Government Lawyer - U.S. Attorney

The Government Lawyer clinic allows students to examine firsthand the roles and responsibilities of a federal prosecutor. Students are placed at the United States Attorney's Office in Boston. Work may include research, writing, witness preparation, working with evidence, and attending hearings. The U.S. Attorney's Office offers placements in the following criminal divisions: Appeals Unit: The Appeals Unit is responsible for reviewing and approving all appellate briefs before they are filed. Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit: The Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit handles anti-terrorism investigations, those involving breaches of national security. Computer Crimes Unit: Investigates and prosecutes computer related crimes, including hacking, identity theft and other forms of computer fraud. Economic Crimes Unit: The Economic Crimes Unit handles complex economic crimes expected to require grand jury or other investigative effort. Health Care Fraud Unit: The Health Care Fraud Unit investigates and prosecutes complex health care fraud committed by corporate and individual defendants. Major Crimes Unit: The Major Crimes Unit handles violent crime, property crimes, fraud, theft, civil rights violations, and other matters of primary federal interest. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force: Drug Unit cases range from "buy/bust" prosecution to sophisticated money laundering prosecution. Organized Crime Strike Force: The organized crime unit handles complex long term matters, utilizing extensive grand jury and electronic surveillance, often using statutes such as RICO. Public Corruption and Special Prosecution Unit: The Public Corruption Unit handles sensitive cases involving allegations of corruption against elected and appointed federal, state, and local officials. IMPORTANT INFORMATION All students must complete a lengthy security clearance process by the Department of Justice, which involves numerous forms and fingerprinting. This process takes at least eight weeks for final clearance, which is then valid for only six months. This clearance process is not just a formality, and in some instances clearance has been denied. CLINICAL AND COURSE INFORMATION Government Lawyer: United States Attorney Clinic Fall or Spring clinical Open to 2L, 3L students Pre- or co-requisite: Government Lawyer (offered in Fall 2012) Early add/drop deadline: June 18 for Fall 2012; Sep 4 for Spring 2013 CONTACT Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs 6 Everett Street, Suite 3085 (WCC) Harvard Law School Cambridge, MA 02138 clinical@law.harvard.edu

Brett Murphy Legal News

Two Chehalis women charged with providing alcohol to a minor who died in the road Two Chehalis, Washington women were charged on September 19 with numerous counts of providing alcohol to a minor and reckless endangerment, following a tragic incident where a teenager was hit and killed by a car as he lay intoxicated on a roadway in Lewis County back in May. More >>> Major road construction scheduled near Bellingham, Washington for September 2012 The Bellingham Herald reports that drivers should expect lane closures and delays on I-5 near south Bellingham. Beginning on Tuesday, September 18, road work will begin to repair the damaged roadway, so drivers will need to bring their patience with them for the foreseeable future in that area. Even though the project will utilize the left shoulder to make more room for traffic, drivers should expect significant delays and should consider finding alternative routes. More >>> Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Event in Seattle on October 13, 2012 Brett Murphy – Washington’s Injury Lawyers is sponsoring the Walk Like MADD event in Seattle on October 13, 2012. This is MADD’s signature event, and is a community-focused 5K walk that raises money for this exceptional non-profit organization while also raising awareness of drunk driving. To learn more about the issues related to drunk driving accidents, please see our Drunk Driving Accidents page. More >>> Multiple serious auto accidents on Highway 2 in Snohomish County This past week has been especially dangerous on Highway 2 in Snohomish County, where there were three serious car accidents including two fatalities on this heavily traveled and notoriously dangerous highway. More >>> Fatal DUI car accident near Bellingham, Washington The fatal crash on September 5 in Custer, Washington, just north of Bellingham, was in part caused by alcohol, according to the Whatcom County Medical Examiner. The 72 year old man who ran a stop sign, causing a collision with two other vehicles that resulted in his death, had been drinking, initial tests showed. Read about common issues related to DUI accidents at our drunk driving accident page

