LAWYERSCHILE EL MUNDO INTERNACIONAL DEL ABOGADO

Rodrigo González Fernández y un grupo de egresados de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad la Republica en Chile ha decidido poner al alcance de todo el mundo de la profesion legal importantes materias en Ingles para ir practicando el trabajo en materia de Tratados internacionales y que nuestra profesión estará en primera linea. Invitamos a todos a opinar, debatir, participar activamente.Es el primer blog legal en inglés de latinoamerica.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

lawyerschile: Study: British Lawyers Get No Respect

Study: British Lawyers Get No Respect

Legal and other professionals play vital roles in supporting Britain's economic, political and social structures. Yet they don't get the respect they deserve, from either the government or the general public. That is the conclusion of a research report released today, British Professions Today: The State of the Sector. The report was prepared by Spada Research, a branch of the U.K. professional-services consulting firm Spada, on behalf of three major professional organizations, The Law Society, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Professionals in the UK form part of the backbone of the services-based economy, play key roles in the political process, and, perhaps most importantly, provide vital services in our day-to-day lives. Yet, the professions have come under attack from dual fronts: from government, which often fails to consider professional expertise in relevant policy areas; and from the general public, which has come to view professionals suspiciously in an era of declining deference to authority.

The report is described as "a first attempt to set forth a condensed overview of the value and scope of British professions -- historical, regulatory, economic, social and political." It sets the stage for a broader discussion of the professions by tracing their history -- from their rise to prominence in the 19th century to their more recent decline in the perception of the general public. "Trends ... chart a slow but sure fall in the percentage of people who are very or fairly satisfied with the way that accountants and lawyers do their jobs."

While the report is heavy on reporting the sorry state of the professions, it is somewhat light on offering solutions. Its overarching recommendation is that the professions should not be taken for granted -- and that the professions should take the lead in ensuring that doesn't happen. To that end, it suggests:

Formulation of new methodologies and metrics for analyzing the professions as well as greater transparency and consistency in their reporting.
Cooperation among the professions in working together and speaking with a single voice to government and the general public.
Strengthening of professional standards, including rigorous qualifications, high-quality codes of practice, sufficient monitoring and appropriate disciplinary mechanisms.

Although the report's focus is the U.K., some of the research it draws on comes from the United States and a number of its findings are as fitting to professionals here as in Britain. Clearly, its central point -- that lawyers and other professionals need to address their decline in the public's esteem -- sounds resoundingly close to home.

Sphere: Related Content

Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi on May 20, 2009

Fuente:
Difundan libremente este artículo
CONSULTEN, OPINEN , ESCRIBAN .
Saludos
Rodrigo González Fernández
Diplomado en "Responsabilidad Social Empresarial" de la ONU
Diplomado en "Gestión del Conocimiento" de la ONU

www.consultajuridica.blogspot.com
www.el-observatorio-politico.blogspot.com
www.lobbyingchile.blogspot.com
www.calentamientoglobalchile.blogspot.com
www.respsoem.blogspot.com
Oficina: Renato Sánchez 3586 of. 10
Teléfono: OF .02- 2451113 y 8854223- CEL: 76850061
e-mail: rogofe47@mi.cl
Santiago- Chile
Soliciten nuestros cursos de capacitación y consultoría en LIDERAZGO - GESTION DEL CONOCIMIENTO - RESPONSABILIDAD SOCIAL EMPRESARIAL – LOBBY – ENERGIAS RENOVABLES , asesorías a nivel nacional e internacional y están disponibles para OTEC Y OTIC en Chile

lawyerschile; Juror du Jour: Boredom His Downfall

Juror du Jour: Boredom His Downfall

Lesson to jurors: You can run, but you can't hide. Witness this item from today's news:

A Hillsboro, Ore., man who left jury duty after lunch because he was "extremely bored" was due back at the courthouse Tuesday to be arraigned on a charge of contempt of court.

A police report says officers found 25-year-old Grant Faber near his home earlier this month and asked why he skipped out. He said he was bored, and "just couldn't take it" anymore.

Washington County Judge Gayle Nachtigal issued a warrant for his arrest.

