At the end of a landlord/tenant relationship disputes can easily lead to litigation.  This week I was pleased to successfully defend a Tulsa couple that were sued by their landlord for rent and late fees far in excess of what was actually owed by the tenants.  It was a Small Claims case, so the most the couple could lose was $6,000.00, but this was over twice what the couple really owed!

Fortunately, the judge saw the facts in a light favorable to my clients, and the judgment ($2,975.00) was for the amount that my clients had already agreed was owed.  Even better, this amount was almost completely covered by their security deposit.  It is great to have satisfied clients, even if the case is not that big.  I know that it was a big case from my clients’ perspective.

I am a proud member of America’s essential profession. Without lawyers and the rule of law, a free, fair and open society is not sustainable.

I recognize that the legal profession’s traditions – the world’s most respected legal education system, most successful law firms and fairest court system – were once radical innovations.

In this time of economic crisis, I am committed to improving those institutions and creating innovation in the practice of law.  I will question and, when appropriate, change the status quo.  And I will use technology to serve my clients and society.

I’ll help remake the profession I hold dear so it can continue to deliver on America’s promise.

I’m an innovator.  A maverick.  A pathfinder.

I am a Legal Rebel.

via Legal Rebels – Manifesto.

Huddleston Law Offices remembers all those who fought for our independence.  Have fun with your families and, if you’re not in the USA, back to work!

NEWS from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release # 09-258

CPSC Announces Drop in Fireworks-Related Injuries; Consumers Still Urged To Celebrate Safe This July 4th CPSC Introduces the New Face of Safety – Chairman Inez Tenenbaum

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s new Chairman, Inez Tenenbaum, urged families today to put safety first during the Fourth of July holiday and celebrate with caution when it comes to fireworks. The latest report (PDF) from CPSC indicates that there were reports of seven fireworks-related deaths and an estimated 7,000 hospital emergency room treated injuries in 2008. In 2007, CPSC had reports of eleven deaths and an estimated 9,800 injuries.

Chairman Tenenbaum, in a press event and fireworks demonstration on the National Mall, reminded consumers that even with fewer reported deaths and injuries in 2008, the one-month period surrounding the Fourth of July is still the most dangerous time. In fact, 70 percent of all fireworks-related injuries occurred between June 20 and July 20.

“CPSC wants to keep reducing fireworks-related deaths and injuries in 2009,” said Chairman Tenenbaum. “Children should never play with or light fireworks, and adults should watch our demonstrations to see how powerful and dangerous illegal fireworks can be.”

Chairman Tenenbaum was joined on the National Mall by Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice; Dan Baldwin, Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Trade within Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and Joseph Riehl, Acting Assistant Director of the Office of Enforcement Programs and Services for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

CPSC continues to work to keep American families safe by educating the public about the risk of injury associated with fireworks, enforcing fireworks regulations, and prosecuting dealers and distributors who manufacture and sell illegal explosives.

As a part of its fireworks enforcement program, CPSC actively works with ATF to investigate roadside stands, warehouses and retail stores that sell professional grade explosives to consumers, and homes that serve as havens for the manufacture of dangerous fireworks devices. These investigations have resulted in dozens of successful prosecutions by the Justice Department’s Office of Consumer Litigation and U.S. Attorney offices across the country.

On June 19, 2009, a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York sentenced Jon Cea and Vincent Cea to 24 months and 36 months in federal prison, respectively, after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in explosive materials, involving the illegal sale of more than 1,000 pounds of explosives. The defendants and their customers were not licensed, yet they purchased and sold professional display fireworks. CPSC and the Justice Department worked in partnership on this case.

At the ports, CPSC is working alongside CBP to ensure shipments are in compliance with the federal regulations. With CBP assistance, last year CPSC staff found through sampling and testing of fireworks shipments that forty-nine percent of these shipments contained illegal fireworks.

While the federal government remains committed to stopping the manufacture and sale of illegal fireworks, CPSC encourages consumers who decide to purchase legal fireworks to:

* Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.

* Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

* Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.

* Adults should always supervise fireworks activities. Parents often don’t realize that there are many injuries from sparklers to children under five. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.

* Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move back a safe distance immediately after lighting.

* Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.

* Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

* Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

* Light one item at a time, then move back quickly.

* Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

* After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a trash fire.

To see this release on CPSC’s web site, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09258.html

********************************************************

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it: https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

People are depending more and more on their cell phones and PDAs to be able to search on the Web, with new search products for such instruments being launched left and right. Not surprisingly, websites often are playing catch-up.

Huddleston Law Offices knows how important it is to ensure that its website content is optimized for mobile search tools.  There are currently over 200 million wireless subscribers who are using the mobile Web while on the run.  Our site content addresses the needs of mobile users, and considers what is important to users in the mobile context.

