The Concord Small Business Practice LLM is the first legal degree in the country focused solely on small business. For practicing attorneys and recent law school graduates, the degree offers in-depth, practical knowledge of legal issues unique to small business – the most important segment of the economy. Associated with Kaplan University, Concord Law School is the first online law school to be part of a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

For more, http://info.concordlawschool.edu/Pages/LLM_Concord_Law_School.aspx

Tags: law schools, law universities, legal business practice, legal education, legal marketing, LLM, online education, small business, solo practice

While the government may be happy to downplay the role of the Spanish-speaking community in the United States, the private sector is certainly catching on to the importance of facilitating communication between businesses and consumers, regardless of the language those consumers speak.

The small business sector is no stranger to bilingual communications, but historically the only places one could find businesses that officially spoke Spanish was in neighborhoods where the primary language was Spanish. This led to even greater segregation between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities, as residents situated themselves in the areas where a greater number of businesses would cater to their language needs.

Big business has been slow to catch on to the idea of wooing the Hispanic community, and ironically it has been the poor state of the economy that has finally prompted major corporations to make a greater effort to appeal to a wider demographic. One by one, large businesses have embarked on campaigns to woo Spanish-speakers, and this week Chrysler has been the newest big player to announce the launch of a new initiative designed to appeal to Hispanics.

Chrysler’s “A Todo, Con Todo” project first got under way back in October, bringing a range of traditional and multimedia content to potential Chrysler customers, in both English and Spanish. This week it was announced that the project is now expanding to include a partnership with Yahoo en Español called “La Banda Ram,” an online music channel for Ram owners and fans, broadcast entirely in Spanish and featuring regional music from Mexico.

The La Banda Ram site features not only music, but also videos, photo galleries, Spanish blogs, and news updates from music artists in several genres including Grupero, Banda, and Norteño. The idea is to create a lifestyle brand that will appeal to Hispanic Ram enthusiasts throughout the United States.

That Chrysler has recognised the mutual benefit of appealing to the Spanish-speaking community is indicative of a slowly building wider trend of businesses reaching out to latch onto the fastest-growing demographic in the United States. There are now fifty million Hispanic people living in the United States, a whopping 100% increase from just twenty years ago. Although it is somewhat shocking that companies like Chrysler are only catching on to the importance of that growth now, no doubt the increase in information and product access for Spanish-speakers will be a welcome addition to the marketing campaigns of businesses across the country.

Tags: bi-lingual business, business marketing, hispanic business, marketing to hispanics, multi-lingual business

Over the past five years, domestic violence rates in the city of Chicago have fallen by an impressive ten percent. That may be seen as a reason to feel hope, except that the numbers are slightly different when you look specifically at Hispanic domestic violence rates in the city. Amongst Latino households in Chicago, the domestic violence rate has actually gone up by ten percent, a worrying trend to say the least.

Mujeres Latinas en Accion, an agency dedicated to helping Hispanic women who find themselves in violent domestic situations, has noted that only thirteen percent of Hispanic women who come to the agency ever get the court protection orders that the agency recommends to help protect them from their partners. The rest simply continue to suffer in silence, afraid of things like single parenthood, financial problems, familial disgrace stemming from a failed marriage, or even issues surrounding immigration status.

In some cases, Spanish-speaking women want to call 911 to report violent domestic incidents, but feel intimidated by the thought that they may only be able to reach an English-speaking emergency services operator.

One place the women do tend to speak out more universally, though, is at the hair salon. This is one of the few havens where women feel safe to confess the things that are going on at home, and can have someone listen to their troubles. So the University of Illinois is teaming up with Mujeres Latinas en Accion to implement a program where Spanish-speaking hairstylists in the Chicago area can help their clientele get the help they need, if any are suffering from domestic abuse and don’t know where to turn.

