| Volume 114 Number 5 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
More and more of our modern lives are lived online. Because hackers are getting better and better at stealing our information, we need to keep up by making sure that our passwords are strong. This link shares some tips and tricks to improve your password security. Click here for more.
California Utility and BMW Begin Trial Program Connecting Electric Vehicles to Grid
In an 18 month pilot program, Pacific Gas & Electric will pay San Francisco area BMW i3 owners $1000 to delay charging their electric cars until times when the power grid is under less pressure. The program is a response to the concern that the increase in electric vehicles will lead to drains on the power grid as owners plug in to recharge their vehicles. The utility is also working with BMW on a program which could allow the utility to use electric car batteries plugged into the grid to meet spikes in demand.
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Your Money
Conventional wisdom says that owning your home is a better deal than renting. That said, renting a home gives you flexibility you just don’t have when you own a home. This article has a good discussion of the pros and cons of renting versus buying. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Cases should be stayed, not dismissed, during arbitration. The Second Circuit held that a court should stay a case when it grants a motion to dismiss. The court noted that is the case is dismissed the matter is immediately appealable as a final order. The court recognized the administrative advantages of a rule permitting dismissal, but held that the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. (“FAA”), requires a stay of proceedings when all claims are referred to arbitration and a stay requested. Katz v. Cellco Partnership Click here for more.