Criminal Justice USA

How the Recession is Affecting Criminal Justice Careers

Posted by Site Administrator on 01/25/2010 | 0 Comments

Throughout the country, there has been a cold chill in the air, quite unlike that related to the changing season.  Instead, economic forecasters have frightened many of us into believing that there is no hope for recent college graduates in an economy which was once considered to be the most stable in the world.  While these economists may paint a dismal picture, this does not have to be a permanent painting, but is instead already in the process of changing in the same manner as the seasons change.  No economic disaster remains around for longer than a few years, and our country even bounced back from the Great Depression which should give all of us hope.

Criminal justice careers are one area that have had economists worried due to the amount of expanding programs throughout colleges, although this is one area that remains relatively unscathed.  Criminal justice careers have experienced a “boom” of sorts, akin to that of the health care industry, indicating that the economy has not closed out options for every graduate.  Far from it, criminal justice careers have become more prevalent within every major cities, which should be a sign that crime is on the rise, but fortunately it is not.  Instead, criminal justice careers have increased due to advances in technology as well as a new flexibility the degree offers to recent graduates.  No longer is criminal justice only useful for a future in law enforcement, but it can now be used in a variety of fields ranging from law to psychology.

One of the largest criminal justice programs in the country is in a small town in Texas within Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.  This was the first school to offer a doctorate program in criminal justice, and if its statistics are any indication of the popularity of the program, it is evident that criminal justice degrees are in no danger of slowing down.  Instead, students are finding new niches to break into every year that require a deeper understanding of the criminal mindset and the history behind criminal justice. 

Law enforcement only touches the surface of studies of this nature and instead of boxing students into a future in the field, criminal justice allows a wide array of options for the future.  The criminal mind is a curious thing to study, and the psychology behind it can lead to a future in psychology or even in a type of criminal sociology career.  The possibilities are endless, which fortunately does not mean that we have reached an era of high crime rates.  Instead, we have reached an era that holds a deeper understanding of the criminal justice system and offers recent graduates up as evidence of this new progression in the field. 

Top Five Criminal Justice Careers

Posted by Site Administrator on 11/06/2009 | 0 Comments

Criminal justice careers appeal to nearly every person who watches crime shows: Law & Order, CSI, even movies such as the Bone Collector.  These movies and TV shows romanticize criminal justice careers and almost belittle the amount of work which actually goes into this type of job.  However, criminal justice degrees remain a popular major in undergraduate institutions solely because they offer students the flexibility to choose within a wide array of future careers.  Some are more popular than others, but the top careers are listed below. 

Police Officer
One of the more prominent positions in the criminal justice field is that of a law enforcement officer.  While it is not pertinent to get a criminal justice degree in order to become a police officer, it helps you better understand the law and the reasoning behind it.  Larger cities typically require a criminal justice degree, while small towns only require a high school diploma.  Criminal justice degrees are also attractive on resumes when you are enlisted into the police academy.  Criminal justice classes additionally help focus students’ skills on judgment, decision-making, and a background in weaponry.  There will always be a need of law enforcement in any civilized society, which means this career will be stable for years to come although not for the faint of heart.

Detective
Detectives are next on the tier of law enforcement although they typically require a more advanced degree than most police officers.  Detective work is more analytical and therefore a background in criminal justice or related fields helps many students hone in on this special qualification.  Detective work has also been romanticized by the many movies and characters that have pervaded through history (Sherlock Holmes); however, many detectives will tell you that real life is far from cinematic and typically requires following many leads with little to show for it. Detective work is not for everyone, but contributes to the upholding of the law and sometimes can prove to help solve a crime that threatens the well-being of society.

Criminal Investigator
Criminal investigators are also in the realm of law enforcement, although they go a step further and present evidence to the prosecution and help prepare pre-trial paperwork.  In this sense, criminal investigators seem more closely related to the judicial process than to law enforcement, but it becomes obvious that the two realms intermingle on many occasions.  Criminal justice degrees help promote this type of connection and introduce students to the many forms law enforcement can take.

Specialists (fingerprinting, arson, etc.)
The many forms of specialists that exist within the criminal justice system are vital to solving crimes and preventing future felonies.  Fingerprint specialists focus their sole career on finding remnants of fingerprints on the crime scene and applying them to the national database.  While this may be disappointing work on many occasions, this has proven to be an important part of the criminal justice system.  Additionally, arson specialists help determine what the true cause of a fire is, either releasing innocent people from jail or exonerating the guilty. 