The program relies on the intimate bond of trust between women and their hairstylists, and the fact that the hairstylist can get a close-up look at a woman to see if she shows any signs of abuse. The hairstylist can then discreetly take the woman aside to speak with her, in a setting that is much more comfortable and less intimidating than a police station.

The hope is that participating hairstylists will be able to make a positive impact on the domestic abuse rate in Chicago’s Spanish-speaking community, as well as giving more women an outlet where they can feel free to express themselves without fear of retribution, and without the problems often associated with the language barrier.

Tags: chicago hairstylists, ending domestic violence, hispanic hairstylists, mujeres latinas en accion

In 2008 there was no question of how the Latino community would vote – the promise of Obama, the man who would bring change to an ailing nation, won over the hearts of not just Hispanics, but all of America. More than two-thirds of Hispanic voters cast their ballots for the Democratic candidate who, to them, represented a beacon of hope cutting through an otherwise bleak future. As the end of Obama’s term approaches, however, many Latinos are asking themselves if the change they were hoping for has happened, or whether they might have to look elsewhere to find more of the answers they have been seeking.

It seems that the challenges facing the Latino community have multiplied this year, which is certainly unfortunate timing for Obama, but the debate continues over whether or not the current problems are actually Obama’s fault. Although the issues surrounding immigration, and especially the new laws in Alabama, seem to be a blemish associated with the Republican party, many Hispanics clearly remember Obama promising to stride forward on the question of creating more reasonable ways for immigrants to attain citizenship. Three years on, not only has this not happened, but many families in Alabama are having to make the heartbreaking choice between living in hiding or leaving their homes forever.

There is the problem, though, of whom to vote for if the Latino community cannot rely on Obama to stand up for them. Certainly it seems unlikely, given the current themes in the GOP platform, that many would vote for a Republican, but that does not necessarily mean they will want to vote for Obama again, either. It’s a situation that doesn’t have any clear-cut solution, as deportations hit a record high under this administration. In the words of some disgruntled Latino voters, “in many ways, he ended up being worse than Bush.”

So what will it take for Latinos to support the president in the same way they did in 2008? Aside from finally doing something about the immigration issue, Obama will also have to show that he can do something concrete about the creation of jobs. The Hispanic community has been hit particularly hard by the recession, and without employment, it will be difficult for many to see the benefit of voting for Obama again. If he wants the support of the Latino vote in 2012, he will soon have to make the kinds of sweeping changes he promised in 2008, and frankly, the clock is ticking.

Tags: latino vote, obama, obama 2012, rock the vote

When Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs passed away last week from complications following a battle with pancreatic cancer, many debates sparked regarding Jobs’ dedication to the larger community outside the field of business. Critics pointed out that Jobs not only was not a fan of charities, he specifically cut all of Apple’s philanthropic programs in 1997. Jobs claimed that although he preferred to keep philanthropy out of his business, he did make some private charity donations.

What was less publicized, however, is that Jobs’ wife, Lauren Powell Jobs, is not only an active philanthropist, she actually co-founded an organization called College Track. College Track helps low-income high school students, most of whom are African-American or Latino, prepare for college through a program of intensive after-school study and one-on-one mentoring.

Powell Jobs began tutoring and advising minority students in the 1990s, and the founding of College Track involved significant private donations from the Jobs family. Powell Jobs did not just stop at financial backing, though – she continued to mentor students directly, up until the time when her husband’s failing health prompted her to take an indefinite break from her work. She has continually been known for her uncanny ability to bond with students, some of whom had begun to believe that no one would ever understand them or their problems.

With the passing of Steve Jobs, Lauren Powell Jobs stands to inherit a staggering amount of money, and given her tendency toward charity in low-income communities, it stands to reason that College Track, and in turn the Latino community, will benefit greatly.

Many bloggers and personalities in the online community have also called for their readership to donate to College Track, with some offering a donation match as an incentive. The charitable foundation associated with salesforce.com, for example, has agreed to match reader donations up to a total of $500,000, a shockingly generous figure. This combined with reader donations would bring their total donation to $1 million.

