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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Opportunities for Lawyers | Fellowship, Internship, and Scholarship Programs for 2014

1. PILnet: The Global Network for Public Interest Law is pleased to invite applications for the PILnet Fellowship for 2014-2015. PILnet will select lawyers from Brazil, China, the Middle East and North Africa region (especially Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia), Nepal, Nigeria, Russia, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia (especially Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma) and Vietnam) for eight months of study and practical experience in New York. The PILnet Fellowship, now in its seventeenth year, targets future leaders in various fields of public interest advocacy.

PILnet Fellows will join other public interest lawyers from around the world. They will reside a total of eight months in the U.S., during which time they will develop a project designed to further the rule of law in their home countries. The Fellowship begins with a semester of study at Columbia University School of Law and a series of professional development trainings. In the spring, the PILnet Fellows will participate in study visits to various cities in the U.S. and Europe, as well as two-month internships at New York-based public interest law organizations. Fellows return to their home countries after the Fellowship with the aim of implementing the rule of law project they developed during the Fellowship.

For more information about PILnet Application, click here.



2. For lawyers in INDONESIA, the USAID PRESTASI Scholarship program is now recruiting for the last batch of participants. The application process is open from now until March 14, 2014. Please find below the poster for this scholarship program. Click to enlarge.





3. The May 18 Memorial Foundation calls for the International Interns who have been working for human rights, democracy, and peace building organizations in their home countries. Interns will have an opportunity to experience and learn the history and development process of human rights and democracy in the Republic of Korea, particularly the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980 as well as exchange and network with Korean civil society groups.

Goals of the International Internship Program. The annual internship program is an imperative part of the Foundation’s mandate to promote international solidarity and further the promotion of human rights across the world. Through the internship program the Foundation aims: 1) to build concrete solidarity through the exchange of human resources. 2) to nurture outstanding individuals to lead global civil society. Internship Period will be from March to December 2014. You may send your applications from November 6, 2013 until January 17, 2014. Send completed official application form and supporting documents by email. Application can be found by visiting this link.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

All About Refinancing for some Booth Financial Aid

Taking out a student loan can be more expensive than a mortgage or a vehicle loan. This makes it that much more challenging for students or their parents to settle them on time and without worry. Through refinancing Booth financial aid, debtors can benefit from lower interest rates by consolidating federal and private education loans and even extend their payment terms to effectively manage their loans.

Risks Involved

But it is important to know that different lenders offer different types of refinancing rates, and it is critical to do your research well before you choose one. Having or convincing a private lender to finance your loan can be a risk, considering there won’t be any collateral to back the loan, or solid credit ratings to validate your financial worth as a student.

Steps to Refinance Booth Financial Aid


  • As a student, you can choose to refinance your Booth financial aid if you would like to make repayments simpler or to cut down your debts in the long run. Either way, you need to carefully evaluate your income and expenses and build a marvelous credit score to make it easy to choose the right refinancing plan.


  • Federal education loans are known to be less taxing than loans from private lenders. But there are some lenders who offer Booth financial aid at lower interest rates that are even lower than federal loans.


  • As soon as you have your income-expense details and credit history in order, you should browse through different Booth financial aid options for the right offer. It will be easy to find a private lender when you are armed with the earning potential of a graduate or an MBA degree as well as a perfect credit rating. If you are looking at settling your debts at the earliest, this option is perfect as there is no application fee or pre-payment charges levied by the lenders.



  • Before you switch to a new lender, first try negotiating with your existing lender for a better deal. This could be either in terms of the loan term or interest rates. Since the industry is quite competitive at the moment, you could get lucky. You may have to perform additional formalities however if you want to avail of lower interest rates by consolidating private loans.


  • As compared to bigger banks, smaller local banks seem to offer better loan plans and guidance. Either ways banks are rather limited when it comes to policies designed to make borrowing easier for the debtor. So it is wise to check with your local banks about your Booth financial aid.


  • Look out for lenders that offer Booth financial aid as well as other add-on benefits like highly subsidized interest rates to make clearing your debts easier.


  • Finally, don’t forget to check out the direct educational loan from the U.S. Department of Education, through which the state directly funds the education.


  • Dave Watson
    Learn more about refinancing Booth financial aid and put yourself on track to attain the education you truly deserve.

    Tuesday, January 14, 2014

    Don't Get Lost Without A Good Lawyer!

