The issue brief will examine how U.S. Chamber has created the current economic climate by lobbying for less regulation, transparency, and accountability. Today, U.S. Chamber has become the loudest voice supporting a government bailout, even though their previous actions and rhetoric have all demanded the opposite. and even in this bailout, U.S. Chamber has lobbied to include provisions that give complete immunity to those who have committed fraud, protect executive golden parachutes, and deprive families from protecting their mortgages through bankruptcy.

Although the handout goes into several different areas of the legal climate in Alabama, today I only want to discuss a few cases that I believe are some of the more important recent cases that may have long-lasting implications on legal practice in Alabama. I believe that you will agree that these cases are and will continue to be very important for us all.

In today's world, many litigators are losing their trial skills and opting to settle a case when they should otherwise try the case. Some people are settling cases because they are scared to lose. Some people are settling cases because they don't work them up properly, or don't know how. Don't get me wrong, there are very good reasons for NOT trying many cases. But, if you feel strong enough to put your name on a complaint and file it, it is your responsibility to ensure the client gets your best attempt and that you do not compromise the client's claim by being timid.

There are numerous ways to market your law practice. The purpose of this paper is to list ten marketing methods that have worked effectively for our own firm and for many others. It is important to remember that a modern day plaintiff's firm must take a multi-faceted approach in marketing services to both the general public and other attorneys. In order to take a cost productive and effective approach, your firm must be willing to invest the resources to keep pace with the ever-changing legal profession.

Although no statute or regulation defines the term "predatory lending," industry observers generally describe this type of behavior to include the theories discussed below. It has been estimated that predatory lending costs consumers nationwide $9.1 billion, annually.