History and function of legal services of america Research Paper

History and function of legal services of america - Research Paper Example This paper is in the view that inequities in the delivery of U.S. legal assistance ought to be dealt with. It is therefore recommended that a young generation of advocates for legal assistance be promoted plus the establishment of a mission of incorporating legal assistance into the promotion of human rights campaign. History and Function of Legal Services of America Legal service refers to the help or free service in the law field. In its different decisions, the Supreme Court has declared flatly that legal aid is a responsibility of a welfare state and should not at any time be viewed as a charity. From as early as the late 1800s and all through the early 20th century years, the American legal profession conveyed its dedication to the idea of free legal aid for the poor. This would be in form of bar association, legal aid committees and legal aid societies. Since 1964, the government of the United States has backed its dedication to equal justice under the law through offering fede ral financing for civil legal assistance to individuals with low-income (Auerbach, 1977). ... This was the first agency that offered legal aid to people no matter their sex, race or nationality (Auerbach, 1977). Other municipalities also followed in this direction and most major cities had new legal aid offices in the first decades of the twentieth century. Legal Services Corporation (LSC) A corporation controlled by a nonpartisan, independent Board was created by the LSC Act. It was appointed by the President and affirmed by the Senate. Of the eleven members, there were no more than six members belonging to the same political party. Attorneys had to make a majority of the board and it was to be inclusive of persons who would actually be qualified for legal services. Additionally, the board was to in general represent the organized bar, lawyers offering legal aid to the poor and the public at large. The corporation was entitled to obtain federal financing and make grants to local legal services programs that were independent (Subrin & Woo, 2008). President Gerald Ford appoint ed the first LSC Board which was confirmed in mid-1975. The decisions made by the board on the major policy issues expressed a desire to make sure that the individuals who were poor had legal representation that was effective and an appreciation of the merits that the existing delivery system had. Most of the effort by the corporation initially went into acquiring more financing from Congress in order to expand the reach of the legal services program. In 1977, without substantial argument, the Corporation was reauthorized for three more years. There was clarification as well as lifting of some restrictions. LSC started focusing on making the local programs more effective through the improvement of the evaluation and monitoring systems. By 1981, the LSC was

Neo Neo Debate in International Relations

Neo Neo Debate in International Relations The study of international relations is best thought as a protracted competition between the realist, liberal, and radical traditions (Stephen,1998). In international relations theory, there are four Great Debates argued by the international relations scholars. In this paper, the neo-neo debate to the study of international relations is the topic used to talk about. The neo-neo debate in international relations is known as a debate between scholars of neo-realist international relations theory and neo-liberal institutionalism (Steve, 2001). The neo-neo debate is not a debate between two completely opposite viewpoint. This paper is finished under the hammer at revealing the key features and the main contributions of the neo-neo debate to the study of International Relations. This paper is divided into three sections to finish the work. In the first section, the key features of the neo-neo debate to the study of International Relations show in this part. Section two focuses on the main contributions of the neo-neo debate to the study of International Relations. The last section relates to the conclusion of the whole paper. 2.0 Discussion about the features and contributions Neorealism and neoliberalism are the two most contemporary approached to international relations theory and they create the neo-neo debate which has dominated much of international relations theory for the last decade (Powell, 1994). Arguments on the consequence of both anarchy and gains and the prospect for peace form the basis of the neo-neo debate (Taylor, 2006). Though neorealist and neoliberal international relations theorists pursue different arguments, the neo-neo debate is not a debate between two polar opposite worldviews. They share assumptions which focus on similar questions and they agree on very similar, through not identical, set of assumptions about international politics. In a word, there are both similarities and disparity between neorealism and neoliberalism. Taylor (2006) thinks the similarities between thee two schools are from the neorealism. First, both of them think states are rational egoists. Unlikely the classical liberal proposition that the idealistic sel f-abnegation and self-regarding motivations of states (Hobson 2000), neoliberal scholars agree with neorealists that states are rational egoists so that they are self -interested. This similarity formed those baseline assumptions that neoliberalists began to question and argue with neorealism. Despite there are similarities between neorealism and neoliberalism, neoliberals maintained many of the key assumptions from the classical liberals. In this paper, there are some points under the neo-neo debate of international relations to show the incomplete opposite between neorealist and neoliberal international relations theories. Exactly those assumptions borrowed from neorealism and core classical liberalism produce the debate between neorealism and neoliberalism. First, the notion of anarchy in international relations is the most significant part among these two schools. To the classical realist, anarchy means that there is no government of governments and no authority in the world greater than the sovereign state (Fraser, 2010). But to the neorealist, anarchy is the organizing principle that makes states to act the way they do. The world is constituted of nations which are governed by states in relative anarchy (Axelrod Keohane 1993). States are supposed to be rational and unitary actors. In the world of anarchy, states have to use self-help as a predominant tool (Setear, 2010). Waltz (1979) thinks that the effect of anarchy is to create the principle of self-help, because a state can only depend on itself for its survival. States are unable to control in an anarchic climate so that they should prepare to be challenged by opportunistic, stronger states (Hobson 2000). Neorealists stand on the belief that the state is the most important actor in international politics to peace, but they also feel powerless to influence the peaceful action of other states. Though neoliberalism is different from Neorealism, it does not vote down the anarchic nature of the international relations. Scholars of neoliberalism emphasis the neorealists have exaggerated the importance and effect of anarchy. They think anarchy can be mitigated by international regimes and institutions. That is to say they argue that the neorealists underestimate the effect of institutionalised co operation. Neoliberalism believes that interstate cooperation could create institutions and regimes for the peaceful settlement of conflicts (Sheldon, 1994). Another core disparity within the neo-neo debate is the problem of absolute and relative gains. The difference of this disparity is obvious. Neorealists think that all states must be concerned with the absolute and relative gains which produce by international agreements and cooperative efforts. While neoliberals are less concerned about relative gains and considers that both of them will benefit from absolute gains. For neorealists, winning at all costs can make their friends be their enemy in war in the pursuit of relative gains (Taylor, 2006). For neoliberals, if states