tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79118152008-11-09T23:03:24.787-05:00DISCLAIMER: This information is provided solely for educational and informational purposes, and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by communications with me. If you do require legal advice, I encourage you to consult an attorney who is actively engaged in the practice of law and who is admitted to the bar in your jurisdiction.Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-38875747458901823762008-11-09T22:49:00.004-05:002008-11-09T23:03:24.796-05:00

Image source: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/gallery.asp

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2008/11/honoring-veterans.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-85894469019325623512008-03-19T14:44:00.002-04:002008-03-19T14:47:28.421-04:00

No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood. -- despair.com

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2008/03/irresponsibility.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-92130746002096818482008-03-15T16:37:00.003-04:002008-03-15T17:11:38.755-04:00

I couldn't help notice Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's comments during Bill Gates' testimony before the House Committee on Science and Technology. the other huge challenge we face is the challenge of getting more of our best and brightest into careers as science, math and engineering. Increasingly as I talk to audiences and ask our kids what degrees they're going to pursue - they're pursuing what I

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com1http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2008/03/potentially-destructive-pursuits.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-88438419804419756352007-11-04T13:20:00.000-05:002007-11-04T14:16:47.688-05:00

It's hard to believe almost a year has gone by since I've had the chance to blog, but life has a way of reprioritizing what you do with your free time, whether you want it to or not. An update may be in order. I've been spending most of this year in Florida, making up for some lost time with family and geeking out on some really cool technical projects. I managed to squeeze in enough study

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2007/11/has-it-already-been-year.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-57733516088601615652006-12-11T13:34:00.000-05:002006-12-11T16:33:36.750-05:00

A career-limiting move? I'm thrilled I can move Tech Central Station has an update today on an Egyptian blogger (and former law student) jailed in Alexandria for speaking his mind. Kareem Amer was remanded to over a month in prison for allegedly "defaming the President of Egypt" and "highlighting inappropriate aspects that harm the reputation of Egypt." Where did Amer commit these supposed

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com1http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/12/i-blog-because-i-can.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-58543332002787668392006-12-10T14:56:00.000-05:002006-12-10T14:57:20.393-05:00

everybody knows I'm an elf.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/12/on-internet.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-10331677689370900822006-12-10T13:49:00.000-05:002006-12-10T13:57:03.555-05:00

I chose Blogger as my publishing platform a couple years ago for several reasons, but one thing that has been noticeably absent compared to other popular alternatives is being able to categorize my posts. I finally moved to Blogger beta this weekend (one of the smoothest migrations I've ever seen) where they now support post "labels" to help filter by topic as well as chronologically. Now with

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/12/have-you-tried-new-blogger.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-36973863548594290372006-12-10T00:59:00.000-05:002006-12-10T01:57:36.863-05:00

I thought last year's patent lawyer murder-suicide was a rarity. This year, not only did we have the "vigilante" patent lawyer allegedly killing his neighbor, but today this week we also hear of a Chicago patent lawyer's client killing two attorneys and another firm employee before being fatally shot himself by police. [the client] told witnesses before he was shot that he had been cheated over

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com1http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/12/angry-client-kills-2-chicago-ip-lawyers.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1164989971272148052006-12-01T10:16:00.000-05:002006-12-01T11:19:31.720-05:00

or What Big Mama's kids learn The Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) has an award-winning website for many good reasons. Over the past couple weeks I've had the pleasure of sitting in on some very informative sessions covering the use of technology in the real estate sales process. I continue to be amazed at the wealth of information and tools available not only to HAR members, but also to

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com3http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/12/technology-in-houston-real-estate.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1164767469632004752006-11-28T21:20:00.000-05:002006-11-28T21:31:09.643-05:00

Wow! The Coogs haven't had a season like this since I was a freshman undergrad (1990). I'm getting all teary-eyed and sentimental just thinking about it...

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/university-of-houston-day-this-friday.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1164406836739103732006-11-24T17:05:00.000-05:002006-11-24T17:20:36.820-05:00

you did all your holiday shopping online on Thanksgiving (buying incredibly priced computers, cell phones, and software, of course) and decided to spend Black Friday analyzing USPTO Patent filing statistics. As if that were not bad enough, if you felt compelled to comment further on the flamebait CNet threw out with their Top 10 Girl Geeks list - you are truly hopeless. A Black Friday,

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/you-might-be-geek-if.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1164134556887213442006-11-21T13:38:00.000-05:002006-11-21T13:42:36.903-05:00

The State Bar of Texas has published its latest list of Texas lawyers and law students actively blogging about the law, their practices, their careers, and life in general. Should your blog be there, too? Let them know.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/more-texas-blawggers.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1163904921268861922006-11-18T20:43:00.000-05:002006-11-18T21:55:21.663-05:00

When the USPTO moved to more convenient computer-based testing through Prometric, I thought it was a great way to make the patent agent/attorney registration process more accessible to people who might not otherwise be able to accommodate the travel and schedule required for traditional testing (only once or twice a year in Virginia was it? Talk about barriers to entry). The problem, though,