    DWI Attorney in Montgomery County TX
    Do you feel that you need someone to represent you for legal matters? Regardless of why you need a lawyer, getting a lawyer can be expensive and frustrating. However, if you follow the advice in this article, you can find a good lawyer without breaking your bank. Keep reading and learn how.


    Always ask for a lawyer's history prior to signing up with their practice. Just because they can practice does not mean that he is successful. Be sure that you evaluate their record so that you're able to determine how well he does his job. Ask any lawyers that you are considering for a list of their fees list. The charges can vary widely depending on the lawyer's experience and skill; therefore, and it is smart to be aware of what you are going to pay before you retain him. It is highly problematic to lose your lawyer after your matter is already underway.

    This helps the success of your case will have the best chance to win. You need to speak with your lawyer on a specific schedule. Many attorneys get hired and won't communicate with their clients for long periods of time. You can avoid this if you come up a schedule at the outset. Do not hire any lawyer that makes you uncomfortable. This is also true with their fee schedule. Don't give a blank check! Ask for estimates directly to control the cost before it spirals out of control during your case. Find out whether or not a lawyer has experience with your case type. Just because a lawyer lists that he specializes in cases similar to yours doesn't mean that he is able to win your case.

    When choosing an attorney, make certain to research their reputation as much as possible.

    Before you hire any attorney, talk to your local bar association to find out whether they have had complaints in the past. If they have a few complaints, research them to see whether you should consider hiring a different attorney. Try using lawyer referral service. These referral services will help you with reputable lawyers. Other services will list favorable lawyers using the bare minimum required by law. Find out what their standards are before deciding which one to use. You should feel comfortable with the lawyer you decide to hire. A great lawyer has the right expertise and good people skills so that you feel completely at ease when you see him. Find a new lawyer if yours doesn't do this.


    It is important for you and your selected lawyer get on well. If you do not feel comfortable with the lawyer during your first few meetings, it only makes things harder. Trust your feelings and pick a lawyer. No matter what your reason is for using a lawyer, you should find a lawyer who has great expertise and who can devote time to your case in order to give your case the best chance to win. The tips here will ensure your search is fruitful. This is a choice that you must get right.

    Our felony DWI attorney in Montgomery County has a reputation for successfully providing our clients with a solid defense. When you hire our firm, you can be sure that our experienced DWI lawyers in Montgomery County are committed to defending your rights! For a free confidential case evaluation, contact our office!

    Saturday, January 11, 2014

    How to Find the Right Lawyer For You and Your Case


    According to the American Bar Association, there is one lawyer for every two hundred U.S., citizens. The most important aspect of selecting a lawyer that is right for you is to take the time to research and understand what you particular case entails and seriously consider engaging an expert in that field.

    Currently, one of the most prominent health issues for which individuals seek legal advice surrounds hip replacement. A visit to Stryker Hip FAQ gives you the opportunity to see exactly what a specialist attorney looks like for these kinds of cases. The best lawyers who deal with this issue on a daily basis accept clients on a continguency basis, meaning that their fee is derived from a percentage of the monetary award rendered in court.

    In these cases, effective lawyers know the statute of limitations guidelines and readily agree companies that manufacture these devices have their own interest at heart, not the client's. Case history has proven that these large medical device providers have in-house medical, legal and financial professionals whose sole responsibility is to protect the company.

    If your need for a lawyer surrounds product dispute, it is important to select a lawyer who understands the difference between claim filing and the institution of a lawsuit. In most cases, companies prefer claim filing because the issue is between the company and the customer's legal council as opposed to a lawsuit wherein the final outcome is decided by a judge of the court, either at trial or privately in chambers.

    Regardless of the reason of need, the first criteria for selecting the right lawyer is search for his or her profile and background data online. The bar association of the state in which the lawyer is licensed will have a record of his or her training, experience and possibly cases for which appeals have been successful. The Office of the Attorney General of each state will have a record of any complaints or adverse information obtained from previous clients, other lawyers and courtroom judges.

    If you have no particular lawyer in mind, valuable information can be gained by visiting Investopedia's article about finding a lawyer. The American Bar Association offers the Martindale-Hubbard directory that will enable you to locate lawyers by field of practice and geographic location.
    For legal needs of a non-criminal nature, the Legal Aid Society of each state provides a listing of lawyers who accept pro bono or offer a sliding-fee scale for low income individuals.

    One of the first precautions to observe when selecting a lawyer is not to totally rely on recommendations made by friends, family members or colleagues because each case differs in many ways. Information gained from televized info-mercials and telephone directory yellow pages advertisements may not always contain all the information needed when selecting a lawyer.