Legal Assistant
Finally, criminal justice degrees have been found to lead to careers within the legal industry, such as legal assistants and other clerkship positions.  Legal assistants are the right hand person to many prestigious attorneys and therefore require a basic understanding of the law.  Criminal justice degrees prepare students specifically for this type of broad spectrum of careers and therefore introduce students to knowledge they need for this type of job. 

Best Criminal Justice Jobs

Posted by Site Administrator on 06/12/2009 | 0 Comments

 Criminal justice degrees offer students a wide range of options in regards to their future.  They can choose to enter law enforcement and see criminal justice at work first-hand, or even delve into the legal/judiciary aspect of it all.  However, most students will agree that the more fulfilling jobs center on upholding the law and prosecuting wrongdoers.   These are three of the most popular criminal justice jobs that students of criminal justice aspire to earn. 

Becoming a police officer does not necessarily take a criminal justice degree, unless you want to become an officer in one of the larger cities or metropolitans.  However, the police force is one of the most intense forms of criminal justice jobs because it directly introduces you to the seedy underbelly of society.  Criminal justice jobs are not about shelter from the dark side of society, but rather force you right into the center of it all.  Therefore, at least an introductory course in criminal justice can help prepare you for the job that may await you upon graduation.  If you simply throw yourself into police work, the results could be devastating and you may experience a type of culture-shock.  Criminal justice jobs involve dealing with many people who have a disregard for the normalcies of civilized society and instead insist on breaking many of the most fundamental human laws. 

A career in the FBI may also open up for many students of criminal justice, although this career is not degree-specific.  This is one of the most heightened forms of a criminal justice job and allows employees to delve even deeper into criminal justice.  Most FBI careers are not easy to come by, but they introduce you to one of the peak forms of criminal justice jobs.  FBI agents must undergo a vast spectrum of medical and psychological tests before they are admitted into the program, although previous work and education experience should prepare applicants for the career they will face.  FBI agents are among the most respected of law enforcement agents and therefore a background in law enforcement usually helps applicant chances. 

Finally, another popular criminal justice job is that of DEA agent.  The specialties that go into this type of work deal directly with criminal justice, although in a more specified area.  The drug industry has boomed in the past decades, causing a greater need for this type of enforcement.  DEA agents are involved in the same type of work as other law enforcement officers, such as criminal investigations and tracking dangerous criminals, although they simply operate in a much smaller spectrum.  DEA agents are respected within the field because they are in charge of combating some of the most dangerous criminals of modern society: the drug wars that are going on in border towns are living proof that we need such criminal justice jobs in the country. 

Understanding Careers in Criminal Justice

Posted by Site Administrator on 06/07/2009 | 0 Comments

Careers in criminal justice are largely unrecognized for the respect they deserve by the general public.  As a result, most Americans do not understand the amount of work that goes into criminal justice degrees nor the hardships many encounter within their career.  Deciding on a career in criminal justice may mean that you will not be respected for the contribution you are making to society, but knowing that your career helps preserve the balance of society.

Most careers in criminal justice are comprised of law enforcement (police officers, detectives, government agents) or judicial careers (county clerks, legal assistants).  Most law enforcement careers are known for their lack of respect within the community: police officers are often illustrated as ego-trip careers in which post citizens are unwilling to look beyond.  Contrary to this belief, law enforcement agents play a vital role in securing the peace within most communities. Without such agents, chaos would ensue as criminals would run amuck and drugs would easily be trafficked within borders.  Since we have agents in place to prevent this from happening, modern society can function without any major disruptions aside from those we cannot predict. 

Law enforcement agents perform a vital role in the community, from picking up repeat offenders, to protecting the streets from wrongdoers.  The majority of the American population does not consider this to be that vital of a commitment after having an unfortunate run-in with a law enforcement officer.  Getting pulled over for a traffic citation, however, is vastly different from more serious criminal offenses that officers must endure.  Therefore, most citizens assume that police officers spend all their time pulling people over for the most minute infractions (expired inspection stickers); as a result, this has impacted the popular perspective of most law enforcement officers.  However, when we find that are home is burglarized, what is the first number that we call?  Therefore, the career of a law enforcement agent is almost double-sided, as many people seem to nearly loathe these agents but call on the same officers when they are in need. 

Other careers in criminal justice involve less prominent positions, such as legal assistants or clerks, although they are involved with the same manner of upholding the law.  Legal assistants are part of the criminal justice sector in a different way than law enforcement agents, although they too help prosecute the wrongdoers of society.  Similar to law enforcement agents, legal assistants are often lumped into the same pile as that of lawyers, including the misconception that they are dishonest in their dealings.  However, they play an important part in the criminal justice community in making sure that criminals are justly punished for the wrongs they commit.  While careers in criminal justice are only truly understood by those who are within the field, slowly they are gaining the recognition they deserve. 

