LAL Girl 'After Hours' #2

I don't know how I missed it but I recently stumbled upon Cupcakes and Cashmere, a young lady who puts her style into her clothes and culinary skills simultaneously. It didn't take me too long at all to realise she was definitely to be my LAL girl #2! The style whispers elegance and sophistication. A major bonus is that the coach bag she is holding was designed by herself (correct me if I am wrong!) Anyway check out her blog, I actually love it...

It's a sophisticated summer style... much better than a bikini. This is for you, number 2!

No fashion weaponed against us...UK Law on Indecent Exposure

The temperatures are rising and I've seen some outstanding summer outfits. I've also seen a few people catching a tan on TFL (Transport for London for my transatlantic readers) in their actual bikini's. I personally think it is entirely inappropriate. Yes, I understand you worked out for the entire year to get that beach body and didn't ever see the beach. But for the four year old who won't stop asking why someone was allowed to colour three hearts on her tummy or the sixteen year old who wonders why her body doesn't look quite like theirs its just not fair. And for the many men who happen to be on public transport with these lovely ladies... I salute you, for this is surely fashion weaponed against you!

Anyway I thought to myself, as I always do when something doesn't quite go my way: there must be a law against it! I rifled through my mental legal library and found it: Indecent Exposure and Outraging Public Decency.

In the UK indecent exposure is defined under the Sexual Offences Act (2003) as exposing genitals with intention and the person must intend that someone will see and be 'caused alarm or distress'.

Outraging public decency is when someone commits an act of such a 'lewd, obscene or disgusting nature as to amount to an outrage to public decency'. For it to be in public, there has to have been a possibility of at least two members of the general public seeing it. Upon conviction, one can be charged up to £5000 or 6 months in prison. 

The only problem with this law is that times change and standards change. A few hundred years ago, walking down the street in your underwear bikini would definitely have been a criminal offence, but nowadays it is unlikely that someone will call the police or that the CPS will see it sufficiently in the public interest to prosecute! (this actually happened to two girls who got arrested for flashing a CCTV camera on the beach)

Ah well, the law won't do anything about it but at least you have learnt something new. My advice chickas is to dress to impress, emphasis on the dress. Have a smidgen of decorum because you never know who you can run into. Imagine you have an interview for your dream job and you find that the partner interviewing you is none other than the mister who you sat next to on the bus in your bikini last week...

LAL meets Meek 'n' Mild: The Equation of Beauty

We all have our specialties and things that we excel at. Normally these are what form the basis of our professional pursuit. Seeing as I have decided to mix my love for law with everything else, I thought I would go in hunt of other bloggers' secret geek. 

First up we have the lovely Shirley from Meek 'n' Mild!

So I asked Shirley a few questions about what makes her tick apart from being a beauty blogger extraordinare.

1. What is your academic specialty?

Mathematics it is!

2. What is your favourite thing about Maths?

My favourite thing about Mathematics is that it always brings on a new challenge! It's fun and nothing beats the satisfaction I feel when I am able to solve a problem systematically and result in a solution.

3. I once attended a series of workshops with the aim of finding an equation that would determine whether one had the perfect face and thus was beautiful (or not) Do you believe that mathematics has a role to play in fashion and beauty? and if so, what?

With rigorous deductions and tests, an equation that could possibly determine how perfect a face is can be found. However I don't believe a perfect face means that one is beautiful. You can have well proportioned features, but Beauty is something that comes from within. A gentle and quiet Spirit is what is beautiful.

4. What is your 'beauty buzz' right now?

Coral lipglosses! Great for all skintones and perfect for summer!

5.Which fashion trend has got you the most excited right now?

Tribal Print!!! I really can't wait to whip out my African Inspired print dresses this summer!

6. Is that legal? - ask LAL one legal question on ANYTHING you desire or have always wanted to know, crazy, quirky or quite normal and i'll research it for you.

I'm not sure what to ask! Lol!

Now since Shirley couldn't think of something legal for me to research, I thought I would spin off her love for Tribal print. I am totally with her, however anyone who knows me knows that I was ever so slightly peeved at the anti-climax that was ASOS Africa. Now I am not at all saying that they are breaching human rights by selling clothes that really should be £5 for £50 and calling it a move towards fair trade. At the end of the day business is business and the main aim is to make money. But I really do not think (once again in my most humble opinion) that it should be legal for them to have a section named ASOS Africa with such a terrible reflection on african atire.

These lovely examples were taken from FashionAfrica:

Anyhoo, if you have access to a good tailor and know where to get the right print, this summer will be perfect to rock your tribal print. If not, feel free to visit asos and buy a selection of their prints! 

