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Legal System

Three Simple Words to Fix the American Justice System: Trial By Combat

Kyle Shamberg | Posted 04.24.2013 | Comedy
Kyle Shamberg

Now, I know what you're thinking. "That sounds awesome and I see few if any problems with implementing it. Let's do it." Though I tend to agree, it may be worth assessing with a slightly more critical eye. Let's a take look at some of the "Pros" and "Cons" of the TbC system.

A Promise Worth Keeping: Restoring Fairness to America's Justice System

Jonathan Rapping | Posted 05.18.2013 | Crime
Jonathan Rapping

"I went to law school to make a difference. I became a public defender to ensure poor people have access to the same justice as those with money. But I find myself spending my days processing people through a system that does not give them a chance."

Revolutionary Idea: Real Lawyers for Real People

Lisa Bloom | Posted 05.15.2013 | Crime
Lisa Bloom

With little fanfare, more than five million people every month are now getting online advice from real lawyers in their practice area and state. Have a child custody question in California? No problem. Bankruptcy in Baltimore? Deportation in Dallas? Covered.

The Answer Is to Fix the Justice System

Rebecca Love Kourlis | Posted 05.05.2013 | Politics
Rebecca Love Kourlis

While mediation and arbitration certainly have their place, we cannot and should not abandon the system itself. What we need is a justice system that is more accessible, efficient, and accountable.

In Our Courts 'Justice' Is Bought

Lance Soskin | Posted 04.28.2013 | Business
Lance Soskin

Due to the nature of our adversarial justice system, it's more often than not going to be the party with the high-priced attorney who wins in court rather than the party with the more meritorious case.

Chicago's 'Code of Silence' Case Has Legal System Bidding Against Itself

Miles J. Zaremski | Posted 02.05.2013 | Chicago
Miles J. Zaremski

Private litigants have no basis to force a court to abandon its role and efforts, including a jury's verdict, once the system produces an outcome the parties don't like. They also can't cry foul and have erased an outcome produced by a system that taxpayer money supports.

It's Time for Timely Justice -- Or No Justice for All

Anthony V. Curto | Posted 10.14.2012 | Politics
Anthony V. Curto

The civil justice system today -- whether dealing with simple or complex matters -- takes so long and costs so much that it no longer serves as an effective tool in regulating society's legal matters.

Everything You Need To Know About The Most Important Person In Your Divorce Trial

Robert Hughes, Jr. | Posted 08.22.2012 | Divorce
Robert Hughes, Jr.

When parents seeking a divorce are unable to settle on a co-parenting plan, they often end up in front of a judge.

The Surprising Way You Can Jeopardize Your Own Divorce Settlement

Robert Hughes, Jr. | Posted 07.27.2012 | Divorce
Robert Hughes, Jr.

Guilt, shame and regret are common emotions that are experienced during the divorce process.

State of Fear

Robert Koehler | Posted 06.25.2012 | Politics
Robert Koehler

This was the headline: "Zimmerman, Martin's parents to face off in court." The words, of course, merely summed up a moment in the news cycle last we...

Guilty But Innocent

Carol Turowski | Posted 06.17.2012 | Crime
Carol Turowski

Does our justice system need to accept the harsh reality that wrongful convictions happen all too frequently and that exchanges of Alford pleas for prison release do nothing to serve the ends of justice but rather re-affirm the distrust many have about the fairness of the criminal justice system?

Reevaluating Ownership

Jennifer Hamady | Posted 06.06.2012 | Small Business
Jennifer Hamady

Trademarks are becoming as common as commas, yet with a far greater impact than overused punctuation. While the legal lockdown of conversational language is progressing, the copyright law and rights are being thoroughly challenged.

How Can Our Legal System Better Handle Divorces?

Henry Gornbein | Posted 05.05.2012 | Divorce
Henry Gornbein

Divorces are one of the most traumatic, gut-wrenching experiences that anyone can go through in a lifetime. I have thought about this a lot over the years and would like to make some suggestions on how we can do a better job as lawyers and judges, especially in high conflict cases.

12 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Divorce Lawyer

Henry Gornbein | Posted 04.17.2012 | Divorce
Henry Gornbein

Typically clients will need an attorney at the beginning of the case, but by the end of the divorce in many circumstances, the client's attitude -- sometimes justifiably -- is that the attorney didn't do enough for them.

Troy Davis and Why We Treat Our Juries Like Children

Julia Neyman | Posted 11.27.2011 | Crime
Julia Neyman

The facts around the Davis trial are well known: seven of the nine eyewitnesses later recanted, another man confessed to the murder, and yet the jury heard none of this evidence and now Davis is dead.

Why Eyewitness Memory Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be (Part II)

Sam Sommers | Posted 10.31.2011 | Crime
Sam Sommers

The legal complications of the constructive nature of memory are clear: being an accurate eyewitness is far more difficult that we give it credit for.

Which Custody Plans Screw Up Kids The Least?

Robert Hughes, Jr. | Posted 09.20.2011 | Divorce
Robert Hughes, Jr.

Is joint custody the best arrangement for kids? Should infants and toddlers be shuttled between two homes? Is it important to include children in de...

Doubt Desensitized: Reasonable Doubt Takes on New Meaning in the Postmodern Era

Caroline Presno | Posted 09.06.2011 | Media
Caroline Presno

Today we walk around with a trail of endless possibilities, clouds of uncertainty, and a perpetual sense of doubt. Would a guilty verdict for Casey Anthony have been more likely with a jury from the 1950s?

Why It Matters What The Public Thinks About Joint Custody

Robert Hughes, Jr. | Posted 08.24.2011 | Divorce
Robert Hughes, Jr.

One of the main reasons that judges do not automatically award equal parenting in custody decisions is because of their concern about the conflict bet...

Prop 8 Lawyers Seek to Destroy America's Judiciary

Emma Ruby-Sachs | Posted 08.14.2011 | Politics
Emma Ruby-Sachs

Yesterday a team of lawyers sought to undermine the U.S. legal system. I'm not speaking in hyperbole -- these members of the bar attempted to discredit every black, female, non-Christian, or gay judge in the country.

When It Comes To Custody, Do The Courts Favor Moms?

Robert Hughes, Jr. | Posted 11.29.2011 | Divorce
Robert Hughes, Jr.

In custody decisions, mothers are more likely to receive primary residential custody than fathers. Although in the past decade there has been an incre...

Michelle Alexander And Dr. Vincent Harding Visit Manual High School

Posted 05.25.2011 | Denver

"How many of you know someone who has been killed in gang violence?" Denver teacher and self-awareness coach Ra Maat asks an auditorium half-filled wi...

Israel's Judiciary Proves its Impartiality and Independence

Alan Dershowitz | Posted 05.25.2011 | World
Alan Dershowitz

The recent conviction of Israel's former president on charges of rape once again demonstrates the independence, impartiality and vigor of the Israeli legal system, making any ICC involvement all the more inappropriate.

Snyder v. Phelps: Does Hate Speech Trump the Right to Mourn with Dignity?

Dorian de Wind | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Dorian de Wind

Using free speech to intentionally and maliciously inflict pain, harm and emotional distress on others, should have legal consequences.

Three Out of Ten?

Dr. Philip Neches | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion
Dr. Philip Neches

It is often said that the Ten Commandments form the basis of our legal system. So I thought I would do a quick review to see how that founding basis fares in contemporary American legal practice.