dedtired

Not OP but am an attorney. For many of us, there is a strong tradition of doing pro bono cases because it is a way to give back. We have an education that a lot of people lack, and we understand a system that, because of costs, really denies access to lower classes.

Care to share some stories/fond memories of Marcia Wallace? I loved her character and her voice and will miss her in future episodes.

I just want to expand on what is being said here because this is a huge point that a lot of people miss.

The PD's office has a smaller budget and fewer attorneys than the DA's office. This is a fact almost anywhere you go. There are very good public defenders, but they are overworked and underpaid. It's a very difficult work environment.

How do you campaign to increase PD funding? You'd be crushed as being pro-criminal. It's not something that's good for political business so it's probably not something that will really happen.

I'm a non-video game attorney (but sometimes I join /u/videogameattorney in his AMAs so I feel okay answering this one). Taxes are one issue, but the other one is fees and courts.

If you are a CA entity, and you register in Delaware, you will need to register as a foreign LLC in California. I don't know California's filing fees, but I know NY's and it'll cost you more to register as a foreign entity than as a domestic one ... plus whatever DE charges. The other big issue is suing and being sued. You're a guy who is just doing this as a hobby. If you are formed in Delaware, you can be sued in Delaware. That's not a huge deal (geographically) if you live in Maryland, but the travel alone is killer for someone in California. Staying local is a strong advantage of a home-state LLC.

There may be ways around the Minimum Franchise Tax, but I am neither licensed in CA nor a tax lawyer/accountant. I can't tell you anything specific about that. And I agree, CA's tax scheme is very hard to justify for the hobbyist. I guess that's just another reason to move to NY ... bagels and pizza were the first two.

Not /u/videogameattorney but licensed in FL. This is where you look at a corporation. You also look at trusts, homestead declarations, and other fancy Florida legal tricks. Your best bet is, as always, talking to an attorney who knows YOUR specific situation.