Trumbull Red Cross

One of the many changes President Obama has promised America is immigration law reform. Many ideas have been discussed. One of them is the DREAM Act, sponsored by Senator Lugar from Indiana and Senator Durbin from Illinois, among others. The basic idea is to allow certain illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age and who have been educated in American schools to become permanent residents.

Under the DREAM Act, certain undocumented individuals could become legal residents. The first step in this process is for the individual to enroll in some type of higher education, such as a university, vocational school, or apprenticeship program. Another option is to enroll in the U.S. military. If certain requirements are met, this person may apply for conditional residency in the U.S. Upon receipt of an associates degree or a 2-year equivalent within six years of the initial petition, the conditional status can be changed and the individual can become a legal permanent resident of the United States.

To be eligible for permanent residency under the DREAM Act, the individual must have entered the United States before turning 16 years of age and must have been in the United States for at least five years without interruption. The individual must also demonstrate the ability to speak English.

Conditional residents under the DREAM Act will be eligible for private loans to fund their education, but will not be eligible for Pell grants. Under the DREAM Act, 65,000 students could become conditional residents each year, and eventually become permanent residents and citizens if they comply with current immigration rules and regulations.

One of the ideas behind the DREAM Act is to better utilize the taxpayer dollars that are being used to educate illegal immigrant youth in public schools across the country. If these youth are willing to continue their education through additional schooling or through the military, they would be allowed to become a legal part of our society without the fear of losing their families through deportation. In addition, the DREAM Act initially only benefits those who most likely were taken across the border by their parents through no decision of their own. Many of these individuals have spent more years illegally in the United States than in their home countries.

The DREAM Act could be merged with other legislation as part of comprehensive immigration law reform in 2010. If other ideas do not receive the necessary support from members of Congress, the DREAM Act could be enacted without additional reform measures. Either way, even the proposal of such legislation gives hope to many people now living in the United States who currently have no way of becoming a legal resident.

Qualifications

To be a lawyer, one needs to be a qualified in the field of law. To be a graduate in law, it takes four years in undergraduate school and three years’ specialization in law through a law school. In this case, specialization would be in corporate law. To practice law, you need a license. To get the license, you first need to pass the bar exam – an examination that will test your knowledge, character and attitude. After the test, students are then recruited by law firms.

Junior Corporate Associate

As a junior corporate lawyer, you will be learning things the hard way. As a junior corporate associate, you have to do the grunt work of organizing documents, faxing, proofreading, copying, scheduling meetings, etc. In addition to these, the junior associate also has various other duties. These duties can be classified into various categories such as drafting contracts and conducting reviews, preparing filings, due diligence and writing of memoranda. A lot of a junior associates’ time is spend doing research work. A lot of trial and error work goes on into drafting contracts, security disclosure statements and corporate resolutions – and these are things that are not necessarily taught in law school. The junior associate, at times, has to spend a lot of time proofreading.

A law firm may later offer a junior associate the role of a partner. This involves working on individual projects and having junior associates working for you. So to be a good corporate leader, you will need to be hard working, diligent and possess excellent problem solving skills. A corporate lawyer gets paid extremely well, but the job it involves a lot of hard work. Many corporate attorneys work in excess of 60 hours a week.

What Does A Corporate Lawyer Do?

A corporate lawyer mostly works in the legal department of a business, as a legal advisor. Their work includes dealing with issues of taxes, employee rights, amalgamations, mergers and acquisitions. In short, a corporate lawyer has to ensure the legality of commercial transactions. There are other types of practice a corporate lawyer could undertake, and not all lawyers do the same type of job. Some provide advice on legal or/and non-legal issues to the corporation. In this area, the work of a corporate lawyer starts from the formation a corporation and goes on through the life of the business. Until it is dissolved.

The articles of incorporation of a company (i.e. the documents that deal with the formation of the corporation and the structure of the management, of its internal affairs) are drafted by the corporate lawyer. They also have to investigate the best entity for a particular business (i.e. partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability companies).

Each corporate lawyer’s duties are different, and this adds to the appeal of the profession. Because each entity has its own set of responsibilities, rights, tax structure and organizational structure, corporate lawyers have to be resourceful and persistent in their work. If this is you, and you have the stamina to undertake a rigorous educational program and then pass the bar exam, then a career in corporate law may be right for you.

Winter often means snow-covered and icy roads. Experienced truckers know that the lighter the load, the less traction the tires have. But even trucks hauling heavy loads can lose traction in the snow and ice. That’s why many states will put chain law into effect. Chain law requires truckers to put tire chains on their tires in order to gain more traction. Usually, when chains are required for trucks, cars are also required to use chains or snow tires.

Chain law is publicized by road signs and state road condition portals- websites, road condition hotlines, and the like. You’ll usually only see chain law go into effect on mountain passes, but states can require chains on any roadway that encounters dangerous winter travel conditions.

Some states require that truckers carry the minimum required chains through the winter months, even if they aren’t planning to chain up. Many states may allow cables instead of chains, but most will require truckers to carry chains. Cables are generally frowned on for being less effective.