The New Need for Criminal Justice Jobs

Posted by Site Administrator on 06/01/2009 | 0 Comments

The days of small law enforcement offices are long gone, as crime has risen dramatically over the last few decades.  Even more, we have witnessed a new growth in terrorism-related law enforcement units as our country has swelled in population and international acclaim.  As a result, new law enforcement sectors have opened up in every department which has increased the need for criminal justice students tremendously.

Police stations alone have witnessed a rise in departments, as there are now special units for various types of crimes; anything from homicide to burglary contains a special crime unit now, causing a new need for professionals in each field.  The amount of detectives has increased in many police departments, and many of them require a criminal justice degree in order to understand the mindset of criminals and a background in each crime.  Crime is much more complicated than it appears to many ordinary citizens, and criminal justice jobs really unearth the true significance of each and every crime, as well as analyze statistics regarding the rate of crime in various cities.

Without criminal justice jobs, the country would fall into disarray as there would not be a way to police criminals and citizens.  This is common knowledge for many of us, but what is new in this regard is the way new crime units affect crime rates across the country.  Crime is finally starting to come down in many cities thanks to the increase of criminal justice jobs, and without these specialty positions, the crime rate would skyrocket once more.  Additionally, units within the FBI and CIA have become essential to protecting the threat of terrorism or other attacks on the nation.  Without these units, we would be even more susceptible to attacks on our own soil. 

It is amazing how much our need for criminal justice jobs has grown over the past few years, but what is not astounding is how the country has matched this need with more criminal justice students than ever before.  As technology advances, and criminals find new ways to complete crimes, this amount of potential units to combat crimes is only positioned to increased, creating more criminal justice jobs in the coming years.  Criminal justice is exactly what it sounds like: bringing criminals of heinous crimes to justice for their transgressions.  Without a system that completed this task, criminals would run amuck in our cities, and roam free without fear of punishment.  However, due to the many units and law enforcement positioned around the country, this fear is now present in the hearts of many criminals. 

Careers in Criminal Justice to Look At

Posted by Site Administrator on 05/15/2009 | 0 Comments

It’s a scary out there right now for potential job-seekers, especially in industries where jobs are scarce for many recent college grads.  However, careers in criminal justice are on the rise, and what better way to illustrate this then to just think about the masses of law enforcement that have developed over the past few years.  There are very few fields that have experienced this type of rise, and belonging to such a field is an excellent way to begin your career.  As a fresh graduate, you will probably get many entry-level positions in law enforcement or similar organizations, but keep in mind that these positions are only temporary and involve a great deal of upward promotions over the years.

When you first start out in criminal justice, you should look for jobs that are easily accessible, first of all, but also look at jobs that cater more to a specialty you may have studied in school.  If you were well trained in certain levels of crime, you will be better equipped to begin a career in this field.  If you have more of a general understanding of criminal justice, don’t despair, because many of these jobs additionally allow you some leeway to learn on the job.  However, many employers like to give jobs to people who have some background in the subject.  While internships and previous jobs help this case, simply studying a certain subject (maybe your senior seminar class) will help sway employer’s decisions.  City law enforcement offices usually have the best options for recent graduates because their organizations are so wide spread. 

If you want to gain more experience within the criminal justice sector, then looking at jobs that give you the opportunity to learn more about a specialty are probably the best for you.  While careers in the FBI and CIA can be difficult to attain, they are well worth it in the end and allow you insight into many of the top tiers of law enforcement.  Regardless of what your specialty in criminal justice was, these organizations will ensure you have the proper training before they send you out into the world.

Finally, if law enforcement positions are not for you, you can always get a job with the more judicial aspect of criminal justice, working for a lawyer or a judge.  While these are pretty set positions (there is only so far you can move up as a law clerk), they might entice you to go on to study law and allow you to experience the inner workings of court houses.  Criminal justice degrees equip students with the understanding of the judicial system and of the punishments that go along with crimes, making many students excellent candidates for working with criminal defense attorneys.   Regardless of what type of field you wish to enter into with your criminal justice degree, it is a relief to keep in mind that there are many opportunities within the criminal justice industry. 

