4freeCLE May 27, 2012: 3 More Webinars and Much More!

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! May 27, 2012 In This Issue Webinar CLEs On-Demand CLEs In-Person CLEs Past Issues Free CLE Via  Free Trial of ABA?   If you are not already a member of the American Bar Association, then you can "try before you buy" by joining for a few free months and trying out their monthly free CLE. Only at the end of the trial do you have to decide to pay up, or decline; either way, you keep the CLE you've earned. Learn More Now! *** If This Newsletter Helps You, It'll Help Your Colleagues - Pass It On!  Webinar CLE Live webinars, bringing information where-ever you may be, are the new normal! May 29: Boolean (Keyword) Search for Lawyers. How to formulate effective Boolean keyword searches in Fastcase. By Fastcase. Note Date Change From Last Issue of 4freeCLE! May 31: Identification, Evaluation, and Transfer of Assets & Debts in Dissolution. Training for Attorneys serving the Moderate Means Program. Also provided in-person (Seattle).   May 31: Privacy and Social Media in the Workplace - Employment Law Update. A hot topic in labor and employment law. By Miller Law Group. June 6: Advanced Tips for Enhanced Legal Research on Fastcase.  By Fastcase.  On-Demand CLE Anywhere in the world, add to your education on your own schedule! Advocating for Veterans - the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades and Cultural Competency. For Memorial Day, learn the basics and earn seven credits! By PLI.  Free Speech or Sanctions. Where is the boundary between comments about the judiciary protected by the First Amendment, and sanctionable conduct? By Trial.com.  Law Enforcement: "There's An App for That". Software-conducted investigations of peer-to-peer (P2P) networks: what they are and how to attack their reliability in court. By Lexvid.   4freeCLE's list of On-Demand CLE. Several dozen CLE you can take now - free! In-Person CLEs In-person programs with experts offer opportunities for insights and interaction. Often you can earn credit in other states via application or reciprocity. May 30/Minneapolis: New Volunteer Orientation.  By Volunteer Lawyers Network. May 30/NYC: Uncontested Divorce Training. By inMotion.  May 30/San Francisco: Homeowners & Tenants Affected by Foreclosure. By ALRP. May 31/Cleveland: Crisis in the Courts: The New White House Push on Judicial Confirmations and the Vacancy Rate's Impact on Justice. By Cleveland-Marshall School of Law.  May 31/Seattle: Identification, Evaluation, and Transfer of Assets & Debts in Dissolution. Training for Attorneys in the Moderate Means Program. Also provided as webinar.   June 1/Chicago: Wealth and Family Planning for Same-Sex Couples. By PNC.  June 4/San Francisco: Legal Services for Clients with Disabilities. By ALRP.    June 4-5/Austin, TX: Forensic Science CLE Conference. By Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit and Texas Forensic Science Commission.  June 5/NYC: Asylum Training. Register by June 1! By Human Rights First.  June 6/Boston: Family Law 101 - VLP Training. By Volunteer Lawyer Project. June 6/NYC: Private Placement Adoption Training. By MFY Legal Services Kinship Caregiver Law Project.  June 6/NYC: Uncontested Divorce Training. By inMotion.  June 7/Newark, NJ: New Jersey Spring Asylum Training. By Human Rights First.  June 8/Seattle: Animal Law Social and Wildlife Conservation. Free to members of the WSBA Animal Law Section. Recommended Reading           Veterans on Trial: The Coming Court Battles over PTSD by Barry R. Schaller, judge and bioethicist; foreward by Todd Brewster, director of the Center for Oral History at the United States Military Academy, West Point. This looks like an interesting and useful work. A humane and effective response to the hundreds of thousands of veterans suffering from PTSD, and the likely massive impact on our legal system, begins with learning. This book, due out in June, looks like a good start. Pre-order Now! About 4freeCLE Your comments, especially leads to more free CLE, are very welcome; please email the editor.  Feel free to forward this to your colleagues. If this was forwarded to you, you can get your own subscription for free by signing up now! 4freeCLE is delivered weekly and will always be free!