only pursue absolute gains, they can cooperate with each other and avoid conflict by maintaining the international principle through a positive game (Viotti and Kauppi 1987). This disparity has significant implications on the problems of security concerns of states and the prospects of world peace (Taylor, 2006). Hence neorealists consider conflicts as inevitable outcomes of international relations. Besides, neorea lists focus more on the short-term gains of states in competition while neoliberals pay more attention on longer-term absolute gains (Taylor, 2006). Hence neorealists place a higher emphasis on power-maximizing and security dilemma than economic prosperity (Baldwin, 1993). Neoliberals support that international institution can play an important role in resolving conflicts and that it can make states cooperate and work toward long-term gains rather than relay on short-term gains. Though neoliberals agree with neorealists on that states act only out of self-interest, they can not share the suggestion of neorealists about the possibility of international cooperation. The neo-neo debate has been the dominant focus in international relations theory scholarship in the USA for the last dozen years (Baylis Smith, 2006). Neorealism and neoliberalism turn to be conceptual frameworks which show people the images of the world rather than just theories. Both neorealism and neoliberalism have its limits and deficiencies. Neoliberalism emerged as a new liberal response to realism during the last decade of the Cold War. Interestingly, the neoliberals borrow many neorealist assumptions but distance themselves from the classical liberalist theory so they can restore integrity to liberal ideals (Taylor, 2006). Neoliberalism is always named as neoliberal institutionalism in the academic world. The development of neoliberal institutionalism presents a serious challenge for neorealist analysis. But the debate between them is still an inter-paradigm one. The neo-neo debate refers to the problems of state power, relations among different states, and relations betwee n state and non-state actors. Baylis and Smith (2006) point out neorealism and neoliberalism share many assumptions about actors, values, issues and power arrangements in the international relations theories. During the 1960s and 1970s, the appearance of non-state actors induced the world structure to change. Keohane and Nyne (1972) argue that a definition of politics in terms of state behaviours alone may lead us to ignore important non-governmental actors that allocate view. Then the neoliberalism came out to explain the changes of world structure. Neoliberals think states should not be seen as the unique actor in international politics. Its assumptions clearly challenges and distinguishes itself from neorealism. Neorealists think that states are the primary and unitary actors in international politics. But the truth is globalization provides opportunities and resource for transnational social movements have challenged the state authority and control in some areas (Baylis and Smith, 2006). That is no exaggeration to say that the neo-neo debate comply with the development of international politics. During the development of international relations theory, the development of each school is rooted in argument between different schools. Through those arguments, scholars of international relations extend their thoughts and explore more possibilities, shine their studies, and finally accept the strong points of the others and the weak points belong to themselves. Then they can rethink profoundly on their own theories and make recreation on their works. That is how neorealists and neoliberals affect each other and the development of international relations theories. Powell (1994) points out that much of the neo-neo debate can be seen as a response to Waltzs Theory of international politics and a reaction to those response. Waltzs key contribution to the international relations theories is the creation of neorealism which is also called structural realism by him. Neorealism is a reaction to the classical realism and leads the response from neoliberals. Then the debate between neoreali sm and neoliberals came out to discuss problems which exit in the international politics. The debate between neorealism and neoliberalism is much more deepen and careful than the debate between realism and liberalism. The approach used within the debate has its new features in evidence. It also opens up a new from of debate which not exclude each other and not easy to assert the fault of the other. Some scholars also think the neo-neo debate between these two theories have failed to contribute as much as they could have to the international relations theory. Powell (1994) thinks neorealism and neoliberalism have serious internal weakness and limitations which lead to the neo-neo debate present confuse rather than clarification. Maybe this shortcoming can also be looked as a contribution to the international relations theories. Scholars need to find much more directions for the future theoretical work after they have realized there were weakness and limitations within the neo-neo debate. 3.0 Conclusion Today, many of foundations of the interstate system are challenged by change in international norms. These changes have led to a debate among scholars about whether those international relations theories will survive in its current form or evolve into another theory that does not come out. Neoliberals believe economics is a driving force which can encouragingly increase cooperation among nations in international relations. While neorealists think that military force will continue decide what happens in the world. Both of them are right to some extant. And none of them will replace another. May another new debate will replace them someday, the neo-neo debate is still a great evolution of the study of international relations.

Free College Essays - Shakespeares Sonnet 147 :: Sonnet essays

Sonnet 147 SONNET CXLVII My love is as a fever, longing still For that which longer nurseth the disease, Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill, The uncertain sickly appetite to please. My reason, the physician to my love, Angry that his prescriptions are not kept, Hath left me, and I desperate now approve Desire is death, which physic did except. Past cure I am, now reason is past care, And frantic-mad with evermore unrest; My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are, At random from the truth vainly express'd; For I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright, Who art as black as hell, as dark as night. PARAPHRASE OF SONNET CXLVII My love is like a fever, still longing, For that which feeds the disease, Feeding on that which prolongs the illness, All to please the unhealthy desires of the body. My reason, love's doctor, Angry that I do not follow his directions, Has left me, and desperate I find that desire Leads to death, which physic (reason) will not allow. Now reason is past caring, now I am past cure, And I am frantic with continual unrest; My thoughts and my words are like a madman's, Lies foolishly uttered; For I thought you were moral and bright (shining as a star), But you really are black as hell and dark as night. Analysis Shakespeare's scathing attack upon the morality of his mistress exemplifies their tumultuous and perplexing relationship. The three quatrains outline the poet's inner struggle to cope with both his lover's infidelity and the embarrassing self-admission that he still desires her to gratify him sexually, even though she has been with other men. The poet yearns to understand why, in spite of the judgment of reason (5), he still is enslaved by her charms. Confused by his own inexplicable urges, the poet's whole being is at odds with his insatiable "sickly appetite" (4) for the dark lady. He deduces in the final quatrain that he surely must be insane, for he calls his mistress just and moral when she obviously is neither. Not until later sonnets (150-1) do we see a change of tone and a cool-headed acknowledgment of the recklessness of the whole affair. In Sonnet 151, the poet admits that he cannot continue the relationship because it betrays his "nobler part" (6) i.