Most Dangerous Criminal Justice Degree Jobs

Posted by Site Administrator on 04/25/2009 | 0 Comments

Criminal justice is one field that offers students the opportunity to take a wide array of job options as soon as they graduate.  However, most students are attracted to the field to get involved in more of the “nitty-gritty” aspects of crime and help solve many complex crimes as well as have a deeper understanding of the criminal mindset.  As a result, these students often go on to take positions in law enforcement, many of which are more of the dangerous careers that you can take on as a recent graduate.  While these may not be a future every person looks forward to, many students dream of the day when they will be able to take such a job.

Many people consider careers in law enforcement to be among the most dangerous criminal justice jobs.  While this is one career option that is more dangerous than say a receptionist, it does not inherently mean that you will be faced with dangerous situations every day.  Rather, much police work involves a great deal of paperwork after a single incident and much time behind a desk.  While field work does involve many dangerous situations, it is not as dangerous as the media and Hollywood has made it out to be.  It is still a dangerous job, however, although many law enforcement careers simply do not rise up to the level that they are portrayed by the media to be. 

Positions in intelligent agencies are another dangerous position for criminal justice students.   While these are more romanticized “James Bond-esque” positions, working for intelligence agencies requires a great deal of diligence and higher levels of education.  CIA and FBI positions are typically reserved for those who have years of experience in the field already, although sometimes recent graduates of criminal justice degrees have been offered positions in Homeland Security, one industry that is constantly changing with the threat of terrorism.  As a result, it has become one of the most dangerous career options for recent graduates because of the unexpected results that can happen from a routine investigation. 

Finally, while most prison-work is reserved for potential law enforcement candidates, there are areas within prison that require employees with a higher level of education, typically in the criminal justice field.  Prisons constitute one of the more dangerous realms of law enforcement, as they can contain hundreds of dangerous criminals, albeit behind bars.  Positions within prisons require criminal justice graduates to either understand more of the psychology behind criminal acts or investigate further into the prevalence of prison gangs.  While these may not sound like dangerous ventures, there are many instances within prison walls that can rapidly become deadly without the proper background education. 

Criminal justice degree jobs come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, and if you do not want to go into the more dangerous realm of career choices, you are not forced too.  However, for the students who want to live life on the edge, there are plenty of future options for you in this industry.  

100 Tips, Tools, and Legal Resources to Be Your Own Real Estate Agent

Posted by Site Administrator on 02/27/2009 | 0 Comments

By Courtney Phillips

These days, people in the real estate market can use all of the money they can get. For many people, that means cutting out the middleman and saving on agent commissions. It’s easier to go it your own than you’re probably thinking, and you’ll find lots of great tips, tools, and resources for doing so here.

Tips

Follow these tips for great advice on being your own real estate agent.

1. Hire a real estate lawyer: Using a real estate lawyer is a very smart move, as a good lawyer’s advice and guidance can help you save lots of money and headaches.
2. Invest in marketing: Take the time to develop strong marketing materials, such as an effective for sale sign and an informative flyer.
3. Consider every offer from qualified buyers: If the terms of an offer are not what you’re looking for, you wan always deliver a counter-offer.
4. Clean and declutter: When taking photos and showing your home, be sure that your home is clean and presentable for potential buyers.
5. Get preapproved: Before you start looking at homes, be sure to get preapproved so that you know what you can afford, and so your offer will be more attractive to sellers.
6. Visit open houses: Get a look at other homes for sale in the neighborhood, including how they are marketing and what they have to offer.
7. Hire your own inspector: Have an inspector give you a report on your home before you sell-you can generally repair problems identified by your own inspector at a lower cost than if they are pointed out by a buyer’s inspector.
8. Require pre-qualification: Make sure that you’re only talking to qualified buyers by requiring that anyone who wants to see your home has proof of pre-qualification first.
9. Add strategic value before selling: Adding a new bathroom or refinishing your cabinets may help raise your price, but not all improvements will pay off in your final profit.
10. Consider offering a home warranty: Provide buyers with peace of mind by offering a low cost warranty that covers major home systems.
11. Ask for a comparative market analysis: Realtors do not charge for CMAs, and it’s a good idea to have this information. Just be honest about selling or buying on your own-they’ll be waiting if you decide you need help.
12. Sell your home "as is": If you want to avoid inspection problems, or having to deal with repairs, you can sell your home "as is," although at a lower price.
13. Get an appraisal: Make a qualified valuation of your home by hiring an appraiser.
14. Take lots of high quality photos: Make it easy for buyers to fall in love with your home before they even step foot in it by taking photos that show them everything they want to see.
15. Get a homeowner’s report: Be sure to check for liens against your property to avoid trouble before getting into a sales contract.
16. Price aggressively: By saving on commissions, you can afford to price your home more aggressively and attract more buyers.
17. Give the proper disclosures: If you know your roof leaks, or your electricity is not up to code, you will be required to disclose this information to potential buyers.
18. Carefully list what is and is not included with your home: Make it explicitly clear whether or not the buyer will be able to keep items like appliances and chandeliers.
19. Consider all of the fees involved: When pricing your home, be sure to factor in closing fees and other selling costs in the final profit.
20. Hold an open house: An open house is a good way to attract buyers to your home and allow a lot of people to see it at the same time.
21. Consider special financing: Your house may become more attractive if you allow buyers to assume your mortgage, or if you provide seller financing.
22. Check references: Before hiring a contractor or accepting an offer, be sure that you can trust who you’re doing business with.
23. Prequalify: Instead of opening your home up to everyone who wants to take a look, require that buyers meet certain criteria before they can come in for a showing.
24. Know when you need help: Not everyone can handle being their own real estate agent, so know when it’s time to call in an expert.
25. Tell your friends, family and neighbors: Get the word out about selling your home-you never know who knows someone in the market.
26. Negotiate: Don’t be afraid to go back and forth on terms and offers to get the deal you want.
27. Watch out for contingencies: An offer with restrictive or too many contingencies can make it hard to complete a sale, so tread carefully when it comes to these terms.
28. Check comparable sales: Be sure to find out what similar homes in your area are selling for.
29. Know the market: Pay attention to the selling market so that you can be aware when home sales are hot or when they are slow.
30. Write easily-scannable copy: Most buyers will just skim through what you write on flyers and online, so make sure what you write is formatted in a way that’s easy to read.
31. Write an effective ad: An ad with the right information is an incredibly powerful tool for attracting home buyers.
32. Repaint: Something as simple as slapping a fresh coat of paint on your walls can help make your home more attractive to buyers.
33. Get help with marketing: Use an MLS listing service to make sure that your home is seen by a wide variety of buyers.
34. Set your price just under a whole number: By setting your price at $249,999, you can make your price more attractive than $250,000.

