Beginning May 23, 2011, “Lawyers in the Library” will offer free 20-minute consultations at the Sacramento County Public Law Library for two hours every Monday night, beginning at 5:15 p.m. Previously the program, a collaboration of the Sacramento County Public Law Library and the Voluntary Legal Services Program of Northern California, was offered for only one hour each Monday evening. With additional support from volunteer attorneys from Downey Brand LLP, “Lawyers in the Library” is now able to expand its hours, doubling the number of people that can be seen at each session. A lottery to fill appointment slots will be held at 5:15 p.m. The first appointment begins at 5:30 p.m. A biling

Organization is key. If you've kept careful records all year, completing your tax returns and getting those deductions should be a breeze. If you haven't, it is not as easy. But it still might be worth your while to itemize deductions this year, or, at least, think about getting organized for next year. One step at a time. The list of deductions most of us can take is not that long. The first is “Medical and Dental Expenses.” Because this deduction is limited to the amount that exceeds 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (aka “AGI,” the amount that ends up on line 38 of your Form 1040), not as many people can take this deduction as you might imagine. Let’s look at an example. Assuming your

Have you ever paid $38.15 for a grande, extra hot caramel macchiato with half 2% milk and half whole milk, one Splenda™, no whipped cream, but a drizzle of caramel on top? I have. $3.15 for the macchiato and $35 for an overdraft fee. Boy, was I steamed! It did not help to know that I was not alone because Americans paid some $38 billion in overdraft fees last year. I called my bank and politely requested that, in the future, they decline any purchases I may make with my debit card when I did not have enough money in my account. The person on the other end of the phone laughed. She told me that legally, the bank could do whatever it wanted: decline all of my charges; pay all of my charges

Beginning March 1, 2010, “Lawyers in the Library” will offer free 20-minute consultations at the Sacramento County Public Law Library *every* Monday night. Previously the program, a collaboration of the Sacramento County Public Law Library and the Voluntary Legal Services Program of Northern California, was offered only once a month. Registration for the program begins at 6:00 p.m. The first three people who sign up will receive appointments between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. A bilingual attorney, who speaks Spanish, will be available to assist customers the first Monday of the month. The “Lawyers in the Library” program is ideal for those who have a legal issue that might not be able to receiv