Starting a business?

Who hasn’t thought of someday being your own boss, relying on your own efforts - or the work of employees - to reach economic and career success?

A new FindLaw.com survey reveals that says most Americans – 61% – say they have at least considered starting their own business, or have actually done so at least once in their life.

The survey also found:

• 30% of Americans say they have started at least one small business

• An additional 31% of Americans have thought about starting their own business at some point in their lives

• 39% of Americans say they have never started, or even considered starting, their own business

Small businesses are defined as 500 or fewer employees.

They employ about half of all U.S. workers and have generated more than half of net new jobs annually over the last decade, according to the Small Business Administration.

There are an estimated 20 million businesses in the U.S. that consist of only the owner with no additional employees.

The FindLaw Small Business Center  can provide helpful information on starting and managing a small business. It includes resources for business laws and regulations, finance, taxes, business forms and contracts, and a directory for finding attorneys who specialize in small business.

Posted by Kevin Hunt, senior communications specialist, Thomson Reuters

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FindLaw’s version of “24″

The character of Jack Bauer on Fox’s “24″ has nothing on a team of 10 FindLaw employees.

At least in terms of the know-how and expertise for Web site design and deployment.

The group representing FindLaw was one of 12 teams that was selected to participate in Sierra Bravo’s Overnight Website Challenge, Feb. 28-March 1, in St. Paul.

The teams were assigned to overhaul the Web sites of 12 non-profit organizations, who had been chosen by Sierra Bravo. FindLaw was paired with Global Citizens Network (GCN).

We chronicled the FindLaw effort over the course of the 24-hour competition in this Westcast video podcast (on YouTube or Vimeo):

By the way, here’s GCN’s old site:

And, here’s a mockup of their new home page designed by FindLaw:

Collin Gravalin was team leader for the FindLaw group.

“FindLaw is so big on promoting giving back to the community,” Gravalin told us at the end of the challenge. “They even let you take a paid volunteer day and this is one of those things that we all wanted to do. We all wanted to be here and I think the end result, the end product, is something to be proud of.”

“GCN is very lucky to be working with this amazing team. They’re brilliant! Everything we asked for, they’re making it happen,” said Linda Stuart, executive director of GCN. “It’s like a dream come true.”

“Our team tackled many challenges that we’ve never seen before or rarely see in our daily work at FindLaw,” said Gravalin. “When everything is done, Global Citizens Network will have a main Web site with more than 80 custom written and optimized pages. They’ll also have a separate blog and a separate client forum. GCN is essentially getting three Web sites.”

In addition to Gravalin, the members of the FindLaw team included Matt Biersdorf, Clay Chelmo, Derrick Gall, Nathan Hein, Patrick Noonan, Jessica Skrebes, Ryan Tvenge, Susan Staupe and Nate Weber.

Besides our video podcast about the FindLaw team, Sierra Bravo also posted some great videos from throughout the day and night on their Inside the Nerdery blog, including this one.

You also can read the news release from Sierra Bravo for a recap of the event.

Posted by Kevin Hunt, senior communications specialist, Thomson Reuters

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2009 Tax Center

Tax time will be here before you know it, so to help consumers and small businesses FindLaw.com has launched its 2009 Tax Center.

The site features a host of resources for filing 2009 (tax year 2008) income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and with state tax agencies. The information includes:

• Expert content from FindLaw.com legal editors and answers to common tax questions, including topics such as audits and tax extensions.

• Links to additional credible resources, such as government and non-profit assistance, for those who need help filling out their taxes or who can’t afford a tax professional.

• Information about taxpayer laws and penalties, including 2009 changes to the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulations, deduction changes and key dates for 2009.

• Helpful tax information for small businesses.

• Federal income tax and IRS resources, including a step-by-step guide to filing your federal taxes; Federal income tax laws and regulations; Income tax laws: state-by-state, and daily tax tips for 2009 from the IRS.

• State-by-state tax information.

A news release from FindLaw has more information.

Posted by Angelique Schaffer, senior communications specialist, Thomson Reuters  

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What issues will dominate consumer law in 2009?

We recently highlighted the top 10 legal issues for consumers in 2008.

Now FindLaw.com has 10 predictions for what consumers will be searching for information about in 2009.