The Birthday of a Beauty...Nadia!

There's a young, talented and beautiful girl who's birthday is it today. Not only is she incredibly hard working, she also knows how to rock an outfit. So here's to you Nadia, I wish you a very happy birthday and many many more! xx

Faith has lost faith.

Well almost, the major shoe retailer who we have all grown to love has gone into administration. It seems this recessions main aim was to take all of our favourites away from us (I still tell people to buy things from Woolworths!).

They have been trying to sell up for a few weeks now, but haven't managed to get a solvent deal. They aim to be able to keep the brand afloat and sell to someone who will keep Faith as Faith. I personally think they should have cut their prices a while ago but who am I to make such bold business statements such as that.

Anyhoo lesson time! What does it mean when a business goes into administration. Well first thing you need to know is that it is NOT the end of the road. If a company gets into a situation where their finances are really really not working for them, they cannot stay afloat but they are not quite at the stage where they will go into liquidation, they can carry on trading for a little longer in the hope that they can improve.

Any creditors can now claim money that they are owed from the company, I won't go into which creditors get priority and all that, you may actually fall asleep. Administrators are appointed (by the bank or the courts) to sort through all the little details, and hopefully at the end, there is money left over and the company can kind of start working its way up again.

Their website doesn't even work anymore :( but you can still get concessions and asos faith products. A moment of silence in memory hope for Faith...

City Re:Vue - New Look STRADA Kensington

There's loads of lovely little places in london to eat, a light lunch, a romantic rendezvous or a delicious dinner. It's just a matter of finding them. Hopefully my experiences will help you. Here's a review of the recently revamped STRADA on High Street Kensington.


It's a little Italian chain restaurant of which I have been to a few. I must say the standard does vary a little depending on which branch you go to, as does the atmosphere. The Southbank and City STRADA's are nothing like this one.


The decor is nice, its simple, almost ikea like but sometimes less is more. I think it is ideal for a nice lunch or early dinner with a friend or a date. They have a nice selection of starters, salads, meat, fish, pasta and pizza dishes and the average price for a meal is £12. 


Today we had a 2 for 1 voucher which they kindly e-mailed to me and so I was determined to spend no more than £15 on our combined meal.


We entered and received a nice warm and friendly welcome, as there were not many people in there (especially for a friday evening) we had the bonus of choosing our own seats. The service was cordial and relatively prompt, although they did get distracted after giving us our menu's.


The food came quickly and the waiters made an effort to smile and upsell olives and bread. As more people spilled in, they adjusted the lighting and the music which was sweet. In terms of drinks, with my budget in mind we took advantage of their free water which comes in little snazzy STRADA bottles. Overall it was a nice little dinner, nothing to write home about but nice.


Most interesting thing of the night: a waiter eating crumbs of bread in the corner as he was cutting it up to be served. I found this random and funny, others might have found it strange.


If you would like to visit STRADA they have a new facility which allows you to book your table online. It is very handy and efficient with an email sent to your blackberry computer to confirm the meal.

The Law According to Haw

Perhaps you have had a pleasant experience strolling down westminster bridge on a summer's day and perusing the perimeters of parliament at the end. Or like myself, running through the hustle and bustle of tourists/protesters to try and get to your exam on time in Westminster Central hall. Even if you've stood Canon at the ready, neck craned and one eye squinted to take  a picture of London's Big Ben, you must have seen anti-war activist Brian Haw and his tents. 

(just incase you haven't it looks something like this)

He has lived in his tents for 9 years and has become somewhat of a celebrity.

Having learned in class that he had been granted legal permission to protest within the otherwise forbidden area around the Houses of Parliament, every time I passed this area I would smile inside and say 'right on mister, you have a law all to yourself!'


However I never considered that fact that others who do not think on those terms would consider him a nuisance or an eyesore. Today it became all too much for the queen to see as she drove past in her car, and fresh calls for mister Haw to be evicted have been cried from within parliament!

But who has the power to decide whether he stays or goes and who's responsibility is it to look after the area?? none other than our now world famous and entirely responsible mayor Boris Johnson. (I love him and everything he stands for just incase you didn't know)


After being accused of dragging his feet (Boris!!!), he sought permission from the High Court to evict Mr Haw and the group who are currently camped with him once and for all.


Westminster council actually want the coalition government to change the law. I'll have to say that again highlighting the important parts... Westminster council actually want the coalition government to change the law.
I shall reserve my comments on the likelihood of this with the hope of preventing myself from facing a defamation claim.


