Egypt raises questions about potential US legislation

After the Egyptian government terminated the internet as a means to limit the organizational abilities of protesters (if you aren't aware of the protests going on, check out this CNN article), people are focusing more on the proposed "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act." Is internet access a protected right, perhaps included in the Constitution with the freedom of the press?

It will be interesting to see how the debate pans out. Other countries already consider internet access a constitutional right, such as France, Israel and Finland. As early as 2003 the UN proposed internet access as a human right. Perhaps access to the web will become a part of international law in the future as constitutional amendments become more prevalent.

For an article in PCMag about Egypt pulling the internet switch and our proposed legislation, click here for the piece by Dan Costa.

New Governor Bill Haslam is already making changes to TN Law.

It looks like new Governor Bill Haslam is already changing things up for local attorneys in Nashville. Governor Haslam has removed the private financial transparency requirement for himself and his staff and has put other executive orders into effect, including a new order for more transparency in our state government and expanded on the current discrimination laws for state government hiring to prohibit discrimination in hiring on the basis of race, gender, national origin, religion, age, political affiliation or disabilities. It is important to note this list still excludes sexual orientation.

You can read more about the changes the Governor has made this weekend in the Tennessean.

xposted to: http://lawonyourschedule.tumblr.com/

Another snowy day in Middle Tennessee. Practice a bit of caution and common sense and keep the lawyers at bay! Davidson County, watch where you step and dress accordingly. Property owners, remember under Grizzell v. Fox (an oldie but a goodie) you are expected to take reasonable steps to remove ice and snow within a reasonable amount of time. Everyone else, enjoy the day of lessened productivity!

For those of you sitting at home bored, you can read more about weather related slip and falls here in Mumford v. Thomas, 603 S.W. 2d 154.

The Law Office of Morgan Smith

Happy New Year and welcome to the blogspot for The Law Office of Morgan Smith. 2011 is going to be an exciting year with lots of changes. Everyone knows the holidays are stressful but so is the aftermath, so remember to take a step back and breathe.