As I noted in this previous post, I am the new Chair of the American Bar Association (“ABA”), General Practice, Solo and Small Firm’s Division, Agriculture Law Committee. You can join the Committee and the Discussion List here. I have restructured the subcommittees as follows: 1. Ag ADR: mediation, arbitration 2. Ag Estate/Succession Planning, Family Law, and Taxation: estate planning,succession …
Evaluating Real Estate Appraisals
Roger F. Tibble, Esq. recently published an excellent article in the ABA GP Solo & Small Firm Division’s Law Trends regarding the value of real estate appraisals. I found this article of particular interest to me because I practice matrimonial law where the Husband and Wife’s appraisals may significantly vary from one another. I don’t envy the job of an …
Some Thoughts On Contacting An Attorney for a Consultation
I read this excellent blog post last night from Alison Rowe, an equine lawyer in Texas, titled “How To Cold-Call An Attorney.” She did a great job covering preparation, expectation, listening and timing. I especially liked Alison’s advice on explaining your problem to your attorney in four sentences or less and contacting an attorney well before the court appearance. A …
What Is The Animal Cruelty Law In Your State?
This weekend I discovered that the National Agriculture Law Center has a helpful state-by-state analysis of animal cruelty laws in the United States. Even though there are several federal statutes that regulate this issue, animal cruelty statutes vary significantly from state-to-state. It is interesting to pull up the statutes in various states and run a comparison. Though the National Agriculture …
Saturday Links
It’s been a busy week. I have been catching up on my blog feed before heading to the gym. This is what I found: This month’s Pennsylvania State Agriculture Law Brief has updates on the G-20 Action Plan, Hydraulic Fracturing, and the White House Rural Council. I excitedly received a Google+ invite this week from a respected family law …
More Than a Handshake – Embryo Transfer Contracts For The Livestock Industry
Happy Fourth of July from NYC! I posted two articles on JD Supra regarding why the beef industry (and the livestock industry) needs to have written embryo transfer contracts. As an aside, I have been contacted several times over the last year about whether I charge for articles or a regular monthly column. I write when I have time. If …
Seeking Consumer Groups in NYC Interested In Learning More About Beef Industry
As I noted last winter, I am on the National Beef Speakers Bureau for American National Cattlewomen Inc. (“ANCW”). I am available to speak to interested consumers in metropolitan New York City and surrounding areas about the beef cattle industry. If you are interested, please contact me at cari@rinckerlaw.com or (212) 427-2049. On another note, I am also available to …
Liability in Highway Accidents Involving Livestock
There was an interesting article on page 5 of the May 16, 2011 edition of County Folks by Jay Girvin, Esq. of Girvin & Ferlazzo, P.C. about whether a livestock owners can be held liable if their animal wanders off their farm and causes a highway accident. You can review the full article online here. Mr. Girvin accurately noted that …
Monday Links
I hope all my readers had a nice weekend. After a tough workout, I was able to catch-up on my NetNewsWire Google Reader feed yesterday over a warm cup of coffee. I thought the following posts were worth noting: 1. I have worked as a legal consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization (“FAO”) of the United Nations in Rome. …
“Peace Officers”: New York Is Not Alone….
If you have been following this blog then you know that I have written several posts and articles relating to livestock animal cruelty law in New York. Pursuant to New York Agriculture & Markets Law, duly incorporated animal societies (principally the New York Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (“SPCA”)) can obtain warrants to search and seize farm animals. …
Completed the Beef Quality Assurance Producer Certification Manual
As I noted in this blog a few months ago, I am currently completing the Beef Quality Assurance (“BQA”) training through the New York Beef Industry Council, Inc. Last weekend, I have reviewed the Producer Certification Manual for the Mid-Atlantic region (which includes Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Maine, New Jersey and Vermont). After reviewing the materials, I …
New Jersey To Vote On Open Space Funding Affecting Farmland and Rural Communities
Historically, the New Jersey Legislature has appropriated significant monies for Open Space, Farmland and Historic Preservation Funding for the Garden State; however, since state revenues are down in New Jersey and the Garden State Preservation Trust (“GSPT”) is virtually depleted, the New Jersey Legislature left this issue for its voters to decide this November. The Green Acres, Water Supply and …