For high school students who are motivated to go to college but do not have the resources, College Track is a significant help. Given that there has been so much negative news recently regarding hispanic students affected by the recent law changes in Alabama, it is wonderful to hear how so many of College Track’s beneficiaries are members of the Latino community, and how a nation mourning the loss of one of its most successful visionaries is banding together to make a difference where it is needed most.

Tags: latino aid, latino lawyer, steve jobs

Terrified parents in Hispanic communities all over Alabama have been keeping their children out of school this fall, after the new immigration law has had nothing short of a disastrous effect on the way that the children’s eligibility is assessed. Although schools are doing their best to assure parents, both in English and Spanish, that the schools are safe for children, many parents do not want to take the risk that if they send their kids to class, they could be questioned or even detained.

Any student that enrolls after September 29 of this year must produce a birth certificate as proof of eligibility. Students who refuse to do so or whose birth certificates are not from the United States must provide further proof that they have the right to be in the country, and if they cannot do so within thirty days, the failure to prove legal residence will be recorded in the state’s student management database. Although it is unclear what might be done with that information at a later date, and no students will be denied enrollment, many parents have decided not to take any chances, thus effectively denying their children an education.

The new law only affects students who are enrolling after September 29, which means that students who enrolled in August when the school year started are not subject to the law. Nonetheless, attendance numbers are down even amongst students who are already enrolled. Parents are worried that any questioning would lead to detainment, and that is a situation to be avoided at all costs.

Those students who have been brave enough to come to school have been frightened, and many spend their class time crying or in states of anxiety.

It is not only school attendance that is affected in Alabama, though. A panic has swept through the state that has kept Hispanic families literally hiding in their homes for fear of being picked up on the street. Families are staying indoors and sending scouts out for things like food and household supplies, essentially rendering themselves prisoners in their own homes.

Aside from the cost in terms of human rights, the school system itself stands to lose a significant amount of money if attendance numbers stay low. In addition, standardized testing will also suffer, as schools are required to have a minimum number of participants in order to qualify for yearly progress certification. Overall, the entire system stands to suffer greatly if no changes are made to the current law as it stands.

Tags: alabama, bi-lingual lawyer, immigration law, immigration scare

In seeking to tell the story of America, one has to search even more fervently to tell the story of those who so frequently aren’t offered a voice: the minority groups that are woven into the very fabric of this country, and whose presence has changed the evolution of the United States for the better. In the new HBO documentary The Latino List, filmmakers aim to bring that hidden story to the surface, to show a very stark and real portrayal of the Hispanic experience in America.

This is not the first project in the List series, though – photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders started out several years ago with a project called The Black List, a title with an intentional double meaning to underline what it means to be African-American and to have negative connotations associated with one’s race. The Black List consisted simple portraits of African-Americans, and over time HBO made three volumes of the documentary series.

Now, Sanders turns his creative eye to a topic that is heavy on the current political radar: what it means to be Latino in today’s American society. If there is one subject that divides people most decisively at the moment, it’s the issue of immigration, and more specifically, of Hispanic immigration. For some, the very word “Latino” conjures up a negative image. This is an image that Sanders seeks to challenge.

When the documentary team first started working on The Latino List, SB 1070 had just become law in Arizona and the debate over immigration was just starting to accelerate. Over time, it became clear that this would be more than just a documentary outlining what it means to be Latino – it would be a story of what it means to be an outsider in one’s own country.

Because of the current paranoia regarding illegal immigration, this documentary is set to have even more of an effect than The Black Listdid when it was first released. The Latino List will premiere on Thursday, September 29, and it’s one of the most anticipated documentaries of the year. Although it’s likely that some will see the film as propaganda, it’s important to keep in mind that at the time the project started, the immigration debate was just starting to pick up speed. No one could have predicted that the documentary’s message and the tension currently prevailing in American society would collide at such a critical juncture.

