Legal Topic of the Week

Preliminary notes to Reader:

As an attorney, I receive many telephone calls each month from people across the state who have legal questions. For many people, the laws at the federal, state and local levels have become too confusing. Clearly, these days, the ten commandments are not the only laws that we must live by. Hopefully, this section will help you cut through some of the legal jargon that is out there and may help you understand some of your rights that you have. This section is not intended to be a replacement for consulting an attorney on a legal matter. It is only written to give you something to think about...

Since much of my practice involves personal injury (auto accidents, premises liability), family law (divorce, custody, visitation, child support), criminal matters and estate planning (wills, trusts and advance directives), it obviously makes sense to start the "Legal Topic of the Week" section with these areas first.

Just lately, I was fortunate to address a group of young students at South Wayne Junior High School, Pike High School and Lawrence Central High School who expressed some interest in possibly becoming a lawyer someday. I thought you might be interested in looking at the outline of my speech to those students. If you have a group or organization that is looking for a speaker at your next meeting, feel free to give my office a call.

So...you want to become a lawyer?

A. Background info

1. Personal Info

2. Solo general practitioner

3. Communicator

4. Work hard and earn respect

5. A good lawyer should be a research expert

B. Why we need lawyers

1. Lawyer = one who works at the law

2. Law = the code of conduct that we all must live by

3. Laws are necessary - makes our communities better places to live in

4. There are many laws and many of the laws are difficult to understand

5. Lawyers go to school to learn how to understand laws

C. What does a lawyer do?

1. Advisor - informs what the law allows us to do and what the law says we can’t do

2. Advocate - takes a person's side and argues for that person

3. There are many other things that lawyers can do

D. What do you need to do to become a lawyer?

1. Education

2. Study hard to become a lawyer

3. Be willing to devote some time to becoming a lawyer

4. Read

5. Become good at speaking

6. Be a good writer - Words are the main tools of the lawyer

7. Learn to listen

8. Stand out from others in a good and positive way

a. Honesty - "honesty is always the best policy"

b. Strong work ethic - "successful people develop the habit of doing the things that failures don’t like to do"

c. Unselfish

d. Compassionate to others

e. Other important qualities

* Law is a noble profession. Lawyers are guardians of the law.

Disclaimer to Reader:: The above is not legal advice and you should not rely on it. Everything on this web page is general information only. Nothing on this web page establishes an attorney-client relationship. If you have a legal question or problem, please consult an attorney.

Please send mail to dwayne@cooperlegalservices.com with any questions or comments that you might have about this web site.

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Stars and Stripes Forever

Let martial note in triumph float
And liberty extend its mighty hand
A flag appears 'mid thunderous cheers,
The banner of the Western land.
The emblem of the brave and true
Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope.
Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak
The never-ending watchword of our land;
Let summer breeze waft through the trees
The echo of the chorus grand.
Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.
Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom's nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free.
May it wave as our standard forever
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with might endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray,
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

* After receiving quite a bit of feedback (about 50% positive and 50% negative) re: the music on this site, I have decided that I can probably make pretty much everyone happy by disabling all the midis on this website but giving you the option still of being able to turn the midis on/off by clicking on the Windows media play button below. Enjoy!