Tools

Here you’ll find lots of great tools for doing your own real estate work.

35. Audrie.com: Audrie.com is full of real estate tools, including a flat fee MLS service and web pages.
36. Real Estate Glossary: In this glossary, you’ll find helpful real estate terms and definitions.
37. Angie’s List: Find a high quality inspector, appraiser, and more using Angie’s List.
38. Checklist for Buying a Home: Take this checklist along with you when shopping for a home, and it will help you evaluate different houses.
39. Sperling’s Best Places: Sperling will make it easy for you to assess different cities.
40. Multimap: Get a bird’s eye view and lots of information about locations using this tool.
41. Better Business Bureau: Make use of the Better Business Bureau to check up on title companies, inspectors, and more.
42. Glossary of Legal Terms: You’ll be able to look up hard to understand real estate terms in this glossary.
43. Yelp: Yelp will help you find good service providers with reviews and more.
44. House Buying Checklist: Follow this checklist to make sure you’re ready before buying a home as your own agent.
45. Real Estate ABC: Get definitions to real estate terms in plain English from this glossary.
46. Google Maps: Google Maps is a great tool for checking out neighborhoods, with street view, local businesses, and more.

Listing Services

With the help of these services, you can get your home seen by buyers.

47. For Sale By Owner: You can see your home without commission on this website.
48. BuyOwner: Buyers and sellers alike can use this website to be their own real estate agent.

Calculators

Make use of these calculators to do the math in your real estate transactions.

49. Bankrate Mortgage Calculator: Enter your mortgage amount, term, interest rate, and start date, and this calculator will tell you your approximate monthly payments.
50. Seller’s Net Cash Calculator: With this calculator, you can estimate the proceeds from the sale of your house.
51. Real Estate Calculator Suite: This software will help you with amortization schedules, closing costs, payments, and lots more.
52. How Much Can I Borrow Calculator: This calculator will help you determine the maximum loan you can expect to qualify for.
53. Simple Mortgage Calculator: Check out this mortgage calculator for a no-frills look at your payments.
54. Pre-Qualification Calculator: Sellers can use this calculator to determine whether or not a prospective buyer will be able to obtain a loan.
55. How Much Can I Afford Calculator: Find out if your income is enough to qualify for the home you want with the help of this calculator.

Legal

You’ll find legal forms, advice, and more in these resources.