Tags: latino lawyer, Spanish speaking lawyer, The Latino List

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, and during this period when the rights and voices of Hispanics across the country are being challenged, the celebration couldn’t come at a better time. Cities throughout the nation are marking the occasion with special events, performances, and exhibitions highlighting the the pride that Hispanics have for their heritage, and emphasizing the ways in which Hispanics contribute to the nationwide community.

Generations of Hispanic Americans have helped shaped our nation into what it is today, and National Hispanic Heritage Month is a fitting tribute to those who might otherwise be forgotten. The Smithsonian Institution has partnered with the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, and other organizations to salute the countless Hispanics who have served the United States through art, politics, science, and service in the armed forces.

Whether you are part of an Hispanic community or simply want to take part in the celebrations, you’re sure to be able to find events in your area that you can attend to show your support. The official website has a list of highlighted events, but you can also search online for events that are local to your area. Just about every community nationwide is participating, so whether you live in a heavily-populated urban area or a small rural town, you should be able to pinpoint related events that will be of interest to you and that you can attend.

Because of the current presidential election season, a lot of political and legal issues surrounding Hispanics in the United States have been brought to the public’s attention in recent months, and there have been many debates and speculation about questions relevant to the Hispanic community, such as immigration. Although these are certainly important matters that must be addressed assertively, it’s also a good idea to take some time out to simply appreciate the contribution

Tags: hispanic heritage, national hispanic heritage month

Continuing legal education is a must for all lawyers. But what about updating your other skills? Try e-learning.

Remember, e-learning is an experience that must be coupled with making a real connection, which is product of information exchange and relationship building. Be ready to ASK: accept sharing knowledge.

When does e-learning offer you breakthrough interpersonal moments?

Learn new skills to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.

The question of how non-English-speaking students should be taught in Arizona is an issue that is currently being dealt with at state and federal levels, in order to avoid a lawsuit regarding the civil rights of teachers whose first language is not English.  In May of last year, several unnamed parties filed an official civil rights complaint against the state of Arizona, claiming that state monitoring of classrooms had led to some teachers with non-native accents being reassigned and taken away from their classes for mispronunciation of words.

The federal government instructed Arizona officials that their current system of assessing the English fluency of Arizona teachers could be discriminatory, if the end result is to remove mostly Hispanic and non-native English speaking teachers from the classroom.  If discrimination is found, the federal government’s only choice would be to allow a lawsuit to be filed against the Arizona Department of Education in support of the original complaint.  In response, the Department of Education has agreed to remove the fluency portion of their monitoring form, leaving the local independent school districts to assess on their own whether or not their teachers are fluent.

At the state level, however, monitors will continue to assess fluency and talk to individual schools about teachers whom they think have insufficient English skills to be teaching English learners.  The state’s worry is that students who are learning English are not progressing well enough to pass standardized tests, and that teachers have been caught teaching students in Spanish or handing out Spanish reading materials.

Arizona law stipulates that only English is allowed to be taught or spoken in classrooms, and students who are learning English are expected to progress at a rate that reflects being taught in a fluent English-only environment.  Monitors have reported that some non-native teachers with heavy accents mispronounce English words, causing the students to replicate the errors.  Other problems included poor grammar, incorrect spelling, and insufficient reading levels in English.

While Arizona’s goal is not to remove teachers from classrooms, programs are being put in place to help correct mistakes in the teaching of English across the state, including classes that will help teachers with heavy accents improve their pronunciation.  Fluency coaches may also be provided if the individual school deems it necessary.

The Arizona Department of Education has stressed that no teachers were fired over monitoring reports, and that the purpose of the monitoring is to maximize the benefit of classes for students. But is this monitoring truly helping students progress in their language skills?

Tags: arizona classroom, arizona teachers, latino legal issues, non-english speaking, Spanish speaking lawyer