The stocks to watch were JPMorgan, Citibank and Exxon Mobil. So here’s the verdict on their current status:

JPMorgan experienced a decline earlier this week the stock, currently it is heading back over the $35 mark.

Citigroup, like the JPM stock declined earlier this week but is picking up above $17.

Exxon continues a steady increase as gas prices almost approaching $90.

These updates make it look like things on Wall Street are getting better. However, this is not the case since the stocks did fall earlier this week, technically we’re back where we started.

This week is shortened due to the long weekend. Hopefully next week things start to pick. A change in the economic pace is much needed!

* The links present charts on the status of the stocks when we started to observe them to their current status*

The article specifically mentions high- profile lawyer Melvyn Weiss pleading guilty to federal criminal charges.

Most legal troubles of lawyers come from lawsuits, fraud and bribes. The quote “…corporate executives shouldn’t lie and the lawyers suing them shouldn’t steal. What’s complicated about that?” taken from the article provides commentary on the recent burst of lawyers and execs making their way into the headlines for legal trouble.

As I continue to read more about the unethical and unlawful acts in the corporate and legal worlds, I’m becoming more skeptical about becoming a part of that world. I shouldn’t let the acts of a few people dictate my decisions but its hard to actually think about falling into a desperate position.

Why would someone who has spent years studying law, through it all away for some extra cash or to unethically win a case? If you know the system, then why would you try to cheat it?

The article basically presents the claim that it is our attitude toward money that reflects our financial decisions and behavior. The article presents eight different “money personalities.” These include “the guardian,” “the pleasure seeker,” “the idealist,” “the saver,” “the star,” “the innocent,” “the caretaker,” and “the empire builder.” The article presented a quiz that reveals your “money personality.”

I took the quiz and my results revealed that my three “money personalities” are “the guardian,” “the saver” and “the idealist.”

Read the full article about the connections between how our attitudes towards money affects our financial decisions. Take the quiz and find out your “money personality.”

A lot of people find their source of incomes from investing in the stock market. Last week the stock market took a serious fall, hitting record breaking lows. This week a lot of people are hoping for a complete turn around. If stock prices were increasing at the same rate of gas prices a lot of people would be stress free right now.

I’m not an expert on the subject but I often check up on some stocks and read some business news. With a little help from the experts I came up with my own list of stocks we should watch this week.

Here they are:

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) - because it was one of the only banks to avoid the credit mess and recently bailed Bear Stearns out, just a few weeks ago the stock was approaching $50 now it’s at around $36.

Citigroup (C)- because I recently saw on the news that it is cutting back on a few thousand jobs, so it’ll be interesting to see how that news continues to affect the stock.

Exxon Mobil (XOM)- because it’s a leading gas station and with the sky-rocketing prices, we should watch how it affects the price of the stock.

Will the stocks continue to fall or will there be sunshine on Wall Street this week? We’ll have to watch the stocks this week to see how things play out.

Keep up with these stocks and the latest financial news at Bloomberg.com.

Here is my list of some famous celebrities who have had to defend themselves in the courtroom:

• Britney Spears for a various list of destructive behavior.
• O.J Simpson for the murder of his wife.
• Naomi Campbell for several acts of violence.
• Michael Jackson for charges of child molestation.
• Mike Tyson for some acts of violence and rape.
• Sean Combs for assault and weapons violations.

Check out this gallery of pictures of Celebrities In The Courtroom.

The question I have about celebrities in court is are they treated differently? are celebrities favored in court because of their status? are their sentences lighter than it would be for the average joe?

Bob Williamson went from a homeless, heroin user to entrepreneur. His multi-million dollar company, Horizon Software International is a cafeteria software provider to thousands of schools, hospitals, corporations and retirement communities. 

His story is truly motivational. It shows that anyone can be a corporate player. All you need is drive and patience. Success doesn’t come easily and doesn’t just happen overnight. Like, Bob Williamson you’re probably going to experience failure. It is the ability to work out of this failure that brings success.

Here’s the full article on Mr. Williamson’s story.

Two former Bear Stearns execs were also indicted on charges of fraud. Just a few months after the company was bought by JPMorgan, two execs were carried away from their homes in handcuffs.

With the failing economy I think it’s hard not to blame these people, whom I feel were manipulative and decietful. They tried to cheat the system and took their jobs for granted. They have contributed to the economic mess we’re in today.  They may have felt that at the time lying and cheating was the way to go, but now that they are facing criminal charges I wonder if they still think it was all worth it?

White collar crime is a beauty isn’t it? Is getting ahead and money really worth throwing your integrity away for?

Not only those the indictment of hundreds provide the ethical aspect of business, but it also shows how the legal and business worlds collide.

Check out this video that summarizes the indictment of the Bear Stearns execs-

Law degrees allow people to understand the legal aspects of running a business. It also provides great negotiation and critical thinking skills, all the skills neccessary to be a successful business person.

I feel that the skills and experience that come with a law degree opens up many doors in the corporate world for those who have one.

BusinessWeek did an article in 2004 about Lawyer- CEO’s. The article talks about why there is a growing number of lawyers filling the CEO position.

Here’s a few CEO’s with law degrees-

• Kenneth I. Chenault- American Express
• Frank Blake- Home Depot
• Jeffrey Kindler-Pfizer
• Angela Braly- WellPoint

On t.v they try to incorporate the professional language as much as possible, but sometimes they just make things up or use words out of context.

I think I should start preparing myself now for speaking like a true businesswoman or lawyer. I found a great website of a glossary of terms I should familiarize myself with for the courtroom. Court Adjourned!!!

About a week ago, I did a post on the lack of business and legal reality t.v shows. Despite a small number of reality shows (in my opinion) there are a great number of fictional shows that have been on tv that revolve around lawyers and business people. 

Some of the classic shows like “The Jeffersons” and “The Cosby Show” center around leading characters that are business people and lawyers.

One of my all time favorites ”The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” has a lawyer as one of the main characters.

The popular teen dramas like “The O.C” and “One Tree Hill” also include business people and lawyers.

Perhaps one of the most popular lawyer show hands down has to be “Law and Order.” The series has been on since 1990 and has had a few spin-offs. It may not be as accurate as reality, but Law and Order is sometimes partially based on real cases.

How relevant the shows are to reality I have no idea, but they do provide for some fantastic entertainment. They can also teach us a thing or two about being a lawyer or business person.