Administrative Law:
Administrative Law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government, including rule-making, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law deals with the decision-making of administrative bodies of federal, state, and/or local government (e.g. tribunals, municipal councils, boards, or commissions) that are part of a regulatory scheme in such areas as zoning, the environment, civil service, building codes, and workers’ rights.
Business Law:
Business law encompasses the law governing business associations (partnerships, corporations, LLCs, etc.), contracts, sales, commercial paper, agency and employment law, property, bailments, insurance, and consumer and creditor protection. Business law may include issues such as starting, selling, or buying a small business, managing a business, dealing with employees, or dealing with contracts, among others. Also included is estate and business succession planning and wills, trusts, and probate law
Creditors’ Rights:
Creditors’ rights are the procedural provisions designed to protect the ability of creditors—persons who are owed money—to collect the money that they are owed. These provisions vary from one jurisdiction to another, and may include the ability of a creditor to put a lien on a debtor’s property, to effect a seizure and forced sale of the debtor’s property, to effect a garnishment of the debtor’s wages, and to have certain purchases or gifts made by the debtor set aside as fraudulent conveyances. The rights of a particular creditor usually depend in part on the reason for which the debt is owed, and the terms of any writing memorializing the debt. Creditors’ rights deal not only with the rights of creditors against the debtor, but also with the rights of creditors against one another. Where multiple creditors claim a right to levy against a particular piece of property, or against the debtor’s accounts in general, the rules governing creditor’s rights determine which creditor has the strongest right to any particular relief.
Criminal Law:
Criminal laws are the bodies of rules with the potential for severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. Criminal punishment depending on the offense and jurisdiction, may include loss of liberty, imprisonment, government supervision (parole or probation), or fines. Misdemeanors include Traffic offenses, simple assault, public intoxication, petty theft, trespassing, stalking, menacing, telephone/telecommunications harassment, underage alcohol offenses, domestic violence, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, marijuana possession, drunk /impaired driving, (DUI, OVI, and/or OMVI), shoplifting, vandalism, open container, etc. Felonies include: Arson, Aggravated Assault / Battery, Bribery, Child Abuse, Child Pornography, Conspiracy, Credit Card Fraud, Criminal Contempt of Court, Drug Manufacturing / Cultivation / Trafficking / Distribution, Grand Theft, Embezzlement, Extortion, Forgery, Fraud, Hate Crimes, Identity Theft, Insurance Fraud, Kidnapping, Money Laundering, Perjury, Probation Violation, Racketeering / RICO, Securities Fraud, Sexual Assault, Drug Possession, Telemarketing Fraud, White Collar Crimes, Wire Fraud, etc. Juvenile delinquency can include either a felony or misdemeanor charge.
Family/Matrimonial /Divorce Law:
Family/matrimonial law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including: juvenile law; prenuptial / ante-nuptial agreements; marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships; issues arising during marriage including spousal/child abuse, legitimacy, adoption, surrogacy, and child abduction; and the termination of the relationship and ancillary matters including divorce, legal separation, annulment, property settlements, and alimony/child support /spousal support awards.
Land Use Planning/Zoning Law:
Land use law encompasses the full range of laws and regulations that influence or affect land development/conservation. This area of the law is intensely intergovernmental and interdisciplinary, as there are countless intersections among federal, state, regional, and local statutes. It is significantly influenced by other legal regimes such as environmental, administrative, and municipal law, and includes rezonings, variances, building code issues, special use/ conditional use permits, platting, and subdivision of land.
Legislative Law/Lobbying:
Lobbying involves the advocacy of an interest that is affected, actually or potentially, by the decisions of government leaders. The role lobbyists play in the legislative arena can be compared to that of lawyers in the judicial arena. Just as lawyers provide the trier of fact (judge or jury) with points of view on the legal issues pertaining to a case, so do lobbyists provide local, state, and federal policymakers with points of view on public policy issues. Lobbying includes representation of clients/their interests before the Ohio General Assembly and state, county, and municipal governmental bodies and agencies.
Litigation:
Litigation involves the dispute resolution process of bringing and pursuing a lawsuit, and encompasses the entire procedure. A lawsuit is a case or controversy authorized by law to be decided in a court, before a judge or jury, brought by one person or entity against another person or entity for the purpose of enforcing a right or redressing a grievance. A myriad of cases can be litigated, including: business issues such as contracts, employment, shareholder/partner disputes, collection of accounts, and insurance coverage; personal issues such as personal injury, libel and slander, ownership, divorce, probate, civil rights, and employee disputes; criminal trials; etc.
Personal Injury:
Personal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property. The term is most commonly used to refer to a type of tort lawsuit in which the person bringing the suit, or “plaintiff,” has suffered harm to his or her body or mind. Personal injury lawsuits are filed against the person or entity that caused the harm through negligence, gross negligence, reckless conduct, or intentional misconduct, and in some cases on the basis of strict liability or a violation of law. Different jurisdictions describe the damages (or, the things for which the injured person may be compensated) in different ways, but damages typically include the injured person’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life.