What is a Certified Elder Law Attorney?

Hook gives an overview of the inception and development of the Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) certification program. The article includes discussions on required education, the application process, cost, the application of legal malpractice standards of care, review classes, and the actual examination. (Samples of previous exam questions are included.) Court decisions on communications of specialty certification and modification of pertinent Model Rules (and state adaptations) are included

Financial Development, Openness and Institutions: Evidence from Panel Data

Utilising four annual panel datasets and dynamic panel data estimation procedures we find that trade and financial openness, as well as economic institutions are statistically important determinants of the variation in financial development across countries and over time since the 1980s. However, we find mixed support for the hypothesis that the simultaneous opening of both trade and capital accounts is necessary to promote financial development in a contemporary setting.Financial development, Trade Openness, Financial Openness, Economic Institutions, Financial Liberalization, Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

Financial Development, Openness and Institutions: Evidence from Panel Data

Utilising four annual panel datasets and dynamic panel data estimation procedures we find that trade and financial openness, as well as economic institutions are statistically important determinants of the variation in financial development across countries and over time since the 1980s. However, we find mixed support for the hypothesis that the simultaneous opening of both trade and capital accounts is necessary to promote financial development in a contemporary setting.Financial development; Trade Openness; Financial Openness; Economic Institutions; Financial Liberalization; Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

Long Term Variability of SDSS Quasars

We use a sample of 3791 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Early Data Release (EDR), and compare their photometry to historic plate material for the same set of quasars in order to study their variability properties. The time base-line we attain this way ranges from a few months to up to 50 years. In contrast to monitoring programs, where relatively few quasars are photometrically measured over shorter time periods, we utilize existing databases to extend this base-line as much as possible, at the cost of sampling per quasar. Our method, however, can easily be extended to much larger samples. We construct variability Structure Functions and compare these to the literature and model functions. From our modeling we conclude that 1) quasars are more variable toward shorter wavelengths, 2) their variability is consistent with an exponentially decaying light-curve with a typical time-scale of ~2 years, 3) these outbursts occur on typical time-scales of ~200 years. With the upcoming first data release of the SDSS, a much larger quasar sample can be used to put these conclusions on a more secure footing.Comment: 16 pages, accepted for publication in AJ, Sept issu

Evolutions in undirected travel (satisfaction) during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that undirected travel (UT), or trips taken for their own sake, can partly compensate for a reduction in destination-based trips due to governmental regulations. Consequently, UT (in general, but particularly during the pandemic) may be especially satisfying and therefore important to subjective well-being. However, through the course of the pandemic, changes in UT were anticipated as individuals adapted to a ‘new normal’. This research – conducted in Flanders, Belgium – first investigates whether the characteristics of and satisfaction with UT persisted after one year into the pandemic (April 2020 to May 2021) using longitudinal panel data from two waves (n = 332). Results of paired sample t-tests indicate that UT satisfaction increased though duration of trips decreased, and results of the Sign test indicate that the frequency of UT generally decreased. Second, this research investigates characteristics of individuals with different UT behavior. Six profiles of UT behavior were identified based on starting or stopping UT, increasing or decreasing UT, maintaining UT frequency, or not participating in UT. Chi2 tests identified differences among profiles based on wave 1 UT frequency, most recent trip mode, socio-demographic, and household characteristics. Results indicate that participation in UT might motivate future UT, one to three UT trips per week is a maintainable frequency, UT might be important to those with smaller living spaces and those living with children or other adults, and suggest that attention should be paid to mobility equity, including how and for whom systems are planned. These findings are important to understanding the effects of long-term governmental regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on travel behavior, and how investigating UT might help to challenge and reimagine traditional mobility systems post-pandemic

On undirected trips, satisfaction, and well-being: Evidence from Flanders (Belgium)

Despite having the potential to improve subjective well-being, satisfaction with undirected travel, or travel for its own sake (e.g. taking a walk, bike ride, or joy ride), has not yet been empirically investigated. Using mean-comparison and generalized linear regression models, this study analyzes 1579 undirected trips made by 852 respondents to a survey in Flanders, Belgium during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (18 March – 4 May 2020). Undirected travel was found to be longer in duration and more satisfying than results from directed trips in previous literature, with an indication that higher levels of physical activity are important to satisfaction. Undirected travel satisfaction was found to have a clear positive relationship to well-being. As these trips are often active and were found to imply a positive utility of travel, understanding them can be important to policy goals regarding health, sustainability, and improving individual well-being