California Chain Law

Road Conditions: 800-427-7623 (in state) or 916-445-7623(out of state)
Cal-Trans: 916-654-5741

California does not require truckers to carry chains during certain times of the year. However, when trucks enter a posted “chains required” area, they must be carrying chains. And when chain law is in effect, truckers cannot proceed without chains on their tires. Cal-Trans will set up “truck screening” areas when chains are required to make sure that truckers are carrying the minimum required chains, so that if they need to use chains, they will be able to install them.

Generally, California requires 5-axle trucks to have chains on all tires on the main drive axle, two tires on the other drive axle, and one tire on each side of the trailer- any axle.

California has three Chain Conditions they enforce.

R-1 Chain Law:

Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.

R-2 Chain Law:

Chains are required on all vehicles except four-wheel-drive vehicles under 6,500 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on all four wheels. Chains for one set of drive wheels must be carried by four wheel-drive vehicles using snow tires.

R-3 Chain Law:

Chains are required on all vehicles without exception.

Colorado Chain Law

Road Conditions: 511 or (303) 639-1111(out of state)/877-315-7623 (in state)

Chain law applies to commercial vehicles- if the truck has a gross weight rating of 10,001 lbs and the combined vehicle weight rating (truck and trailer) is 26,001 lbs, if the truck has a weight rating of 26,001 lbs, or if the vehicle is designed to carry 16 or more passengers (including the driver).

Drivers are required to carry chains on I 70 from mile marker 163 to mile marker 259 from September 1st through May 31st. If you are caught on this stretch of road during these dates without chains, you may be fined $50 plus $13 surcharge ($73).

New Fines! If chain law is in effect but you choose not to put chains on, you may be fined $500 plus $157 surcharge ($657). If chain law is in effect but you choose not to put chains on and you wind up blocking the road, you maybe fined $1000 plus $313 surcharge ($1,313).

Colorado has two levels of Chain Law they enforce.

Level I Chain Law:
All single-axle combination vehicles must chain up. This means if the truck has only a single drive axle (as opposed to duals), chains are required. All drive tires must be chained.

Level II Chain Law:
Chains are required for all commercial vehicles.

Idaho Chain Law

Idaho Road Conditions: 511 or 888-432-7623

Idaho does not require that truckers carry chains during winter months. However chains may be required to continue travel during winter weather.

Montana Chain Law

Montana Road Conditions: 511 or 406-444-6339 or 800-226-7623

Montana does not require that truckers carry chains during winter months. However, if you choose to travel without putting chains on your tires in a posted “chain area” and you get into an accident, you will have a large fine to pay. Montana requires that all tires of one drive axle be chained when chain law is in effect.

Nevada Chain Law

Nevada Road Conditions: 511 or 877-687-6237

Nevada has roadside signs that state “When Flashing, Chains or Snow Tires Required.” If the lights are flashing, chains are required to continue travel. Vehicles that weigh more than 10,000 lbs are required to use chains.

North Dakota Chain Law

North Dakota Road Conditions : 511 or 866-696-3511

There is no mandatory chain law in North Dakota.

Oregon Chain Law

Oregon Road Conditions: 511 or 503-588-2941

During winter weather, trucks are required to carry the minimum amount of chains they would need to don. Oregon doesn’t require that chains be carried between certain dates, but chains are required to be on the truck during winter weather conditions.

During a Conditional Road Closure, drivers are required to install chains on their tires to continue travel.

Oregon uses road signs to inform drivers of the chain-up requirements ahead. If the sign says “Snow Zone, Carry Chains or Traction Tires,” the minimum required chains for your truck must be carried on the truck. If the sign says “Snow Zone, Chains Required on Vehicles Towing or Over 10,000 GVW,” the minimum required chains for your truck must be installed on the tires to proceed. If the sign says “Snow Zone, Chains Required, Traction Tires Allowed on Vehicles Under 10,000 GVW,” the minimum required chains for your truck must be installed on the tires to proceed.

South Dakota Chain Law

South Dakota Road Conditions: 511 or 866-697-3511

South Dakota does not require truckers to carry chains but there are times when travel will be restricted for trucks without chains on the tires.

Utah Chain Law

Utah Road Conditions: 511 or 866-511-8824

Utah requires vehicles that are likely to encounter conditions that require chain-up to carry enough chains for one drive axle.

Washington State Chain Law

Washington Road Conditions: 511 or 800-695-7623

All vehicles over 10,000 lbs are required to carry the minimum required chains from November 1 to April 1 each year on the following routes:

I 82 between Ellensburg Exit 3 (MP 3.00) and Selah Exit 26 (MP 26.00)

I 90 between North Bend (MP 32) and Ellensburg (MP 101)

Route 2 between Dryden (MP 108) and Index (MP 36)

Route 12 between Packwood (MP 135) and Naches (MP 187)

Route 14 (MP 18) to Junction 97 (MP 102)

Route 20 between Tonasket (MP 262) and Kettle Falls (MP 342)

Route 97 between (MP 145) and Junction SR-2

Route 97 between junction SR-14 (MP 4) Columbia River and Toppenish (MP 59)

Route 155 between Omak (MP 79) and Nespelem (MP 45)

Route 410 from Enumclaw to Naches

Route 542 Mt Baker Highway between (MP 22.91) and (MP 57.26)

Route 970 between (MP 0) and (MP 10)

Wyoming Chain Law

Road Conditions: 511 or 888-996-7623

Wyoming will sometimes shut down the freeway except for all wheel drive vehicles and vehicles equipped with chains or snow tires.