A number of tax changes were implemented in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, signed into law on January 2nd of this year. The Act passed in response to the imminent expiration of the “Bush tax cuts” and other tax regulations originally passed in 2001 and 2003.

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It has long been held that student loan debt is non-dischargeable in bankruptcy. However, in the case of Krieger v. Educ. Credit Mgmt. Corp., the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Susan Krieger, an Illinois paralegal, was in such financial straits that she was unable to pay off her student loans. It permitted them to be completely discharged.

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Big changes are on the horizon for health insurance, especially where small business owners are concerned. Many Americans get their health insurance through their employers, and beginning January 1, 2014, health insurance will be mandatory for all U.S. citizens.

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One of the latest Wall Street trends is known as litigation financing, and it involves making a loan to individuals or businesses in need of cash to finance a lawsuit or legal defense. It is not a loan in the strictest sense of the word; if the plaintiff or defendant loses the case, they are no longer obligated to pay the financier back.

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Divorces in the state of North Carolina could soon become more difficult as two state legislators seek to pass the “Healthy Marriage Act,” a bill designed to lengthen divorce wait times.

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Public Law 104-199, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), seems to be on its last legs. On April 2, 2013, U.S. Supreme Court Justices were listening to oral arguments and deliberating on possibly striking down DOMA based on its questionable constitutional merit.

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One of the most controversial measures on immigration undertaken by President Obama’s administration has been the action taken by different states with regard to the proposed Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The latest item of contention in relation to the DREAM Act is unfolding in Arizona, a state that has been defiant in complying with the benefits extended to young immigrants by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2012.

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On March 18, 2013, Oregon became the latest state to accept mediation as an alternative to medical malpractice lawsuits. This groundbreaking law, known as Senate Bill 483, had the support of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and the Oregon Medical Association, which are often on opposing sides.

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Prominent attorney and legal scholar Alan Dershowitz is famous for his expert counsel in the high-profile trials of Claus von Bülow, Mike Tyson and O.J. Simpson, but he is now turning his attention to providing smart solutions to the eternally contentious issue of billable hours.

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A bill is currently being heard by the Tennessee State Senate that would bar schools from disciplining student counselors who turn away clients with different religious beliefs or values. The bill, SB 514, has advanced quickly through the Tennessee legislative system on discrimination grounds.

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