    Entering a lawyer's name into your favorite search engine requires only a few minutes of your time and can result in invaluable data if the lawyer has a website. In addition to the site's FAQ sector, the About tab should contain information relative to contact by phone and email and whether or not the lawyer offers at least a 20 to 30 minute no-fee consultation.

    Keep a log of all contact made both in person, by phone and by email with a prospective lawyer. If an effort is made by phone to secure an appointment, keep a written record of the message left by text or on an answering machine. If contact is initiated during normal business hours, allow 24 hours for response to message receipt. The log should also record the expected date for “promises in writing,” on the part of the lawyer, to be received.

    The aforementioned log should also include a list of brief questions to be addressed during a face-to-face appointment. The answers to these questions should not require more than a maximum of 3-to-5 minutes time during the free-consultation visit.

    Websites such as Nolo, offer a pre-screen system in which an individual may present a case online via trunkated email. Said email will be passed to lawyers in a specific geographic location and legal practice who will review the case and respond with a service offer.

    Wednesday, January 08, 2014

    Small Claims Format

    Download a copy of the Statement of Claim in .doc format.

    This form is useful in cases where the amount involved does not exceed P100,000.00. It is important to note that in small claims cases, a lawyer is not necessary, except when he is the plaintiff or the defendant. In case the plaintiff or defendant cannot personally attend to his case, he cannot be represented by a lawyer. The representative must be related to him or his next of kin.

    Sunday, January 05, 2014

    Criminal Defense in Cincinnati

    Don't wait until summons are served to you. Atty. Scott A. Rubenstein has said, "If you believe that criminal charges are about to be filed to you, it is always to your benefit to call 513-241-7460 and speak with a reputable criminal defense attorney for advice and guidance." If you are looking for a criminal defense attorney in Cincinnati, Atty. Scott A. Rubenstein is the person to call.

    Atty. Scott Rubenstein has been practicing since 1999 and he has a wide experience in representing clients being a former felony criminal and appellate prosecutor. Scott left the prosecutor's office to join his father, Atty. Jack Rubenstein. Jack's expertise is on criminal defense in Southern Ohio.

    I can relate well with Scott and Jack because I also joined my father, who is a lawyer, in private practice. What I have learned from school and from my previous jobs have been invaluable but the guidance and training that I have gotten from my father have not only been very helpful, but it has also given me the courage and strength to stand on my own feet. Our parents only want the best for us, and I must say, they also bring out the best in us. So it's safe to say the the father-son tandem of Jack and Scott Rubenstein has really molded these lawyers to be the best in their fields of practice.

    If you're looking for a lawyer in Cincinnati who could represent you in charges such as driving under the influence, operating motor vehicles while intoxicated, drug crimes, domestic violence, and other felonies, up your chances in defending your self and winning the case. Call on Atty. Scott Rubenstein.

    Sunday, December 22, 2013

    Affidavit of Change in Motor Vehicles

    Did your car undergo a repainting or major change in body type? You need to declare these changes to the Land Transportation Office by way of an Affidavit of Change in Color or Affidavit of Change in Body Type. Below is a sample of the Affidavit.

    AFFIDAVIT OF CHANGE OF COLOR AND CHANGE OF BODY


    I, _______________, of legal age, Filipino, single/married and a resident of ______________________ after having been duly sworn to in accordance with law, depose and state THAT:
    1. I am the registered owner of a motor vehicle which is particularly described as follows:  
                Make & Type              :           ___________
                Engine Number           :           ___________
                Chassis Number          :           ___________
                Plate Number              :           ___________
                MV File No.                 :           ___________
                Year Model                 :           ___________
    Color                           :           ___________

    2. The original color of the said motor vehicle was "___________";

    3. That recently, I had the motor vehicle’s color repainted to "___________" such that the color of the said motor vehicle was changed from "___________" to "___________";

    4. The original body type of the said motor vehicle was "___________";

    5. That on ___________, the said motor vehicle has figured in an accident and that the body cannot be restored to its original type and to have more use of the said vehicle, I have decided to change the body type of the said vehicle from "___________" to "___________";

    6. The change of body type and the change of color are not intended for any illegal or unlawful purpose but solely due to the foregoing reasons;

    7. I am executing this Affidavit to attest to the truth of the foregoing and in support of the application for the change of color and change of body type of the above-described motor vehicle on its Certificate of Registration.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ___________ at ___________, Philippines.





