys to its Pittsburgh office…

Law School Admissions Officers Survey Tells Prospective Students How To Prepare

ashley — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 04:07:44 +0000

According to the most recent survey by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, over 50% of admissions officers are expecting to see an increase in law school admissions this year while only 6% expect to see a decrease. This could prove problematic in the future as the number of graduates grows but the number of jobs at laws firms does not. No longer does a degree in law guarantee a new graduate a job.

Though job prospects may be shrinking and the amount of students growing, candidates still planning on applying for law school should do the utmost to stand out in the admissions process. Of law school admissions officers, 64% rank LSAT scores as the most important factor when screening applications. And, to boot, 73% of those surveyed believe more financial aid is available to those with high LSAT scores. Only 23% of law admissions officers deem undergraduate grade point averages to be more important than LSAT scores.

Surveyors also mention letters of recommendation possibly ruining a student’s chances at enrollment. In fact, 15% of those surveyed find negative recommendation letters to be the most influential when throwing out a candidate. Of those surveyed, 87% say they have received negative letters, suggesting that students need to more carefully consider the judgment of those they would choose to write recommendations.

Lateral Hiring Up 100% in London

Erik Even — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:52:36 +0000

Over five years, London firms’ hiring of lateral partners has almost doubled, from 42 hires in 2004 to 79 in 2008.

The data come from a Legal Week study tracking hiring at 33 US and UK firms’ London offices.

Orrick, Weil Gotshal, Arnold & Porter, Cleary Gottlieb, Cravath, and Skadden all brought on laterals.

On the other hand, Shearman & Sterling, Dechert and White & Case cut lawyers.

California Court Strikes Down Ban On Video Game Sales

Erik Even — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:19:40 +0000

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday against a 2005 California law that aimed to ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. The court ruled that the law violates the rights of minors under the First and 14th amendments of the Constitution. The ruling upheld an earlier ruling in a U.S. District Court.

Much of the reasoning behind the law was based on studies that claimed minors exposed to violent video games were more likely to engage in aggressive or anti-social behavior and would be more desensitized to violence. The Justices hearing the case dismissed that research.

“None of the research establishes or suggests a causal link between minors playing violent video games and actual psychological or neurological harm, and inferences to that effect would not be reasonable,” said Justice Consuelo Callahan in her ruling.

The law has never taken effect, as it was struck down by a U.S. District Court shortly after being signed into law. A spokeswoman for Governor Schwarzenegger, Camille Anderson, said he was reviewing the ruling of the court.

“The governor believes strongly we have a responsibility to our children and our communities to protect against the effects of video games depicting ultra-violent actions,” she said.

Legal Aid Programs Hurt; So Do Third-Year Law Students

todd — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:56:50 +0000

Legal aid programs are hurting from a reduction in funding from Interest on Lawyer Trust Account Programs and state budget cuts, forcing layoffs and cuts in services.

Legal aid groups across the country are expected to cut their staffs by 20% or more. This comes in lieu of the fact that demand for legal services is up by 30% or more, according to the New York Times.

Connecticut Legal Services might have to cut one third of their 150 legal positions. The $16 million budget for legal services in East Texas is expected to drop to $4 million. And New York Governor David Paterson is proposing a budget that would terminate the state’s $8 million appropriation for legal aid.

The situation will negatively impact third-year law students who are hoping to find jobs in legal aid when they graduate. Nonprofit legal groups often don’t make decisions about hiring until the spring or, earliest, late winter. This forces many students to find public interest jobs until they find out about hiring decisions, according to National Law Journal.

A story in The New York Times describes the lawyer trust account funding as fading due to Federal Reserve interest-rate reductions.

ABA President H. Thomas Wells Jr. said in a statement, “This is an opportune time to seek out [ABA] resources, get involved and make a difference for our practices, our profession and our communities.”

Impeachment Prosecutor Calls 12 Witnesses Against Blago

Erik Even — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:19:52 +0000

The prosecutor in Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s pending impeachment trial in the state Senate said today he will call more than a dozen witnesses.

Blagojevich, however, did not respond to a discovery deadline seeking witnesses, documents and other materials that would be used in his defense, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The impeachment trial is scheduled to begin Monday. If found guilty of corruption charges — including trying to peddle President Barack Obama’s then-vacant US seat — Blagojevich would be removed from the Governor’s office.

David Ellis, the designated House prosecutor, asked the state Senate to approve subpoenas for a witness FBI agent Daniel Cain, author of the federal affidavit filed along with federal criminal charges against Blagojevich resulting in his Dec. 9 arrest.

