My girlfriend and I want to do that 'public display of commitment' thing, but we don't want to get
married. Heterosexual
Civil Partnerships are not yet available in the UK. Can we do it elsewhere with legal status? Or should we wait?
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posted by bollockovnikov
on Sep 20, 2012 -
31 answers
I'm a dude going to marry a dude in New York State. Said dude I am going to marry is a resident alien from the UK. Will the UK recognize the marriage? Does he become an American Citizen by marrying him? Does that counteract his UK citizenship? What are my rights, here?
posted by The Whelk
on Jul 20, 2011 -
27 answers
Book suggestion filter! I need to catch up on all the 20th century history I missed because of childhood.....
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posted by motsque
on Jun 28, 2011 -
14 answers
I would like all new elected and appointed officials -- from Congress all the way on down to appointed officials at the municipal level -- to be required to take a minimum 20 hour course on ethics and civic responsibility. How would I go about getting Congress to pass this as a new law?
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posted by pallen123
on Aug 7, 2010 -
27 answers
I'm thinking of creating a political parody website that may step on some toes and/or trademarks. I have a few technical and legal questions about how best to go about this.
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posted by Riki tiki
on Dec 22, 2009 -
6 answers
Recently some controversial legislation was passed by my county board. The opposition is using the time it was passed - early in the morning, after hours of public testimony - as a point of criticism. I am at a loss to understand why this is a talking point. Can you help me understand it?
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posted by yomimono
on Nov 11, 2009 -
11 answers
An intern at work is dressing very inappropriately. Is there any way I can tell her nicely to tone it down?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 21, 2009 -
45 answers
Who were these "celebrated authors" James Madison was referring to in The Federalist Paper No. 14?
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posted by Myles
on Jun 15, 2009 -
8 answers
ForA(Best)FriendFilter: What can a smart, idealistic kid do out of college in the DC area which relates to law & the study of the constitution?
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posted by tmcw
on Dec 24, 2008 -
9 answers
PoliticsLawFilter: Dick Cheney's lawyer, David Addington, wrote a series of papers/statements/memos that ostensibly change an existing law. How can one lawyer, or even a team of lawyers, change a law by simply writing a memo? Is this even possible?
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posted by zardoz
on Dec 21, 2008 -
16 answers
Recent dramas have used (without ambiguity) the name and image of real living figures and events in fiction and film. How this is legally possible? Is it covered by
Fair Use?
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posted by Hugobaron
on Nov 5, 2008 -
17 answers
I'm looking for a listing, preferably something with citations of the actual state laws, of when each state changed it's laws to allow for the direct election of electors in the electoral college.
posted by phrontist
on Oct 22, 2008 -
1 answer
My dear friend wishes to be governor someday of his state. He is certain law school is the "best path" to attain this goal. Those who have gone to law school (and those who have an opinion) is this necessarily true?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 5, 2008 -
18 answers
Would an oath of office be considered a verbal contract with the constituents represented by that office? If so, would violation of that oath be grounds for a class action lawsuit for breach of contract? This came to mind when examining the voting records of Obama and McCain, and noticing that both have missed a significant percentage of votes during this term of Congress, and that the Senate Oath of Office includes the phrase "... and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter..."
posted by Morydd
on Jul 25, 2008 -
11 answers
Can anyone tell me the percentage of children of illegal immigrants who attend college? Specifically in Texas. We are arguing the HB 104 (in state tuition bill) in my government class and I need to know how many children of illegal immigrants who were not born in the US actually attend institutions of higher education....
posted by madmamasmith
on Mar 22, 2008 -
12 answers
Say that a (US) presidential administration was doing something it wasn't supposed to be doing. Could a future presidential administration find this out and prosecute the former administration's officials?
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posted by ontic
on Mar 27, 2006 -
15 answers
So there's a grand jury that the special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has empaneled. 23 members, residents of Wahington D.C. Some questions.
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posted by Gyan
on Oct 25, 2005 -
10 answers
When did the practice of refusing to comment on a given issue due to
pending litigation become an acceptable response? Is this a fairly recent development -- a result of living in a sue-happy nation? Is it just the vogue rhetoric of avoiding even a minimal amount of accountability? Or is it something else? For the lawyers out there, what are the ramifications of commenting? ... especially with cases like those
involving the government?
posted by fourstar
on Jun 29, 2005 -
4 answers
What's so great about the U.S. constitution? From a political science perspective, a legal perspective, a historical perspective? Non-USians without a written constitution especially invited to reply.
posted by insideout
on Dec 4, 2004 -
33 answers
ElectionFairnessFilter. So i just voted (yay) and noticed something odd - a man in the polling place sitting quietly behind a MoveOn PAC sign. I didn't think we in the US could have anyone inside the polling place advocating a specific voting paradigm (even if I do think it's a good paradigm to support), and so I wasn't surprised when a lady complained and an officious-looking man walked over to talk to the seated gentleman - but after a short conversation, they let him stay. Anyone know what gives here? Why would they not ask him to leave?
posted by caution live frogs
on Nov 2, 2004 -
15 answers