Picking Cotton by David Graves Essay

Abstract This story is about two people, two victims of crime. Two people that suffered from circumstance and circumstantial evidence. Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Thompson are these two people. This story is about the way circumstantial evidence convicts and the way DNA exonerates. Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Thompson are living the ultimate human story. It is one of error, recognizing it and being redeemed. Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Thompson were living in Piedmont North Carolina during the crime. Anyone who has lived there in the past twenty years knows their names, but probably not their entire story. In 1984, Jennifer Thompson was 22 when a man broke into her house and raped her. As the man assaulted her, she studied and memorized his face, as well as his voice, and everything she could about him. Jennifer’s intention was to survive, and when the assault was over, she wanted to put him in prison for the rest of his life for what he did to her. After Jennifer was treated for her injuries she helped the police draw a composite sketch of the man who raped her. The Police Department of Alamance County had never seen a victim so composed, so determined and so sure. Just a few hours after her horrifying ordeal, after the emotionless doctor swabbed her vagina for semen samples at the hospital, Jennifer sat down at the police station with Detective Mike Gauldin. â€Å"The first comment I remember her making was that, â€Å"I’m going to get this guy that did this to me.† She said, â€Å"I took the time to look at him. I will be able to identify him if I’m given an opportunity,† Gauldin remembered her saying (Hansen, 2001). She began combing through photos, trying to help come up with a composite of her rapist. The sketch went out, and tips started pouring in. One of those tips was about Ronald Cotton. Three days after the rape, Detective Gauldin called Jennifer in to the police station to do a photo lineup. Detective Gauldin lay six photos down on the table. The Detective said that Jennifer did not immediately identify a photo from the photo lineup. She took her time and studied each picture carefully. â€Å"I can remember almost feeling like I was at an SAT test. You know, where you start narrowing down your choices. You can discount A and B,† Jennifer said. She picked out Ronald Cotton’s photo. Cotton heard the news from his mother’s boyfriend. He told me, â€Å"Ron, the police are looking for you.† And I said, â€Å"For what?† And he told me, â€Å"For rape.† And I said, â€Å"I haven’t committed such a crime like that,† Cotton said (Finkelstein, 2009). Ronald Cotton gave Detective Gauldin a very detailed account of where he was, and who he was with that night. As it turned out the statement that Ronald Cotton had given to the Detective was false. He later realized that he had gotten his weekends mixed up. By this point it was t oo late. His honest mistake gave them more reason to think that he was lying, and if he was lying about his whereabouts on the night of the rape, what else was he lying about? The day he went back to the police station to clear his name, was August 1, 1984. He did not get the chance. He was arrested. Ronald Cotton was not going to get to leave. He was getting locked up, and days later he was put in a physical lineup. â€Å"I’m number five,† Cotton remembered. â€Å"I was very scared, nervous. I was so nervous, I was trembling. I felt my body just shaking† (Finkelstein, 2009). A week later, Jennifer sat across a table from six men that were holding numbered cards. She picked No. 5. And with the words, â€Å"That’s my rapist, Detective Gauldin,† she changed another’s existence as well as her own forever. On August 1, 1984, Ronald Cotton was arrested for the rape that had been committed against Jennifer Thompson. In a week-long trial, the jury heard about Cotton’s faulty alibi, his clothing that matched Thompson description, and a piece of foam found on her floor that seemed to come from one of his shoes. And most powerful, they had heard from Jennifer Thompson. In court, when she was asked if she recognized her rapist, she had named Ronald Cotton. â€Å"She called my name, pointed a finger. And that’s all, that’s all it takes, it seemed like,† Cotton said, â€Å"It felt like someone pushing a knife through me† (Hansen, 2001). Her testimony was extremely powerful. Even Ronald Cotton could feel the jury sympathize with her. He himself even sympathized for her. In silent terror, he watched as the system labeled him a rapist. He was only 22 years old, and the world that he had foreseen and dreamed about, all his plans were over now for a crime he did no t commit. The Prosecutor’s evidence at trial was all circumstantial evidence; however they had an eyewitness, Jennifer Thompson. The Defense Team had Ronald Cotton’s alibi, which was supported by family members. They tried to allow the jury to hear the evidence about the second rape victim that night, but the jury was not allowed to hear that evidence, or to hear that the second victim failed to pick Cotton out of photos that the police had showed to her, as well as the police lineup. The prosecution based its case on several points and used circumstantial evidence to obtain their conviction. These included; photo identification by one of the victims, police lineup identification made by one of the victims, a flashlight in Cotton’s home resembled the one used by the assailant and rubber from Cotton’s tennis shoe was consistent with rubber found at one of the crime scenes. â€Å"It took the jury just 40 minutes to reach a verdict: guilty on all counts. â€Å"He was sentenced to life and 50 years. That was when Jennifer Thompson realized the justice system worked. Ronald Cotton was handcuffed, shackled, and taken to North Carolina’s Central Prison. He was just 22 years old. â€Å"You know they say grown men don’t cry, but it’s a lie you know. I grabbed my pillow many times and hugged it, wishing I was hugging my mom, my dad, sister, brother. Wish it didn’t have to be this way,† said Ronald Cotton (Finkelstein, 2009). On Jan. 17, 1985, Ronald Cotton was sentenced to life in prison. Ronald Cotton was convicted by a jury of his peers of one count of rape and one count of burglary. As Ronald Cotton was lead off to prison he said, â€Å"I say the truth will come to light and the Lord knows I am an innocent man. Someday, somewhere, the truth is going to come out in my case.† While he was in prison, Cotton spent his days and nights writing letters to lawyers, newspapers, and to anyone who would li sten to him. He would do anything to get a new trial. Ronald Cotton tried to believe what his father kept telling him – which was, â€Å"that someday justice would prevail†. Then it happened. One day as he watched a new inmate being brought in, he had a strange feeling come over him. He wanted to know more about him, who he was, where he came from, so Cotton approached him. â€Å"I said, ‘Excuse me. You look familiar. Where are you from?† He told Cotton, â€Å"I’m from Burlington.† Cotton told him, â€Å"I am too.† I told him that, â€Å"You kind of resembling the drawing of a suspect in a crime in which I’m falsely imprisoned for. Did you commit this crime?