Investigate THIS !

Small Firm Business has a marketing article, How to Really Set Yourself Apart From the Competition, which is a bit thin in ideas, but one important message is underscored: as a provider of services you are selling an experience. The client lands, or perhaps stays, on your doorstep, not because you're the best in the field but because of the quality of your customer service. It's obvious but a good reminder.

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A recently enacted Missouri statute places explicit requirements on employers when requesting employee social security numbers.

Employers may avoid running afoul of the state statute by asking job hunters to send their applications — with Social Security numbers — by fax or postal service.

Read the article [free registration required; bypass with bobross@pbs.org/happy3]

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Stop in for a virtual visit to an autopsy and find out what you didn't learn in law school. Not safe for viewing before lunch. Or after.
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The notion of due diligence in locating a party with an interest in the matter being litigated is somewhat inspecific. InternetCases reports on the Indiana Appellate Opinion that identified a Google search as a component of a diligent search.

Bays does not necessarily establish the minimum that should be required for a showing of due diligence in locating a missing litigant. We do note that there is no evidence in this case of a public records or internet search for Groce or the use of a skip-trace service to find him. In fact, we discovered, upon entering "Joe Groce Indiana" into the Google™ search engine, an address for Groce that differed from either address used in this case, as well as an apparent obituary for Groce’s mother that listed numerous surviving relatives who might have known his whereabouts. Link to the opinion

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The ABA Journal reports on a possible case of an arm-twisting settlement in the Los Angeles County Archdiocese sex abuse cases.

In an appeal by the church’s insurers, the California Court of Appeal in Los Angeles vacated the settlement judge’s written orders. Noting that it hadn’t been informed of the settlement, the court said the judge had “exceeded his authority by making factual findings and otherwise preparing a coercive order in violation of the fundamental principles governing mediation proceedings.” Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. v. Superior Court, 126 Cal. App. 4th 1131 (Feb. 15).

The ADR folks argue for cooperation rather than coercion and make a case for incorporating this approach into the code regulating judicial ethics.
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The National Conference of State Legislatures recently revised their chart, STATE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE TORT LAWS, which lists relevant code citations related to:
Statutes of Limitation
Limits on Damage Awards
Pre-trial Screening and Arbitration
Joint and Several Liability
Expert Witnesses
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It seems that this is one of those words of caution and matter of law that we can't reiterate too frequently: institute a document destruction policy and implement it consistently.

A new federal rule that took effect Wednesday requires all businesses and individuals to destroy private consumer information obtained from credit bureaus and other information providers in determining whether to grant credit, hire employees or rent an apartment. Read an article

And from the geek corner. Companies are finding a niche in document destruction.
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