Barrie L. Goldstein, LLC

The Declaration of Independence spells out why we needed to break with the King. The Constitution creates the framework for the enjoyment of our basic rights. I have the skills to defend basic rights such as discrimination and unfair government conduct. God Bless America!

Lawyers have a professional obligation to review the facts that a client presents in support his/her case. If the facts suggest a weak case, I recommend that we negotiate a settlement. This approach reduces the amount of attorney's fees!

The nastiest cases involve family disputes. I believe that it is my responsibility to help the client separate emotion from the facts of the case. That's difficul!

Many contracts do not have to be in writing. Just need to show "offer," "acceptance" and "consideration." Having said that, a written contract makes it easier to prove your case. I've reviewed many contracts and spotted lots of issues. Such review many times will save you from litigation.

Values -- norms -- play a vital rule in our constitutional democracy. While a handshake may be good enough in commercial litigation, don't count on that! I come into the picture when there is a dispute over what a contract means.

Justice Department Sets Sights on Wall Street Executives

The New York Times reports that Wall Street executives may soon stand in an uncomfortable spotlight per the U.S. Justice Department. http://buff.ly/1Pkh0Jh

Justice Department Sets Sights on Wall Street Executives New policies prioritize the prosecution of individual employees and put pressure on corporations to turn over evidence against their executives.

A presidential pardon saved my life. Here's why Obama should pardon hundreds more women.

A woman who received a presidential pardon for a drug conspiracy charge points out that the female prison population has increased more than 800 percent within the last 30 years. http://buff.ly/1KqMPPB

A presidential pardon saved my life. Here's why Obama should pardon hundreds more women. It's heartbreaking for the many women in federal prison on nonviolent drug charges to be passed over again and again for a presidential pardon or clemency.

US attorneys hear safety concerns from American Indian tribes over rising crime rates

Rising crime rates have prompted many American Indian tribes to ask U.S. attorneys and prosecutors for help.

US attorneys hear safety concerns from American Indian tribes over rising crime rates U.S. attorneys and prosecutors say they want to help Native American communities bring more cases to court and cut down on crime following a surge of drug abuse, violence, sexual assault and other crimes...

Court Rules NSA Phone Data Collection That Is Now Changing Anyway Is Still Legal

The NSA can continue its controversial phone call records program, but only until the law changes in November.

Court Rules NSA Phone Data Collection That Is Now Changing Anyway Is Still Legal After several years of back-and-forth rulings, an appeals court in Washington, D.C. has ruled today that the NSA's controversial bulk phone data collection program can indeed continue... at least u...

Accused Winnipeg bomber Guido Amsel to plead not guilty, lawyer says

The tragic attack carried out on a Canadian family law lawyer shines an important spotlight on the dangers spouses and those who help them face when individuals in complex divorce cases don't receive necessary mental health care.

Accused Winnipeg bomber Guido Amsel to plead not guilty, lawyer says Guido Amsel finally has a lawyer who says the accused Winnipeg bomber intends to plead not guilty to the charges against him.

EEOC on a Roll: Rules that Title VII Prohibits Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Workplace

The EEOC recently ruled that Title VII prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

EEOC on a Roll: Rules that Title VII Prohibits Sexual Orientation Discrimination in the Workplace In this recent post, I discussed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) aggressive prosecution of gender identity discrimination in employment on

Equality Act Continues Push for LGBT Rights - US News

Will the next battle for LGBT rights take place in the halls of Congress?

Equality Act Continues Push for LGBT Rights - US News Lawmakers are hoping to extend civil rights protections to the LGBT community through the Equality Act.

Bad Online Reviews of Your Business: Harmful? Sure. Defamatory? Not So Sure.

Negative online reviews can hurt your business, but are they defamatory? We take a look at the tort of defamation.

Bad Online Reviews of Your Business: Harmful? Sure. Defamatory? Not So Sure. If you own a small business and have customers and clients, there is a good likelihood that someone, somewhere has published an online review of your company

Artificial Intelligence, Legal Responsibility And Civil Rights |…

The regulation of robots and artificial intelligence may sound like a subject reserved for the movies, but it's a reality here and now. How far should we go when it comes to the legal responsibilities and rights of AI?

Artificial Intelligence, Legal Responsibility And Civil Rights |… I have been a huge science fiction fan as long as I can remember, and a recurring theme in both science fiction literature and movies is the creation of..

Justice Dept. Presses Civil Rights Agenda in Local Courts

The Justice Department is playing an increasingly active role in local lawsuits alleging a lack of access to public defenders. http://buff.ly/1is8qh4

Justice Dept. Presses Civil Rights Agenda in Local Courts The government has waded into cases involving legal aid, transgender students, juvenile prisoners and people who take videos of police officers.

Where Should a Poor Family Live?

Existing policies for attacking housing discrimination and segregation being challenged with new approaches. http://buff.ly/1MAli1p

Where Should a Poor Family Live? The promise of integration vs. the reality of segregation.

Lawyers and the Ick Factor - The New Yorker

Companies are increasingly turning to litigation finance companies to fund their commercial litigation battles.

Lawyers and the Ick Factor - The New Yorker Is the legal innovation of litigation finance levelling the playing field or making justice a commodity?

Bill to Ban Discrimination Against LGBT People Faces Hurdles

GOP opposition will make passing federal LGBT anti-discrimination legislation a tall order. http://buff.ly/1hbkPFU

Bill to Ban Discrimination Against LGBT People Faces Hurdles No Republican members of Congress have endorsed the measure.