56. Katkus: Katkus is home to a variety of free and low cost real estate forms, including disclosures, tax forms, and more.
57. Legal Home Forms: This website has more than 60 professional fill in the blank real estate forms.
58. US Legal Forms: In this resource, you’ll find state specific real estate forms for deeds, contracts, liens, and more.
59. Lienfax: With this service, you can look up any and all liens on your home before putting it up for sale.
60. ZipForm: ZipForm’s software will make it easy for you to create your own real estate forms.
61. All Law: Check out this site to find real estate forms and information.
62. Profpub: With this software, you’ll get a variety of real estate forms that you can use nationwide.
63. ‘Lectric Law Library: Use this library’s forms room to find all of the forms you’ll need for real estate.

Communities

Get lots of great advice from the people in these real estate communities.

64. Redfin Real Estate Forums: Redfin’s forums are full of DIY real estate mavens with lots of great information and conversations.
65. National Real Estate Directory: In these forums, you’ll find news, advice, and ideas.
66. Agents Online: These forums are designed to help both agents and aspiring agents.

Advice

Read these articles to learn valuable advice for being your own real estate agent.

67. How to Be Your Own Real Estate Agent: This article offers useful advice for selling your own home.
68. FSBO Signs for Selling Your Own Property: This article is a goldmine of advice for creating your own sale sign.
69. Facts About Real Estate Appraisals: Read this article to find lots of great information about real estate appraisals.
70. Negotiating Tips for Selling by Owner: Learn the fine art of negotiation from this article.
71. Making an Attractive Home-Purchase Offer: Read this article to learn more about making a home purchase offer.
72. The Basics on Lease-Option (Rent to Own): Find out how lease-option sales work from this article.
73. 77 Surefire Ways to Increase Your Home’s Value: Follow this article to get a variety of useful ideas for improving the value of your home before selling it.
74. A Simple Guide for Selling a Home on Your Own: This article offers lots of great details to keep in mind when selling your own home.
75. Buying a House on Your Own Versus Using an Agent: Here you’ll find out the advantages of buying without an agent, and how you can go about doing so.
76. Home Selling Price: Set it Right and Everything Else is Easy: Audrie.com’s article is full of advice for setting the right selling price.
77. Be Your Own Real Estate Broker: Rome Neal offers a variety of tips for avoiding pitfalls when selling your home without a broker.
78. Closing the Deal to Sell Your House: This article deals with the nitty-gritty details of finalizing your home sale.
79. Snagging a Home Buyer: Selling Secrets for Writing a Successful Property Listing Ad: Find valuable advice for writing a successful property listing ad in this article.
80. Showing FSBO Homes for Sale: In this article, you’ll find great advice and ideas for an open house.
81. Setting a Value on a Home: Check out this article to learn more about determining value for a home.
82. What is FSBO?: Read this article to learn the basics of selling your home without an agent.
83. Can You Really Be Your Own Real Estate Agent?: This article weighs the pros and cons of DIY real estate.
84. Formatting Tips for Home Selling Pictures: This article has advice on lighting, sizing, perspective, and other photo taking essentials.
85. United Kingdom: Be Your Own Landlord/Managing Agent: Brits interested in changing the terms of their lease can benefit from reading this article.
86. 5 Reasons You Don’t Need an Agent: Read this article to find out why you don’t need an agent to see your own home.
87. Prepare Your Home for FSBO by Cleaning and Clearing: Check out this resource to learn about preparing your property for sale.
88. Simple Steps to Pricing Your Home: Follow this article to determine a good asking price.
89. How to Be Your Own Realtor: This article will provide you with a look at how you can cut out the middlemen and sell your home yourself.

Blogs

Check out these blogs for ongoing advice and inspiration for working as your own real estate agent.

90. Inman News: Inman News discusses the intersection of real estate and technology.
91. Bubble Meter: This blog covers the decline of houseing markets in the US.
92. Go Beyond MLS: Get lots of tips for smart home marketing from this blog.

Resources

Make use of these resources to make working as your own real estate agent easy.

93. Total Real Estate Solutions: This website is full of listings, tips, tools, forms, and more.
94. Zillow: Zillow makes it easy for you to look up comparable sales, local information, and more.
95. HomePages: HomePages is a great resource, including information on buying or selling a home, and obtaining a loan.
96. Homes.com: On this site, you can learn about finance, neighborhoods, home values, and other valuable information.
97. Cyberhomes: Cyberhomes is full of useful resources including maps, values, and listings.
98. Real Estate Wiki: This wiki offers information on home selling, buying, mortgages, and more.
99. Foreclosure.com: You can find foreclosures, pre-foreclosures, and more on this site.
100. Trulia: Trulia’s website will provide you with advice, news, comps, and more.