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Advocating for Veterans - the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades and Cultural Competency

This program is intended to help attorneys and other advocates become accredited to represent veterans in their claims
for benefits, on a pro bono basis, and for attorney’s fees on appeals,
where they are available. Its content is also useful for general practice in support of our veterans.

Title:

Advocating for Veterans - the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades and Cultural Competency

Host:

Practicing Law Institute

Credit:

Approved for credit in most states, but the amount of credit varies. See the "CLE Credit" tab on the program description page.

More:

http://www.pli.edu/Content.aspx?dsNav=Ny:True,Rpp:1,Ro:0,Ns:sort_title%7C101%7C1%7C,N:4294924479-167&fromsearch=false&ID=133746

More Free CLE in Support of Veterans:

http://4freecle.blogspot.com/p/veterans.html

Existence Is Coming!

David Brin has a new book out ...



...this guy's books are always interesting. "Earth" and his "Uplift" series in particular. It is therefore with great confidence that I suggest you look into this work when it comes to your bookstore!

Think about these reviews:

• "Existence is a book that makes you think deeply about both the future and life's most important issues. I found it fascinating and I could not put it down."
  --Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures.
  
• "In Existence, David Brin takes on one of the fundamental themes in science fiction--and what is also one of the fundamental questions humanity faces in this century. Since Brin is both a great storyteller and one of the most imaginative writers around, Existence is not to be missed."
  --Vernor Vinge, bestselling author of A Fire Upon The Deep.
• "Take a world soaked in near-future strangeness and complexity... Add a beautiful alien artifact that turns out to be the spearpoint of a very dangerous, very ancient invasion... Hotwire with wisdom and wonder... Existence is as urgent and as relevant as anything by Stross or Doctorow, but with the cosmic vision of Bear or Benford. Brin is back."
  --Stephen Baxter, bestselling author of The Time Ships.
  

These are authors whose opinion I trust, because their work is very good.Here's what Brin says on his blog:

BRIN: "...The book won't be in stores for 3 weeks (June 19). You can sample free chapters on my newly redesigned website! And/or pre-order from Mysterious Galaxy or Amazon.

Another cool featurette: see my Q&A about Existence - also about human destiny and the transformative power of science fiction - at the Orbit Books site. And check out the 3-D cover (a new technology debuts with this book) that will only run with the U.K. first printing.Tell your friends ..."

-------
 In a few short weeks I'll get my copy and then post a review. If Existence is anything close to as good as Earth, we are in for a big treat!

4freeCLE May 20, 2012: a Bumper Crop of Webinars And More!

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! May 20, 2012

In This Issue Webinar CLEs On-Demand CLEs In-Person CLEs Past Issues West LegalEdcenter Mobile App   Offers 1 Credit Free!   The internet CLE provider West LegalEdcenter announces: "West LegalEdcenter has recreated its online experience with the free CLE Mobile app. All of the regulatory safeguards that states require have been incorporated in the Mobile environment. This allows you to earn credits as you would with an on demand program at West LegalEdcenter... Download the CLE Mobile app and you'll find one FREE COURSE in your My Programs." Try It Now! *** If This Newsletter Helps You, It'll Help Your Colleagues - Pass It On!

