Book-Signing Set for Women’s Legal Guide

Cooley Law School Professor Mary D’Isa, author of a landmark book on practical legal issues for women, will be at Schuler Books in the Eastwood Town Center on Thursday, June 16, 7:30 p.m.

D’Isa will talk about her book, The American Bar Association Legal Guide for Women, and autograph copies of the publication.

The Legal Guide for Women, published earlier this year, covers many areas of the law that are specific to women. Although the law is gender-neutral, D’Isa noted, "there are so many areas of the law that impact women in so many ways."

In addition, although women have many rights under the law, those rights are only useful if women know about them. This book fills them in.

"We wanted to provide a guide from a woman’s point of view that would be readable for women from all walks and stages of life," D’Isa explained. "My mission was to provide accessible, reliable information in a reader-friendly format."

The book serves as a guideline on how women can keep the legal elements of their life working right and also gives detailed information on what to do when something goes wrong. The easy-to-read format includes engaging features like "ask a lawyer," where experts have answered specific legal questions; anecdotes, and generous links and references for additional information.

Some practical points included in the book:

* DID YOU KNOW?

* An employer cannot refuse to hire you because you are pregnant or because you plan to become pregnant.

* Your employer cannot pay men and women different amounts for equal or substantially equal work.

* You are not entitled to leave under the Family Medical Leave Act if you are among the top 10 percent of income earners at your company.

* Title IX protects you from sex discrimination under any educational program — not just sports.

* If you marry, you have the right to take your spouse’s name, keep your original name, or use both (for example, you may use one name socially and another for professional and legal purposes).

* If you divorce and receive alimony, you will need to pay income tax on it. If you divorce and pay alimony, it is a deductible expense.

* Unmarried couples cannot make health care or end-of-life decisions for each other without a health directive or power of attorney.

* If your employer’s health plan covers your male co-worker’s Viagra prescription, then it most likely also has to cover your prescription contraceptives.

* A hospital may not test your blood or urine for drug use without your consent.

* Even if you plan to leave everything to your children after you die, you still need a will or an estate plan.

Founded in 1972, Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the country. Cooley has the second-largest enrollment in African-American students of any law school and the highest number of minorities overall in the United States. Cooley has three campuses across Michigan; its main campus in downtown Lansing, its downtown Grand Rapids/Western Michigan University campus in west Michigan, and its Rochester/Oakland University campus in southeast Michigan. Find out more about Cooley Law School by visiting the Cooley Web site at www.cooley.edu.