Directory of legal organizations, institutes, and bar associations. Associations for lawyers and others in the legal profession.
Purchasing Resources for Legal Organizations
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Do-it-Yourself Legal Help
Lawyers are vital, but expensive. Self-help options abound for everyday legal matters.By Daniel Kehrer, Founder & CEO BizBest Media Corp. Legal issues often present a dilemma for cost-conscious small businesses, and especially startups. You want the best information and advice to understand your options and make the right choices. But paying legal professionals for every little thing gets expensive. The range of legal issues facing entrepreneurs is immense. They include:
- Naming a business
- Obtaining licenses and permits
- Complying with tax laws
- Understanding wage and benefit laws
- Workplace safety
- Environmental compliance and dozens more
Get more free business tips at BizBest.
Get expert legal guidance online
A great free site is FindLaw for Small Business from Thomson Corporation. FindLaw offers plain-English legal info in six main areas: 1) Starting a business, 2) Incorporation and legal structures, 3) Employment and HR, 4) Intellectual property, 5) Finances and taxes, 6) Forms and contracts. In each section you'll find a breakdown of topics with helpful advice and legal FAQs.
Try: FindLaw for Small Business offers a wide range of help. In the FindLaw employment section you can quickly learn the legal requirements on family medical leave, jury duty, paternity leave and other matters. Forms and contracts is packed with real-life examples and templates that you can download free and adapt to your own business, including debt collection letters, employment forms and incorporation documents. FindLaw can also help you find a suitable lawyer by state and type of practice.
Legal help from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
The NFIB Legal Foundation offers excellent legal help tools for small business, available free online.
Try: Helpful tools available at NFIBlegal.com include the Small Business Guide to Document Retention, Model Employee Handbook for Small Business, Small Business Guide to Handling OSHA Inspections and others.
Free legal advice and information from the SBA
The U.S. Small Business Administration Web site has helpful advice on business law, tax and many other legal topics. Business.gov - the official business link to the U.S. government - also helps small business owners identify and solve legal and regulatory questions.
Try: The SBA Web site on business law has helpful advice on dozens of legal topics. Also visit sba.gov and look in "Starting Your Business," "Financing Your Business" and "Managing Your Business."
Legal help for state, local and federal laws and regulations
Business.gov was designed by the federal government to be the "ultimate" portal for business to legal and regulatory issues stemming from government agencies. For a site run by the government, it is surprisingly well done.
Try: Business.gov covers all federal agencies and has handy sections for tapping info in your region or industry. Click Region and then your state for information on state and local tax and legal requirements such as sales taxes, permits and licenses.
Go to the legal self-help leader
Nolo is the leading publisher of do-it-yourself legal solutions for small business.
Try: Nolo's specialized legal books for small business have proven extremely popular and cover just about any topic you might need, from incorporation, to taxes to small claims court. Look in Business & Human Resources for a list of titles as well as business forms and featured articles on legal topics. There's a helpful glossary of terms under Tools & Resources.
Enlist free help for your business from a legal advocate
The National Ombudsman is available to help small business owners when they experience excessive enforcement actions, such as repetitive audits or investigations, excessive fines, penalties, threats, retaliation or other unfair enforcement action by a federal agency.
Try: Visit the National Ombudsman Web site for details.
- Not enough small businesses are aware of the SBA's National Ombudsman program. If you have a problem with excessive federal enforcement, get in touch and they'll help troubleshoot on your behalf.
- The self-help forms section at Findlaw.com also includes real-life examples of contracts that make interesting reading.
- Order Nolo legal self-help books at a discount from Amazon.com. Many of the books come with CDs that include helpful legal documents and templates that can save you money.
Accredited Law Degree Programs 100% Online. BA degree required to Apply
Download our Library of Legal Forms Templates. Just Edit & Print Today!
Chat With a Lawyer Online Now! A Question is Answered Every 9 Sec.
A national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations.
Mission is to to enable a person able to use a PC to do much of the legwork and save on attorney hours so as to be able to afford a reasonable defense and not lose by default for lack of funds.
