• JOHNSON LAW GROUP | Washington Wills, Estates and Trusts, Civil and General Litigation and Commercial and Business Transactions
    Statue of LibertyEarlier this year, Donald J. Trump signed the Antiquities Executive Order, which directs the Department of the Interior to review and propose changes to current national monument designations. Most legal scholars agree that the President does not have the power to alter or revoke national monuments and that allowing him to do so would set a dangerous precedent. However, a vocal minority think otherwise, arguing that the law is on their side, and they are outnumbered only because scholars tend to be liberals. Could some of America’s most beautiful monuments and natural wonders be in danger? Read more here… http://nmpoliticalreport.com/360492/legal-scholars-dispute-whether-monuments-are-permanent/

    The Right to Die with Dignity

    George F. Will, in the Washington Post, writes a thoughtful piece about some of the ethical and legal aspects of a person’s right to end his or her life highlighting, of course, Brittany Maynard’s choice last year to move to Oregon to be relieved of the suffering caused by terminal brain cancer. The article includes a particularly insightful quote by one advocate of giving people more freedom to manage death: “I am doing everything I can to extend my life. Nobody should have the right to prolong my death.” The full article can be found at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/distinctions-in-end-of-life-decisions/2015/08/28/b34b8f6a-4ce7-11e5-902f-39e9219e574b_story.html

    Are Uber Drivers Employees or Contractors?

    Johnson Law Group business clients often ask us about the advantages anddisadvantages of hiring employees versus hiring contractors, and what each approach entails. This can be a complicated decision to make. Recently, California decided that Uber drivers are employees, not contractors. If upheld, this decision could have major consequences for the Uber business model. Read more by clicking on the following link:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/06/17/uber-driver-is-an-employee-not-a-contractor-california-regulators-say/?hpid=z15

    Is There a Right to Die?

    Three states have laws on the books that provide a right to die, including Vermont, Washington and Oregon, with a recent case making the news in Vermont. See http://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2015/02/10/johnson-woman-believed-to-be-first-vermonter-to-use-end-of-life-law?utm_source=Seven+Days+Email+Newsletters&utm_campaign=68fba810e0-Daily_7_Tuesday_0210152_10_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_24eb556688-68fba810e0-296169889.

    This is an issue that Johnson Law Group clients are increasingly concerned about as they undertake planning for life transitions. Nationally, the issue has taken on greater prominence after Brittany Maynard’s well-publicized decision last year to move to Oregon and end her life due to an inoperable brain tumor. Diane Rehm, the NPR host, also has focused on the issue, after having suffered through her husband’s difficult death from Parkinson’s Disease. Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/npr-host-diane-rehm-emerges-as-a-key-force-in-the-right-to-die-debate/2015/02/14/12b72230-ad50-11e4-9c91-e9d2f9fde644_story.html

    Robin Williams and Careful Estate Planning

    The importance of thoughtful estate planning can’t be over-emphasized. Even the estate Robin Williams, which likely benefited from the expenditure of considerable resources, is not immune to the pitfalls of failing to think through all estate contingencies. Read more by clicking on the link below.

     

     

    http://thetrustadvisor.com/news/robin-williams-widow-sues-estate-does-the-trust-trump-survivor-rights?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoku6rBZKXonjHpfsX56u4oW6%2B%2FlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DSsVkI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrDBMbhrzrgLXRk%3D

    Je Suis Charlie Hebdo and Law

    In the aftermath of the tragedy that unfolded in France, David Brooks has a recent interesting piece in The New York Times that makes the point that while law can protect fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, it is a somewhat rigid mechanism. Brooks argues that social mannerisms can be more flexible in managing the tension between tolerance for offensive speech and maintaining some level of social decency. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/opinion/david-brooks-i-am-not-charlie-hebdo.html?_r=1

    JLGI to Sponsor VBSR Event

    Johnson Law Group will be an event sponsor for the January Networking Get-Together of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. Our firm subscribes to VBSR’s mission to “foster a business ethic… that recognizes the opportunity and responsibility of the business community to set a high standard for protecting the natural, human, and economic environments of our citizens.” See more at http://vbsr.org/events/vbsr_networking_get_together_hosted_by_magic_hat/

    The First Amendment and Online Reader Commentary

    Ever wonder about the comments that follow online articles in the press? Here’s one opinion expressed in The Washington Post: Anne Applebaum writes… “If you are reading this article on the Internet, stop afterward and think about it. Then scroll to the bottom and read the commentary. If there isn’t any, try a Web site that allows comments, preferably one that is very political. Then recheck your views. Chances are your thinking will have changed, especially if you have read a series of insulting, negative or mocking remarks — as so often you will.”

    Read more at http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/anne-applebaum-another-reason-to-avoid-reading-the-comments/2014/11/28/b37a9f30-7722-11e4-a755-e32227229e7b_story.html

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