The governor has maintained his innocence of both federal charges and charges contained in the state House articles of impeachment.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Blagojevich spent $2.6 million of his campaign funds on legal fees, most to pay criminal defense lawyers. His most recent expenditures — a $500,000 payment to the firm of lawyer Edward Genson and $100,000 to the firm of Sheldon Sorosky — was made Dec. 18, a campaign finance report filed late Tuesday revealed.

The governor also paid nearly $1.8M to Winston & Strawn since December 2003, records show. About half of that was spent last July for overdue bills.

In response to the prosecutor just hours ago, Blagojevich released a statement that the Senate impeachment trial is unfair and denies him the right to due process.

The two-term governor of Illinios, Blagojevich says he is being denied the right to call witnesses. The governor has repeatedly denied federal allegations that he sought to profit politically and personally from official acts.

House prosecutor David Ellis said he would withdraw his subpoena to FBI agent Cain if the U.S. Attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald objects.

The House and Senate have agreed not to seek witnesses or information that could compromise the ongoing federal investigation. A Fitzgerald spokesman declined further comment.

Ellis, whose primary job is legal counsel to House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), also asked to call eight House lawmakers as witnesses.

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World’s Law Offices Head To Dubai — Canada Stays Put

todd — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:26:19 +0000

In the past few years, international law firms have been opening up offices in Dubai. Now, US firms, like Weil Gotshal Manges, and Kilpatrick Stockton, have announced plans to open up offices there.

They join other prominent firms such as Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, DLA Piper, Linklaters, and Latham & Watkins, who all have offices in places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

However, as oil prices near $30 a barrel, and Dubai’s real estate market collapses, prices on real estate have dropped by 30%. That drop has hurt those firms who have set up office in the United Arab Emirate country.

Dubai has the largest population among the UAE and is determined to become the financial center of the Middle East. Dubai set up the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in 2002 in order to benefit economic development in the region. Essentially, the DIFC is a 110-acre tax haven that encourages foreign investment. There is a zero rate tax on income and profits.

William Tuer, managing partner of Macleod Dixon, said that Dubai is a “well-saturated market, featuring the biggest firms in the world. It’s highly competitive…[and] a very expensive market.”

Tuer also called it a “very expensive market” and noted that this may keep Canadian firms from ever opening up there.

Hugh MacKinnon, chairman and CEO of Bennett Jones in Toronto, claimed that Canadian law firms tend to stick to their core markets like London or New York. He also noted that a law firm needn’t possess a foreign office to do work in a particular region. He claimed that Canadians excel at working offshore.

“We get work from the entire Arabian gulf, usually energy-related stuff,” said MacKinnon. “We do pretty well just carpet bagging.”

Norman Wohlgemuth to Remain on Tulsa City vs. Tulsa County Case

todd — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:07:13 +0000

The private firm hired by the city of Tulsa will remain the representative of the city in Oklahoma. The city of Tulsa has sued Tulsa County over a new jail agreement.

The county filed a motion to have the law firm, Norman, Wohlgemuth, Chandler, and Dowdell removed from the case because it is also currently representing the Tulsa Country Retirement Board, potentially creating a conflict of interest.

Two witnesses were called and several exhibits were shown that indicated that the county had paid the firm for a case related to the Retirement Board .

However, Jo Lynn Jeter requested that the motion be dismissed, giving two reasons. Jeter stated that she believed the county had failed to meet legal standards for disqualification because it hadn’t proven that the involvement in the Retirement Board case would harm proceedings in the lawsuit at hand. She also claimed that the county had failed to prove the law firm has possession of any information which would negatively impact the county, or the proceedings.

District Judge Jefferson Sellers said that for him to disqualify the law firm from the case, he would have to be provided evidence of a conflict of interest or an improper possession of confidential information.

“I cannot do that based on the evidence that has been presented to me in this matter,” he said.

High-Profile Los Angeles Lawyers Leave Dreier

todd — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:58:07 +0000

Several lawyers from the high-profile firm, Dreier LLP, have recently departed from the firm, finding jobs elsewhere.

Lawyer to high profile basketball player Tony Parker, Stanton “Larry” Stein recently announced that he would be transferring to the Liner Yankelevits firm. Other high profile clients for Stein include X-Files star David Duchovny.

Along with Stein went his former partners: Michael Plonsker, Mark Passin, and Yakub Hazzard. Those three left for the Minneapolis-based firm Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi. They will bring three associates from the Minneapolis firm and establish a Los Angeles-based entertainment practice group.

