Alabama Gazette - The people's voice of reason

Some recent reactive changes in perception of heritage and rulings by the Supremes have recently left me quite dismayed. Not the legendary singing group but the men and women that don the black robes...

Individualism in the legal profession, like other walks of life, thrives on legends and myths. The profession cherishes certain images. One of these images is the image of the rugged individual....

There are several things to consider and much of that is based on the type of entity that your business may fall under. For starters is it a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a Limited Liability Com...

United States lawyers or attorneys practice in many areas such as insurance defense, consumer issues, elder law, social security, admiralty, estate planning, bankruptcy, tax, business entities,...

Sometime after William the Conqueror successfully invaded England in 1066, the new line of kings decided they needed help rounding up local criminals to prosecute. Accordingly, they organized groups...

Real estate practice among lawyers can be difficult when determining who has rightful ownership of real property. It’s just about as difficult to begin a generic discussion. The best form of...

In recent columns I have concentrated on the economics of law practice. We have discussed the economic motives of plaintiff lawyers, the economic motives of defense lawyers, and the fact that the...

In 1996 the Defense of Marriage Act was passed by Congress, which stated that States did not have to accept same sex marriages performed in States that allowed such. Section 3 placed into law a...

This column continues the discussion of the economics of law practice. It is the fourth in a series. First, we described the strong ties between law and economics. We pointed out that because the...

In last month’s column we pointed out that the economics of law practice can actually impede the ability of the legal system to efficiently resolve disputes. In future columns we will discuss in dep...

Legalism is in the broadest sense a strict and maybe even overbearing adherence to laws. In Chinese philosophy, legalism attained prominence in about 500 to 200 B.C. Legalism in Chinese philosophy is...

Last month, the Alabama State Bar celebrated Pro Bono Month. Pro Bono in this context is the offering of free legal services to low income individuals. October was filled with events on almost every...

There is no reason for any foreign law to contradict, circumvent or supersede the laws of the United States or the laws of the independent states. However, there are times when international laws shou...

In the past several columns we have discussed problems with the criminal justice system and incarceration. Our exploration of problems concerning the corrections system concluded with a discussion of...

In last month’s column we discussed how cultural differences impact the criminal justice system. Four hundred years of slavery and segregation created a cultural system in our black communities....

In past articles we have discussed the breakdown of the family and the impact of family breakdown on moral formation. We suggested that inadequate moral formation is the root cause of crime. We sugges...

HIPAA is the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. Congress passed the law in 1996, but the Privacy and Security portions were not signed into law until 2003. For purposes of this...

The National Security Agency not only intercepted the telephone calls of suspected terrorists but also collected in bulk the logs of telephone calls and emails of ordinary citizens. Monitoring also...

You have not mentioned specifics about yourself so I’ll make this answer generic in a personal and in a business sense. I’m sure that you looked at your financial estate planning (401k), mutual...

I noticed as I drove east on Atlanta Highway that Frazer Methodist Church had something on their marquee about Operation Christmas Child; I know it is a common program at this time of year. Many...

Last month, I described the meltdown of family that resulted from our nation’s movement from an agrarian, small town economy to a technological economy. Men and women have more contact with members...

Our 3rd quarter newsletter has come out. It breaks down the crime in Montgomery County and lets you know what is happening in your area. If you would like a copy of the newsletter, email Lt. Clarence...

The literal meaning is “may you have the body” or as from one of my law professors, “show me the body”. The Writ of Habeas Corpus Act was a result of the British Parliament in 1640. Those that...

Family is the primal unit of society. Men and women have always met and produced off-spring. Successful marriages conserved the energy necessary for human advancement. Maslow identified sex as a...

I just got a copy of the sentencing guidelines that go into effect on October 1 of this year. The report says that these guidelines are voluntary, apparently until 2020 at which time it appears that...