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Is That Even Legal?

Author: Attorney Robert Sewell

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The law impacts almost everything we do, several times a day. Sometimes we break the law and don't even know it! Attorney Bob Sewell explores what is legal in today's society by asking experts the age old question - Is That Even Legal? And getting the answers in plain language...while having a bit of fun.
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Covenant marriage recently made headlines when the new Speaker of the House took his position in Washington, D.C. He has one, and so the media tried to figure out just what it was.They painted covenant marriage as quirky and as weird as they could make it, but the law’s roots are based in a good intention...try to stem the tide of divorces across the land. "No-Fault" divorce laws are blamed by some for the dwindling permanence of what once was one of our most cherished relationships...the institution of marriage. So, "covenant marriages," were invented in some states as a legal way to try to “help” couples stay together, with the state getting involved. If you made marriage covenants, are you in a covenant marriage?  Listen in to find out.As with most laws Bob examines, there are lots of unintended consequences when the government tries to solve something through laws. Divorce law guru and law firm partner Melissa Benson makes her debut on the show to answer the questions. Covenant Marriage: Do you have one? Should you have one? What happens if it blows up?
From Politico: There have been 27 different bills proposed across 16 states pushing for kids’ privacy and safety regulations by February of this year, according to analysis from the Future of Privacy Forum. Many of these bills share similarities, like banning targeted advertising to children, or banning addictive designs from social networks. Numerous states are taking up kids’ online safety bills this year, a handful are including parental oversight requirements as part of their strategy. Lawmakers in Maryland and California have proposed such regulation. Utah last month wrote it into law.But, in trying to protect children by requiring  that their parents oversee their social media use...and requiring that socials ASK children to prove they are children...thereby divulging private information...are the laws designed to protect minors actually going to infringe on the privacy of those minors?Bob wanted to know!   He invited Romaine Marshall, one of the country's top cybersecurity and privacy lawyers to join the show...Romaine happens to be HQ'd in Utah...and has been a dad to a teenager...who best to ask about these types of laws...and what they mean for privacy going forward.BUT WE COULDN'T STOP THERE...Because computers control everything in our society...from power grids to watersheds to traffic systems...cybersecurity is critical to our country's safety...and Romaine has been busy protecting  the world from bad hackters...listen in.
When "Swifties went through the wringer to get tickets to Taylor Swift's  "The Eras Tour," one among them was not about to "Shake it Off," when she saw what she thought was a potential pattern of fraudulent behavior and antitrust violations by Ticketmaster. That fan was attorney Jennifer Anne Kinder. Kinder is one Swifty who is now saying to the ticket-selling behemoth..."Look What You Made Me Do," launching  lawsuits, websites and a social and traditional media campaign to #takedownticketmaster.  Bob, ever on the lookout for inadequate antitrust regulation or enforcement...and like all of us...LONGS for the days when concerts were affordable enough to enjoy frequently...asked Jennifer to join him to sort out the issues.  What started as a way to shut out scalpers, she says, has resulted in complete reduction in power for the average consumer in the live entertainment ecosystem.   And Kinder is not stopping with Swift fans...having also sued on behalf of fans of Beyonce. Look for more action on behalf of heavy metal, classical, EDM, & rap fans. Sounds like some real “Vigilante Sh*t!”  Listen In!More articles:Sorry, There's No Such Thing as a “Fair" Ticket Price in an Age of Income Inequality, Consequence of Sound, March 27, 2023.Senate Judiciary Committee sends warning to Ticketmaster over Beyoncé tour tickets, The Hill, February 2, 2023.Justice Dept. Is Said to Investigate Ticketmaster’s Parent Company, New York Times, January 24, 2023.Live Nation subsidiaries got millions in aid meant for independent venues, Washington Post, May 22, 2022.Live Nation, a company behind Astroworld, has a long history of safety violations, NPR, November 8, 2021.U.S. and Plaintiff States V. Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. and Live Nation, Inc., The United States Department of Justice, January 28, 2020.Ticketmaster / Live Nation merger: Azoff and Rapino talk paperless ticketing, dynamic pricing, Ticket News, September 10, 2009. (Note: dynamic pricing was always the goal!)Big Music vs. Fans and Artists, New York Times, February, 8, 2009.