    Affiant
    ID No. ___________

     SUBCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this ___________, in ___________, Philippines, affiant exhibiting to me her competent evidence of identity by way of her ___________ Identification Card.

    Doc. No. _____;
    Page No. _____;
    Book No. _____;

    Series of ______.

    You can also download a .doc version of the Affidavit here.

    Friday, December 20, 2013

    A Military Accident Can Happen to Anyone On The Base


    A military accident can happen on any given day and to anyone, a new recruit, or a seasoned veteran. There are many different scenarios that can cause accidents. It is important that all the parties involved in any exercise being carried out do their best to maintain the safety of the others involved as well as their own safety.

    Accidents can happen at any time it can happen while at war or in training. A gun can go off hitting a soldier. There can be an explosion and onlookers or a passersby gets hit by flying debris or missiles. There are even motor vehicle accidents on the base where a car or truck can hit or run over military personnel. An accident can happen anywhere on the way to work at the base or on the streets.

    You could be a young and promising new recruit on your way one morning or afternoon, busily minding your own business or paying close attention to getting to your destination. You may be driving or walking when suddenly, seemingly from out of nowhere an army truck or vehicle ploughs into your vehicle right there on the army base. At the time you may not be sure about the details of exactly what happened. You wake up in an army facility with two broken legs. A promising career cut short.

    You could be a seasoned veteran and a high ranking officer in charge of personnel. On this particular day you are in charge of the training exercises for the new recruits. You have given them their instructions and they are each firing at their assigned targets. Suddenly in the background there is a large explosion and a huge fire erupts. There is debris flying everywhere.

    You are busily trying to ensure the safety of your recruits when you realize that you have been hit in the head by flying debris as blood comes trickling down your face. This is the last thing you remember as you lose consciousness. A lifetime of dedication and service brought abruptly to an end.

    It really does not matter what the particular details of an accident are. The result is always the same for military personnel. It means that you will be unable or unfit to carry out your assigned duties. The circumstances surrounding the military accident will determine which of the parties involved are at fault. Could the accident have been avoided?

    The severity of the accident will determine the extent of the injury or injuries sustained as well as determine how long the recovery process will be. Accidents take only seconds to occur and can take you a lifetime to recover from. In a flash all that you value and care for can be taken away from you. Your career, your health, limbs, family, and financial safety and security.

    It is very important regardless of the details of your accident to do some research and try to get as much information as possible. It is essential to know your rights and what can be expected from the Ministry of Defense. It is important to have a team like
    Hilary Meredith Solicitors in your corner asking all the right questions and following the prescribed guidelines to ensure you are adequately and fairly compensated for your loss.

    Cheri Davis writes for http://www.hmsolicitors.co.uk/

    Wednesday, December 18, 2013

    Davao City's Road and Public Safety Measures

    Source:
    Motorists, beware! Davao City's Executive Order No. 39 prescribing the maximum allowable speed limit within the city is being strictly implemented. It has been two straight days now that I've seen the crew of the Traffic Management Group armed with speed guns newly purchased by the city government. The city government has been very active in reminding motorists in Davao City about the maximum speed limit and large billboards such as the one in the photograph below are prominent in major roads.

    Source: http://www.facebook.com/DavaosPrideOfficial
    Meanwhile, closed-circuit televisions or CCTVs are in place all over Davao to ensure road and public safety and even private establishments such as shopping malls and commercial centers are being ordered, through Executive Order No. 24 issued on September 20, 2013, to install CCTVs.

    Source: Davao City Public Safety Command Center
    As of this writing, there are 170 government-installed CCTVs all over Davao City which is a part of the P100-million budget for Intelligence Operations Center that is aimed at improving the local government's response to crimes and disasters.

    Businessman gets 60 years of jail time for raping daughter

    “Not even the most ungrateful and resentful daughter would push her own father to the wall as the fall guy in any crime unless the accusation against him is true… It is not likely that a complainant in a rape case would fabricate a story of defloration against her own father and put to shame not only herself but her whole family as well, unless it was the plain truth and her motive was purely to obtain justice.”

    Original article posted at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/548629/businessman-gets-60-years-for-raping-daughter

    I could not fathom the fact that such bestiality exists! I have handled a case like this but unfortunately, my client, the victim child, did not pursue the case. I was present every hearing yet my client would not attend the scheduled hearings. I did not have any other witness so what happened was that the judge provisionally dismissed the case. I could not put the blame on my client knowing that it's hard to face her father, and even harder for her to testify about the rape.