April 2024 - LEGAL S.O.S

30Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Justice North’s Law Day 5K bringing legal aid to people in need

Justice North's Law Day 5K brings the Duluth community together to help raise funds in the mission of bringing legal aid to people in need.Justice North's Law Day 5K plays an incredibly important role to the non-profit organization's legal aid efforts. The annual fundraiser brought together more than 100 runners on a chilly Sunday to help folks who can't afford legal services.Nate Grizzle, the communications and outreach coordinator with Justice North said they always appreciate donations.“We are a non-profit, so our services are free. If it's not free, it's not legal aid. So you don't need to pay for the stuff that we do as a client. But that does mean that community donations help us, help more people” Grizzle said. “Donations anytime, whether it's Law Day 5K or not,…

29Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Legal aid in Bangladesh: Still a long way to go

LEGAL

Very few experiences are more stressful than a day in court. Imagine if the person who has violated your rights is armed with a skilled legal representative who knows the ins and outs of the system, while you don't even know whether you are supposed to initiate a civil or a criminal case. The purpose of legal aid is to bring both parties on somewhat of an equal footing by providing the disadvantaged one assistance in obtaining legal representation. Unfortunately, our legal system is severely overwhelmed, and naturally its effect sweeps across the legal aid sector as well. The Legal Aid Services Act, 2000 only does the bare minimum of creating a right to receive legal aid and devising the governing boards and committees to deal with legal aid services,…

25Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Legal Services helps entrepreneurs pursue their dreams | Business

LEGAL

A key innovative service provided at no charge by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is helping aspiring low-income entrepreneurs gain the knowledge and resources needed to succeed.Entrepreneur Shelby Farr launched and expanded Shelby Marie Luxury Fragrance Bar with support from the CED Microenterprise Program at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. “Legal Services attorneys help with questions, such as: how do I incorporate, how do I sign a lease, how do I handle employee agreements, and how do I trademark my brand name,” explained Marlene Elliott, LSEM managing attorney, CED Microenterprise Program.Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has provided free civil legal assistance for low-income families for 65 years. In 2021, more than 37,000 people in 21 counties of eastern Missouri received assistance from four regional offices. The program to help low-income…

23Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Bermuda is Love: legal aid and justice events – The Royal Gazette

LEGAL

Updated: Apr 21, 2024 11:12 AM Bermuda is LoveOpening doors to legal aid and ensuring access to justice marks the latest campaign by the group Bermuda is Love.Its string of April events under the social media hashtag #FightForJustice opened over the weekend with a free legal advice clinic at the Sammy Wilson Community Center in Hamilton.A talk on human rights in Bermuda goes ahead this Thursday from 5.30pm to 7pm at the Human Rights Commission's offices on Church Street in Hamilton.On April 28, the wellness center Solstice offers its Tree of Life Workshop, again at the Sammy Wilson Community Center, from 1pm to 4pm — aimed at strategies for people to uncover their strengths by exploring the strands of their lives and backgrounds.On April 30, the work of the education…

22Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

How Digital Innovations Are Transforming Legal Services

LEGAL

The legal industry faces a pressing challenge as technology evolves rapidly. With a reputation for being cautiously about embracing change and innovation, it stands at a crossroads. One reason legal firms hesitate to adopt new technologies is the potential disruption they may bring. Digital transformation in the legal sector involves more than adding new technology. It also encompasses reevaluating the legal process, from managing cases to communicating with clients. Moreover, concerns about security and unfamiliarity with new tools contribute to the slow adoption of technology in the legal field. No wonder why only 63 percent of law firms used practice management software in a 2022 Legal Technology Survey Report by the American Bar Association (ABA). Despite that, the transformative impact of technology in the legal sector is undeniable. In…

21Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Legal Aid DC’s 34th annual Servant of Justice Award Dinner

LEGAL

Vikram Swaruupthe executive director of Legal Aid DCfacilitated the 34th annual Servant of Justice Award Dinner on April 9 at the JW Marriott hotel in Northwest in front of scores of people. Former US Commission on Civil Rights member Debo P. Adegbile as one of the honorees. The event served as a fundraiser for Legal Aid DC, which helps indigenous and working-class District residents in civil matters such as family law, affordable housing and evidence prevention, public benefits and consumer law, immigration, and appellate advocacy. Swaruup expressed pride in his co-workers at Legal Aid DC. “As I conclude my first year as executive director of this more than 90-year-old organization, I am proud that we got to share some of what we accomplished–and the stories of some of the brave…

20Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Children’s advocate Patricia C. “Patty” Waldman has died

LEGAL

Patricia C. “Patty” Waldman, whose concern for abused, neglected and abandoned children led to a more than four-decade career as an attorney with Maryland Legal Aid, died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage March 28 at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. The Annapolis resident was 73. “Patty was smart, committed and passionate when it came to working with children,” said Vicki Schultz, executive director of Maryland Legal Aid. “She was a quiet leader and very effective. She was very committed and focused on the status of children, and was not only so dedicated to our mission but also to the growth of our staff." Amy Petkovsek, who rose to become Maryland Legal Aid's deputy chief counsel, worked closely with Ms. Waldman, who spent the bulk of her career in its…

19Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Madoff Victims Ineligible for Insurance Theft Loss Tax Deduction

INSURANCE

Victims of the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme can't claim an $8.2 million tax deduction for their investment of life insurance premiums because their investments were made indirectly, the US Tax Court said Monday.Christopher and Silvana Pascucci, who were New York residents when they filed their petition, didn't qualify for a theft loss tax deduction under Section 165 on their variable life insurance policies in the years up to the Ponzi scheme that unraveled in 2008, the court said. The husband and wife's life insurance premiums had been invested into a “feeder fund,” Tremont Opportunity Fund III LP that was controlled by MetLife, which was deeply invested in the Rye Broad Market Series that invested heavily into Madoff's Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. Because the Pascuccis didn't have direct ownership of…

18Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

How To Open An Online Store In The USA

INSURANCE

Share Tweet Share Share E-mail The US e-commerce landscape, a bustling hub of innovation and consumer activity, has witnessed a transformation like no other. While brick-and-mortar stores have traditionally been the heart and soul of the American shopping experience, the digital realm has reshaped how consumers interact, purchase, and connect. Navigating the digital marketplace in US e-commerce The Digital Explosion: Staggering Growth: as of 2022, e-commerce sales in the USA topped $861 billion, showcasing a growth rate of 13% from the previous year. To put this in perspective, in 2010, the figure was just $227 billion. Share of Retail: e-commerce accounted for approximately 18.5% of total retail sales in 2022, up from a mere 4.2% a decade earlier. This shift underlines the transition from physical to digital storefronts.…

17Apr 2024 by Charles E. Price

Life insurance gap between men and women continues to grow – Insurance News

INSURANCE

The most recent version of the study showed that 57% of men and 46% of women said they own life insurance – a gap of 11 percentage points. The self-reported gap in life insurance ownership between men and women grew to its biggest point since the Insurance Barometer study began. The most recent version of the study showed that 57% of men and 46% of women said they own life insurance – a gap of 11 percentage points. Steve Wood, consumer markets research director for LIMRA and LOMA, presented some of the highlights of the most recent Insurance Barometer study during the LIMRA Life and Annuity Conference. The LIMRA and Life Happens Insurance Barometer examines the consumer attitudes and behaviors regarding a number of topics in the life insurance industry.…

Month: April 2024