According to Investopedia...which ranks and reviews a whole range of financial services and products, LegalShield was the top overall "online legal service," in the U.S. in 2022.What is an online legal service and why does that matter?  Should you use one?Recently LegalShield named a new CEO. Warren Schlichting is a veteran technology and media executive with experience at places such as Sling TV and Dish Network.Bob wanted to meet Warren, learn more about his plans for LegalShield and talk about the future of legal services...and how this company fits in.More and more, consumers and businesses are understanding that traditional legal service delivery models are not only outdated, but they don't serve a large portion of the public.  How much does LegalShield address these issues?Listen in!
There's a reason movies like Knives Out...and Glass Onion are so popular. Human nature never comes more to the surface then at the time of a death...particularly if there is an e$tate involved!How realistic are those movies? Is there really a will reading? Can there really be a dramatic change of plans at the last minute?Come learn about the probate process as Estate Planning lawyer and podcast guest host extraordinaire (yes she does have a "knife out" for Bob's job...) Sarah Clifford interviews the master himself...BOB! Taking him through the dramatic scenes and circumstances of the Knives Out movie to see what is really real and what is fiction.Bob, whose aspirations include the movie business himself...is a seasoned probate litigator who prides himself on telling his clients...and his listeners in 86 countries...exactly how it is. So come get the real script.While it is not necessarily true to the movies, Bob says probate litigation rarely lacks drama and often is full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.Listen in!
Every day we encounter the law. Sometimes we need a lawyer. Often, accessing quality legal assistance - truly good lawyers who know what they are doing, backed by the resources of a law firm - is beyond the resources of the everyday person or podcast listener. What is there to do?Millions of Americans and Canadians have filled this gap by becoming members of LegalShield or finding other ways to access lawyers. When someone has this service...where they can call in and talk with a lawyer,  what is it like to be a lawyer handling those calls?Do those lawyers get results?  Bob talks to access to justice warrior Ingrid Carlin, who has been helping people for years, to get the real life stories of the law helping real people.Listen in!!
Is it really "natural" food? (hint, there is NO definition from the FDA) Does it really have fruit in it, or just "flavoring?" How much beef in a "beef,"   fast food item is "reasonable?"What if the package is half empty whey you buy it? What if it is baby food and contains dangerous metals?If a cow eats GMO grain, is it's milk natural?As host Bob Sewell would say...what the hell is "natural food?" and what is "free range," or "grass fed?"Should you sue over your food?! If you do...what do you get if you win?In this episode, Bob interviews food law guru Ivan Wasserman to discuss. everything from Pop Tarts to Froot Loops to Red Bull.  For good measure, Ivan does some "Probiotic comedy!"From the American Bar Association:"The food and beverage industry continues to face increasing scrutiny over labeling and advertising. Despite the pandemic, the number of class actions targeting the food and beverage industry increased last year and shows no signs of slowing down......given the competitive plant-based protein segment, the food and beverage industry should expect a substantial uptick in litigation. The year 2020 saw a 10-year high in food and beverage class action filings. Overall, there was an 80 percent increase in class action filings from the prior year. The upward trend in class action litigation and the burgeoning area of plant-based products suggest that the business of food litigation is anything but stale."
You can be silenced. You can Be Censored. Is That Even Legal?In this episode, Bob is joined by 1st Amendment expert and Constitutional Scholar Eugene Volokh, the Gary T. Schwartz Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law and co-founder of the Volokh Conspiracy blog, hosted at Reason.com.Listen as Bob and Volokh discuss censorship on social media such as Twitter and Facebook, where many, from Trump to regular citizens, are being banned.Are social media outlets the modern public square?  As private entities can they determine who has a voice and what gets said?You hear a lot that “changing Section 230,” will stop censorship. Will it? And, What is Section 230?Should the government impose rules?  Constitutionally, can they?Is social media more like a telephone company, or  more like a newspaper or a magazine?  The answer may determine the future of censorship. Listen Now!
