PMCW Law

News media in the courtroom: one of the debates that has surrounded our legal system for many years. The laws surrounding news media and cameras within the courtroom have always been complicated and difficult to understand. The Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, P.C. want to provide you some background and history about news media in the courtroom.  Information was gathered from  www.courts.mo.gov  and www.uscourts.gov .   Background Gaining permission to televise, record, broadcast, or photograph courtroom proceedings has always been difficult, but it became especially challenging after the Dr. Sam Sheppard trial in the 1950s. In this high profile murder trial (the television series and movie The Fugitive  was based on this case), the media grossly exaggerated their coverage and displayed blatant biases in their work. After this case, many courts including, Missouri state courts, firmly closed their doors to the media. Medi...

All of us at the Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpeter, & Welch, P.C. want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy Memorial Day Weekend. The Lake of the Ozarks is a wonderful place to spend this holiday - there are a lot of exciting events taking place this weekend! Here is a quick overview of some of these great activities. Ozark Yacht Club's Parade of Lights Saturday, May 24 at 8:30 PM From powerboats to sailboats, all boat owners are encouraged to participate in this annual event to celebrate Memorial Day. Participants will decorate their boats in creative art displays and cruise a couple miles along the lake, commemorating the men and women who have sacrificially served our country.   Prizes will be given for the Best Decorated Boat and the First Runner Up. Whether you are a participant or a bystander, this is sure to be a beautiful event. Memorial Day Fireworks Displays  Saturday, May 24th at Dusk - Bear Bottom Reso...

The Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, P.C . are committed to providing our clients as many options to protect their hard earned assets via good estate planning advice.  If you own a business, a home, investment property, stocks, or other assets, you may need to protect yourself from attack by potential creditors or from exorbitant taxation.  One structure that may help you is a "Family Limited Partnership". What is a Family Limited Partnership ? A family limited partnership (FLP) is designed to pool together a family's assets into a single family-owned business partnership.  This is different from a conventional trust and the family members actually own a share in the business.  There are two types of partners; general and limited.  General partners control all the decisions of the partnership and bear 100% of the liability.  Limited partners cannot participate in the management of the FLP and their liability is limited. FLPs...

At the Law Offices of  Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, P.C ., we have a proven investment in our community and the next generation. We care deeply about the lives of those around us and want to help each young person in our community fulfill their dreams. We want to take this opportunity to pay it forward to the next generation of lawyers by compiling a list of tips and techniques for studying and maximizing your LSAT test score. The Test The LSAT is a standardized test that every prospective law school candidates must take. The exam lasts several hours and tests the candidates' reading comprehension and their logical and verbal reasoning proficiencies.  There are five 35 minute sections of multiple-choice questions.   Proper preparation is key to a strong test score! The Tips Determine your baseline. Take a few complete practice tests to determine your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you decide where to start prepa...