Articles Posted in Legal Subject Area Guides

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The Oregonian ran a story about the new law, 2009 SB 391 (HTML version), which will go into effect January 1, 2010: “Exotic Pets: bad idea, soon to be illegal.” (Online version: New Oregon law will clamp down on exotic pet ownership), by Jacques Von Lunen, Tuesday July 21, 2009):

Excerpt: “The four cats hiss fiercely as we approach their enclosure. When we go inside, two of them circle around to the opposite corner. It’s unnerving, because these cats are no tabbies.

They’re servals, African wildcats. The largest weighs close to 40 pounds. Their long legs make them excellent runners and jumpers; some call them the most efficient predators of all cats….
….
Many humans seduced by servals’ looks find they’re dealing with wild animals after all.

“We get about one call per month on servals,” says Cheryl Tuller, co-founder of WildCat Haven. “These owners realized quickly it was a big mistake.”

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See March 18, 2010, OLR blog post for updated links.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) affects every litigant, lawyer, and judge. Ignore it at your peril.

Two SCRA laws that apply to Oregonians, one federal and one Oregon:

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Having problems with the lawyer someone recommended to you or who you thought was recommended by an “online service” or a “best ever lawyers in the whole wide world” list?

It is not enough just to get a recommendation for a lawyer who can help you with your legal problem. You need to do a some preliminary research and have a conversation about fees and service with that lawyer.

If you do absolutely nothing else before you hire a lawyer, please:

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I’ve been working on a blog post linking to summaries of this Oregon Legislative Session’s consumer law accomplishments e.g. see the Oregon Live information, but got sidetracked by this story. Mandatory arbitration requirements have been a hot topic for a while amongst consumer law attorneys:

From an Oregon attorney’s blog post about a lawsuit against the National Arbitration Forum. Excerpt:

“This major development in the fight against arbitration abuse has potential to cause some serious carnage. The State of Minnesota filed a lawsuit against National Arbitration Forum, a leading arbitration provider, claiming that NAF is a front for debt collectors and their law firms and not an independent arbitration service. Here’s a copy of the complaint–it’s long–for anyone who is interested….” (read full post)

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1) For an excellent lineup of free legal research databases, see Robert Ambrogi’s Legal.Online column: 10 Places to Get Free Cases: A Very Good Price, from the Oregon State Bar Bulletin, July 2009 issue. In 2 pages he gives links and pertinent information about each database’s coverage and caveats.

2) Another view of “free”: Can Free Information Make Us A Vendor-Free Library?, posted July 13, 2009, Paul Lomio, has some interesting ideas, excellent links, and thoughtful Comments.

3) See also my Oregon Legal Research blog sidebar, which links to guides to Free and Low-Cost Legal Research Resources.

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Tis the season, apparently, to climb onto an open-air motorized vehicle:

There are state laws:
1) ODOT, DMV, Pocket Bike Guide (PDF)
2) ODOT, DMV Vehicle Index
3) ODOT, DMV Vehicle Violations
4) ODOT, DMV Vehicle Factsheet for Mini-motorbikes and Scooters
5) Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS)

And there are local laws: Contact your city or county law enforcement agency (e.g. police or sheriff) to ask if they have any brochures, training, and websites that have information for riders of these vehicles.

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In a kinder, gentler world, the words “you’re under arrest” without any accompanying cuffs or restraints may mean you’re free to head off with impunity at a measured pace to the nearest coffee shop, or tree top, but in Oregon the words “you’re under arrest” means YOU’RE UNDER ARREST AND IN CUSTODY so stop calculating that escape route and forget about that Freedom Road Quickstep maneuver.

From the OJD Court of Appeal July 8, 2009, Media Release (or read the full case):

“State of Oregon, Respondent, v. James B. Thomas, Appellant (A135855) decided July 8, 2009:

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Non-attorneys don’t often realize the amount of preparation that is required to prepare for a case, whether it’s researching, drafting documents, communicating with opposing counsel, appearing in Small Claims or Traffic Court, or before a judge in conference or at trial, and every interaction with the judicial system in between.

Lawyers learn and develop their own trial notebooks, paper and online, and pro se litigants need to do the same, without all the seminars and other training lawyers get on trial notebook preparation.

But here’s a good place to begin if you want to know what a trial notebook is: from the King County, Washington, Reference Librarian on their KCLL Klues Blog: Trial Notebook for Family Law.

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Another reminder that there are no quick fixes or free lunches in the world of finance, law, consumer protection, or living a long and healthy life:

beSpacific alerts us to two new GAO reports on reverse mortgage consumer protection issues:

1) Reverse Mortgages: Product Complexity and Consumer Protection Issues Underscore Need for Improved Controls over Counseling for Borrowers, GAO-09-606, June 29, 2009

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Summertime, and the living is – not so easy for parents of minors. See the Washington County (Oregon) Curfew Calendar.

Check with your own city to find out its rules. For example, I typed the words Portland Oregon curfew laws into Google and got this link and this recent KATU story.

And, take a look at the new Washington County (Oregon) Juvenile Department webpages, which have lots of useful information. For example:

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