r/Ask_Lawyers

After law school I moved back in with my family to help my mom take care of my grandmother. I took a low paying government law job which had a low workload and the perk of free tuition at our local public college. My undergrad degree was in psychology, but I wanted to get a biology degree so I could transition towards patent law or something else that was more science focused.

I really enjoyed my classes, but my case load has gone up by a lot. I no longer have the ability to juggle my job’s expectations and a 6 credit course load. The jobs pay has not gone up, there is a ton of office drama, and I am looking to jump ship.

Right now I live rent free with my parents. Moving out is not an option, even if I made a 6 figure salary. Before I moved back home my mom was at the edge of caregiver burnout with my grandma. My mom needs there to be someone else in the home to talk to who isn’t senile and for someone to spend time with my grandma to give my mom a break.

Given my low living expenses, I could take a part time attorney role and just finish up the bio degree out of pocket. Alternatively, I could drop the bio degree entirely and just find a normal full time position. However, I am unlikely to have the ability to go back to school in the future. I just don’t know how valuable a bio degree would actually be for my long term career.

I think my ideal job would be in-house counsel for a university research center or institution like St. Jude’s. I am leaving my current position with 2 years of litigation experience in a niche practice area not related to science. I do have some university connections in my network, but nobody local.

I’m completely at a loss. Do I bother finishing up the bio degree I started? If not, what jobs should I be looking for as my next step?

Kimberly-Clark was leasing the warehouse in Ontario California. They had a contract with NFI Industries to run their distribution. Chamel Abdulkarim Worked for NFI and intentionally set fire to the Products in the warehouse. In the videos that he recorded as he set the fire he said, "They should have paid us a living wage." The Fire got so bad that the fire suppression in the warehouse was unable to put the fire out, and the facility has been written off as a total loss.

Did NFI have any kind of duty to prevent this from happening? I know that Abdulkarim is liable because of tort law, but does the intentional nature of this have any impact on NFI's liability? Since Kimberly-Clark was the lessee, do they have liability to make the owners of the warehouse whole, or is that something the owners will have to pursue with NFI? Sorry, I'm not a professional or anything just curious.

I am a college student who has been accepted as an intern to the US Attorney's Office in DC. I gather from people's comments here that it is a bad idea to work for them right now, because it kills reputation, but is that true for interns too?

Hello! For clarification, I am currently an undergraduate freshman studying Economics and Classics (Greek and Latin), and I have been considering a career in either corporate or entertainment law after realizing the unlikelihood of pursuing academia.

Recently, several highly successful lawyers visited my school to speak, many of them firm owners or otherwise very accomplished in their fields. I had the opportunity to speak with them one-on-one, and, somewhat surprisingly, every single one said that they do not really enjoy their job. They also all seemed very tired.

This left me a bit confused, since these are clearly the kinds of careers most law students aspire to. It would be discouraging if the end goal is simply to make money while hating your life. That said, I know there are plenty of lawyers who do enjoy their work.

For those who do, what do you think they do differently? And is it possible to earn a good income in law without hating your job?

This isn't related to something about me, its hypothetical but I've always wondered. If you commit a crime with a statute of limitations of 10 years, then say 15 years pass, but the law gets changed so the statute of limitations is now 20 years for that crime - are you back on the hook until 20 years runs out, or are you safe because the statute was 10 years when you committed the crime?

His attorney didn’t show up, this was suppose to have his sentencing/ his processing day to get out. Unsure what this means . His new trial date is in June. He wasn’t the only person who wasn’t able to get sentence. Is this normal for a court appointed attorney?

I have called 8 different law firms in the past few months. I leave a message, either with an admin or a voicemail, and no one calls me back.

I’m calling about estate planning and wanting to get deeds written up. What is up?!

So just from what most interest me im most interest in some sort of public interest law, immigration law, international law but from what ive seen those don’t really make all that much money. And im not really in a financial position where I can afford to go into massive debt for law school without a good financial return on investment  once I become a lawyer. 

Our there any type of law practice where I would be doing good well still making good money? Maybe some sort of civil rights law? From what ive heard there been some pretty large settlements from people who sued cities over the violation of there rights in encounters with police etc.

Landlord's lawyer is asking for a broad release to be written into the settlement agreement whereas my lawyer had written that the settlement would release both parties from any claims "relevant to the dispute".

