law of segregation and law of independent assortment

law of segregation and law of independent assortment

Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment : The principles that govern heredity were discovered by a monk named Gregor Mendel in the 1860's. One of these principles, now called Mendel's law of independent assortment, states that allele pairs separate independently during the formation of gametes. This means that traits are transmitted to offspring independently of one another.

Mendel formulated this principle after performing dihybrid crosses between plants that differed in two traits, such as seed color and pod color. After these plants were allowed to self pollinate, he noticed that the same ratio of 9:3:3:1 appeared among the offspring. Mendel concluded that traits are transmitted to offspring independently.

Examples: The image shows a true-breeding plant with the dominant traits of green pod color (GG) and yellow seed color (YY) being cross-pollinated with a true-breeding plant with yellow pod color (gg) and green seeds (yy). The resulting offspring are all heterozygous for green pod color and yellow seeds (GgYy). If the offspring are allowed to self pollinate, a 9:3:3:1 ratio will be seen in the next generation. About 9 plants will have green pods and yellow seeds, 3 will have green pods and green seeds, 3 will have yellow pods and yellow seeds and 1 will have a yellow pod and green seeds. READ MORE

How to Briefing a Case for Law School

How to Briefing a Case for Law School

Learning to brief cases effectively is one of the first skills a first year in any law school around the nation must learn-- and learn quickly. The retention of first year law school reading assignments depends upon students' ability to read, understand, and brief cases properly. First year law students around the nation spend class hours feeling tense, anxious, and stressed-- and these feelings can easily be alleviated by a good case brief. So how does one effectively brief a case for law school*?

Facts

The first section on any law school brief should be the facts section. Pretty self-explanatory, in this section you should write the main and key facts of the case. You should write down facts in your brief that will help you remember what the case was about-- so, 'boy gets electrocuted by trolley wire' may be all you need. If your Professor tends to ask detailed questions about the facts of the case, this section should be more detailed too.

Procedural History

Most cases that law students read are Appellate cases-- hardly ever will first years read Trial court decisions-- which means that most of the cases you read will have histories. In this section you will write what happened to the case in the lower courts-- what was the trial court decision? What was the middle Appellate court say? Which party now appeals and why?

Issue

The issue section of a case is a very important part of your case brief because it tells you what exactly the question is that the court is now addressing/seeking to answer. Most issues will surround whether the lower courts abused their discretion or whether the Judge erred in instructing the jury.

Arguments

A primary goal of many law Professors is to teach first year law students how to identify and construct arguments. Professors often will ask students what each party in a case argued, so it is important that case briefs touch on party arguments. READ MORE

villanova university law school admissions

villanova university law school admissions

When Villanova Law School was founded in 1953, two priorities emerged. The first goal was to make rapidly Villanova an academically recognized school; the second was to capture the best traditions of the Catholic university while creating an environment that promoted a diverse student body. Villanova quickly received accreditation from the American Bar Association, and boasts an outstanding faculty. Ed Rendell, the governor of Pennsylvania is numbered among the law school’s alumni, in addition to leaders in all branches of the law and business industries. By placing emphasis upon integrity within one’s profession, and the value of pro-bono work, Villanova Law maintained its roots in faith while creating a welcoming atmosphere for all students. Women were admitted to the law school within a decade of its founding.

Villanova Law Admissions

Villanova provides a viable alternative for students who may not qualify for the rigorous admission standards of top law schools, by giving a great education at a well respected institution with slightly lower application statistics. For the 2008 entering class, the GPA and LSAT for the seventy-fifth percentile were 3.64 and 163 and for the twenty-fifth percentile were 3.19 and 160 respectively. Admissions are rolling with acceptances starting in late December. The application deadline is March 1. Tuition is over $35,000 not including room and board. Joint JD/MBA and JD/PhD degrees as well as a Graduate Tax Program are offered. The law school student body numbers nearly 800 with a nearly even split among men and women. The most prevalent states represented in the student body are Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Villanova Law Curriculum

Villanova’s first year courses follow the standard for law schools, requiring Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Writing, Introduction to Legal Research, Property, and Torts. Second and third year students are given more freedom in selection of their classes with only a few requisites. A moot court program is required during the later years of study. Villanova also offers the Sentencing Workshop: a class in which students study real cases with the judges and lawyers who tried them, and discuss how to sentence criminals.

Five clinical programs are offered, focusing on immigration, civil justice, farm-workers’ legal aid, federal tax, and juvenile justice. The clinical programs allow students to handle actual cases pro-bono with faculty supervision. In addition to the traditional clinics, Villanova also has a Death Penalty Practicum allowing students to aid death row inmates in their legal proceedings.