In a report about Faber's arrest in The Oregonian, Judge Nachtigal emphasized the importance of jury duty. "I think it is one of the most important civil responsibilities that citizens ... have," she said.

News reports do not say whether Faber was on a panel and sitting through a trial or merely enduring the seemingly endless wait to find out if he would be on a panel. If the former, then perhaps charges should also be brought against the trial lawyers for their roles in aiding and abetting the juror's boredom.

Sphere: Related Content

Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi on May 20, 2009

lawyerschile: It's Official: Nominee Is a Hispanic Woman

It's Official: Nominee Is a Hispanic Woman

For all you out there who have been making short lists and debating the relative merits of the potential nominees, the wait is over. The nominee's name has been announced and, if approved, the female lawyer who has been selected would become the first Hispanic to fill the seat.

That's right. We now know that Carmen M. Ortiz, 53, has been selected to become U.S. attorney for the district of Massachusetts. (What? You thought I was referring to a different vacancy?) U.S. Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry yesterday recommended that President Obama nominate Ortiz to fill the highest federal law enforcement position in the state, The Boston Globe reports today.

The daughter of Puerto Rico natives, Ortiz grew up poor in New York City's Spanish Harlem. She has worked in the U.S. attorney's office in Massachusetts for 12 years and spent another 10 years as a state prosecutor. In 1990, while working at the Center for Criminal Justice at Harvard Law School, she served on a commission appointed by the National Football League to investigate sexual harassment allegations by a Boston Herald reporter against members of the New England Patriots.

In 1992, as legal counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, she was part of a six-member team that investigated allegations that campaign workers for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush tried to undermine the 1980 re-election prospects of President Carter by delaying the release of the Iranian hostages, according to the Boston Herald. She is a 1981 graduate of George Washington University Law School.

Ortiz would be not only the first Hispanic but also the first female U.S. attorney in Massachusetts. She was chosen over two other finalists, Michael B. Keating and Martin F. Murphy, both partners at the law firm Foley Hoag. "We believe that her prosecutorial experience, commitment to public service, and insight into criminal justice issues will make her an exceptional United States Attorney," the two senators said in a statement announcing her selection.

The National Law Journal has an update on U.S. attorney nominees in other jurisdictions.

Sphere: Related Content

Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi on May 20, 2009

Craigslist Sues and AG Backs Off

Craigslist Sues and AG Backs Off

Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster announced on his blog this morning that he has filed a lawsuit against South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster over his repeated threats to file criminal charges against the company. "Mr. McMaster's repeated threats of criminal prosecution should we refuse to shut down craigslist for South Carolina have left us little choice but to seek declaratory relief before the court," Buckmaster said.

Earlier this month, McMaster sent Buckmaster a letter threatening criminal prosecution if "the portions of the Internet site dedicated to South Carolina and its municipal regions and which contain categories for and functions allowing for the solicitation of prostitution and the dissemination and posting of graphic pornographic material are not permanently removed" by the close of business on May 15. On Friday, McMaster's Web site posted a notice saying that Craigslist had not complied. "We have no alternative but to move forward with criminal investigation and potential prosecution."

Buckmaster's post says that the AG's threats ignore the fact that Craigslist "is operating in full compliance with all applicable laws," has eliminated its "erotic services" category and has adopted stricter screening measures. He goes on to say:

Interestingly, if you read Mr McMaster's ultimatum carefully, you'll note that the only way to definitively comply with it is to take down the craigslist sites for South Carolina in their entirety. The open architecture of craigslist, quintessential to the value it provides for users, simply does not allow for the absolute prevention of solicitation or pornography, with respect to any of its categories and functions.

The blog post does not include the court documents but says that is based on the grounds that the AG's threats "represent an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech and are clearly barred by federal law," to wit, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

McMaster responds to the lawsuit on his site as "good news. It shows that craigslist is taking the matter seriously for the first time." His response suggests he is backing off any criminal prosecution. "Unfortunately, we had to inform them of possible state criminal violations concerning their past practices to produce a serious response," he says. "We trust they will now adhere to the higher standards they have promised. This office and the law enforcement agencies of South Carolina will continue to monitor the site to make certain that our laws are respected."

Sphere: Related Content

Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi on May 20, 2009