Huddleston Law Offices mobile site uses the following best practices:

- Don’t use frames or Flash.

- Give different keyword-rich file names.

- Use optimized heading tags.

- Don’t rely on embedded images, objects or scripts.

- Minimize file size.

- Submit your site to major mobile search engines.

“On the whole, clients and vistors to Huddleston Law Offices mobile website will spend as little time as possible getting to the information that they need.” – Brian Huddleston

Brian Huddleston manned the phone banks to answer questions from the public on Law Day.

About the annual “Ask A Lawyer” free legal advice project:

Oklahomans can expect an insightful look into the legal system when the annual award-winning Ask A Lawyer call-in show airs. This is the 31^st year OETA and the Oklahoma Bar Association have co-produced the show, designed to share information about legal issues in easy-to-understand language.

A series of segments will be shown during the hour to provide a glimpse into Oklahoma’s legal community. The show will feature two segments on the topics of:

• Consumer law
• Equal rights in the workplace

Both segments will conclude with a town hall forum moderated by OBA member Dick Pryor.

With the nation’s economy woes on the minds of many, consumers need to be more mindful than ever about who they trust with their money. But sometimes, even the most prudent of us can be exploited. Viewers will meet Roy Sheppard, a hard-working family man who fell victim to predatory lending. Roy’s story is representative of thousands of families across the nation dealing with the foreclosure crisis. The panel of consumer law experts will address this issue along with other consumer topics.

While the United States is often called the land of the free, the rights and freedoms we enjoy have not always been available to all citizens. Oklahoma’s own Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher helped open the doors for African Americans and other minority groups to equal educational opportunities. Viewers will get a glimpse of Ms. Fisher’s struggle to be admitted to the OU law school and find a job after graduation. The panel of civil rights experts will explain how her journey led us to where we are today along with what issues we still face.

During the program, viewers can call in for free legal advice, a community service Oklahoma lawyers are providing in conjunction with the national celebration of Law Day. Viewers statewide will be able to reach an attorney by calling (800) 456-8525 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Viewers who prefer to speak to an attorney practicing in their town or county will be able to see and call local numbers during the broadcast.

“I saw that there is a need in our community for affordable legal advice.  The callers were so grateful for the service.” Brian Huddleston

Tulsa, Okla., April 30, 2009 — With 20 years of experience and a long list of satisfied clients in the Tulsa area, Brian Huddleston’s old template website did not reflect the professional, high-quality results he delivered for his clients.

“It was a template website, a cookie cutter, and it looked like everyone else’s,” said Huddleston, owner of Huddleston Law Offices.

Since legal services are intangible, it can be hard for a purchaser of legal services to judge between all the options out there.

“When you’re selling your time and your knowledge of the law, conveying an image of professionalism, competence and experience is critical,” said Huddleston. “I think the quality of the website helps potential clients make that decision as a first step. After that, it’s all up to me.”

As an active Rotarian and involved community member, Brian chose a local web design firm, Aqua Vita Creative, rather than dealing with someone remotely by email or over the phone.

“The local community is so important to me,” said Huddleston. “The vast majority of my clients over the last 20 years have come from eastern Oklahoma and Tulsa County. I feel like it’s important to support those local businesses as well.”

Huddleston’s business depends on word of mouth, as satisfied clients refer him to customers, colleagues and friends. When those potential clients check out Huddleston online, he wanted the website to reinforce these recommendations and bolster confidence.

Initially, Huddleston was worried about paying for a cookie-cutter site that looked just like every other attorney.

“I was very happy to see that I got something that was unique, but also conveyed the professional image I wanted,” said Huddleston. “The Art Deco design and Tulsa’s connection to that fit well with a legal-themed website.”

Huddleston had just begun legal work for the development, construction and leasing of Tulsa’s newest industrial park, located along Highway 169. With a busy schedule, Huddleston did not have time to micromanage a design project.

“It was really easy for me, and I wanted it to be easy,” said Huddleston. “My clients receive all of their legal services from me, nothing is passed off to an inexperienced associate or paralegal. My focus is on practicing law, not setting up the website.”

With a back-end content management system integrated into the website, Huddleston also gained the ability to make changes to the site on the fly.

“I have a way to put things up on my website myself without having to get assistance every time,” said Huddleston. “That’s a very useful feature, and I like how it works.”

About Huddleston Law Offices

For more than 20 years, Brian Huddleston has provided legal services with an emphasis on real estate transactions, LLC and partnership formation. Brian Huddleston’s real estate practice focuses on both simple and complex commercial transactions, development, and construction.

About Aqua Vita Creative

Experienced providers of website creation, design, development, and marketing services, Aqua Vita Creative helps organizations in the Tulsa area expand their business and improve their image. They also provide services for several international organizations such as Engineers in Action and Bushenyi Alliance for Rural Health and Development.