Villanova Law Student Life

Villanova University is located in the Mainline, an attractive suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fifteen minutes from the city center, Villanova has a beautiful, calm campus only minutes from the bustling life of a major city. With its own train stop, city access is easy, quickly delivering students to museums, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping; all that Philadelphia has to offer.

In addition to the lure of Philadelphia, Villanova attempts to provide its own student life on campus. A variety of journals and organizations are present at Villanova Law, in addition to a weekly gazette and moot court competition teams. The school hosts the Barristers Ball in addition to other social events for entertaining evenings. The Public Interest Auction is held yearly, with proceeds funding public interest summer fellowships. Academic lectures are also present on a wide variety of topics. Villanova offers the Lawyering Together program in which current students work with alumni on pro-bono representation. Life after Villanova Law has proved enjoyable for its students as well. The median private-sector salary for graduating classes is $105,000 with the majority pursuing careers in law firms. The top states where alumni are practicing tend to be located along the Northeast Corridor, though D.C. and California are also represented slightly.

Conclusion

Though relatively expensive when compared to other Philadelphia area law schools, Villanova Law is a good choice for students who wish to study near the “City of Brotherly Love” while not directly in it. A solid education and a good quality of life are found at Villanova, as well as a focus on compassion and charitable works throughout a student’s career.

Contact Information

Villanova University School of Law

299 North Spring Mill Road

Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085

(610) 519-7010

admissions@law.villanova.edu

Application Fee: $75

Application Deadline: March 1

READ MORE

west virginia university college of law faculty

west virginia university college of law faculty

West Virginia University College of Law, the only law school in the state of West Virginia, is a public law school located in Morgantown, WV. It was founded in 1878, and distinguished alumni include a number of congressmen, senators, and other politicians and diplomats from West Virginia.

Admissions and Tuition

Getting into West Virginia requires numbers similar to those required by most Tier 3 law schools. Last year, 51% of applicants were accepted (of whom an impressive 47% opted to attend), and matriculants had median GPAs and LSAT scores of 3.41 and 153. The middle 50% of matriculating applicants had GPAs and LSAT scores ranging from 3.12 to 3.70 and 151 to 156, respectively. Those with numbers over the 75th percentiles may be in the running for scholarships. Tuition varies according to residency. For the present academic year, residents of WV pay just over $10,600 for tuition and fees. For non-residents, on the other hand, the bill comes to about $24,000. Both of these costs are extremely competitive with other public law schools around the nation. Roughly 11% of WVU Law students attend on full-tuition or higher scholarships, so students with excellent numbers and/or extremely compelling personal narratives should investigate merit-based aid options.

Academics

The most notable legal specialties at WVU Law are business law, international law, and family law. The law school takes considerable pride in the West Virginia Law Review, which is the fourth oldest law journal in the nation. The law school places considerable emphasis on developing practical experience and real professional skills in its students. WVU Law also offers opportunities for its students to study law in Mexico and Brazil.

First years take a prescribed set of classes including property, civil procedure, criminal law, contracts, torts, constitutional law, professional responsibility and legal research and writing. There is a grading curve, and most recently 8.3% of 1Ls didn’t make it back for a second year at WVU Law. The respectable student-to-faculty ratio of 12.9-to-1, however, suggests that students who are willing to put in some legwork to develop relationships with their professors will be able to do so. Looking ahead, the West Virginia College of Law plans on expanding its clinical programs to include a medical assistance clinic which will work in conjunction with the WVU Health Sciences Center. Furthermore, the school plans on adding an emphasis on energy and sustainability law to its curriculum.

Employment Prospects and Bar Passage

For what it’s worth, WVU graduates often outperform the statewide bar passage rate in West Virginia—which is probably a good thing, since WVU is the only law school in the state. Most recently, 76% of WVU Law graduates passed the West Virginia state bar (79% state average). Employment prospects are largely regional, but those looking to practice in West Virginia or immediately surrounding areas should not have a huge problem finding work: In fact, 91.7% of the most recent graduating class was able to find work within 9 months of graduation. The median salary for WVU grads going into the private sector was $66,000, compared to $42,612 for those in the public sector.

Quality of Life

Morgantown, WV (population 29,000) is a classic small college town. Students accustomed to life in Manhattan or a similar locale will no doubt have some adjusting to do, but for those who enjoy small town life, Morgantown can be an excellent choice. The cost of living is low relative to major cities, and Pittsburgh is not too far away for those craving big-city outings. Students will find plenty of bars and eateries catered to their crowd, and also be able to cheer on WVU’s football team.