While the whole dispute started when a fire from the row house next door, forced me to evacuate my apartment, I have little to no mind to go after anyone. If I were to, I would go after the insurance company next door. I will mention that yes, I bI did have to go to the ER (was coughing up soot for a few days), and my doctor suggested I go see an ENT and pulmonologist jsut in case, but for the most part my labs are normal and I feel fine 5 months later.

I really just want what i feel is owed to me, which I believe has good legal standing in court. my security deposit and the rent I paid under duress after the fire had already evacuate me from my apt.

That being said, my patience and good faith is starting to feel really disrespected. For 6 months, I wanted to be considerate that we were all hurting in this disaster together, the same way I've been his tenant for 5 years and he's commented before that he appreciates my patience when he takes time getting back to fixing things around my apt. (He's a senior citizen and lives an hour away.). but since hte fire, it's been 1 thing after another, he doesn't know what the law is, but if i pay him now he'll get back to me, he "has the flu" and can't talk, he's going out of the country on vacation, he 's sure my renter's insurance paid me for loss of rent & he wants to call them to confirm I'm not double dipping, he just needs another week to do his research.

I finally cracked and said negotiations over, i'm going to court and he agreed to settle. Then yesterday, his lawyer wants to make these changes.

Is broad release typical in your experience for security deposit settlements?

location: NJ

How do I practice my contract drafting skills and get it reviewed to perfection so that i can be confident enough to approach clients.

(I am a final year law student)

Took a truck to a mechanic shop to diagnose a problem it was having. they diagnosed the problem ordered the part and fixed the vehicle without permission or estimate. said the vehicle was ready to be picked up and was told the cost of the repair. does mechanic shops have to get written approval of estimated work prior to repairing vehicle.

Does anybody here have experience going through the Kaiser arbitration process. I hear so much negativity about the process I’ve been assisting someone in pro per case. We are not attorneys and we don’t have a legal background. We found it really hard to find an appropriate attorney because of the way Kaiser arbitration runs specifically it’s very costly as far as hiring medical experts and it’s not the easy process that they claim it to be and lastly the payouts are low so it’s not cost beneficial for attorneys to take these cases. But when representing yourself in pro per the challenges, are you deal with the Kaiser attorneys and who employ gameship tactics then you have arbitrators who are basically paid by Kaiser so how is that fair? The arbitration process is supposed to be a fair process to streamline these legal issue but it is 100% biased because the arbitrators are paid by Kaiser. Just think why would the arbitrators side against Kaiser if they’re paid by Kaiser. Arbitrators are selected and they’re not full-time employed staff so they only get work if they are selected. Do we think Kaiser‘s gonna select an arbitrator who consistently agrees with the claimants no so it’s a bias system. What can you do to protect the Kaiser members from the biased system or is it something that you should just give up because Kaiser has all the money and the little claimants can’t afford to keep up with their tactics, forced motions failure to respond to motions, failure to respond to document productions failure to respond to meet and confer and then when you have discovery conferences and you present your issues to the arbitrator such as four months waiting on records despite two request for productions, they make excuses for the respondent. when our arbitrator actual spoke on behalf of the respondent he said the respondent just lost a colleague and we should essentially give them more time and when I say lost a colleague, I mean the colleague quit did not pass away. This Firm works on Kaiser Case’s all day every day. Why should they get an exception yet the claimants self represented are expected to work at the same level of the respondent attorneys. This is a sick system.

Hi,

I’m on the process of transition from tech into law. I’d like to start law school this upcoming fall part-time. I’ve always enjoyed the idea of working in tax and estate planning, but recently have been reading that estate planning will become a very saturated area given financial planners are offering it as a service and it doesn’t seem the ABA will do anything about it. The tax industry, however appealing as well it seems that it is very hard to break into without experience (currently I’m a software engineer).

TL;DR: Is it worth to become either an estate planning attorney or tax attorney? By worth it, I mean that you don’t kill yourself with overwork and make decent amount of money (over $100k/year after a couple years of experience).

Thanks in advance for your responses!

Location: Florida

My ex and I were in an on-and-off relationship that escalated to a physical incident, leading to his arrest for battery. Some charges have since been dropped, his bond was reduced, and he has been released. A no-contact order is currently in place, and we have both been complying.

