How does the law affect our lives?
YOUR PERSONAL LIFE
The law touches on many of the very important aspects of our lives, literally from cradle to grave, from a birth certificate to a last will and testament. Here are some of the areas you should consider:
Getting a driver’s license:
What are the requirements in my state? Am I required to have training from a certified instructor, or can Mom and Dad teach me? Do I have to take a written and a driving test? Am I required to have insurance – what kind and how much? What are the DUI/DWI laws in my state? And what are the penalties for breaking these laws?
Going to college: How do I get a college loan? What are the terms I can and cannot negotiate? What about student loan forgiveness?
Starting a family: What are the requirements in my state for getting married? What are the age requirements, and are blood tests (or any other tests) required? If I decide to change my last name to my spouse’s, how do I do it legally? Is a prenuptial agreement something I should consider? What are the adoption laws in my state?
Making a home: If I rent, what should I consider in a lease agreement? If I decide to buy, what do I need to know about real estate agreements, title searches, inspections, and closings? Wherever I live, am I required by law to have insurance – what kind and how much?
Being sued: What are some of the reasons for being sued? What is an “attractive nuisance”? What am I liable for as a driver, renter, or homeowner? Am I liable for my children and pets’ actions? Watch: Mediation: is it a better way to resolve disputes in the 21st century?
Dissolving a family: What are the divorce laws in my state? What can and cannot be negotiated in a divorce settlement? What about children and their rights? Is mediation something I should consider? Watch: Is divorce with dignity possible?
Preparing for the inevitable: How do I go about getting a will? What are the differences between Living Trusts, Living Wills, and a Last Will and Testament? What are the advantages of designating someone to have Power of Attorney (PoA) – both Health Care and Financial? What are the laws concerning appointing someone to have PoA?
***********************
Legal Zoom offers an online resource for developing your own Last Will & Testament. LZ claims most people complete their will in 15 minutes. Rocket Lawyer also offers an online resource for creating your own will.
***********************
YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Many of us have dreams of being our own boss and starting our own successful business. What laws are involved in making these dreams a reality? Here are some of the things you need to consider. Link to: What Should Every Entrepreneur Know About the Law?
Starting a business:
What type of business should I establish? An LLC (Limited Liability Company), S-corp, or C-corp, a nonprofit, a limited partnership (LP)? If I incorporate, what other things should I know about Corporate Amendments, dissolution, conversion, etc.? What are the business compliance laws I should know about?
Choosing a business name: How do I check for the availability of the name, do a trademark search, and then trademark the name? Once I want to present my company to the world, what terms and conditions should I have on my website, Twitter account, etc.?
Paying Uncle Sam: How do I file for a Federal and/or State Tax ID (and do I need either or both)?
Putting together the team: What do I need to know about employment laws (Federal and/or State), work visas, EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) laws? The “red tape”: what business licenses, permits and certificates do I need? What kind of insurance do I need?
Setting up shop: How do I go about leasing or buying real estate for my business?
Protecting my business: How do I search for a patent and file for one? How do I search for a copyright and register one?
On the other hand, many of us work for someone or some organization. So, here are a couple of things you should consider.
Working for a company/corporation: What does it mean to work in an “at will” state? Can I negotiate the terms of my employment contract? What are grounds for dismissal? What is a company responsible for in terms of a safe working environment, benefits, pension, etc.? What are the laws regarding harassment (sexual or otherwise)? What are the laws regarding equal pay? What are the laws regarding full-time vs. temporary workers? What are “whistle-blower” laws? Link to: Should You Be Protected from Employer Retaliation if You Whistle While You Work?
YOUR PUBLIC LIFE
For the last 240 years, we have worked diligently to adhere to the ideals expressed in our Declaration of Independence -- that each of us are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights that include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We may feel that we intuitively know what is 'right' and 'just' but how does a society define what is right and how is justice applied? Humankind has done this for millennia as we’ve evolved, but the basic concept of 'fairness' seems to apply throughout our species’ history. How those definitions and applications work today within our country affect each of us.
(From Wikipedia: It is common for residents of major U.S. metropolitan areas to live under six or more layers of special districts as well as a town or city, and a county or township (in addition to the federal and state governments). Thus, at any given time, the average American citizen is subject to the rules and regulations of several dozen different agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, depending upon one's current location and behavior.)
Philosophy of the law
Are rules, regulations and laws necessary? What motivates people to become lawyers?
History of the law
Ancient Law
Ma'at, Babylonian law, Ancient Greek law, and Leviticus Southern Asia -- Manu Smriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Arthashastra, and Dharmasastra Eastern Asia -- Traditional Chinese law, Tang Code, and Great Qing Legal Code Catholic Canon law and Islamic Sharia law European -- Roman law, Byzantine law, Early Germanic law, Anglo-Saxon law, Lex mercatoria, Early Irish law, Germanic tribal laws, Visigothic Code, Blutgericht, Magna Carta, and Schwabenspiegel Modern European -- Napoleonic code, Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, and English law
The American System:
Constitutional law, statutory law, treaties, administrative regulations, and the common law Federal law – United States Constitution, Statues, Regulations, Common Law, Case Law and Precedent State Law – state constitutions, state governments, state courts Local Law – State delegated agencies, townships, counties, cities, and special districts.
Types of Law – Criminal and civil procedure; criminal, contract and tort law Current state of the American system – link to: How healthy is the American legal system today?
