These Washington, D.C. roommates living in Mount Pleasant often use Airbnb to rent out their house while they are away. This time, they returned home to a disaster. Their house guest had thrown a raging party, trashed the place, and stolen thousands of dollars’ worth of clothing, jewelry, and laptop computers. Read the full story, including a statement from Airbnb about the incident, here… http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/270368290-story
Airbnb: Dedicated to “Weeding Out” Criminal House Guests, as These Users Found Out the Hard Way
- Antiquities, Shmantiquities: Can the President Legally Destroy National Monuments?
Earlier this year, Donald J. Trump signed the Antiquities Executive Order, which directs the Department of the Interior to review and propose changes to current national monument designations. Most legal scholars agree that the President does not have the power to alter or revoke national monuments and that allowing him to do so would set […]
Post a comment - DC Enacts Physician-assisted Suicide Law
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel E. Bowser quietly approved legislation making the District the seventh jurisdiction in the United States to allow terminally ill patients to end their lives legally. The legislation is modeled after the nation’s first physician-assisted suicide law, enacted in Oregon. Voters have approved similar laws in Washington state and Colorado, as […]
Post a comment - DC Council to Vote on Paid Family Leave
The long-debated proposal to increase family leave benefits is moving closer to a vote by the DC Council. The proposed legislation, which appears to have the support of a majority of Council members, would require employers to provide 11 weeks of paid family leave for parents to care for newborn or adopted children and 8 […]
Post a comment - The Right to Die with Dignity
George F. Will, in the Washington Post, writes a thoughtful piece about some of the ethical and legal aspects of a person’s right to end his or her life highlighting, of course, Brittany Maynard’s choice last year to move to Oregon to be relieved of the suffering caused by terminal brain cancer. The article includes a […]
Post a comment - Are Uber Drivers Employees or Contractors?
Johnson Law Group business clients often ask us about the advantages anddisadvantages of hiring employees versus hiring contractors, and what each approach entails. This can be a complicated decision to make. Recently, California decided that Uber drivers are employees, not contractors. If upheld, this decision could have major consequences for the Uber business model. Read […]
Post a comment - Is There a Right to Die?
Three states have laws on the books that provide a right to die, including Vermont, Washington and Oregon, with a recent case making the news in Vermont. See http://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2015/02/10/johnson-woman-believed-to-be-first-vermonter-to-use-end-of-life-law?utm_source=Seven+Days+Email+Newsletters&utm_campaign=68fba810e0-Daily_7_Tuesday_0210152_10_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_24eb556688-68fba810e0-296169889. This is an issue that Johnson Law Group clients are increasingly concerned about as they undertake planning for life transitions. Nationally, the issue has taken on […]
Post a comment - Robin Williams and Careful Estate Planning
The importance of thoughtful estate planning can’t be over-emphasized. Even the estate Robin Williams, which likely benefited from the expenditure of considerable resources, is not immune to the pitfalls of failing to think through all estate contingencies. Read more by clicking on the link below. http://thetrustadvisor.com/news/robin-williams-widow-sues-estate-does-the-trust-trump-survivor-rights?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoku6rBZKXonjHpfsX56u4oW6%2B%2FlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DSsVkI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrDBMbhrzrgLXRk%3D
Post a comment - Middle-aged (or older), Single and the Law
We recently penned an article in collaboration with Angela Beckham for the February 2015 newsletter of a prominent “older-person” support organization that had identified a range of legal and other challenges facing single people as they age. Read the entire piece at the link provided below. http://www.capitolhillvillage.org/chv/documents/2-15_CHVNews.pdf
Post a comment - D.C.’s Continued Struggle with “Pop-ups”
The District government continues to struggle with balancing housing, economic development and aesthetic concerns in its attempt to regulate “pop-up” housing construction. Read more in the Washington Post… http://wapo.st/15QYerX
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