† And he told me, â€Å"no, I did not,† remembers Cotton (Finkelstein, 2009). Cotton understood immediately why he felt the way he did upon seeing the man for the first time. He thought of the composite drawing when he saw the inmate. The inmate’s name was Bobby Poole, and he was serving consecutive life sentences for a series of brutal rapes. He also started working in the prison kitchen too. â€Å"The stewards were calling me Poole instead of Cotton,† Cotton said. People were constantly mistaking the two men for each other. During many of the years he spent in prison, Cotton actually knew who the real rapist was. The two bore a striking physical resemblance to one another, and to the police sketch of Thompson’s attacker. While in prison a fellow inmate heard Poole going around bragging to other inmates that Cotton was doing some of his time for a rape that he had committed. Eventually an inmate told Cotton that he’d heard Bobby Poole admit to raping Jennifer Thompson and the other woman that night. Ronald Cotton was in prison for this rape, a rape that he was convicted of, and the rape that sentenced him to life plus fifty ye ars, a rape that he did not commit. Ronald Cotton was full of rage. He was angry. Cotton hated Poole. He decided to make a blade out of a piece of metal. He was going to kill him. Cotton told his dad of his plans and Cotton’s father begged him not to. â€Å"Put your faith in God,† his father said. â€Å"If you kill Bobby Poole, then you really do belong behind these bars† (Finkelstein, 2009).So Cotton eventually threw his blade away and his plans to kill Bobby Poole. Cotton’s attorney filed an appeal. On appeal, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned Cotton’s 1985 conviction because the second victim had picked another man out of the lineup. The trial court had not allowed this evidence to be heard by the jury. An appeals court had ruled in Cotton’s favor stating that evidence relating to the second victim should have been allowed in the first trial. Ronald Cotton had won himself a new trial, and his heart filled with hope. The new trial began in November 1987. Ronald Cotton was retried, this time for both rapes and burglaries, because the second victim had decided that now Cotton was her assailant. The witnesses would get a look at Bobby Poole, who was subpoenaed by Cotton’s lawyer. They would hear the evidence from prison informants, about him admitting to these two crimes. The informants would tell their compelling stories about the rapes that they had heard Poole so proudly boast about, the story that the public did not know. They would tell the story that the real rapist told them. Things the rapist would only have known. Cotton was excited, even confident, the trial began to look as though it was going his way. Finally, Cotton thought, he would be set free, he would be exonerated, and finally everyone was going to see the truth. He was not the rapist. However he had forgotten the power of Jennifer Thompson. Back on the stand, Jennifer Thompson was as confident as ever. She looked directly at Poole and then she looked directly a t Cotton. He was fifteen feet away from her and he could still feel the hatred in her heart that she had for him. Ronald Cotton is the man who raped me, she told the jury. It was not Bobby Poole. The Prosecution and defense asked her, Are you sure? And confidently she said, Yes, I’m sure. The second victim was less convincing, but she also pointed to him, too. Cotton’s lawyers called Bobby Poole to the stand with Thompson sitting right there. It was the moment Cotton had been hoping for. They tried to trigger her memory, by allowing her to see him up close, by allowing her to hear his voice. It was Cottons last hope, but nothing; she was too convinced that Cotton had raped her. So they tried to get him to break, but he did not. He denied the rapes and with that he sealed Ronald Cotton’s fate. An innocent man was living inside the shell of a convicted rapist. It was all over for Cotton. Cotton knew it; he knew that he would be convicted. The court fell silent as Ronald Cott on was sentenced again. He was convicted of both rapes and two counts of burglary. This time an Alamance County Superior Court sentenced Cotton to two life sentences plus fifty-four years. Ronald Cotton was convicted twice by eyewitness testimony. Seven more years went by, and then everyone in Central Prison was riveted by a big news story: the trial of O.J. Simpson. Cotton’s big break came in 1995 while he was watching the O.J. Simpson trial on television. â€Å"I would get my radio and put my earplugs in, and go outside, and sit in a corner,† Cotton said. There, he’d listen to the trial. He was intrigued by something he’d never heard of: DNA. The Attorneys and investigators kept talking about DNA evidence, something he had never heard of before. DNA was still in its infancy when he received his convictions and it was not used in his trial. He got an idea and he contacted his new attorneys. In 1994, the chief appellate defender had requested that two new lawyers take over Cotton ’s defense. Richard Rosen, a professor at the University Of North Carolina School Of Law, agreed to represent Cotton. He wrote to his new attorney, law professor Rich Rosen. Rosen warned him that there probably wasn’t any evidence left to test, and if there was, DNA could cut both ways. â€Å"Understand if the DNA comes back and shows that you did this crime, whatever legal issues we have don’t make any bit of difference. You’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison,† Rosen said. Cotton told him â€Å"to go with it† (Finkelstein, 2009). The lawyers filed a motion for appropriate relief on the grounds of inadequate appeal counsel. The lawyers also filed a motion for DNA testing that Cotton had been so adamant on getting. DNA testing was granted in October 1994. Packed away on the shelves of the Burlington Police Department was 11-year-old evidence from the two rapes that night. In the spring of 1995, the Burlington Police Department turned over all evidence that contained the assailant’s semen for DNA testing. Luckily, Burlington Police Detective Gauldin had preserved the biological material in the case, although there was no legal requirement for it to be maintained. Inside one of the rape kits was a fragment of a single sperm with viable DNA. The samples from one of the victim’s was too deteriorated to be conclusive, but the samples from the other victim’s vaginal swab and underwear were subjected to PCR based DNA testing. They were able to recover one tiny sample of sperm from the rape kit that had been used to treat Jennifer Thompson 11 years earlier. The DNA sample showed no match to Cotton (Celizic, 2009). At the defense’s request, the results were sent to the State Bureau of Investigation’s DNA database, containing the DNA patterns of convicted violent felons in the North Carolina prison system. The state’s database showed a match with the convict who had earlier confessed to the crime. There was enough DNA in the sample to prove Cotton was innocent and Poole was guilty. Then, under questioning by Detective Gauldin, Poole confessed to both rapes. In May 1995 when the official DNA results were reported, the prosecution joined Rosen in a motion to drop all charges. Judge McLelland granted the motion. Cotton was officially cleared of all charges on June 30, 1995 and he was released from prison in July 1995. And just like that, Cotton was a free man. Cotton received a gubernatorial pardon based on innocence the following month. In July 1995, the governor of North Carolina officially pardoned Cotton. Cotton had served 10.5 years of his sentence. Cotton began the difficult task of beginning a new life. When he was first released from prison 17 years ago, Cotton’s first job was with the DNA Company that conducted the tests that exonerated him. He now works for a company that makes insulation. He’s been married for 15 years and has a 14-year-old daughter. They live in a house paid for with restitution money from the state of North Carolina: $10,000 for each of the 11 years he spent in prison. Jennifer Thompson has also moved on. She is married and has three children. She and Cotton talk often. â€Å"He is an amazing human being. He has been a real good teacher for me.† He has helped me so much. Ron has taught me about forgiveness, and healing, and faith† (Hansen, 2001). Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Thompson are now friends. In fact, they’ve written a book together: â€Å"Picking Cotton: A Memoir of Injustice and Redemption.† They sometimes travel together giving talks about the ways memory can deceive us, and they are working to change the way police conduct photo lineups (Connors, et al, 1998). They are also a testament to the power of the human spirit. When DNA evidence ultimately proved that another man committed the rape and Cotton was freed, Thompson was consumed by guilt and shame. However, Cotton talks about in the book that they wrote together, that he had long since forgiven her. â€Å"I couldn’t carry on serving my time in the prison system holding grudges and thinking about retaliating against a person that made an honest mistake. I had to proceed on in life regardless,† he told Vieira (Hansen, 2001). When I found out that I was going to be released from prison I was shocked. I almost did not believe it. â€Å"It was like a dream come true. I couldn’t belie ve it,† Cotton told Vieira. â€Å"The warden of the penitentiary called me in his office and told me I was going home tomorrow. I told him, â€Å"Please don’t pull my leg, it’s already long enough.