Legal Issues « Legal Matters

Legal Issues and Matters Resources:

Civil Rights, Capital Punishment, Consumer Law,
Criminal Law, Indian Law

Civil Rights

• Alliance for Justice
  A national association of civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations.
• American Civil Liberties Union
  The ACLU's mission is to preserve all of the Constitution's protections and guarantees.
• Annual Report to Congress of the Office for Civil Rights (Fiscal year 2007-2008)
• NAACP
  Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization.
• Office for Civil Rights Posts Agreements From Investigations (Education Week – 3-1-11)
  The U.S. Department of Education's office for civil rights is posting agreements online that are forged between the office and school districts resulting from compliance reviews or investigations of complaints.
• Protecting Students with Disabilities (U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights)
  Frequently asked questions about Section 504.

Capital Punishment Issues

• ABA Calls for National Execution Moratorium (ABA Journal – October 2007)
  After a three-year study on state capital punishment systems, the American Bar Association is calling for a nationwide moratorium on executions until an unfair and sometimes inaccurate application of the death penalty is corrected.
• Amnesty International
  Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end abuses of human rights.
• Human Rights Magazine (American Bar Association – Spring 2007)
  The issue linked above has several interesting articles on the subject of Capital Punishment.
• Human Rights Magazine (American Bar Association – Summer 2001)
  The issue linked above has several interesting articles on the Death Penalty. 
• NAELA’s final comments regarding Nursing Home arbitration CMS 3342 P August 7 2017
• National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
  The nation's oldest organization dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty.
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules that criminal defendants with "mental impairments" can be executed
  In a decision that may prove to be a lightning rod in the debate over Pennsylvania's use of the death penalty, the state Supreme Court has ruled that any criminal defendant with mental impairments, short of being legally defined as "mentally retarded," can be executed for capital offenses.

Consumer Law

• National Consumer Law Center
  Protecting consumers and promoting marketplace justice.
• National Assn. of Consumer Advocates
  A nationwide organization of attorneys who represent consumers victimized by fraudulent business practices.

Criminal Law

• Resources on Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions (Michigan Bar Journal)
  The failure to recognize the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction can spell disaster for the uninformed defendant.

Indian Law

• Native American Rights Fund
  The oldest and largest nonprofit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending rights of Indian tribes, organizations and individuals.
• Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
  The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs had been in existence since the early 19th century.
• Tribal Court Clearinghouse
  The Tribal Court Clearinghouse is a comprehensive website established in June 1997 to serve as a resource for American Indian and Alaska Native Nations, American Indian and Alaska Native people, tribal justice systems, victims services providers, tribal service providers, and others involved in the improvement of justice in Indian country.

Social Welfare Act

• Senate Bill 890 (Substitute S-2 as passed by the Senate): ADOPTION ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT (Sponsor: Senator Bruce Caswell
  Committee: Families, Seniors and Human Services – Date Completed 9/8/14)
  The Social Welfare Act allows a parent of an adoptive child to receive financial assistance if the adoptee requires extraordinary care because of a medical condition or other impairment. The bill would amend the Social Welfare Act.

Miscellaneous Legal Issues

• 8 Things Most Lawyers Won't Tell You (LawFirms.com)
  We've all heard horror stories from the legal trenches – Your lawyer fails to show up, he doesn't make an objection when it's the most important moment, he or she loses your big case for you – the list can go on and on. From the trenches of the largest municipal court system in the nation, here are some tips from one in the know.
• The Federal Arbitration Act and Testamentary Instruments (David Horton – Aug. 2012)
  One of the most divisive recent issues in American civil justice has been the widespread use of arbitration clauses in consumer and employment contracts. At the center of this storm is the Federal Arbitration Act (the “FAA”).
• Twisted Ethics of an Expert Witness (Seattle Times –  6/27/11)
  Earlier this year, a four-page document with a bland title, "Stipulation for Dismissal with Prejudice," was filed in a civil matter percolating on the King County Courthouse's ninth floor. Hardly anyone took notice. Most everyone had moved on. But that document — filed by lawyers tangled up in the estate of Stuart Greenberg, a nationally renowned psychologist whose life ended in scandal — signaled the end of a tortuous undertaking.   
• What to Do When Physical and Mental Disabilities Cause You to Fail the Polygraph (ClearanceJobs – 9/25/2019)
  The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act play a role in the polygraph process, but as with all things clearance related, the rules aren’t so cut and dry as, say, someone who might need a wheelchair ramp or an ergonomic keyboard.