Category Archives: Rule of Law

An American lawyer in Kabul.

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Gulnaz is the 21-year old Afghan lady who was raped, jailed because of the rape, and recently released. The story in itself is very disconcerting, to say the least.  It turns out Gulnaz was represented by an American lawyer who … Continue reading →

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Few lawyers can charge “reasonable” rates in the US.

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Too many lawyers? No, not really… There are too many lawyers who charge too much, and here are the reasons why: Anyone willing to invest $175,000 on a legal education, and hoping to earn a pile of money at a … Continue reading →

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The Crusades and the rule of law.

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

I very much am looking forward to reading the “Laws in a Crusader State” and studying “The Assizes if Jerusalem”: On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. In so doing, he inaugurated a … Continue reading →

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The seed that multiplied.

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

The following quote from the article “All His Children – A sperm donor discovers his rich, unsettling legacy.” by Robin Romm in The Atlantic is unsettling: Describing the sensation of first seeing the biological children he’d never known, Raul told … Continue reading →

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A Chinese little girl’s life was a “life unworthy of life”.

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

The Chinese news video is unbearable to watch, not only because of the gruesome incident involving a little girl and a van, but because of the shocking indifference of the many passersby. Is it any wonder, though, this little girl’s … Continue reading →

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The tragic tale of the child migrants from the UK.

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Today, these children are grown-ups.  I had not heard of the wrenching history behind the child migrants, but an excerpt from a Background Note from the Australian Parliament explains: Under the Empire Settlement Act of 1922 and 1937, the British … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Culture, Empathy, History, Human Rights, Rule of Law, United Kingdom, War, World War II, Youth | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What do lawyers actually sell? What is really their business?

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

UPDATE:  I am republishing because I thing this is still pertinent! There are many, many savvy, high-priced lawyers, who awe those around them, precisely because they command the highest billable hours.  But there is a problem with the legal profession … Continue reading →

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South Africa’s One Man Can: men teaching other men about rape.

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

“It’s all about power – men believe they have the right to do as they please.”  So says Ronnie, a member of the One Man Can workshop set up by Dumisani Rebombo, a confessed rapist who, wracked with guilt, organized … Continue reading →

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Ever wondered how a case gets to the US Supreme Court?

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

The Institute for Justice produced this short video:

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Serendipity at the Rare Book Collections of the Law Library of Congress.

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

Here’s a fascinating account of the re-discovery of an archive on Roman Law: …Meredith Shedd-Driskel, the curator of the Rare Book collections, opened an envelope and handed me a small notebook. She asked if I had ever seen this before. … Continue reading →

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Freedom of the press for bloggers and “citizen journalists”.

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

In this age of Twitter and YouTube, videotaping or photographing the police has had some nasty repercussions, including arrests and prosecutions.  But things are changing: The First Amendment doesn’t refer just to professionals In the decision by the U.S. Court … Continue reading →

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“Americans now understand that if they try to hide assets overseas, the chances of being caught continue to increase.”

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

This should be of interest to anyone who has offshore accounts, especially for all those Americans living overseas: “By any measure, we are in the middle of an unprecedented period for our global international tax enforcement efforts,” said IRS Commissioner … Continue reading →

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Wooden dashboards and leather car seats.

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

The long arm of the law: If raw Indian rosewood is sent to Bentley for finishing into dashboards — and make no mistake, that is how it is done — it may not break any British laws, but it breaks … Continue reading →

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Wooden guitars, ebony frets, ivory keys…

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Barbara Dillon Hillas

UPDATE: I hope that there is nothing political regarding the long arm of the law, but this bothers me as a citizen and lawyer. The long arm of the law: Musicians who play vintage guitars and other instruments made of … Continue reading →

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