Conclusion

Although WVU is hardly the best choice for someone interested in practicing in a major legal market (in fact, most recently not a single firm from NY, DC or CA participated in WVU’s on-campus interview process), it is an excellent choice for those who wish to practice in WV and can take advantage of rock-bottom in-state tuition prices.

Quick Reference

West Virginia University College of Law

P.O. Box 6130

Morgantown, WV 26506

Ranking: 93

Tuition: ~$10,600 (residents), ~$24,000 (non-residents)

Bar Passage Rate: 76%

% Employed 9 months after graduation: 91.7%

Median Private Sector Salary: $66,000 (Class of 2008, 58% reporting)

Median GPA: 3.41

Median LSAT: 153

READ MORE

california law school rankings 2011

california law school rankings 2011

California law schools are amongst the finest in the nation. Great California law schools include the four renowned University of California law schools located at Berkeley (Boalt Hall), UCLA, Davis (King Hall), and Hastings. World class Stanford Law School and prestigious USC Law School complete the list of California's best law schools. While not as renowned, California law schools that are on the rise and amongst the top 100 law schools in the nation include the University of San Diego, Loyola Law School, Santa Clara University Law School, and the University of San Francisco Law School.

Calfornia Law School Ratings:

1. Stanford Law School

2. U.C. Berkeley - Boalt Hall

3. UCLA Law School

4. USC Law School

5. U. California Davis Law School (King Hall)

6. U. California Hastings Law School

7. U. of San Diego Law School

8. Loyola Law School

9. Santa Clara Law School

10. U. of San Francisco

11. Pepperdine Law School

12. U. of the Pacific (McGeorge)

13. Southwestern U. Law School

14. Chapman U. Law School

15. Whittier U. Law School

16. Golden Gate U. Law School

17. California Western Law School

18. Thomas Jefferson Law School

READ MORE

Law Ministry wants the government to approve Vedanta Resources' USD 9.6 billion acquisition of Cairn India

Law Ministry wants the government to approve Vedanta Resources' USD 9.6 billion acquisition of Cairn India

In a possible deal breaker, Law Ministry wants the government to approve Vedanta Resources' USD 9.6 billion acquisition of Cairn India only if the London- listed mining group agrees to equitably share royalty on oil produced from Rajasthan oilfields. Law Minister M Veerappa Moily has endorsed the opinion of the Solicitor General of India, the nation's second highest law officer, that royalty state-owned ONGC pays on entire output from Cairn India's mainstay Rajasthan oifields is cost recoverable, officials privy to the development said. Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) had in July 2010, more than a month before Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy announced sale of majority stake in its Indian unit to Vedanta, demanded that Rs 18,000 crore in royalty it will pay over the life of Rajasthan oilfields should be cost recovered from revenues.

Cairn India holds 70 per cent stake in Rajasthan oil fields but does not pay any royalty. It made a conditional application in the Vedanta deal rejecting all rights of partner ONGC, which owns 30 per cent in Rajasthan block. It remains to be seen if the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will on April 6 reject the legal opinion and approve the USD 9.6 billion deal without any pre-condition, officials said. Oil Ministry's Cabinet note lists royalty being made cost-recoverable as a pre-condition for approval as an option. Alternatively, it has suggested that the government gives its consent to the deal without any pre-condition and "appropriate decision" will be taken to enforce ONGC's right.

SGI has however opposed the second option saying "the second option which has been suggested in the Cabinet note i.e. pursuing rights under the PSC (production sharing contract) to recover the rightful dues of ONGC, would involve an undesirable amount of time and resources to be spent and would be contrary to public interest." Officials said the oil ministry in the Cabinet note has admitted that Cairn could later play hooky as it was doing in the arbitration case on payment of cess on Rajasthan oil. Cairn says it is not liable to pay Rs 2,500 per tonne cess on its 70 per cent share of production from the Rajasthan blocks and the same has to be paid by ONGC.