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/why-im-not-paper-patent-attorney.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1163450577816052662006-11-13T15:30:00.000-05:002006-11-13T15:42:57.826-05:00

and you, too, will soon get your gold Bar card. State Bar of Texas President Martha S. Dickie addresses the audience during the New Lawyer Induction Ceremony in Austin, Texas. Justices from the Supreme Court of Texas (front) and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (back) presided.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/for-3ls-hang-in-there.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1162740259586263582006-11-05T14:05:00.000-05:002006-11-14T22:30:34.806-05:00

I hinted before that I did not have the chance to study like I intended for the Texas Bar Exam. The thought of withdrawing actually did cross my mind, BUT, I knew I could still attend the exam administration. Now that I know my overall and MBE scaled scores, I have to conclude that being able to type the MPT and Texas essays (accounting for half the score) really made a difference when I was

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com1http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/should-you-withdraw-from-bar-exam.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1162505301357598242006-11-02T17:01:00.000-05:002006-11-02T17:08:21.370-05:00

The geek in me could not resist taking a look at the July 2006 Texas Bar stats. UHLC #s highlighted here.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/some-useful-stats.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1162501650693575302006-11-02T16:06:00.000-05:002006-11-02T16:07:30.706-05:00

Thank you all. Really.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/11/miracles-do-happen.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1162336610511339132006-10-31T18:08:00.000-05:002006-10-31T18:16:50.530-05:00

I've been surprised by how many folks are looking for Texas Bar exam results here. After running across this post at The Uncivil Litigator, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. If you really have doubts about your exam performance, just read some of the comments there. Pass or fail, in the long run, you'll be fine. Really.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/10/try-to-r-e-l-x.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1161990468815770872006-10-27T18:55:00.000-04:002006-10-27T19:07:48.826-04:00

And we STILL don't know who passed the Texas Bar Exam... Although, for the benefit of those who may not have been successful on this last attempt, part of me seems to prefer the Florida Bar's approach: list results by applicant file # only in less than 2 months. If you must know more licensing exam trivia, the Texas Real Estate Commission's exams give you immediate results once you've completed

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/10/has-it-been-3-months-already.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1160691115382017922006-10-12T18:01:00.000-04:002006-10-18T13:45:55.536-04:00

Thanks to Carolyn Elefant at Legal Blog Watch for pointing out the USA Today story on an $11 million verdict rendered in an internet defamation case. It's unfortunate that similar damages from whisper campaigns are harder to prove. [UPDATE: corrected reference to another blogger defamation case here]

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com1http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/10/what-about-damages-from-whisper.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1160668461306530922006-10-12T10:46:00.000-04:002006-10-12T11:54:21.346-04:00

What women need to succeed Business is tough. Business in the tech sector is even tougher. Recent news events have reminded me of some of the tough lessons I learned many years ago, even during the dotcom boom. There is just no way around having to deal with the stereotypes and macho culture women still face in IT. The stereotypes include the false choice between beauty and brains. If a

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/10/beauty-brains-or-body-armor.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1159730479677410272006-10-01T14:08:00.000-04:002006-10-01T20:30:11.923-04:00

About a year ago, "Lexorati" sounded like a good name for identifying the legal digerati. Either that, or an as yet unveiled Japanese-Italian luxury car. The bonus is it rhymes with my last name and the central "O" is versatile in graphics, as evidenced by logo sample # 1, above. "What's the point, Nivine?" you might ask. Well, life's just too short not to love what you do most of the time.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/10/once-geek.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1159551629377655762006-09-29T13:21:00.000-04:002006-09-29T13:40:29.480-04:00

I thought it was amusing when I heard some state Bars consider each page on a firm's website a separate ad subject to review, but now it seems New York is considering expanding the rule to cover blogs. Read the ABA Journal report. This is another reason why the decision to practice law can be very difficult for students who have lived and worked online for several years, including yours truly.

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/09/is-this-advertisement.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1158183873642679032006-09-13T17:30:00.000-04:002006-09-13T20:31:20.980-04:00

Thanks to Craig Rickard for getting the UH Alumni Group off the ground at LinkedIn. For those of you who haven't joined yet, you might be surprised who else is already LinkedIn. Although the group was started by Bauer College of Business alumni, all Cougars are welcome to join in. I was fortunate to already know some LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs) who put me in touch with some long, lost

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/09/lions-and-cougars-and-bauer-alumni.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7911815.post-1157689140130759172006-09-08T00:03:00.000-04:002006-09-08T00:19:00.140-04:00

The admissions staff at UHLC started their own blog with updates on this year's application process and posts from current students for a glimpse of life at UHLC these days. You'll even find links to more blogs by current students, professors, and alumni like yours truly. (I'm still trying to get used to the idea of being an alum, myself!)

Nivine K. Zakharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12105942216879970083noreply@blogger.com0http://www.techlawgeek.com/tlg/blog/2006/09/want-to-learn-more-about-uhlc.html