New York Paralegal Blog

By SAM REYNOLDS DENVER (CN) - Three moviegoers who were shot at the midnight premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises" say in Federal Court that better security could have prevented the massacre.

Staffing agencies seem to forget that equal employment laws apply to them too. I have noticed a trend in New York, especially in the healthcare profession, how hospitals and nursing homes are using temporary employment agencies as a way to discriminate against those who they view as undesirable because of race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. It is good to know that the EEOC is working hard to unmask those who try to circumvent civil rights laws by using third party employment agencies.

Late Friday evening, President Obama addressed the Nation from the Blue Room at the White House on the bipartisan agreement on the budget. As the President put it, leaders from both parties "acted on behalf of our children’s future" by finding the common ground necessary to keep the government open for business.

(FTC) Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Sony Music) has agreed to pay $1 million as part of a settlement to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Commission’s implementing Rule. The Commission’s complaint alleges that, through its music fan Web sites, Sony Music improperly collected, maintained and disclosed personal information from thousands of children under the age of 13, without their parents’ consent. The civil penalty to be paid by Sony Music matches the largest penalty ever in a COPPA case. Sony BMG Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, represents hundreds of popular musicians and entertainers, including numerous artists popular with children and teenagers. The company operates over 1,000 Web sites for its musical artists and labels. Sony Music requires users to submit a broad range of personal information, together with date of birth, in order to register for these sites. ...

By: Joel Irving The U.S. Department of The Treasury and the FDIC have agreed to provide protection against losses on a large asset pool of approximately $306 billion dollars in loans and securities backed by residential and commercial real estate and other related assets that will remain on Citigroups's balance sheet. Moreover, the Treasury will invest $20 billion dollars in Citigroup from the Troubled Asset Relief Program in exchange for preferred stock with an 8% dividend to the Treasury. More...

In an open letter to Congressional leadership, Governor David A. Paterson today urged Congress to include state representation in oversight responsibilities for the implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA). Additionally, Governor Paterson announced that he will testify before the House Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday for a hearing on “Economic Recovery, Job Creation and Investment in America,” in which he will urge the Federal Government to take specific action to address the national financial crisis. In his letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader John Boehner, Governor Paterson called for the states to have representation on the five-member Congressional Oversight Panel created as part of the EESA. This Oversight Panel is charged with overseeing the implementation of the Treasury’s multifaceted program, including the effectiveness of its foreclosure miti...

Benton J. Campbell, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Kenneth Donohue, Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced the filing of a civil complaint against Madison Home Equities, Inc., a mortgage lender located in Carle Place, Long Island, seeking a court-ordered injunction to prevent the company from making loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”). The complaint also seeks relief against Madison’s president, Nadine Malone. The case is pending before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. As alleged in the civil complaint, Madison participates in a federal program sponsored by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) which authorizes Madison to make mortgage loans that are insured by FHA in the event of default. As a condition of participation in the program, Madison must determine that all borrowers who receive FHA-insured mortgage loans meet HUD lending stand...

New York-( 10/16/08)-Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo met today with Edward M. Liddy, the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American International Group, Inc. (“AIG”) In a candid discussion, the Attorney General laid out his serious concerns regarding executive compensation issues and exorbitant expenses at AIG. The meeting in the Attorney General’s New York City Offices occurred one day after Attorney General Cuomo informed AIG that it must recover improper bonuses and other payments and perks from its former executives or Cuomo would do so pursuant to New York law. During the meeting, Mr. Liddy agreed to take several significant actions with respect to expenditures at AIG. First, AIG has agreed to provide the New York Attorney General’s Office with an accounting of all compensation paid to its senior executives and has agreed to assist the Attorney General’s Office in recovering any illegal expenditures. This includes all forms of compensation paid to former CEO Martin Sull...

WASHINGTON - Armor Holdings Products LLC has agreed to pay the United States $30 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly manufacturing and selling defective Zylon bullet-proof vests, the Justice Department announced today. The United States alleged that Armor Holdings manufactured and sold Zylon bullet-proof vests despite possessing information showing that the Zylon materials degraded quickly over time and were not suitable for ballistic use. The Armor Holdings vests were purchased by the federal government, and by various state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies that were partially reimbursed by the United States under the Justice Department’s Bulletproof Vest Partnership program. Armor Holdings’ Zylon vests contained either woven Zylon or a Zylon laminate insert called Z Shield. The Zylon fiber used in both types of vests was manufactured by Toyobo Co. Ltd. In July 2007, the United States sued Toyobo for its manufacture and sale of Z...

