Beware: fake lawyers and attorneys are everywhere. People read about it on papers, watch it on late-night news, but still many fall into the trap set by these crooks. Well, it is interesting to note that these fakes are as good as they can get. Most of the time, they possess the power of the gab and exhibit linguistic knowledge in lawyer lingo and stuff but these don’t mean they’re authentic. These wannabes often win the trust of clients because they claim to be an alumni of such and such prestigious law universities. They also brag about their supposed excellent track record in winning the cases of their clients.

Sometimes, they may also charge slightly cheaper legal fees to attract clients. Now, clients who are gullible enough would instantly entrust them their life and death cases with high hopes of winning. For ordinary folks, fake lawyers and attorneys can be extremely hard to tell, or sometimes, clients notice the signs only too late — when the client gets to spend the rest of his waking hours in jail (even if he’s innocent) and waste a fortune paying a bogus lawyers.

Well, I don’t know anyone who is willing to be tricked by these boguses so I guess everyone wants to stay away from fake lawyers and attorneys at all cost. I read about this fake female lawyer in Prattville who was actually just a mere sophomore student in a law school. She passed herself as a practicing lawyer and represented her sister in court. I don’t know if she was just desperate to save her sister from criminal offenses for substance abuse or she wanted her sister to save money for legal fees. This bogus lawyer, Melissa Kent, was on a bad luck because the judge officiating the case turned out to be the very same judge who sentenced her guilty of dope charges a few years ago. Also, the lawyers from the other side of the fence noticed Kent’s somewhat unprofessional demeanor. For sure, a lawyer sporting nail polish in wild color is one thing to arouse suspicion. But then, lawyers initially dismissed the notion thinking Kent is a practicing lawyer in other state. When confronted, Kent immediately confessed she was, indeed, a fake.

Fake lawyer Kent’s offense only costed her a three-day jail term and a whopping $1,000 bond, maybe because she didn’t attempt to further salvage her case by insisting she’s a real lawyer. She was at least honest enough to admit her misdemeanor up front. However, the judge, lawyers and attorneys conducting the case were naturally appalled for the time dealing with a bogus lawyer. It was a good thing her client was a family member (but investigations showed her sister is oblivious with Kent’s stunts). However, people should remember that based on this case, when it comes to legal services, it is best to research or ask friends for references. While there are several lawyers and attorneys who very well know how to defend a client for the win, there are also fakes who are just out to leave clients with regret and displeasure.

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The 2004 bar exam results throughout the United States were less than inspiring. Only 64% of bar takers actually passed. The exam is offered twice each year in July and February, and just last month, while many Americans enjoyed summer vacations, 77,000 law school graduates sat for the July 2006 bar exam. Among the 77,000, over 3,000 graduates sat for the Illinois bar exam with hopes of becoming Illinois lawyers.

Illinois is home to seven law schools, which is more than most states, and according to the results of the 2004 bar exam, only 76% of Illinois bar takers will be licensed Illinois attorneys after graduation. Although 76% is less grim than the national average, it is gut wrenching from the perspective of those who have spent three years of their lives in law school.

Fueled by enough caffeine to keep a lot of coffee shops in business, many law students sacrifice long evenings hard at work pouring over hundreds of pages of cases. The students who complete three years of this regime usually acquire law degrees and debt loads that go well into the six digits, but those law degrees do not make law school grads Illinois lawyers until they pass the 2-day long Illinois bar exam.

The Illinois bar exam covers just about everything that is taught throughout 3 years of law school, from Criminal Procedure to Trusts and Future Interests, every subject covered in law school is fair game for the exam. Although most Illinois attorneys never come across bar exam topics like Future Interests in the practice of law, they remain haunted by the topics and able to regurgitate their definitions tens of years later. Thus, many topics that are not even useful in the modern day practice of Illinois law prevent a lot of law school grads from becoming lawyers.

Many talented law school grads, including Hillary Clinton and John F. Kennedy Jr., have failed their state bar exams. One recent bar taker, Kathleen Sullivan, a Harvard law professor and Stanford law dean, showed the world how difficult it is to pass the dreaded exam when she failed the California bar. The California bar is known as one of the toughest in the country with a 50% pass rate.

What happens to the 24% of law school grads who fail the bar exam? Some of them take it again, and again and again… There is a limit of 6 attempts that law school graduates can make to pass the Illinois bar, however, the passage rate is substantially lower for serial bar takers. Some law school grads attempt to take the bar exam in neighboring states like Indiana and Iowa. Finally, some law school grads find legal careers that do not require law licenses such as writing for legal newspapers.

And what happens to those top 76% of bar takers who pass the bar? The ABA reports that there are currently 1,116,967 licensed lawyers throughout the United States and 961,000 of them were employed as lawyers in 2005. After passing the bar, young Illinois lawyers must compete with about 47,000 other licensed attorneys throughout the state.

Again, the 2004 bar exam results were less than inspiring for those who are interested in becoming Illinois lawyers. Nevertheless, whether you want to call them persistent or just downright naive, this generation of students continues to apply to law school. If there is a bright side to the outlook for Illinois and its future non-licensed law degree holders, it’s that throughout human history, it is hard to think of a society that has ever suffered for being over-educated. As more law students compete for positions as lawyers, Illinois will have better lawyers and a more educated populace.

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In today’s society, for many people, establishment of a cohabitation agreement is of prime importance. Not having such an agreement in place between life partners can have a significant and lasting negative impact on both members of the relationship. The financial health of the relationship as well as other matters hangs on considering the questions brought up by such an agreement.Having said all that, what the heck IS a cohabitation agreement?As the name implies, to state the matter simply, a cohabitation agreement is a written agreement or contract entered into by life partners before living together in a permanent relationship. During the relationship, a range of financial and property issues may arise which can be addressed in advance by the cohabitation agreement. In the unfortunate event the relationship should end in an untimely manner, the agreement will be able to provide for the protection of both parties, leaving no need for unpleasantness or ill-will. Addressing such issues before a need to address arises is a good way to relieve stress on what may already be a stressful relationship, thus allowing both parties to get on with building and enjoying the relationship.Recent news stories have tended […]

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