World Watchdogs: Top 50 Human Rights Blogs

Posted by Site Administrator on 01/13/2009 | 0 Comments

Watching the news isn’t always the best way to stay on top of human rights cases and the politics, economics and social conflicts that affect living conditions around the world. To study up on human rights campaigns, civil liberties groups and the legislation and movements that spread awareness, check out these blogs.

Civil Liberties

Here you can read about civil liberties infringements, including large cases and campaigns promoted by agencies like the ACLU.

1. ACLU Blog of Rights: The American Civil Liberties Union posts about legislation, issues and campaigns that protect, influence and threaten civil liberties and freedom.
2. Committee to Protect Journalists Blog: This blog is all about the freedom of speech, from the U.S. to Zimbabwe to West Africa.
3. Ella Baker Blog: California’s Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is dedicated to turning around the racism, poverty and injustices of American urban communities. Read this blog for commentary about youth violence and more.
4. Harm Reduction and Human Rights: Read this blog to read news and updates from the International Harm Reduction Association, which aims to end the "harms from all psychoactive substances."
5. abyss2hope: This blogger was date raped at the age of 15 and now writes about the legal, security, and cultural issues surrounding sexual violence.
6. Progressive Liberty Blog: Michael Anthony Lawrence writes about the U.S. Constitution, educating Americans about how current events, culture and politics affect our rights and freedoms.
7. Labor is not a Commodity: This international labor rights blog covers child labor, underpaid workers and more.

Capital Punishment

For different perspectives on capital punishment and the death penalty, read these blogs.

8. Capital Defense Weekly: This blog follows high profile cases and reports on state rules for the death penalty and punishment.
9. For Victims, Against the Death Penalty: This is "the web log of murder victims’ families for human rights." Read the arguments against the death penalty from a different perspective here.

Child-Focused

These blogs focus on children’s issues, including poverty and hunger.

10. Children: The Foreign Policy Association’s blog discusses child hunger, fundraising, children in war-torn countries and more.
11. Field Notes: UNICEF’s blog features photos, campaign news, fundraising information and other information about child hunger around the world.
12. The ARCH Blog: The Action on Rights for Children blog comments on government reforms and human rights issues affecting children around the world.

International Outreach

From Darfur to China to Burma, learn about human rights violations around the world.

13. Global Issues: Global Issues contains articles about "social, political, economic and environmental issues that affect us all." Check back often for updates on poverty, racism, military spending and more.
14. Business and Human Rights in Vancouver: This blog takes a look at the special events and projects of the Amnesty International Business and Human Rights chapter in Vancouver.
15. Truly Equal: This blog is no longer active, but you’ll find a great archive of commentary about AIDS, forced prostitution, slavery, Darfur and more.
16. This is Zimbabwe: Better understand the abductions and human rights issues going on in Zimbabwe when you read this blog.
17. Human Rights Now: The Amnesty International USA blog reports on global and regional conflicts, torture, progressive legislation and a lot more.
18. AlterNet: AlterNet’s Rights and Liberties blog covers everything from current political events to everyday human rights violations in lesser known areas.
19. Save Darfur: Learn about the latest campaigns to save Darfur here.
20. Red Cross Blog: Learn how the Red Cross responds to natural disasters, human rights and refugee situations, and more.
21. World Bridge: World Bridge is primarily devoted to spreading awareness about refugees around the world, including Central Africa, Burma and elsewhere.
22. Rights Watchers: The Washington Post’s blog keeps an eye on human rights violations and escalating crises from Russia to the U.S.
23. Amnesty International Livewire: Check this blog for posts from a range of international activists and staff.
24. Global Voices: From Egypt to South America to the Gaza Strip, find out what issues are most important to human rights activists and campaigns around the world.

General Ideology

Take a look at these blogs for a general approach to human rights cases and ideology.

26. The Human Rights Blog: Read about human rights groups in other countries, as well as political and social movements that influence human rights.
27. Talking Rights: Robin Kirk shares news stories and gives commentary on all kinds of human rights issues, from the Congo to Latin America. She has been featured in Glamour and has written three books about Peru and Colombia.
28. Amnesty International UK: Multiple bloggers write about human rights events and issues here.
29. Duke Human Rights Center: Duke University’s Human Rights Center features blogs about local issues, international campaigns and more.
30. Human Rights Blog: Check this human rights blog for news and announcements about human rights movements around the world.

Religion

From specific religious groups spreading awareness to blogs that pinpoint religious persecution, turn to this list.