The predictions were compiled by FindLaw in-house legal experts based on historical and 2008 top search terms entered on FindLaw.com.  

Here’s the list:

• Urban Living

• Employment & Employee Rights

• Debt & Collection

• Green Law

• The Internet, Social Media and Personal Identity

• Military Rights

• Driving and Gadgets

• Child Custody, Support and Alimony

• Marriage and Domestic Partnership

• Small Business

Click here for more information about FindLaw’s predictions for the top legal issues for consumers in 2009.  To address these predictions, FindLaw.com plans to provide specialized audiences resources on the site.

Posted by Kevin Hunt, senior communications specialist, Thomson Reuters 

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Top 10 legal issues of 2008

As the year comes to a close, FindLaw has revealed its list of the top legal issues on the minds of consumers in 2008.

The list was compiled from FindLaw.com’s most visited legal topics, the top consumer legal questions on FindLaw Answers and the most searched lawyers on FindLaw.com.

Here’s the list:

• Home Foreclosure & Renter’s Rights

• Politics & Obama

• Voters Rights

• Digital Distractions

• Dog Laws

• Highly Regulated Products

• Grandparents’ Rights

• Creating a Will

• Who keeps the Ring?

• Teen Rights

Click here for more information about FindLaw’s top 10 list, including consumer and legal commentary.

Posted by Kevin Hunt, senior communications specialist, Thomson Reuters 

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FindLaw launches Financial Crisis page

At a time when consumer bankruptcy filings are on the rise and home values continue to fall, FindLaw has launched “Financial Crisis: From Wall Street to Main Street,” a special page on FindLaw.com to offer legal information, news and expert commentary from FindLaw legal specialists on today’s credit crunch and foreclosures.

The site includes information on the law of home ownership, bankruptcy law, strategies for rebuilding credit and home equity do’s and don’ts.

Posted by Kevin Hunt, senior communications specialist, Thomson Reuters

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On the job race, age and gender discrimination

A new survey from FindLaw.com found that one out of four American workers has encountered employment discrimination. The most frequently cited forms of discrimination involved race, age and gender.

The survey asked 1,000 American adults if they believe they have ever experienced discrimination by an employer in job interviews, hiring, pay or promotions. And, 27 percent said they have.

Here are some more of the survey’s findings:

• 42% of African Americans have experienced racial discrimination in the workplace.
• One out of ten women (10%) claim they have experienced gender discrimination in the workplace.
• One out of seven people age 45 and older (15%) claim they have experienced age discrimination in the workplace.
• One out of eight people age 18 to 24 (13%) say they have also experienced age discrimination.
• While racial discrimination was highest in the South, age, gender and religious discrimination were most likely to occur in the Midwest.

Of those who said they have experienced discrimination in the workplace, the most commonly cited types of discrimination were:

• Race 39%
• Age 34%
• Gender 30%
• Religion 7%
• Sexual orientation 7%
• Other 26%

Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney and editor at FindLaw.com says it’s important to note that “not all discrimination is prohibited by law. Only discrimination based upon a classification that is considered ‘protected’- race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or union activity under the federal anti-discrimination laws – is illegal. For example, paying an employee lower wages than other employees because of differing work duties, experience or even attitude is not discriminatory.”

Rahlfs also notes that policies and actions that do not appear discriminatory on their face may nonetheless be prohibited under the law if those practices have the effect of discriminating against people in a protected class.

For example, refusing to hire any applicant who has a child under the age of five is not discriminatory on its face, but may still be considered prohibited discrimination since that kind of policy would have the effect of discriminating against women.

Go to FindLaw.com’s Employee Rights Center for more resources.

Posted by Kevin Hunt, senior communications specialist, Thomson Reuters

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FindLaw offers Elections 2008

With 19 days to go until election day in the United States, Findlaw is offering some up-to-date election analysis, news and commentary – all in one place.

FindLaw Special Edition: Elections 2008 is an election portal with resources that provide authoritative election information, specifically as it pertains to the legal world, including:

• Election commentary from FindLaw legal specialists, including legal, political writer, and former counsel to the president John Dean; Cornell Law Professor Michael Dorf; and chairman of the Cato Institute and co-author of The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom Robert A. Levy.
• Featured late-breaking Reuters politics videos.
• Extensive voting rights and voter information section, including:

-Introduction to Federal Voting Rights Laws
-Voting and Civil Rights: History and Law
-FAQ: Voting Rights and Discrimination
-State-by-State Voter Registration Information

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FindLaw and Hubbard One win WebAwards

Among other things, developing Web Sites for law firms takes interesting design, innovation and good content. Web sites developed by FindLaw and Hubbard One both represented Thomson Reuters in the 2008 WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association.