Anyway today Brian Haw gets arrested for causing a ruckus in front of the queen, the irony of the whole situation was captured by human rights group Liberty when the stated: "we are very sad to see that on a day that is supposed to celebrate British democracy, peaceful dissent is also shut down...". The representative continued her speech saying things like 'promises' and 'coalition government' in the same sentence, and I thought since it's my blog, I am not forced to entertain such nonsense. 


Anyhoo lets wait and see if he gets removed. I for one hope not, he always reminds me of my Public Law classes and is a pretty unique gem to have in London. 

LAL Girl 'After Hours' #1

Looking perfectly pretty and precariously polished is not just for working hours, some people pull off the what I would call the professional 'after hours' look perfectly. So I will be cataloguing the LAL Girls for you to appreciate too! The first I found on Because I'm Addicted's Blog (check it out), its taken from Stockholm Streetstyle.

The colours have been put together perfectly, nothing says 'I mean business' like a power blazer and a briefcase style luxury bag.

It's official, my catalogue of fabulous LAL girls has begun, here's to number 1! 

Allen and Ovaries? £3.4 million Sexual Discrimination and Unfair Dismissal claim.

International legal practice Allen & Overy LLP has been hit with a £3.4 million sexual discrimination claim. One of their senior associates, based in Moscow has taken to writing erotic stories online. Infact her hobby was so serious that the lawyer has been writing an erotic novel. 

Deidre Dare was fired for publishing this novel despite being asked by the firm to stop. However she claims that the real reason for her dismissal is that her boss "had developed a sexual obsession" with her and this was a "direct result of that obsession". No offence Deidre but it all sounds a bit elaborate to me. The firm insists that "the termination of her employment was justified and legal" and no doubt they have a strong enough legal team to defend their case.

Dare has a number of claims including, heavy petting with bosses, make out sessions, crazy jealousy and being sidelined for work that she brought in. But her biggest complaint really should be the loss of her £128,000 a year salary. Her writing however is proceeding well and is currently earning about £138 a week!

Over on The Lawyer you can see a full and detailed article covering this case, and some funny little comments including the questioning of how she slipped the A&O's rigourous selection process. Ha ha ha ha ha. Ha!

Structured Dress, Structured Day?

There is nothing more satisfactory than having a perfectly structured working day where everything goes according to plan, even leaving the office at 5pm and having dinner with your friends at 6. Okay there are things more satisfactory but I needed a good way to start this post. Well anyway in a bid to coerce the day into working better for you perhaps a structured dress might help?

From Balenciaga's Fall 2008 Collection:

A super structured dress with low- mid heels can make a subtle impact on the way you look. Perhaps these are not so appropriate for the office, esp with the mega slit, however think about the nice little office parties, or the bigger corporate office event where you do not want to look like a one dimensional character who has a one dimensional wardrobe. I think thats a good way to finish this post.

Beauty Re:Vue - Battle of the Tinted Lip Conditioner

When it comes to getting the perfect pout, lip conditioners play a big part. Sometimes you cannot be bothered to put anything on your lips, but that doesn't mean you are going for the dry, cracked look. Using a tinted lip conditioner can give you the feel of a real nude lip with the look of a real luscious lip. In a professional/office context they are extremely useful; they take two seconds to apply, can be wiped off your finger on your tights a tissue and won't make you look like you just ate greasy chicken or are trying to seduce the newest partner in the office.


For my first ever (excitement) re:vue, here's my opinion of three of my favourite lip conditioners. Please don't ask why I have three.


1. MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner - Petting Pink

So this retails at £10.50. I was super excited when I purchased this as it smells seriously good, like a creamy cocktail. It feels silky smooth on the lips and you really do not need much to get the job done. In terms of how long it lasts I'd say a good couple of hours. Being a lip fanatic it probably is only a couple of hours before I panic and think to put something new on my lips anyway. I don't know how fair that will make my review. But take it or leave it.


It also has a little flavour too it, if your tongue happens to make contact with your lips. That's a bonus, I really hate acidic tasting lip products. 


A recent friend of mine tried it and said 'so this is what being rich feels like'. I chuckled but it really was an accurate description. In the 2.8 seconds it takes you to apply this, you feel... well, rich!






2. Vaseline Lip Therapy  - Rosy Lips

Currently retailing at £1.69. This 'lip conditioner' (yes I hesitate to call it such because it really could be pinky coloured petroleum jelly) is more oil based. It has rose and almond oil in it which is good for your skin, and so your lips too I suppose. This provides a perfect base for putting on lipgloss just to make sure ur lips are smooth and not dry. It honestly requires frequent application. It smells good and even tints 'gently'. 