31. Baha’i Faith in Egypt and Iran: This blog considers the religious persecution inflicted upon the Baha’is of Egypt and Iran.
32. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee: The UUSC blog shares news and spreads awareness about gender protection issues, Darfur and more.
33. Religion News Blog: Besides being a great resource for learning about different religions, this blog reports on the latest issues and conflicts relating to religious culture and ethnic groups.
34. Persecution Blog: Persecution Blog uncovers cases of Christian persecution around the world.
35. The Liberty Blog: The North American Religious Liberty Association writes about religious bigotry, same sex marriage and more.
36. Christian Persecution India: This blogger is passionate about investigating and publicizing Christian persecution in India.

Whistleblowers

Here you can find tip-offs and first-hand looks at human rights violations.

37. This is Not My Country: Discover a depressed town behind the historic landmarks and tourist attractions of Greece when you read this blog.
38. The Hub: The Hub is a social blogging site that allows anyone to spotlight human rights issues and violations and spread awareness.
39. Blogactiv: Here, Europeans connect to spread the word about human rights violations, social justice issues, politics, environmental issues and more.
40. Early Warning: The Washington Post’s William M. Arkin gives Americans a heads-up on homeland security issues that affect their privacy and civil liberties.

Politics

These political-oriented blogs consider how politics affects human rights.

41. Wronging Rights: Read Wronging Rights for irreverent commentary on human rights issues, politics and more.
42. Susan Loone’s Blog: Susan Loone is a passionate activist who writes about petitioning, Parliament and the media.
43. Invictus: Read about the U.S. military interrogation scandals here.
44. Dipnote: Discover the U.S. government’s positions on human rights and foreign policy campaigns on the U.S. Department of State official blog.
45. America.gov: America.gov actually shares news stories about America’s involvement with global health issues, politics, child hunger and human rights campaigns.

Miscellaneous

Here are even more human rights blogs, dealing with antiwar movements, virtual world campaigns and more.

46. SL Festival of Human Rights: Get information on the Second Life human rights festival here.
47. PHR Student Blog: Medical students have started this branch of the Physicians for Human Rights, and they blog about upcoming conferences and conventions and human rights issues.
48. Stop Genocide: Stop Genocide is a well-organized resource that shares news stories, tips for teaching about genocide, commentary and predictions about the state of human rights.
49. PhD Studies in Human Rights: This blog is designed for PhD students but is a great resource for anyone wanting to find news and reference material related to human rights issues.
50. Antiwar.blog: This antiwar blog analyzes current events and news stories from around the world.

Surrogacy in Texas – What the Law Involves

Posted by Site Administrator on 01/09/2009 | 0 Comments

It’s often ironic how things like pregnancy and childbirth, processes that happen naturally, are elusive to some women and drive them to the limits of desperation. Today’s scientific and technological advances allow them to seek alternative ways to conceive a child – using artificial insemination or going in for an in vitro fertilization procedure where the egg and the sperm are fertilized outside the body and then implanted in the mother’s womb. Adoption and surrogacy are other non-invasive options, and although adoption is the cheaper and easier alternative, if a couple wants the child to be a part of their genetic makeup, surrogacy is the only way out.  
 

A surrogate mother is someone who, to put it in ordinary terms, carries your child in her womb for you. The child may either be biologically yours (the father’s sperm and the mother’s egg are fertilized outside and the surrogate acts as a sort of baby carrier), be partly yours (the intended father’s sperm is artificially inserted into the surrogate mother), or have nothing to do with either of you genetically (the egg and sperm are both from donors). Any of these scenarios are laden with doubts and issues, ethical, moral, social and legal.  

The US is divided over the issue of surrogacy – while some states don’t have specific laws relating to the subject, others are hazy. In Texas though, the procedure is heavily regulated and the following laws apply:

    * The intended parents must be married to each other.
    * Couples of the same sex are not allowed to hire a surrogate to carry a child for them.
    * The intended parents must legalize the process through means of a contract signed and approved by a court. The contract allows the intended parents to claim parental rights as soon as the child is born. This is in contrast to a few other states where the intended parents are required to file adoption papers to legally adopt the child as their own. The surrogate is the legal mother listed on the birth certificate.

 Surrogacy is a costly option and is fraught with a host of emotional issues, from the time you choose a surrogate, through taking care of her medical and other needs, hoping and keeping your fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong with the pregnancy, till the time the baby’s born and you get to take him or her home. Be warned that the surrogate mother is bound to feel emotionally close to the baby and may want to keep it for herself once it’s born (worst case scenario) or at least stay in touch with your child as he or she grows up. Whatever the case, ensure your rights through the right legal procedures at the time of hiring the services of the surrogate.