The owner of the Dreier firm, Marc Dreier, is in jail in New York on charges of financial fraud. The case is set to close by the end of this month.

BGR Group Holds Bipartisan Inauguration Party

Erik Even — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:17:19 +0000

The transitioning bipartisan firm, BGR Group, with a history of powerful Republican clients, partied into the late hours Tuesday during the Obama inauguration. The BGR Group hosted a Blue Ball for over 200 invited guests at its new Homer Building office in Washington, DC.

The firm patriotically primped its office floor with star lights projected on the dance floor conference area, mega screens airing the balls across town, and a blue glow throughout the space. Refreshments included mini-Reubens, corn souffle and champagne glasses with red, white, and blue sugar rims.

The 18-year-old lobbying firm added a couple of prominent Democrats to its staff in the past year and wanted to throw an intimate gathering in the new office to celebrate its own transition over the past year of becoming a bipartisan firm.

“The Democrats came into the firm and are pleased that Republicans know something about policy, so they work real well together,” said Lanny Griffith, chief executive and the “G” in BGR Group. “When I worked for the White House a long time ago for Bush in 1989, my job was to be bipartisan. This is very similar to that.”

The idea for the Blue Ball stemmed from a company Christmas party. But the idea behind the name does not have Democratic connotations.

“We were sitting in my office, drinking some Johnnie Walker Blue and decided to do the blue party,” Griffith said. “The Blue Ball. That’s what I thought it was about!”

Among the hundreds at the brunch reception were Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Carol Browner, picked to head Obama’s White House energy and environment council; and a platoon of NBC News personalities, including anchor Brian Williams and former anchor Tom Brokaw.

Founded in 1991, BGR Group is the premier bipartisan government relations, strategic consulting, mergers & acquisitions and investment firm in Washington, D.C. The firm’s reputation in Washington and international capitals means decision makers, journalist and business leaders often refer to them for insight regarding policy development, politics and international issues.

BGR clients include Fortune 500 companies, international governments, trade associations, non-profits, academic institutions, hospitals, coalitions, state and local governments. The firm intends to continue its hiring of new staff during the bipartisan transitioning.

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South Korean Blogger Jailed Without Bail

todd — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:59:38 +0000

He goes by the username “Minerva,” after the Greek goddess of wisdom. He rose from anonymity in South Korea, for accurately predicting the current economic crisis. He even predicted the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Now, the 31 year old Park Dae-Sung, is charged with going too far in an online discussion. He stated that the government had banned major financial institutions and trade businesses from purchasing U.S. dollars in an attempt to strengthen the local currency. Prosecutors are calling his information inaccurate and saying that it disrupted the foreign exchange market.

He was arrested last week, which sparked a debate about freedom of speech on the Internet and in South Korea. South Korea is considered to be one of the most technologically savvy nations in the world.

Dae-Sung had regularly denounced the method by which his government handled the economy and made regular, mostly negative, predictions about the future. He is speculated to be an economic expert and his identity was hotly debated in his home country.

He has been denied bail. Dae-Sung’s lawyer said he did not intend to harm the public.

Dae-Sung could spend up to five years in prison or be fined up to 50 million won (US$36,360).

Dorsey & Whitney Out of Danger

todd — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:27:59 +0000

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a decade old case on Thursday, relieving the Dorsey & Whitney law firm from the threat of $4 million in malpractice suits.

In 1999, an investment bank in Minneapolis, called Miller & Schroeder, which is now non-operational, packaged about $12 million in bonds, selling them to over thirty different banks. Those banks turned that money over to become direct lenders to a Mohawk Native American tribe located in New York State. The tribe used that money to invest in a casino.

The illegality comes because Miller & Schroeder hadn’t received the green light from the National Indian Gaming Commission to go ahead on the loan for the casino. It was proven that Dorsey was aware that this could endanger the investment, and ignored it.

The casino went under, and the loans went into default in 2000. The Mohawk tribe claimed they weren’t obligated to repay the loans because of the fact that the gaming commission never gave approval.

Miller & Schroeder sued the casino management as well as the Mohawk tribe in bankruptcy court. Dorsey encouraged Miller & Schroeder to release the tribe from the suit, and in 2007, a federal district court decided that Dorsey only wanted them released from the suit because they wanted to keep their own mistakes from being revealed.

Two federal courts – a bankruptcy court and a federal district court— ruled against Dorsey in judgments that accumulated up to $900,000.

However, on Thursday, a majority of the 8th Circuit decided that Dorsey did not, in fact, commit malpractice. All charges against the firm were dropped.