I grew up with the Grateful Dead, seeing my first Show at 15 in 1976 at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ. I'll never forget the feeling of elation when the gold tickets arrived in the mail after my brother and I sent money to a post office box in San Rafael , California against the advice of my dad, who figured we were getting scammed.

Tomorrow night, some 37 years later, ... << MORE >>

The Boston Marathon bombings give "terror" a new definition. The suspects- one dead and one in custody- appear to be two misguided brothers with no obvious link to any international terror network. Two guys, with backpacks and bad intentions, exploded our collective perception of what the face of terror looks like on American soil.

Whether it's gun-toting lunatics shooting up a school or theatre, or bomb-exploding jerks seeking infamy, we all have ... << MORE >>

One of the most unfortunate situations I frequently encounter is an injured client with limited or no ability to get compensation for their injuries. In these difficult economic times, people often elect to purchase cheap "mini" insurance policies that provide limited Personal Injury Protection benefits (PIP) for medical bills, no liability coverage and no uninsured (UM) or underinsured (UIM) coverage.

As I've stated here before,  your UM coverage applies if you ...

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Identity theft is not a topic I usually consider. Not until today, at least, when I was informed by one of my financial institutions that an account of mine had been hacked and some nefarious n'are- do- well made off with thousands. After spending 85 minutes on the phone with the company fraud investigator, a file has been opened, an investigation launched and maybe I won't be held liable for the misappropriated funds. Maybe.

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Often during a busy work day, the telephone rings while my assistant is at the copier, helping a client or otherwise engaged.  As I pick up the phone and before hearing the voice at the other end, I wonder if this call is the next "big" case.  Though sometimes it is just that, frequently it's a person with a  simple legal problem who just wants to talk and "pick the brain" of a lawyer.
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I currently represent 74 former medical assistant students of the Harris School of Business, Linwood, NJ in their consumer fraud claims against the school.  Above is a link to a 2 part story recently aired on Fox Philly News where I am interviewed about the case. ... << MORE >>

Thirty-seven former students sue Harris School of Business in Linwood over accreditations

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If you've pled guilty or been found guilty of a non-indictable offense, that fact is on your permanent criminal record. In most instances, after awaiting the statutorily prescribed time,you would be eligible to apply for expungement of your criminal record and have that judicial finding erased from your record.

In order to obtain expungement of your record, a Petition for Expungement must be filed with the Court and multiple local and state law enforcement agencies must be alerted to your application. If no objection is received by the Court from any law enforcement agencies, ... << MORE >>

I had previously done a blog entry entitled auto insurance 101 in which I discussed the basic considerations in selecting the right auto insurance policy for you and your family. Some recent client experiences show me that the average consumer needs even more information when considering auto insurance options.

When purchasing auto insurance, your agent will ask you if you have health insurance and, if so, would you like for your health insurance company to be the primary payer of auto accident related bills. Always answer this question with a firm "No."  Why? ... << MORE >>

A Government Accountability Office investigation recently found that many for-profit colleges made deceptive or questionable statements to prospective students, including underestimating the costs of their programs, giving false statistics for employability after graduation and encouraging applicants to lie on their federal financial aid forms.

Everyone wants to improve their lot in life.  It is basic human nature to strive for the next rung on the ladder.  For-profit schools offer the hope of a promising career or new beginning for people seeking training in vocations such as medical assisting, computerized accounting, massage therapy, pharmacy technician,or legal office technology.  However, applicants to these for-profit organizations should be extremely wary of what they are committing to before they sign on the dotted line.  Often times, what you don't know at first can come back to bite you later.

CHECK THE SCHOOL'S ACCREDITATION
If the career field you are pursuing requires a certification or license, make sure the school you're considering is properly accredited so as to enable you to sit for the certification or licensing exam you desire.  I represent 12 former students of a local for-profit school who were told by admissions representatives and school officials they'd be able to sit for a particular certification exam after they finished their school curriculum.  The problem arose as the students were finishing their program and began to apply to take the certification test sought, only to be told by the certifying testing body that the school they attended was not properly accredited so as to enable the students to sit for the test.

Upon hearing the initial representations of school officials, had any of the students thought to check with either of the two accrediting agencies the school could have been accredited by so as to enable students to take the test, that student would have learned the truth about the school's accreditation and understood the extent of the lies they were told by school officials.


ARE YOU JUST A NUMBER?
Most students do not have $10,000+ to lay out for tuition.  Attendees of for-profit schools are eligible to receive loans and grants in order to cover their tuition costs.  As a result, the school has a big financial motive to make sure that any person who signs up remains enrolled, regardless of that person's intelligence level or aptitude in their chosen field.

For-profit colleges are occupation-specific institutions that offer degrees and certifications in everything from cosmetology to criminal justice.  Most of their revenue-sometimes as much as 89%-comes from federal student loans or grants, making high enrollment a priority. If a student fails out of the program, the school loses the state unemployment funding and federal loans and grants received on behalf of the student.  So, even if Jane Jones is failing a course, for-profit schools have been known to change grades of the failing student to passing in order to keep the student on the enrollment books and the loans and grant money coming in.

In the consumer fraud claim I am currently handling on behalf of 12 former students of a local for-profit school, former teachers and administrative staff have testified that they were ordered by the school operators to change grades of failing students in order to keep enrollment up and the loan and grant money coming in.


ASK QUESTIONS
At your initial interview and before you sign on the dotted line, ask lots of questions and document what you were told and by whom.  If you seek to build on your education and attend another school after the for-profit school, and you hope to transfer credits to the second school, ask the for-profit school admissions representative if the credits earned there are transferrable to another institution.  Then check with that other school to see if the credits from the for-profit school will be accepted.  Ask school officials about the school's accreditation and about job placement rates for graduates in career-related positions.

The recent Government Accountability Office study was based on an undercover investigation of 15 "colleges", all of whom made deceptive or questionable statements about the accreditation of their school or the transferrability of credits or the costs of the education.  The United States Department of Education has previously determined that for-profit school graduates have an 'alarmingly high" rate of student loan debt and default.

My experience suggests there is a direct link between the lies and deceptions schools tell their applicants and the extent to which students rely on the representations and are unsuccessful in the program.  To avoid becoming a casualty of the for-profit school scam, be on guard and make sure you do your homework before going to school.