Hubbard One was among a small handful of firms winning a dozen or more awards, including nearly one-third of the legal category awards. Additionally, Exponent, an engineering and scientific consulting firm and Hubbard One client, received the “Best Consulting Website” award (News release).

 

FindLaw received an “Outstanding Web site” WebAward in the legal category for developing Brent Coon & Associates  law firm Web site. FindLaw also received four other WebAwards (News release).

Now in its 12th year, the WebAwards are the premier annual Web site award competition that name the best sites in 96 industries while setting the standard of excellence for all Web site development.

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FindLaw drunk driving survey

As Labor Day approaches, FindLaw.com has released a survey that indicates many Americans on the roads this weekend admit they may be driving while under the influence of alcohol.

One in 12 American adults admit they may have driven while drunk within the last year.

7 percent of American adults say they have driven within the last 12 months even though they thought they may have been over the legal blood alcohol limit for drinking and driving in their state.

Driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) laws vary by state. All 50 states currently define drunk driving as having blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, but a driver can still be arrested and convicted for a DUI if they have a BAC below 0.08% when there is other evidence of impaired driving.

A news release offers more details on the FindLaw survey.

Free information on DUI and other traffic laws, including a video explaining DUI laws, can be found at the FindLaw.com DUI/DWI Center.

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Texting and driving

Nearly half of the drivers between ages 18 and 24 say they have sent a text message, instant message or e-mail while driving, according to a new survey by FindLaw.com.

The survey found:

• 47% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24, and more than a quarter (27%) of drivers 25 to 34, admit to texting while behind the wheel
• 17% of all adults surveyed say they have texted while driving

Read the news release for more information.

Four states – Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington – recently enacted laws that ban sending text messages while driving. Thirteen other states are reportedly considering similar legislation.

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Where there’s a will…

While the benefits and advantages of having a will and taking steps to protect your estate are well-documented, many Americans are apparently missing the message.

FindLaw just got back the results of a survey it put into the field and found that 58% of American adults have not written a will. However, more than half of people age 50 and older said they do have a will.

Seems we start thinking about that as we get older. Only about 25% or people ages 25-34 have a will, according to the survey.

We did a Westcast podcast about wills and estate planning that provides some general information for consumers but also for attorneys involved in helping people make tough decisions about their estate.

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FindLaw posts Heller case

It was the most anticipated United States Supreme Court ruling of the 2007-2008 term remaining to be announced and today the decision came in.

You can read the documents in the Court’s ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller on FindLaw. There’s also coverage and links to analysis on FindLaw’s Common Law blog.

The court ruled 5-4 that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a gun for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense in a home, striking down a D.C. ban on handgun possession.

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FindLaw posts Guantanamo Bay case

You can read the documents in the United States Supreme Court’s ruling today in Boumediene v. Bush on FindLaw.

The court ruled 5-4 that detainees being held by the Pentagon at Guantanamo Bay can file suit in federal courts to challenge their detentions.

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Law firm Web sites adding video

The appetite for online video continue to increase. An estimated 74% of Internet users in the United States are watching videos online every day (comScore/May 2008).

While the vast majority of that traffic - 38% - is on YouTube/Google, there’s no doubt that the improvements in how video can be delivered on the Web also has increased viewership of video on media, business and personal Web sites.

FindLaw.com now produces video for law firms, which is then housed on the Web sites for those firms to help them promote their expertise to customers growing more accustomed to watching and responding to video on the Web.

Here’s a link to a video and some Web sites that highlight some examples of Findlaw’s video services for law firms.

FindLaw research shows that when choosing a lawyer online, consumers visit an average of 4.8 Web sites before making a decision. That drops to 1.8 sites when the site contains a video.

Here’s a closer look at how FindLaw produces its videos. And, more information on its video services.

A news release about FindLaw’s video capabilities has more information.

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