Asia Pacific Legal Institute (APLI)
Organization dedicated to the cooperation, education and exchange of legal professionals between the US and Asia.
Association of Federal Defense Attorneys (AFDA)
AFDA is the only association devoted exclusively to the interests of federal criminal defense attorneys. The organization has been formed with a commitment to provide attorneys with the educational resources and support to effectively represent defendants
Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)
It is the world's largest trial bar, ATLA promotes justice and fairness for injured persons, safeguards victims' rights--particularly the right to trial by jury--and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information crit
Christian Law Association (CLA)
Legal defense and assistance for churches and Christians regarding religious issues.
Defense Research Institute (DRI)
Professional association of defense attorneys, lawyers, litigators, insurance defense attorneys and in-house counsel.
Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA)
A nonprofit educational association whose mission is to inform all Americans about their rights, powers and responsibilties when serving as trial jurors.
Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA)
National association representing the interest of over 25,000 Hispanic American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
Organization existing to defend and protect the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children.
Group dedicated to aviation safety, the just administration of the law and continuing legal education.
National Association for Public Interest Law (NAPIL)
An association that shapes, promotes, trains and develops future generations of lawyers to provide legal assistance for low-income and other undeserved people and communities.
National Association of Attorneys General
Promoting cooperation, coordination, and communication among the states' chief legal officers.
National Association of Criminal Lawyers (NACDL)
Group advances the mission of the nation's criminal defense lawyers to ensure justice and due process for people accused of crime.
http://www.criminaljustice.org/
National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ)
The organization's mission is to provide strong, committed judicial leadership to improve the administration of justice and to ensure fairness, gender equality and diversity in American courts.
National District Attorneys Association
The Association was formed in 1950 as the "National Association of County and Prosecuting Attorneys" in response to the growth of crime and the increasing demand for community protection.
A new, dynamic, full-service organization of attorneys from every state in the Union committed to the principles enunciated by our Nation's forefathers.
National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC)
The NOBC is a non-profit organization whose members enforce ethical rules which regulate the professional conduct of lawyers.
NSBA Council of School Attorneys
Provider of leadership in legal advocacy on behalf of America's public schools and offers continuing legal education and specialized publications.
Links to programs, course handbooks, customized training services and more.
Professional Mediation Association
Group advocates, facilitates, encourages and provides coordination for the development of programs incorporating mediation as the preferred means of dispute resolution.
Large technology law network with links to conferences, news, jobs and information technology resource centers.
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ)
A national public interest law firm that marshals the skills and resources of trial lawyers to create a more just society.
Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Legal Organizations
Before you have even finished your law school education, chances are you will likely already belong to at least one or two legal organizations. Becoming a member of law associations and organizations can be a great way to enhance your resume while also gaining valuable opportunities to learn more about the legal field.
You already know about the American Bar Association (ABA); after all, this is the organization that provides law school accreditation. However, this is also the largest professional legal association. Membership in this organization can provide you with a great number of benefits, including job opportunities, discounts on professional services, networking events, ... more
Before you have even finished your law school education, chances are you will likely already belong to at least one or two legal organizations. Becoming a member of law associations and organizations can be a great way to enhance your resume while also gaining valuable opportunities to learn more about the legal field.
You already know about the American Bar Association (ABA); after all, this is the organization that provides law school accreditation. However, this is also the largest professional legal association. Membership in this organization can provide you with a great number of benefits, including job opportunities, discounts on professional services, networking events, and more.
Consider joining legal associations that are geared toward your specific practice area. For example, if you practice corporate law, you could join the Association of Corporate Council. You may also be eligible to join an organization for ethnic minorities, such as the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association or the National Conference of Black Lawyers. Legal associations for practice areas or for minorities tend to be smaller and, therefore, can often provide more advantages to their members.
Because legal organizations require membership dues and a time commitment, carefully research associations before deciding to become a member. It is better to be an active member of just a few associations rather than simply a dues-paying member of a dozen groups.
For more information regarding law associations, head to Business.com. The links on the left can help you find the right law organizations for you to join.
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