What I like most about this is the tin. I am just being honest. I saw someone else with it and put it on my birthday wish list and ended up with two! (I am easy to please). It looks great in your handbag and if you are a fidgety type person who loves to keep re-applying then go for this. Also it will not burn a hole in your pocket, in fact if you are anything like me then you won't have to touch your pockets at all!


3. Sleek Pout Polish - Pink Cadillac

Get this for  £3.49! My least favourite I must say. While I carry the other two with me in my bag daily and sometimes even get upset when I cannot find them, this I couldn't even find to take a picture of for the review (sorry) so I found one online. The word on the street is that this is great. It's OKAY in my opinion. It is cream based and quite thick. It colours as opposed to tint, even though it clearly says tinted something or other on it (look on the edge of the lid). Taste, smell, its all a bit artificial and you do not get that 'oo la la' feeling rather a i want my MAC feeling. However it is good at conditioning your lips in my humble opinion. And I suppose all in all that is what matters. It's considerably cheaper than MAC too (and a close alternative).

Follow me on Twitter!

Not. Okay well I may end up swallowing my words with a giant spoon but right now, I don't like twitter. Mainly its the needy dependency that it eventually demands from you but it is also the danger of falling into a legal mess. Freedom of Speech apparently does not extend to the internet. Here are a few examples of legal no-no's committed on twitter... (please bear in mind that they normally apply to corporate twitter accounts as they have more liability!)

Defamation: Any intentional false communication, either written or spoken, that harms a person's reputation; decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which a person is held; or induces disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against a person.




This is probably the biggest problem on Twitter, saying something about someone who is supposedly someone can lead to some serious trouble.

Another recent 'boo boo' was when Kerry McCarthy revealed the results of postal votes via Twitter!? hmm now I really was rooting for Labour during the election but when ToryBear replied to her tweet with 'someone call the police', I was very much inclined to pick up my mobile and report her law breaking myself.

In the US, a property management company sued a lady who complained about mould in her chicago apartment on her twitter stating: "Who said sleeping in a mouldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it's okay." - a huge LOL to this lady because I find her statement hilarious. But the company didn't. They call themselves a 'sue first, ask questions later kind of organisation'


Anyhoo I think you guys get the gist. Think Think before you Tweet Tweet!

Naomi Campbell in 'blood diamond' legal case

International supermodel Naomi Campbell may have received a gift that was even more expensive than she could have imagined. She was apparently given jewels by Liberia's ex-president (Charles Taylor) among which were alleged 'blood diamonds'.

Now I am sure you have an idea about what this might be due to the 2006 movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. The charges in this case are brought against Taylor on the grounds that the diamonds were seized from Sierra Leone's gem mines to fund rebel groups who were responsible for variable inhumane acts including a decade of fighting from 1991.

The actor Mia Farrow claimed that Campbell had told her she'd been given a rough diamond from Taylor in 1997 while she was visiting Nelson Mandela. The courts have thus determined that Ms. Campbell is in a position to 'provide material evidence' about the whole situation. However Naomi has said (to Oprah Winfrey)

"I don't want to get involved in this man's case – he has done some terrible things. I don't want to put my family in danger."


In my humble opinion (which I am very hesitant to give), the supermodel should not have to testify against a man who has been accused of such grave war crimes, endangering herself and her family. If she did in fact receive a gift from Taylor, it was not a purchase and thus a subpoena would be unfair. Just saying

Law Couture

Yup, you caught me, just an excuse to put up some more stunning pictures but endure my waffle nevertheless!


Haute Couture is french for 'high dressmaking' and is normally made for the specific fancies of a particular customer. In France, the term is actually protected by law! The Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris (in Paris) has rules that state:

Only "those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves" of the label haute couture.

And to earn the ever prestigious right to become a house of haute couture one must follow these rules:

• Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.
• Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.
• Each season (ie. twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

We do know however that ancient traditions do not always stand firm and the term is used somewhat incorrectly to define art, music and other types of fashion. Well enough talking, here's some haute couture I heart.

Giorgio Armani's Spring 2010 Haute Couture Collection:

Terrorists and Human Rights: The Oddity

It seems a little strange that someone can be labelled as a terrorist but also be safe from the consequences of that label (deportation) under (my favourite area of law) the Human Rights Act.


Two Libyan Terror suspects are due to be released next week due to Justice John Mitting's recent decision in court. He decided that although the pair are terrorists, they cannot be sent back to  Colonel Gadafy's regime because of the risk that they would face torture.