Webinar CLE Join in live CLE webinars anywhere you have internet access! May 22: Airports and Compatible Land Use Planning.  Airspace and Aircraft Noise Legislation, Regulation, and much more. By The TASA Group. May 22: Best Practices for Complying with Anti-Bribery and Corruption Regulations. The Federal Corrupt Practices Act, the United Kingdom's Anti-Bribery Act and their increased attention to financial institutions as well as international governments and third-parties. By LexisNexis. May 22: Best Practices: Prior Art Search. Make your patent prosecutions more effective and efficient. By LegalAdvantage.  May 23: Writing to the Court: Briefs, Letter Briefs, and Proposed Findings of Fact. Free to MHBA members. By Minnesota Hispanic Bar Ass'n.   May 24: Preparing for Mediation: Anticipating and Avoiding Communication Challenges Surrounding Culture and Diversity. Featuring The Honorable Eric B. Watness (Ret.); by King County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Also presented in-person (Seattle). May 28: Boolean (Keyword) Search for Lawyers. How to formulate effective Boolean keyword searches in Fastcase. By Fastcase. May 31: Identification, Evaluation, and Transfer of Assets & Debts in Dissolution. Training for Attorneys serving the Moderate Means Program. Also provided in-person (Seattle).   May 31: Privacy and Social Media in the Workplace - Employment Law Update. A hot topic in labor and employment law. By Miller Law Group.   On-Demand CLE Fill in an empty space in your schedule with learning, anywhere you may be! Prenuptial Agreements. What to consider when drafting a prenup; issues, pitfalls and tips. By Lexvid. Senior Legal Issues: Medi-Cal Changes for Seniors. Issues affecting seniors under the California 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver. By Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC).   Trial Lawyers Facing the New Decade: Panel Discussion. Top trial lawyers discuss adapting to the future. By Trial.com.  4freeCLE's list of On-Demand CLE. Several dozen CLE you can take now - free! In-Person CLEs Live, in-person programs typically earn credit in the state in which they occur. Often you can earn credit in other states via application or reciprocity. May 22/Seattle: Transnational Perspectives on the Civil Right to Counsel. By WSBA World Peace Through Law Section. May 23/St Paul: Working with the Mentally Ill Defendant. By  Ramsey County Mental Health Court. Although the registration deadline has passed, you may wish to inquire about late seating. May 23/Stillwater, MN : Entrapment and the Use of Informants Post-9/11. By Washington County Law Library.  May 24/Chicago: Electronic Discovery 2012 In-House Update. By Project Leadership Associates. May 24/Denver: Transact With Confidence: Measures To Account For And Minimize Risk Of Environmental Liabilities. By Circuit Media. May 24/Seattle: Preparing for Mediation: Anticipating and Avoiding Communication Challenges Surrounding Culture and Diversity. By the King County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Also presented as webinar. May 30/Minneapolis: New Volunteer Orientation.  By Volunteer Lawyers Network. May 30/San Francisco: Homeowners & Tenants Affected by Foreclosure. By ALRP. May 31/Cleveland: Crisis in the Courts: The New White House Push on Judicial Confirmations and the Vacancy Rate's Impact on Justice. By Cleveland-Marshall School of Law.  May 31/Seattle: Identification, Evaluation, and Transfer of Assets & Debts in Dissolution. Training for Attorneys in the Moderate Means Program. Also provided as webinar.   June 4/San Francisco: Legal Services for Clients with Disabilities. By ALRP.    June 4-5/Austin, TX: Forensic Science CLE Conference. By Texas Criminal Justice Integrity Unit and Texas Forensic Science Commission.  June 6/Boston: Family Law 101 - VLP Training. By Volunteer Lawyer Project. June 8/Seattle: Animal Law Social and Wildlife Conservation. Free to members of the WSBA Animal Law Section. Recommended Reading           The Best of Rumpole: Chosen By the Author by John Mortimer If you haven't read Rumpole, you're missing out on a lot of fun! This cranky, idiosyncratic barrister doesn't always win his case (it's fiction, not fantasy) but is always worth your time as he defends the right to have a fair trial and to skewer the pompous. This selection is a good introduction to the long-running series. Paperback Get It Now About 4freeCLE Your comments, especially leads to more free CLE, are very welcome; please email the editor.  Feel free to forward this to your colleagues. If this was forwarded to you, you can get your own subscription for free by signing up now! 4freeCLE is delivered weekly and will always be free!

