The 'Best Of' Women in Law Programs
Women in Law initiatives and programs are not a new phenomenon. Many firms nationwide have programs that afford their women attorneys business development, mentoring and career counseling. In writing this article, we spoke to 10 different firms to learn the how's and why's of their women's initiatives. In Part 1 of this article we have profiled the first five firms.
Offshore Outsourcing: Trends and Issues
It's no longer sneaking up on anyone that outsourcing is not only here to stay, but on the rise. A key part in outsourcing ' whether it's help desk or other IT functions or more involved business operations ' is the transfer and/or licensing of intellectual property and technology. Part One looked at where outsourcing is headed and why, the different business models outsourcing companies use, and how to keep quality control over the outsourced functions. In Part Two, the author details how to protect outsourced intellectual property, along with security, jurisdiction and tax implications.
Open Source Goes Mainstream: How to Manage the Risk
In recent years, numerous articles have been published in legal journals warning of the inherent risks of using open source code in the development of software ' the fear of pirated code, the possible threat of infringement claims, the "viral" effect of the redistribution provisions of the open source license on proprietary code, just to mention a few. Arguments that such risks are merely academic were trounced when SCO Group launched an infringement claim against IBM and its customers. <br>Notwithstanding the dire warnings from lawyers and risk managers alike, companies continue to use open source code for their internal use, and to develop products to be sold or licensed to customers.
Specialized Health Care Courts
America is in a health care crisis -- a "perfect storm" of needless errors, unaffordable cost increases, declining access, inadequate accountability, and fearful and frustrated professionals. Some of the problems are unavoidable. No one can change, for instance, the fact that the baby boom population needs more health care as it ages. But our legal system is part of the problem, too: It imposes needless costs, deters safety improvements, and fosters widespread distrust among medical professionals. Changing the way medical malpractice lawsuits are decided would go a long way to improving health care for patients and providers alike.
Verdicts
Recent rulings you need to know.
HIPAA 2004: A Review of Significant Litigated Cases
<b><i>Part One of a Three-Part Article</i></b>. Since its enactment, with perhaps only three significant exceptions, the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Pub. L. No. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1936 (1996) (HIPAA) have not been litigated. In the majority of cases where HIPAA has been the subject of litigation -- less than 50 -- litigants have raised HIPAA provisions as an issue, but only tangentially as part of a "throw away" argument, or in a meaningful manner but where the answer was immediately clear from the case's inception. Three federal cases, however, merit analysis, since they go to the heart of HIPAA, the government's broad attempt to safeguard medical records in the electronic age.
Medical Information: Making It Simple
Communicating complicated medical information precisely and simply can make or break a legal case, but imparting this information in a compelling way is no easy task. Descriptions of complex medical procedures and conditions can be difficult for the average person to understand, let alone remember. Advances over the last decade in computer processing of medical images and rapid manufacturing techniques can provide the basis for an important development in medical-legal communication.