One of the pair, a 24 year old student who was arrested last year after a foiled plot could not be charged because of our system which makes certain types of evidence inadmissable in a criminal court. He argued that he had a right to stay under Article 3  HRA which states:

"No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."  

The new coalition government that we seem to have been lumbered with (yes, I am not a fan) does not help the situation. The tories and I have one thing in common and that is our dislike for the Human Rights Act. They promised to scrap the act and replace it with a UK Bill of Rights, however not having an outright majority means they have agreed with the lib dems to investigate the issue via a new commission. Great progress.

The Special Immigrations Appeals Commission (SIAC) made the decision which will affect other foreign terror suspects residing in the UK. The pair in question, DD and AS, will be released on bail with special conditions like not being able to use laptops and mobile phones. The judge stated that although he is a terrorist and poses a threat to the UK it would be "on the cusp of legality" to keep them in detention after they won their appeal. He added that  there was "too little scope for human rights breaches to be deterred."

Their Lawyer (Gareth Peirce) is not happy and does not see this as a victory because the boys men have been labelled as terrorists internationally. Terrorists or not,  we can only sit and wait (hopefully not for a terrorist attack) to see the true effect of this ruling.

Gucci sues Chanel

So here is the actual scoop. Gucci and others thought that a site (actually owned by Chanel) was selling counterfeit goods.Naturally they decide to sue, nothing makes all the problems of counterfeit goods go away like money.


The website in question is MyPurseWorld.com which now actually contains the original handed judgment from when Chanel sued the original owner. It also contains information on how to spot a replica, and where you can get the real goods from, for a real price. (have a look it's in black and white).


After suing the previous owner's, Chanel took ownership of the site for the exact purpose it is being used for right now. In consideration of the fact that you and I can take a tiny portion of our time to see that this is not a counterfeit goods site, rather it is the exact opposite, it comes as a surprise that those working for Gucci did not triple check this before pursuing a claim.


They did go back to the site to make use of the contact details however... who knows, maybe this is just a publicity stunt for them both.


Versace on the other hand actually won a seven year long claim, culminating in a massive $20 million payout. The claim was brought against a large number of stores in the US in what Versace has described as a 'historic judgement'. The LA Based chain was selling fake Versace jeans and T-Shirts and more than likely does not have enough money to pay the huge Italian label. Nevertheless it is a step in the right direction in the fight against counterfeit goods. (not that I am part of the fight)

Spanish Sophistication: Vogue June 2010

I love these photo's of Tanya Dziahileva in Vogue Spain's June 2010 issue. The compilations have been perfectly put together to form a high fashion, professional look. Not that any of these clothes could actually be worn in the stuffy confines of the average British office.

Personally I think it's a weekend look for someone who is used to looking smart. There is a slight inclination towards the worlds sudden love for all things vintage with the shapes and use of tan. That will be all, Enjoy x

The Perfect White Shirt

Okay, so being a female professional gives you a (little) scope to mix fashion and style in with business. When it comes to looking the part, nothing works better than the classic white shirt. To spice things up, dynamic duo Viktor & Rolf have developed a stunning collection. It is my pleasure to introduce to you, the classic white... with a twist (or five):

The pair, famous in the fashion industry took ages to think of a unique name for this collection and came up with 'White Shirt'. A little more effort was put into the names of the five-strong collection, namely: White Blossom, White Dove, White Nights, White Scent and White Tuxedo.

But despite the name, you cannot deny that this neat take on the overly abused 'ruffle-front' shirt is easy on the eyes and something that would go well with many pieces in a career wardrobe.

The shirts do not all have the greatest deal of practicality and I believe that one would have to walk in a very particular way to keep this shirt in check. However each shirt has been designed in a soft poplin fabric and tailored into a very feminine finish.

White is also the perfect colour to wear in summer; its effortless, aside from choosing foods that won't fall all over your shirt. It's classy and gives you a neat edgy look without too much effort. Being the accessory junkie that I am, it also gives loads of room to go crazy when it comes to accessories... okay not go crazy but be as bold or as bashful as you please.

This final piece I would say is my favourite, and ironically the has a more leisurely than corporate feel. I love the way it falls and I really don't think that long handkerchief looking thing will get annoying. Really I don't.
The only downside is the price, the shirts are all between £300 - £500. But I guess that is the cost of fashion. If you are going to splash out on one of these shirts, please be sure to understand the legal implications of spilling into an overdraft unplanned. The bank won't like it, and neither will you.

Thats all for now. I hope you like the new collection, visit their house at:  www.viktor-rolf.com