My Short Postal Career

Rabbit at USPS/Tukwila

A couple of months back, I responded to a flyer at the Post Office recruiting for PSEs, or Postal Service Employees. The primary qualification seemed to be the ability to keypunch and a willingness to work part time, both of which were fine with me. I took a couple of objective tests, passed an interview, a police check and a drug test, and was accepted into the orientation class starting last Monday.
Two days of Post Office orientation were quite enlightening, and I would be happy to work with the organization, I am sure. There followed a couple of days of training in the unit that dealt with mail that could nt be delivered as addressed. For the most part, we added forwarding labels, but often mail would have to be returned to sender or disposed of in a variety of ways. The work was fast-paced but not physically difficult, and the people were nice to work with.
However, the hours I would work were 2:30 pm to 11 pm. This required both a complete shift of diurnal cycle (I typuically rise around 6) and directly conflicted with my wife's daily cycle (she works a regular 8-to-5). I gave it a try but it was not good for health, either physical health or marital. I regretfully email HR and telephoned my supervisor's boss; they were both quite decdent about it and understanding.
It's unfortunate that it didn't work out, but these things happen. I have learned over time that            while I can jam in any sort of work there is if I need it badly enough, but there's no sense wrecking my life just for a paycheck; I can always find another way to support myself. This was a good experiment, because I would never have known if it would have worked for me if I had not tried, but it was also good to bail out as soon as I was sure it wasn't working, so that I could move on to something that worked better, and also so the work unit could find a replacement.
I'll remember some of the characters I met at the USPS! But the only ones of which I have photos are the rabbits in the parking lot. I was told that they moved in to avoid the coyotes; it's a fenced lot so they seem to have a measure of protection!

Running the Meter Backwards....

Electric Meter Spinning Backwards!

...it's a lot of fun to watch the electric meter spin backwards, thanks to our new photovoltaic array. We won't be getting full credit for the power we generate until the utility installs a special gadget for recording that, but for the moment, it's just nice to see that even with the clothes washer running, we are not only drawing zero power but being billed for zero power.
I'll have more photos of the process soon, but for the moment, I have to say that the entire process has been very positive. It has been made possible by a number of things coming together, of which perhaps the key is financing through a credit union. The wash of new funds coming from people who have moved money out of banks has to be invested in the community, and what more prudent investment than saving and producing environmentally smart power?

The Martial Art Of Mitt-Fu

"Gosh, I can't remember all the kids I had my lackies beat up!"

Here's how you use Mitt-Fu:

1. Find someone smaller than you
2. Get four guys to help
3. Knock down your victim and hold him on the ground; if he screams, have yourself a good chuckle!
4. Attack him with sissors
5. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: Forget about it. The little people don't matter!

For context, see "Mitt Romney’s prep school classmates recall pranks, but also troubling incidents". The GOP is about to nominate for President another rich sociopath, born to a life of privilege and uncaring of the harm he does to other people.
The most important point is not that he does stupid and cruel stuff, but that he later denies it or says he can't remember. A trustworthy leader admits his mistakes.

Slow Jam The News - Enjoy!

Regardless of your politics, you have to agree this is funny ... if it doesn't make you laugh, GET HELP!

From JFK to #Obama: A History of Legal Services

A lot of us think we know what civil legal aid is and its history, but we really don't. "From JFK to Obama: A History of Legal Services", from the Legal Aid Association of California, connects us to our past to help us understand where we are.
I originally viewed this presentation as a way to earn Continuing Legal Education credit, but soon realized it's important viewing for anyone interested in justice. Most of the content refers to actions on the Federal level which therefore apply across our nation, although because of its host there is some material specialized to California. If you're interested in seeing that every American has a fair shot at civil justice, this will be an hour of your time well spent!
More:
http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2012/04/from-jfk-to-obama-history-of-legal.html