HUD Puts $39 Million Toward Fighting Discrimination in Housing

HUD is putting $39 million towards new campaign to attack housing discrimination.

HUD Puts $39 Million Toward Fighting Discrimination in Housing Under the department's 2015 Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), HUD is making $39.2 million available to fight housing discrimination.

Transgender Employment Discrimination Being Aggressively Attacked by EEOC

With a series of aggressive enforcement actions, the EEOC has made it clear that it will not abide transgender employment discrimination.

Transgender Employment Discrimination Being Aggressively Attacked by EEOC The recent Vanity Fair cover story featuring the former-Bruce/now-Caitlyn Jenner is representative of the increasing awareness and visibility of transgender

Texas Supreme Court (somewhat) reinvigorates “substantive due process” protection for economic liberty

Economic liberty as part substantive due process receives greater protection under recent Texas Supreme Court decision that may have an impact beyond the Lone Star State.

Texas Supreme Court (somewhat) reinvigorates “substantive due process” protection for economic liberty The court strikes down a regulation that forced eyebrow threaders to get a cosmetology license -- which requires hundreds of hours of training in things unrelated to eyebrow threading.

Patience is Not Always a Virtue With Commercial Litigation Claims

Business never stops, and neither does the statute of limitations on business litigation claims.

Patience is Not Always a Virtue With Commercial Litigation Claims Understanding Statutes of Limitations I handle a large amount of commercial litigation. When a new client meets with me to discuss a business dispute or a

Court rules that federal takeover of AIG was an “illegal exaction,” but not a taking

Government's takeover of AIG in 2008 was not a taking under the 5th Amendment because it was not authorized by law, federal court recently ruled.

Court rules that federal takeover of AIG was an “illegal exaction,” but not a taking The US Court of Federal Claims rules that the government's takeover of AIG was illegal, because not authorized by any federal law. But that also means it could not be a taking in violation of the Fifth...

New Legislation Targets Non-Compete Agreement For Employees Blocking Wage Growth

Proposed federal legislation would ban non-compete agreements for employees earning less than $15 per hour, $31,200 per year or the minimum wage where the employee lives.

New Legislation Targets Non-Compete Agreement For Employees Blocking Wage Growth The Mobility and Opportunity for Vulnerable Employees Act, or MOVE Act, would ban non-compete agreements for employees earning less than $15 per hour, $31,200 per year or the minimum wage in the employee’s...

The political and judicial reaction to Kelo

Years later, the political ramifications of the Supreme Court's Kelo decision continue to be felt.

The political and judicial reaction to Kelo Assessing the massive political backlash against the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. City of New London. This is the fifth in a series of posts based on my new book "The Grasping Hand: Kelo v. City...

Why 'Young' Has No Place In A Job Description

Is age discrimination in employment getting the focus it deserves?

Why 'Young' Has No Place In A Job Description I just unfriended someone on Facebook who, in looking to hire an intern, specified that applicants needed to be 'young' and 'good with websites.' The poster also said the job could lead to 'indefinate'...

Bill Protects Unpaid Interns From Harassment, Discrimination

Connecticut House unanimously approves bill that would protect unpaid interns from sexual harassment and discrimination just like paid employees. http://buff.ly/1GcvqEQ

Bill Protects Unpaid Interns From Harassment, Discrimination HARTFORD — Unpaid interns would receive workplace protections against sexual harassment and discrimination under legislation approved unanimously by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Victim’s family asks for vote on domestic violence bill

Advocates for domestic violence victims pushing CT legislators to pass bill that would require the subject of a temporary restraining order to surrender all fi****ms and ammunition for at least 14 days.

Victim’s family asks for vote on domestic violence bill The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence quickly mobilized Saturday night to press a wavering House leadership to call a vote on legislation intended to allow police to temporarily disarm persons...

How Facebook Exposes Domestic Violence Survivors

Facebook, more than other social networking sites, exposes domestic violence survivors to real danger.

How Facebook Exposes Domestic Violence Survivors Lily hid from her ex for more than 20 years, but he found her because Facebook forces even women who need anonymity to use their real names.

Coming soon: fake job applicants

Undercover "testers" are applying for jobs and apartments in NYC to search for unlawful discrimination.

Coming soon: fake job applicants City employees disguised as job applicants are fanning out across the city, looking to root out employment discrimination.

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Over a dozen states have recently introduced bills that would make it harder to get a divorce. http://buff.ly/1R6cLRo

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Housing Apartheid, American Style

The promise of federal fair housing laws have been hampered for decades by politics, inertia, and resistance by local governments. http://buff.ly/1ffzkat

Housing Apartheid, American Style For fair housing rules to be meaningful, the federal government will have to restructure its own programs.

Can Discrimination Exist Without Clear Intent?

SCOTUS could soon make it much more difficult to fight segregation in housing and racial disparity in lending practices.

Can Discrimination Exist Without Clear Intent? Is it fair to say that a harmful impact is enough to prove that discrimination exists? Can segregation be fought without having to prove it was intentional?

Stay Off Social Media (Or Risk Divorce), New Survey Says

Social media use increases the risk of divorce according to new study.

Stay Off Social Media (Or Risk Divorce), New Survey Says Want to keep your "in a relationship" or "married" status on Facebook? You might want to log off Facebook.

One in seven people said they'd considered divorce because of their s

This is the latest way employers mask age bias, lawyers say

Are companies seeking "digital natives" in job postings really just using code for age discrimination?

This is the latest way employers mask age bias, lawyers say Employers no longer list "new grad" as a requirement in ads, but instead, employers are recruiting for "digital natives." Here's why that may be a problem.