You’ve graduated from law school, passed the bar exam, and got the job you’ve always wanted. There is only one problem, you just realized you have no clue what you’re doing. No matter your class rank or how confident you seem – your work product will probably show your lack of experience, but that doesn’t…
How to Start Your Law Firm – Part 5 – Your Business Plan, Your Vision, Your Mantra
Like many lives, businesses, and cartoon pirate-ghost ships, some law firms listlessly float with no rudder, taking few risks, not reflecting on issues like why the firm exists (the assumption being that it exists simply to make money, silly!), and taking no risks. This is not the right approach. Just as your life needs a…
Step 4 – The Arraignment
Step four in our ten step series of a federal criminal case explains what a criminal arraignment is in a federal criminal matter and what happens during an arraignment. There are slight differences between the procedure for arraignment in North Carolina state court and in federal court. This article discusses federal arraignments. An arraignment is a…
Step 3: “Sorry About the Indictment”
An indictment follows the decision reached by the grand jury discussed in Step Two of this series. A formal indictment is simply another step in the procedure of the federal criminal justice process and does not bear any weight on whether you are guilty or innocent of a crime. The Indictment An Indictment is a…
Step Two: A Grand Jury Subpoena
A grand jury subpoena is often the second (or an early) step in the federal criminal justice process. A grand jury subpoena is a formal document that orders a named individual to appear before the Court at a certain time and date to give testimony (subpoena “ad testificandum”) and/or produce documents relevant to the investigation (subpoena…
Gamble v. United States: Yes, you can be prosecuted for the same crime twice.
On Monday, June 17, The United States Supreme court held that criminal defendants may be prosecuted for the same offenses in both federal and state court, reaffirming its long-held view of the dual-sovereignty doctrine. In Gamble v. United States, Petitioner Terance Gamble was convicted under an Alabama statute for possessing a firearm as a felon. U.S. No. 17-646…
Exploring a Federal Criminal Case Series: Step One
Federal Investigation Over the course of the next 10 weeks, this series will explain the steps of a Federal Criminal Case. We begin with step one: Federal Investigation. A federal investigation is the first step in the federal criminal justice process. Many people are unaware that they are being investigated until after they’ve already participated…
4 Tips to Successfully Transition to a New Firm
Joining a new firm is exciting. But it can also be challenging for a variety of reasons, like meeting new colleagues, assimilating into a new work environment, and understanding the responsibilities and commitments of your new role. In my first week, I’ve been fortunate to immediately experience the hard work it takes to be a…
Paralegal’s Perspective – Being a Paralegal in a Small Firm – ROCKS!
As most paralegals know, a huge part of your job is to be your attorney’s assistant or “right hand,” as some may call it. Basically, keeping them on track and nudging them when things need to get done. Our law firm, since it consists of only five people, is very close knit. We all provide…
How to Start Your Law Firm – Part 4 – Quality, Quality, Quality and Client First
“The beginning, middle, and end of what you should worry about when you’re running a law firm is quality of your work and putting clients first. Clients and doing it 100% right are what it is all about, and all it is about.” Will Terpening, Founder, Terpening Law PLLC Care About Your Quality of Work…