† But it was true. I finally went home to be with my family and loved ones. The day I had prayed so hard for had finally come and it was not just in my dreams (Hansen, 2001). To jurors the point of the finger identifying a perpetrator is damaging evidence and mistakes can be made. However, now there is one type of evidence that’s even more persuasive: DNA. There have been 235 people exonerated by DNA in this country and now a stunning pattern has emerged: more than three quarters of them were sent to prison at least in part because an eyewitness pointed a finger – an eyewitness we now know was wrong (Torneo, 2009). Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and the man she mistakenly put in prison, Ronald Cotton is a tale about pain and redemption — and the tricks that memory can play on people with the best of intentions. â€Å"This can happen to anyone. And hopefully it does not happen to them,† Cotton told Vieira (Hansen, 2001). One of the most amazing things that have come out of this injustice is the most unlikely of friendships. He was sentenced to life in prison for a rape he did not commit by a woman who he now calls his friend. The two of them are truly inspiring, and the two of them were both victims. References Celizic, M. (2009, March 10). She sent him to jail for rape; now they’re friends. In NBCNEWS.com. Retrieved November 27, 2012, from http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29613178/ns/today-today_news/t/she-sent-him-jail-rape-now-theyre-friends/ Connors, E., Lundregan, T., Miller, N., & McEwen, T. (1998). Convicted by Juries, Exonerated by Science: Case Studies in the Use of DNA Evidence to Establish Innocence After Trial. Institute for Psychological Therapies. 10. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www.iptforensics.com/journal/volume10/j10_3_6_8.htm Finkelstein, S. (2009, July 12). Eyewitness: How Accurate Is Visual Memory? In CBSNEWS. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/06/60minutes/main4848039_page6.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody Hansen, M. (2001). Forensic Science: Scoping out eyewitness Ids (Master’s thesis). April Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://nersp.osg.ufl.edu/~malavet/evidence/notes/thompson_cotton.htm Thompson-Cannin o, J., Cotton, R., & Torneo, E. (2009). Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www.pickingcottonbook.com/splash.html

Koutons Retail India Limited Essay

The company went public in early 2006 and thereby became Koutons Retail India Limited (KRIL) with effect from June27, 2006. KRIL is primarily an integrated apparel manufacturing and retail company in India. They are in the business of designing, manufacturing and retailing under the brand names Koutons and Charlie Outlaw. Their main target customers are middle class consumers who are keen to trying out new fashions falling in the age group of 22 – 45 years. Find below a brief timeline of Koutons. 1991- Started as Charlie denim jeans showroom 1994 – Incorporated as Charlie Creations Pvt. Ltd 1997 – Diversified in non-denim apparel, awarded with Best Menswear Collection 1998 – Brand Koutons was launched 2002 – First exclusive brand outlet of Koutons opened 2006 – IPO. Name changed to Koutons Retail India ltd in June 27, 2006 2007 – Listed on BSE and NSE Koutons Financials Koutons has reported the fastest growth in its sales and profits among its listed and closest peers partly due to a smaller base. The Company’s restated total income and profit after tax were Rs 4036. 17 million and Rs 344. 87 million respectively as of and for the year ended March 31, 2007 compared to Rs 1583. 85 million and Rs 131. 8 million respectively as of and for the year ended March 31, 2006. (Exhibit 1). Koutons do not have any stock option scheme or stock purchase scheme for the employees of the company. Industry Overview The Indian retail sector, which is believed to be at an inflexion point, is valued at USD 270 billion (2006) with Food and Grocery being the dominant sector followed by clothing, textiles and fashion accessories which contributes nearly 9. 5%. The organized retail sector on the other hand has grown with a CAGR of 30% and stands at about USD 12. 4 billion (2006) which is only 4. 6% of the total retail market thus demonstrating its huge future otential. In the organized retail sector the major share is held by the clothing and accessories sector (39%) growing at a rate of 30. 3% during 2005-06, followed by food and grocery (11%). The Indian apparel retail industry(which mainly consists of sale of all menswear, womenswear and infantswear) grew by 12. 3% in 2006 to reach a value of $20 billion (INR 880. 9 billion); the CAGR growth for the period 2002-06 being 11%(Exhibit 2). The share of the organized apparel retail has grown steadily to reach 18. 9% in 2006. Considering an anticipated CAGR of 10%, the apparel retail industry in India is expected to reach USD 32. billion by end of 2011. Fuelled by strong economic growth, favorable demographics, easy availability of credits, availability of retail space, rising level of disposable income, rise in dual income families and shift of life style pattern, organized retail in India is expected to grow tremendously in the next few years. The emergence of the mall culture in India acts as catalyst in this growth story. By the end of 2007 approximately 68 million sqft of mall space is expected to come in India, majority being equally shared between North Zone (39%) and West Zone (33%). According to a 2005 KPMG retail survey report, the Specialty and Super Market format have the highest potential for growth (45%) followed by Hypermarkets(36%) and Discount Stores (27%). In terms of opening up of new retail outlets, the apparel retailers and brands attained a growth of 113% in 2006 compared to 84% in 2005. As on 2006, major share in the Indian apparel retail market is accounted for by Menswear (45%), followed by Womenswear (36. 1%), Infantswear (18. 8%). While the Menswear has witnessed a growth of 12% by value and 3. 9% by volume, Womenswear has grown 14. 9% by value and 5. 4% by volume. Almost comparable growth has also happened in the Infantswear sector (11. 5% by value and 3. 8% by volume). Competitive Landscape in Apparel Retail Porter’s Five Forces Model The competitive nature of the Indian apparel retail sector can be very well analyzed using the famous Five Forces Model as suggested by Michael Porter. Fig: Porter’s Five Force Model Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers becomes weak because of three main reasons. First, majority of the buyers are individual consumers and hence has limited purchasing power. Second, the retailers can very easily differentiate their products. Third, only the retailers can provide the consumers with a wide variety of quality products. On the other hand, the fact that buyers have very low switching cost and retailers are obliged to act according to buyer needs provides the buyer with some bargaining power. Infact, it is believed that in Indian apparel retail, brand loyalty exists mostly for the brands and less for the retailers. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The sourcing happens mostly from the clothing manufacturers and the wholesalers. The manufacturing industry is highly fragmented in nature inducing a price war. Low product diversity on the part of the suppliers reduces the switching cost for the retailers. However, the only drawback of moving to a low cost supplier might be the threat of not being able to live up to the highly volatile trend of changing fashion. Entry Barrier Entry barrier is comparatively low, like any other retail sector. The industry itself is highly fragmented and requires low capital investment. The policy taken by the Government to open up the retail sector to foreign investments will definitely encourage entry of other foreign players. Threat of Substitutes We can identify three major threats to the apparel retail. First, with e-buying becoming popular with every passing day there may be an opportunity of buying directly from the manufacturers. Homemade apparels though can be a substitute has a very low threat mainly because of the ever changing fashion needs of the generation and the substantial increase in disposable income. The last and the biggest threat for substitute come from the sale of counterfeit apparels. Competitors The Indian apparel retail industry is highly fragmented in nature. Within the readymade segment there are both branded and unbranded players. There are many foreign brands that have established themselves successfully in the Indian apparel retail market using different channels. While brands like Allen Solly and Arrow have taken the licensing route, Benetton have entered the market through tie-up with domestic players. Again brands like Tommy Hilfliger, Mark’s and Spencers and Speedo have taken up the franchisee channel. On the other hand, Metro entered the market through cash and carry wholesale trading route. The private labels, by virtue of providing higher margins to the retailer and lower cost to the customers have also become extreme popular. Some of the well known private labels are John Miller, Bare and Stop. Although competition in the retail apparel segment is heating up, the inherent advantage of Koutons model – backward integration, positioning and first mover advantage – is not easy to replicate within a short period of time. On the back of the company? s aggressive rollout plan and diversification to high-margin segments, the company enjoys better valuations than its peers like Kewal Kiran and Zodiac Clothing, although not strictly comparable. There are approximately 23 major players in the branded apparel retail segment in India with Koutons coming next to Raymond Ltd. Exhibit 3 ; 4). Pentagon-Triangle Model Koutons mainly works on pentagon model. The key attributes of the pentagon model fit as follows: Place Size and Location: Out of 999 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs as Aug 20, 2007) 531 EBOs were present in northern region. West and east India has about 29 and 38 stores respectively. Koutons has o ver 1000 company managed stores and 18 manufacturing units. By August 2007 they owned 14 warehouse facilities spread around Gurgaon. They are present mainly in northern and north western region. By March 2006, there was no presence of Koutons in southern region. They have started slowly moving into southern region. Layout and Design: Koutons generally operate through a franchisee model. Traditionally, Koutons outlets used to store men? s apparel. But recently they have extended their product portfolio to include women? s and kid wear as well. Generally, the size of a Koutons outlet ranges from 1000 sq feet to 2000 sq feet; variations happening depending on the location, real estate rates and host of other factors as well. Their flagship stores have a size of 3000-5000 sqft. Koutons outlets may be single storied or multi storied. The outlets are generally spacious and display caters to need of middle class Indian customer segment. (Exhibit 5: Koutons EBO, Calicut). Product Style and Fashion: Go with latest fashion trends. Mainly target high fashion aspirants of the age group 22-45 years. If any type of fashion becomes obsolete, still Koutons tries to attract customers, but ultimately if situation does not improve they also stop keeping such fashioned garments and go with new trends and fashions. Assortment: Wide variety of men? s wear including shirts, trousers, jeans, jackets, T-shirts. Limited variety of kids and women? s wear. The assortment also depends on region. An EBO in north India might have little different assortment compared to one in south. Value Price: Low brand value. It sometimes offers 70% discounts which have diminished its brand value to a large extent causing a barrier in the way of moving up the value chain. Koutons follows a unique discounting policy wherein they claim to give a discount of x% + y% which is often criticized as a marketing gimmick and a way to mislead the customer. For example, a discount of 50%+40% often gives the customer the impression of availing a 90% discount – whereas effectively it means a 70% discount. Quality: Mixed conception among customers. Most people think its product quality goes down with increase in discounts. It has failed to maintain same quality of products throughout its EBOs across all regions. People Service: Koutons mainly deal with men? s apparels. But recently have started making garments for women also. Knowledge: For managerial position they mainly look for experienced people (at least 2-3 years of experience in apparel business). Climate: Koutons generally stocks apparel which are all-weather. Few varieties differ with region, e. g. sweaters are stocked in north EBOs but not in south. But most of the stock can be sold in all weathers. Communication Positional: Koutons have positioned themselves as „„value for money, but high on fashion†. They mainly target pro-fashion customers who are very much willing to try new fashion trends at nominal prices. They often offer attractive discount policies to attract middle class fashion minded customers. T heir target customers belong to age group 22 to 45 years. Promotional: Koutons mainly advertise through newspapers and they have a well designed website. They incur minimum advertising expense and rarely goes for any celebrity endorsement. Their presence in 450 cities of India is believed to have created an automatic brand visibility. Business Processes The two major business processes at Koutons are Manufacturing and Sales operations. The diagram below shows the processes involved in manufacturing. Some of the key differentiating factors involved in the business processes are : Procurement of raw materials: Procurement of raw material from India, China, Taiwan and Italy using third party suppliers. Third party manufacturers: To cater to the growing demand for outsourcing of manufacturing is also done. For this, the Company has executed 211 agreements with 211 fabricators. Manufacture of production sample: A product sample is produced in house according to the specifications provided for the range of products for a particular season. The first production report is prepared on the basis of this sample. All apparent and intricate corrections are made in the sample so as to make it error free. Accordingly, a detailed production plan is devised. Fabric cutting and stitching: A layout for cutting the respective products is done with the help of CAD plotter machines. Sales and distribution The company has a dedicated â€Å"Sales and Marketing† team which consists of 90 employees. Competitive Strengths The key strengths of Koutons are: ? Exclusive brand outlets ? Wide network of retail stores ? Low-cost sourcing capabilities (diminishing the cost of material as well as that of the final products hence resulting in low cost products) ? Proper brand positioning (identifying the proper target customer segment and meeting their requirements) ? Expertise in designing and merchandise (core competency) ? Efficient management ? Wide apparel range (customers can choose their required things from a well chosen stock) ? Efficient utilization of IT and making it a differentiating factor compared to other retailers. Koutons always follows proper strategic planning before taking any business decision. They are planning to increase their geographic penetration by increasing the number of brand outlets to distant areas, enhancing manufacturing capabilities, targeting new customer segments. Positioning the Koutons brand strongly (exporting apparels under the brand name), making potential mergers and acquisitions and most importantly constantly improving the cost structure. Some of the key differentiating strengths of Koutons are described in detail. Exclusive Brand Outlets: The majority of the apparel manufacturers cum retailers in India operate through a combination of retailing through exclusive outlets, national chain stores