I have a child (with a different partner), and my priority is maintaining a safe and stable environment. At the same time, I feel conflicted. Friends and family have encouraged me to let the legal process handle everything, but I still care about him and would prefer a fair, reasonable outcome that emphasizes rehabilitation or other appropriate alternatives rather than severe punishment, while still prioritizing everyone’s wellbeing.

The case is now with the State Attorney. He has entered a not guilty plea, and there is a pretrial conference scheduled later this month.

I am trying to understand what role I can have in the process. Specifically:

•	Can I request modifications to current conditions, including the no-contact order (for limited or supervised communication)?

•	Am I able to submit a statement or otherwise share my perspective with the court or State Attorney regarding a fair resolution or plea outcome?

•	Is mediation or any similar alternative ever an option in cases like this?

•	At the pretrial stage, am I allowed to submit anything or participate in a meaningful way?

I want to approach this in a way that prioritizes safety and allows for the possibility of a more constructive resolution that serves everyone’s best interests and wellbeing.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

this is in regard to a camper shell that failed due to manufacturing defect. As far as I can tell, they are all failing in the same way and rendering them unusable. Most of them are failing around 18 months, the warranty is one year. I do not know how many of these camper shells were sold, I expect no more than 500 and probably closer to 100.

The company is still in business in California, and has just released a new version of the camper . They marketing heavily on Instagram and are proudly showing that they solved the problem with the last version.

The company does not answer emails or voicemails regarding repairs of the existing camper shells.

Hello All,

I'm a 24F from Florida, I'm writing to share some concerns regarding a relationship I have been involved in with a detective from Florida. Recently, I discovered that he has a significant interest in foot fetishism and actively follows numerous channels and content related to this theme on platforms such as Pornhub and other adult websites.

Furthermore, it has come to my attention that over the past year and a half, he has been engaged in creating adult content, specifically animations that pertain to foot fetishes, which often depict violent scenarios. For instance, ahhh, "one of the animations features a female character crushing a male character with her feet". It appears that he sells this explicit and violent content through digital content stores, generating a substantial income from it.

Moreover, he is reportedly collaborating with a designer based in a Middle Eastern country that is currently under sanctions. In addition to these activities, he has been sending photographs of his workplace, the cases he is working on, and even images of his colleagues to this foreign individual, who is associated with this type of content.

He seems to be attempting to keep all of this concealed, even going so far as to deposit his earnings from these activities into an international account and avoiding any disclosure of his connection with the designer.

I would like to understand whether it poses a significant issue for a detective to engage in the creation of adult content of this nature. Does this behavior indicate any concerning psychological traits? Furthermore, is it appropriate for him to share images of his colleagues, workplace, and case files with individuals outside the United States, particularly those considered adversaries of the nation?

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your insights.

Does the opposing consul or firm impact how a case may be handled in house?

Case in point: When I was a child my mother was involved in an accident where another driver ran a stop sign/light and hit her, I was also in the vehicle with them at the time. My grandmother at the time worked as the chief/head court clerk for a local municipality and when my mother was seeking a referral my grandmother went to the Judge she worked under and obtained a referral from them.

The referral was to the personal law firm for former Arizona Governor/US Interior Secretary, Bruce Babbitt. Whose firm took the case, after admitting they normally don't take auto P&C cases and only took it as it was a bench referral. (and took the case with a discounted 15% fee)

Would having the opposing consul being from such a firm change how the inhouse attorneys may handle the case?

Hello! I really hope this makes it to the post... I've been with this doctor for the past 4 years, and because I am on Medicaid he has treated me like garbage since I've been there. I have recorded many of our sessions, for I have to see him once a week for my anxiety medication which is law. This doctor is very very retaliatory, he messes my prescriptions up on purpose, he has called me a prostitute, on more than one occasion which I have recordings which I am willing to share when ready. Yesterday was the final straw. So he's a 70 something year old mean old man who can't wait to retire, so he's overlooked my osteoarthritis, which he knows I have, I just had a crazy elevated liver test come back, which he did not address nor did take further blood testing for it. He has made comments when I would ask about weight loss medications, he would say something like " You got yourself there, you can get yourself out " "I'm sure glad I looked better now than you do at your age now " Also, again, I have it recorded. I have blood test results that are so very not good, but he won't address them or help me get help for diabetes, nothing. The last few years have been hell!! Here's my question: is this enough to set up a some sort of complaint with the medical board And how? Thank you!