Drunk Driving Victims Attorney

Brett Murphy personal injury attorneys help people who have been injured by the negligence of others. Nobody is more negligent than a drunk driver. The personal injury lawyers at Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Lawyers represent victims of drunk driving who seek prompt, full, and just compensation for their injuries. Brett Murphy attorneys are proud to represent blameless drivers, passengers and families as they seek justice against those who choose to drive while intoxicated in Washington State. We practice throughout Washington State from our offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellingham, Vancouver, and Mount Vernon. Because of technical systems, we are paperless and wireless so we can meet with clients anywhere in the state. For more than 39 years, our firm has been representing the victims and families of those hurt or killed by drunk drivers. We have helped many of these innocent victims win substantial settlements and awards to compensate for the devastation caused by drunk driving. For examples, see case results. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed by a drunk driver, you are the victim of a crime and need skilled attorneys to help protect your rights and ensure that you receive proper compensation. While our personal injury lawyers recognize that financial compensation cannot replace your loss, it can help to lessen your worry about medical bills, employment and rehabilitation, and your future. DRUNK DRIVING Drunk driving is a violent crime that accounts for more forty percent of traffic fatalities in the United States. More than 300,000 innocent victims are injured in auto accidents involving drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs. Perpetrators who cause serious injury while Driving Under the Influence (DUI) face felony charges in Washington State. People who choose to drink and drive put themselves and others at risk for injury and death. Innocent people are injured and killed in senseless car accidents with drunk drivers every day. Offenders are often more concerned with arrest than the trauma, physical pain, emotional suffering and devastation to innocent victims and their family members they have caused. More than half of drivers arrested for drunk driving are repeat offenders, while two-thirds of drivers with suspended licenses still drive. As of July 2004, every state and the District of Columbia make it a crime to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08%. This is the equivalent of a 150 pound person consuming three alcoholic drinks in a one hour period. Inflicting serious injury while driving under the influence (DUI) is a felony in Washington State and an alcohol or drug-impaired driver who causes an auto accident can be sued for negligence by the victim or a family member of a deceased victim. THOSE WHO PROVIDED THE ALCOHOL MAY ALSO BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES, making a business liable for providing alcohol to a driver who later injures or kills someone in a drunk driving accident. WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an alcohol or drug-related car accident, call us today. We want drunk drivers to pay for the injuries and devastation that they have caused to their victims and to their victims' families. Only by making drunk driving offenders accountable for their actions will future victims be spared. At Brett Murphy, our personal injury attorneys give proactive attention to the needs of each client. We coordinate medical payments, organize documentation, and support each client through the difficult claims process. Since insurance companies know our firm’s determination to litigate cases when a settlement offer is inadequate, we are usually able to resolve personal injury claims through negotiation. Call the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Brett Murphy - Washington's Injury Lawyers today at 800-925-1875, 360-714-0900, or contact us via our online form.

What Money Damages Are Available In A Personal Injury Claim?

If you were a law student taking the bar exam the correct answer would be: The injured person is entitled to be put back into the position he was in before the injury occurred to the extent that can be done with money. The law cannot replace a severed leg or remove pain. The injured party is not entitled to a profit. Rather the injured party is entitled to be compensated for his losses. Compensation comes in six categories. 1. Property damage. For example, you are entitled to the full repair or replacement cost of your vehicle. 2. Medical expenses to date. If someone else has been paying your medical bills, like your health insurance plan, you do have to pay them back. That’s called subrogation and there are circumstances where we can avoid the payback, but that’s a detail we don’t have to deal with now. The basic rule is: you are entitled to have your medical bills to date paid in full. 3. Future medical expenses. You are entitled to a sum of money which will be sufficient to pay future medical bills. We could design a number of different systems. For example, we could have a system where you keep your receipts and submit them for payment at the end of each year, but insurance companies want to have claims closed once and for all. So instead, you get a one time lump sum payment for all future medical care. That means you need to get an estimate of the cost of future care like you would get an estimate for the cost of fixing a car except the human body is much more complicated. We have to obtain from a doctor a diagnosis (what is the injury), a prognosis (what is likely to occur in the future), a treatment plan (what specific medical care will more likely than not be needed in the future) and then convert that to a dollar figure representing future medical care. It’s a bit complicated, but we do it all the time. 4. Lost wages to date. Relatively easy to prove, it’s just a matter of data collection. 5. Lost future earning capacity. If you are temporarily or permanently, partially or completely unable to work, you are entitled to a lump sum representing the difference between the amount you could have earned before the injury and the amount you can earn now. That’s easy if you have a long term, full time job, you can no longer do. It is harder if you are a fisherman, or a realtor, or self employed. It is also harder if you suffer only a partial loss. We take your medical records to experts in physical capacity evaluation and vocational rehabilitation, quantify the impact of the injury on employment, and then obtain a written opinion from an economist, an expert in economic loss. In sum, you are entitled to a lump sum representing the difference between the amount you could have earned before the injury and the amount you can earn now. 6. The last, and most difficult item to evaluate, is general damages for pain, suffering, disability, and disfigurement. The other 5 items of damages are easy to add up: Property damage Medical expenses to date Future medical expenses Lost income to date Lost future earning capacity You can buy all those things, but there is no market for pain. You could put a thousand people up against a wall and ask “How much would I have to pay you to be run over by a truck and have your back broken? Nobody is going to volunteer for a thousand dollars or a hundred thousand dollars. People won’t volunteer for a life changing injury for a million dollars. But you are entitled to be compensated for a life changing injury. Your lawyer will have to convince a jury, or the insurance company of the impact of the injury on your life. That is a difficult assignment, but it is one we have successfully completed on many occasions. So to summarize: You are entitled to be put back into the position you were in before the injury occurred – to the extent that can be done with money. That involves full recovery in 6 categories: Property damage Medical expenses to date Future medical expenses Lost income to date Lost future earning capacity General Damages: for pain, suffering, disability and disfigurement. I hope that answers your question in general. If you want an estimate on how much your injury is worth, our website has a