and multi brand outlets. This entails supplies being managed directly and through distribution agents. Koutons operate on a model of marketing apparel directly through a chain of exclusive brand outlets and thus are independent of external marketing pressures attributable to the national chain stores, multi brand outlets and other intermediaries. This enables them to focus quality maintenance and customer satisfaction without the interference of any external agency. This model also enhances the brand equity and recall as the shelf space on each of the exclusive brand outlets is controlled by company. In the process, Koutons has developed a greater brand visibility and an identity of its own and has thus reduced the chances of brand dilution. As of August, 2007, the â€Å"Koutons† brand was sold through 566 exclusive brand outlets and the â€Å"Charlie Outlaw† brand was sold through 433 exclusive brand outlets. The wide coverage of exclusive brand outlets from metros to tier II towns and through the various regions in India, allows them the flexibility to hedge against fashion changes given the general time lag in fashion trends between metro and tier II towns. The table below shows the growth in number of Koutons EBOs. The company? s brands are marketed through three outlet models ? Company owned / leased and company operated (COCO) ? Company owned / leased and franchisee operated (COFO) ? Franchisee owned / leased and franchisee operated (FOFO) The company had 17 outlets, 124 outlets and 858 outlets under COCO, COFO and FOFO models, respectively, on 20 August 2007. To accommodate all EBOs (Exclusive Brand Outlets) the company is also looking for spaces for extension. It has been allotted a manufacturing facility in Gurgaon at a total project cost of Rs 301. 85 million. Koutons has benefitted heavily by following a franchisee model as often large scale operation as theirs often becomes tough to be controlled by themselves alone. Also it helps Koutons in availing real estate easily. Besides, the franchisee owners bring in entreprenual energy to the business. This model has also helped Koutons in tackling to some extent the inherent attrition problem in the retail sector and cut down on loses happening due to staff related pilferage. Koutons, in the process, has also realized cost cutting by relieving themselves of the responsibility of bearing the social security liability of the employees. Koutons franchisee model is different from its peers as it offers its franchisee minimum guaranteed payments covering lease rentals, employee costs, and other establishment costs apart from incentivized sales. Products are consigned to the franchisees, who do not bear the inventory risk except for pilferage–the risk of unsold stock remains with Koutons. The company collects a security deposit (bearing nominal interest rate) from the franchisee towards the apparels that the latter stocks at the outlet. This model is highly attractive for franchisees who seek security and low investment, which is reflected in the rapid ramp up as well as the fact that franchisee churn rate has cumulatively been less than 1. 5 per cent since inception. Koutons has planned to expand their franchisee retail model to other products like home linen and furnishing and toys. Integrated player with low-cost sourcing capabilities: Koutons is an integrated apparel manufacturing and retail company with capabilities across the entire value chain of manufacturing and retailing. One of the major strengths includes in-house finishing facilities and rigid quality controls. Extensive logistics and supply chain management systems is put in place to maintain maximum flexibility, which enables them to meet needs in an efficient manner without relying on any one vendor, factory or country. The centralized purchasing system helps in achieving the standardization in quality control systems. Their involvement at every stage of the value chain has helped them successfully cut down on the intermediary costs. Unique brand positioning: Koutons positions itself as a „High Fashion Value for Money? brand. The â€Å"Koutons† brand is positioned in the middle to high fashion segment, offering a complete range of man? wardrobe (in the age group of 22 to 45 years). The â€Å"Charlie Outlaw† brand is a casual brand targeted at fashion conscious youngsters in the age group of 14 to 25 years. Foreign brands mostly target a niche market while Koutons cater to mass market. Koutons score over foreign brands in terms of fit and size they offer to Indian cons umers. Design and merchandising expertise, with a pulse on fashion: A team of designers and merchandisers who are supported by a staff of 40 professionals, including assistant designers and technical designers. Specialized design teams for each apparel categories are formed. Wide apparel range: A wide apparel portfolio which ranges from shirts, non denim trousers, denims, suits, blazers, T- shirts, cargos, capris, sweaters etc. It has also recently launched a range of apparel for women and children. IT Infrastructure: Until now Koutons has been using a specially developed computerized system (customized) to keep all records related to sales and inventories. To keep pace with the market competition and to make its operations more efficient, it has recently started using an enterprise resource planning system using advanced computer systems with the help of Ramco systems. This advanced system will help them to reduce inventory related problems (such as decreasing the inventory lead time, planning delivery schedules better), improving transparency and reducing redundancy. State of the art information flow system to maintain records relating to sales and inventory and integrate key work flows. In 2006 the company also installed a state of the art enterprise resource planning system. The company has been working on enhancing its IT capabilities for better management. This has helped it to bring down the average inventory days from 213 in FY07 to 202 in FY08. Huge sales per store due to hefty discounts offered by the stores. Weaknesses ? COFO model problems: Opening up manufacturing as well as retail outlets needs huge capital investments and hence limits the company? s ability to expand fast, as well as react to the changing market scenario. ? The company is not able to distribute from the multibrand shops and malls. This shuts it off from a major business opportunity and capitalizes on the retail revolution. ? Inventory problem: 340 days of inventory in an apparel industry where demand is seasonal. (Poor inventory turnover) ? Low Brand Value: Koutons stores only stock their own brands and perennial 70% discounts have completely eroded its brand value. This will prevent the company to move up the value chain. ? Concerns due to the nature of its business, Koutons finds large sum of money blocked up in the form of working capital. In FY08, working capital amounted to almost 68 per cent of annual sales which is on the higher side in retail sector. Acquisitions On January 2008, the Board of Directors decided to acquire 51% or more share in Touchwood International Pvt Ltd. , a Rs. 5 crore company and the owner of the brand „Upper Class?. The company has its presence in the ladies segments. „Upper Class? has its major presence in Delhi and has a strong foothold in the ladies garments segment. The brand specializes in casual bottom wear for women and has its presence in Multi brand outlets (MBOs) like Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Globus. Besides, it has its presence in the European market as well. Wh ile the acquisition will definitely give Koutons an exposure to the European market, it will help „Upper Class? gain a retail presence in the domestic retail market. Koutons has planned to open up 400 outlets of „Upper Class? by 2010. Expansion Koutons earlier was exporting Koutons and Charlie brand apparels to the Middle East. But it was halted in 2004 in 2004 as a part of the management strategy to focus more on the domestic market. But now that it has made its mark in the domestic market, it is actively trying to tap the exports market by 2008 with a view to target the Indian population in the Middle East region. It has initiated talks