The Cabinet note says that Cairn has alleged that the non-inclusion of cess in the PSC was "either a mutual or a unilateral mistake by the government by playing fraud by diverting (original operator) Shell's attention away from cess during the contract negotiations." "Vedanta Resources may also take a similar position at a later point of time to its advantage on the issue of cost recovery of royalty. Therefore, a suitable safeguard may be put in place as the ministry feels that the cess is payable by the contractor and royalty is cost recoverable under the PSC," it says. READ MORE

National Law School of India University (NLSIU) to work on Lokpal Bill

National Law School of India University (NLSIU) to work on Lokpal Bill

While people around the country have joined Gandhian Anna Hazare in demanding a stronger legislation to fight corruption, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) is going a step further and plans to make use of its expertise to review the Lokpal Bill in detail and suggest how it can be strengthened. Vice chancellor, NLSIU, Prof R Venkata Rao, says a committee will be formed with the students and faculty of the university to review the Bill in detail, and the summary will be sent to the Union government for its perusal.

“A round-table discussion with experts from various domains will also be held on the Bill. Opinions gathered from the discussion will be included in the report we intend to send to the government,” he explained, adding that a healthy democracy needed regular participation from the people. “Our effort should be to strengthen and not destroy democracy. Lokpal is an idea whose time has finally come and so desirable pressure groups too need to play their role to see it through," he said.

President of the university's Student Bar Association, Varun Mathew, says the review committee will look at similar enactments in other countries and bring in a global perspective to the issue. “It's not as if there isn’t already an institution to tackle issues like corruption but the failure of the current system has created the need for a Lokpal Bill and now the Jan Lokpal Bill,” he observed. READ MORE

A Primary Concern of Albany Law School

A Primary Concern of Albany Law School

A primary concern of those who are taking up law is whether they can pass the required bar exam the very first time they take it. If you happen to fall under this general category of law students, there is only one law school that you need to go to. That school is none other than the Albany Law School.

Based on the records that Albany Law School released recently, first-time exam takers from Albany Law School registered a high 86 percent passing rate during the New York bar held last July. In addition, of the exam takers coming from Albany Law School, approximately 80 percent of them were successful in passing the test. The rate exceeded by over nine percent the average passing rate for New York-based bar takers. READ MORE

Apart from an impressive passing rate in the bar exam, you should find the task of getting a job quite easy once you graduate from Albany Law School. This is because there is a career center set up within Albany Law School that is ready to help you out in looking for the most suitable job in the legal arena.

The career center of the Albany Law School has direct connections, not only with law firms, but with various government agencies as well such that once it identifies highly-qualified graduates, it can refer these to the company or companies where they will be most productive. The process is quite successful such that law graduates from Albany Law School experience a high 97 percent employment turnout. READ MORE

If you happen to have a preference for financial matters but are equally interested in legal issues as well, you can take a special program that the Albany Law School launched last year. The program is designed to introduce you to the basics of financial marketing with a concentration on accountability and business law.

Once you graduate from the program, you should be able to take on an alternative career in financing, specifically stock market matters. This ought to be rather interesting because, according to New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Chief Regulatory Officer Richard Ketchum, there is a current shortage of professionals who can be effective managers in the said field. READ MORE

Lexisnexis Law School Definition

Lexisnexis Law School Definition

Lexisnexis law school is part of a large company that aims to help law students in their pursuit of a degree in legal education. However, Lexisnexis is not only suited for law students because law firms, academic researchers, and various business operations can also make use of the many services that the company is known to offer.

Nevertheless, students in legal education are obviously the ones who can get to benefit most from Lexisnexis law school. Technically, Lexisnexis law school is not really a school in the real sense of the word. Rather, Lexisnexis law school is more like a law school operating online that offers law students easy access to various legal documents from various courts worldwide. Lexisnexis law school gets to do this by offering their services through Quicklaw which law schools make use of without the expected charges. READ MORE

Quicklaw is a powerful search program that is among the many exciting features of the Lexisnexis law school system. With this particular search tool, you can effectively look for specific legal documents like court decisions, existing laws from various countries, legislative measures, and many more. READ MORE

However, a more popular product of Lexisnexis, especially among law students, is Lexisnexis Academic because it offers primary sources of various legal materials like case laws. Complementing the primary sources are secondary materials like legal news articles and citations from different Supreme Court decisions. These sources date to as early as 1789 especially in the case of court decisions while legal news articles are taken from as many as 500 publications, including newsletters, magazines, and newspapers. READ MORE

The Lexisnexis option is primarily intended for Canadian law students since Quicklaw is a prominent and highly-trusted research program in that country for over 30 years. READ MORE

Nevertheless, most of the operations are done in Ohio, while the main headquarters can be found in New York City. READ MORE

This definition that Lexisnexis has a rather wide coverage that even if you are taking up law outside of the United States or Canada, you can still have access to the various legal documents that Lexisnexis keeps in its archives so long as your school avails of its service.