According to a recent report, 27 percent of Americans have had an office romance...and a quarter of those romances were with their boss. This despite heightened public scrutiny following a litany of high-profile sexual misconduct cases. Is that even legal? Bob chats with a company workplace attorney Emma Chalverus to find out what's legal
In this episode Bob puts on the tool belt to talk with attorney David Williams. Many of us have had the experience of hiring a contractor who didn't do the job right. Maybe they abandoned the job altogether. Is that EVEN LEGAL? On the other side of the equation, almost every contractor has had that one customer from HECK, who held them hostage in a sea of unfair and unwarranted complaints. When it comes to the law and contractors...don't DIY.! Listen in.
If there is one thing that has been brought into focus recently is that everyone needs and deserves access to justice. One of the biggest barriers to that access is cost. Some state bar associations are exploring expanded roles for non-lawyers to lower costs, and increase access, but it's unclear how and whether that will work. Jeff Bell's company, LegalShield has a different approach to bringing down costs and increasing access, and it is now is use by nearly two million people.
Divorce is messy, emotional and traumatic. Even more so when children - including future children are involved. Just ask Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, who faced a lawsuit from her own embryos. In an Arizona Supreme Court Case this year, Terrell v. Torres, the Supreme Court directed the donation of cryopreserved embryos to another couple following the parties' divorce per their contract with the fertility clinic. Is that even legal? What does it mean for future babies? Bob gets to the bottom of it with family law lawyer Spencer Schiefer.
There you are. You are worried about your bills already. Then comes the bill from the HOA. You are reminded that not paying that bill can bring a lot of trouble. You may also be reminded of all the benefits you get from belonging to a Homeowners Association. Or, you may be considering certain things your particular HOA does or doesn’t do and have always wondered...IS THAT EVEN LEGAL? Bob's guest is Allison Preston, who serves as general counsel to many Arizona Community Associations.
They quarantined Typhoid Mary back in the day because she, well, carried Typhoid. Many today are not sick, but are quarantined or sheltered in place by their governments. Bob's guest is constitutional lawyer and former Arizona Solicitor General Rob Ellman, here to discuss...Is That Even Legal?
There have been some shocking studies recently that MANY married folks are planning to get divorced as soon as COVID-19 calms down. The Great Quarantine of 2020 has proven to be a strain on even some of the best marriages. My guest is the number one divorce attorney in the country's fifth largest metropolitan area - Phoenix, Arizona. He says he's about to get really busy...BUT he has advice on how NOT to be his client. Meet Douglas Gardner, author of Amazing Intentions, the Divorce Attorney Who Wants to Save Your Marriage.
Financial programs to help businesses and consumers in the wake of the COVID-19 economic shutdown are underway.  Find out more in this interview with Pernell McGuire, managing partner of the law firm Davis Miles McGuire Gardner. Some businesses and individuals, despite theirs and the government's best efforts, may still need bankruptcy for a fresh start as a result of COVID-19's effects. Is that even legal?  What about student loans? Rent? Mortgages?  Download now.
Special Edition. The Family First Act - what's even legal now?We are all impacted by the Coronavirus in some way...and a new law that goes into effect April 2, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, will affect many listeners. Your host Bob Sewell explores with lawyer Scott Gibson how the act expands unemployment benefits, mandates job protected paid and unpaid leave for reasons related to coronavirus, and requires certain employers to pay emergency sick leave. You'll want to know...is that even legal?Video version here: https://vimeo.com/user107986343
These days you can be sued for almost anything. In order to protect their hard earned wealth, a lot of people use some kind of asset protection. What is it?  Who does it? Who should do it and how? Is it legal?Bob talks with attorney and entrepreneur John Skableund to get the deets.
We love our cats, dogs, birds and all kinds of critters we call pets. In fact, more than 65 percent of American households have a pet -- 85 million peopleYou can leave your estate to your kids and other humans...but what about taking care of your furry family?  Is that even legal?Bob visits with Pet Trust lawyer Sarah Clifford to sort out whether leaving money to non-humans is legal...and if so...is it only for rich people?
You see something in your news feed. Someone does something. You contemplate doing something. Then it hits you. Is That Even Legal?  Welcome to the podcast that answers that question for every aspect of your life!
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