with large retail networks based in West Asia, whereby it plans to open 30 EBOs each of Koutons and Charlie brand by 2009. Koutons plans to enter the market through the route of Joint Venture wherein the majority stake will be retained by Koutons. While the designing, branding and production will be done by Koutons, their local partners will manage the supply chain and logistics. Koutons has already earmarked Rs 40 crores for rolling out the stores. Their first outlet is planned to come up in Dubai by 2008. The other cities under consideration are Abu Dhabi, Sarjah, Doha and Qatar. They also have plans to enter the Chinese market by 2008 and enter the European market very soon. All these would definitely provide the company with immense global visibility. Going Forward The company is aggressively rolling out its EBOs in southern India. Koutons would be enlarging its product portfolio in FY09 by adding categories like accessories and handbags for women along with belts for men and footwear collection for both men and kids by 2008. It is being done with a view to increase the footfalls in the outlets and thereby assist cross-selling and also to make it a one-stop-shop. The company has plans to introduce a new line of women? wear (Les Femme brand) and kids? wear. Koutons plans to open up 150 Koutons Junior and 200 Les Femme stores by 2009-10. To lessen the risk of stock obsolescence, the company has been deploying the strategy of shifting the unsold stock from metros to tier III towns to leverage the time lag in fashion trends between metros and tier III towns. For the year 2008-09, Koutons has planned to grow through the ladies wear and kids wear segments whi ch though being high margin segments are currently being dominated mostly by the regional players. Koutons plans to revolutionize these two segments by providing value for money products – which all throughout have been their core competency. The entry of foreign players in the Indian apparel market has one hand brought the threat the increased competition and on the other hand has increased the fashion awareness amongst the Indian population. However, which target mostly target the mass market can avoid direct confrontation with the foreign players who are more into niche segments. With the rising inflation and increasing cotton price, Koutons definitely has a challenge in their hands in the years to come.

Case 2 incident organizational behavior Essays

Case 2 incident organizational behavior Essays Case 2 incident organizational behavior Essay Case 2 incident organizational behavior Essay Giovanni Corrode Organizational Behavior September 30, 2013 Chapter 7 Assignment The Big Easy 1) In my personal, Im agree with what the data show because nowadays the students are taking more priority in socializing (party, girls, and other factors) than school. For example I heard some friends saying Im going to this school because the party time in that school is amazing. Those are some examples of how students are wasting their time. ) In this question I think students do have ethical responsibility to study because the education is the key of success in the majority of the cases. Also, nowadays this society divides the people thru their education status and their knowledge about a topic. 3) This fact concerned me because Im realizing that older people do have better education than us in this actual world, but at the same time I think the reason of this fact is that before they were not many entertainment and technology as today. I think that experts in economic are right about the competitiveness because is a fact that education and knowledge are key factors in a business. Case Incident 2 1) Organizational Justice refers to the ethical fairness in a workplace. With this being said, Work Bullying violates the fairness in a workplace because it violates the ethics and the fairness with the employers. 2) I think bullying doesnt help in a positive way to self-efficacy because a worker suffering bullying does not focus in the work and that reduce the chances of doing a good Job. I think that it will depend the situation, if the Job is worth it probably I would retaliate in a good way. 3) The first step that I would do will be talk to president or the manager of the place, and then I would try to how the managers the violation of the boss by reading the handbook of the rules or showing the manager how the boss is bullying me by a record or something similar. The least effective strategy will be to confront the boss that is bullying me and go into a fight or discussion with him. If one of my colleagues is suffering bullying I will go and talk to the manager the situation because if the boss does that to my colleagues, eventually he will do it to me. 4) In my personal opinion the factors that contribute bullying are lack of discipline, lack of training and lack of professionalism. I think Bullies are a product of a flawed personality, for example a bad experience in the past and passed thru bullying once in their life. I think one of the situations that contribute the presence of bullies, are those situations in which people have competition in a place and they think that being bullies will help them to win that competition in the workplace. Other factor that contributes to the presence of bullies is the lack of self-esteem, usually the bullies are people that are sad with themselves and being bully make them feel like a superior person. Case 2 incident organizational behavior By gasification

Build and Use a Tree Leaf and Plant Press

Build and Use a Tree Leaf and Plant Press Way back in the dark ages when I was taking tree identification in college, I pressed hundreds of leaves for further study. Even today, you cant beat using a real, preserved leaf to assist you in tree identification. A properly pressed leaf highlights its structure(s) and provides you with a three-dimensional leaf. Collecting the leaf aids you in the initial identification and gives you a self-made field guide for future help. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 2 to 4 hours (including purchasing materials) Heres How Cut a 24 X 24 plywood square in half to make the top and bottom sections of the 12 X 24 press. Place them on top of each other with edges even (c-clamps or bar clamps can be used to keep the wood in position).At each corner of the top and bottom pieces of plywood, measure in 1 1/2 from sides, 2 from top and mark with a pencil. Using drill bit the same size as your bolts, drill a hole through both pieces at each mark.Insert round-headed bolts up through each hole in every corner of both the top and bottom portions of the plywood press. Make sure the hole is small enough to accommodate the bolt but stops at the head. Add a washer and wingnut to each bolt. You now have a press with adjustable tension.Remove winged bolt nuts, washers and the  top portion of the plywood press leaving the bottom portion of the press and four bolts standing upright. It is from this open position that you load the press with any new leaves.Cut two cardboard pieces to fit between the press but not extend be yond the top, bottom or sides of the plywood press and to fit between the bolts. This cardboard is to go between the wood press top and bottom and the pressed material. Collect tabloid sized newspaper. To use: place leaves between double or triple sheets of newspaper, place newspaper between the pieces of cardboard. Close the press by repositioning the top plywood portion over bolts, attach washers, screw on wing nuts and tighten. Tips: Find a leaf on a tree you either know or would like to identify. Collect the leaf or several leaves that most represent an average looking leaf of the tree species. Use an old magazine as a temporary field press.Identify and label each specimen as soon as you collect it as identification is much easier when you can see the entire tree rather than just a few leaves. Remember to take your field guide along.You should not have to pay more than $10 for the material to build this leaf press. You can purchase presses for about $40. What You Need: 2 X 2 sheet of 1/2 plywoodFour 3 round-headed bolts with washers and wing nutsCircular saw, scissors and drillCardboard and newspaper