By: Joel Irving Join me this Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m., as I talk with Christine M. Parizo. Ms. Parizo is a PACE Registered Paralegal through the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, the author of “ A Paralegal’s Blog ” and is employed by a small firm in Western Massachusetts as a litigation paralegal. Ms. Parizo and I will be discussing mandatory licensing of paralegals along with some other issues pertaining to the paralegal profession. The link to the show is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Joel-Irving and the call in number is: (347) 677-0863.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and The Legal Aid Society Attorney-in-Chief Steven Banks today announced an agreement dismissing the McCain, Lamboy, Slade, and Cosentino collection of lawsuits, which together have governed the homeless services system for families with children in New York City for 25 years. The agreement, signed by the parties today, ends litigation and court oversight of the City's family shelter services system. Nearly three years ago, a court-appointed Special Master Panel evaluated the homeless services system and unanimously recommended the end to litigation. The Mayor and Attorney-in-Chief Banks were joined in the Blue Room at City Hall by Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo, Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner Robert V. Hess, and State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Commissioner David A. Hansell. "Today marks the beginning of a new era - an era in which the...

By: Joel Irving Sophia Stewart, the creative force behind the movies The Terminator and The Matrix filed a $150 million dollar malpractice lawsuit (CASE #: 2:07-cv-00552-DAK) against her former attorneys: Michael T. Stoller, Jonathan Lubell, Gary S. Brown, and Dean Webb in U.S. District Court, District of Utah (Central) on 07/30/2007. The four attorneys represented her in a 2003 lawsuit against Andy Wachowski, Gale Ann Hurd, Hemdale Films, James Cameron, Joel Silver, Larry Wachowski, 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers. The 2003 lawsuit alleged (among other things) copyright infringement pertaining to her written work that The Terminator and The Matrix movies are based on. Although, Ms. Stewart had a preponderance of evidence to support her claims, her case was dismissed under summary judgment. Sophia Stewart on Wiki. Sophia Stewart's Official Site. Sophia Stewart on Joel Irving Show.

(BLS) - Earnings of paralegals and legal assistants vary greatly. Salaries depend on education, training, experience, the type and size of employer, and the geographic location of the job. In general, paralegals who work for large law firms or in large metropolitan areas earn more than those who work for smaller firms or in less populated regions. In May 2006, full-time wage-and-salary paralegals and legal assistants had median annual earnings, including bonuses, of $43,040. The middle 50 percent earned between $33,920 and $54,690. The top 10 percent earned more than $67,540, and the bottom 10 percent earned less than $27,450. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of paralegals were: Federal Government $56,080 Management of companies and enterprises 52,220 Local government 42,170 Legal services 41,460 State government 38,020 In addition to earning a salary, many paralegals receive bonuses, in part, to compensate them for sometimes having to work l...

Standing before a historic New York Central steam locomotive, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today joined City Council Member Gale Brewer, Riverside Park Fund President James Dowell, Extell Development Corporation President Gary Barnett, and local children to drive the last spike into the ground to open the fourth and final waterfront phase of Riverside Park South. The 3.5-acre park is one of the last remaining links in a continuous Hudson River Greenway and was once the site of the New York Central Railroad’s 60th Street yard. “Today’s historic ribbon cutting connects Riverside Park with Hudson River Park in the same way the railroads connected the nations’ two coasts and creates a continuous greenway from Battery Park to 83rd Street,” said Commissioner Benepe. “In addition to new walkways and landscaping, the park’s grandest feature is a 60-year old, 95-ton, retired locomotive. This unique artifact is a reminder of the site’s industrial past as a rail yard, and as ...

NEW YORK - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the New York Mets announced that the sale of Shea Stadium seats will begin Monday, August 25 at 9:00 AM exclusively online at mets.com/shea. Fans and collectors worldwide will be able to purchase orange, blue, green, and red seats for $869 per pair. The limited inventory of seats will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Each seat pair will be authenticated by major league baseball’s authentication program and affixed with a tamper-proof hologram displaying a unique identification number.Mets season ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase their particular seats before the August 25 general public sale. The sale of other Shea memorabilia on mets.com/shea will expand to include seat backs and 45-inch sections of bench seating from Shea’s left field picnic area. Details regarding the sale of additional memorabilia will be announced later this season. “Citi Field will serve as a fantastic new home for the Mets for decades to co...

Washington, D.C. - The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO) will begin a two-year pilot Law School Clinical Certification Program this Fall semester allowing law students to practice intellectual property law before the agency under the strict guidance of a law school clinical faculty supervisor. Six law schools have been selected to participate in the pilot, including American University, Washington College of Law; University of Connecticut School of Law; The John Marshall Law School; University of Maine School of Law; Vanderbilt Law School; and William Mitchell College of Law. "Congratulations to each of the selected schools," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Jon Dudas. "We look forward to providing a real-world experience for the students so they will be well prepared to tackle the complexities of intellectual property law that are so important in today’s economy." See, USPT...