Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell - July 2018

To many people, summer is all about heading outside to enjoy the weather. But getting too much sun can be dangerous. To have a fun-filled summer with your family this year, remember that it’s essential to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. COVER UP How Much Sunshine Is Too Much? Keep Your Family Safe

What’s the best way to step out of the sun for a few minutes? Wearing sunscreen and protective clothing are great ways to shield yourself from UV rays, but it’s important to avoid being in direct sunlight for long periods. Taking a break from the sun gives your body the time it needs to recuperate and helps prevent sunburn and heatstroke. COMMON MYTHS ABOUT SUN EXPOSURE Many people think that a tan is better than a sunburn, but the result of tanning is still sun damage. When your skin tone changes due to the sun, regardless of whether it tans or turns red, it’s a result of the epidermis reacting to damage caused by UV rays. Both are symptoms of harmed skin.

Covering your skin is one of the best ways to avoid skin damage. Wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants or skirts can protect your skin from direct exposure to UV rays. While this tactic protects you from the sun, it offers poor defense against the heat. So, if you opt for cooler attire, it’s important to cover all exposed skin with a copious amount of sunscreen. Be sure to reapply every two hours for maximum skin protection. SPEND LESS TIME IN THE SUN If you’re planning to spend a significant amount of time in the sun, consider your environment. Will there be plenty of shade? Will you have to bring your own?

While vitamin D is important, the sun does not contribute to its creation as much as you might think. Doris Day, a New York City dermatologist, explains that if your skin were to constantly produce vitamin D from being in the sun, it would reach toxic levels. Vitamin D is the only vitamin that your body can produce on its own, through a common form of cholesterol or 7-dehydrocholesterol. Spending time in the sun does help vitamin D form, but you need far less exposure than you think. Knowing how to protect yourself from UV rays is the first step to having a safe, fun-filled summer!

ON THE CASE! Fictional Lawyers We Would Totally Hire

We have to take everything we see in movies and TV shows with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to the legal process. No one yells “Objection!” in every case. But there are rare opportunities when pop culture gets it right. Here are a few fictional lawyers we’d love to have on the team. ATTICUS FINCH (‘TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD’) Let’s start out with the obvious: Atticus Finch is by far the greatest fictional lawyer ever created. In Harper Lee’s classic novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Finch is assigned to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been falsely accused of rape. Set in the Deep South in the 1930s, Finch faces an impossible challenge, but he doesn’t give up. At one point, Finch puts his life in danger to protect his client from a lynch mob. Ultimately, Finch is able to prove Robinson’s innocence, though the biased jury convicts Robinson anyway. Despite ending in tragedy, Finch’s sharp intellect and strong moral compass, both in his personal and professional life, have inspired generations of real-life attorneys. JACK MCCOY (‘LAW & ORDER’) While Atticus Finch is a character with a strong emotional connection to his work, Jack McCoy, fan favorite of the TV show “Law & Order,” never let emotions interfere with the facts

of any case. Here’s an attorney you want on your side, because this ruthless prosecutor always went after the hardest sentence possible.

McCoy didn’t care if he was dealing with a common crook or a respected senator; we’re all the same in the eyes of the law. JENNIFER WALTERS (MARVEL COMICS) The most obscure character on this list, Jennifer Walters, comes from the pages of Marvel comic books. But don’t let her big, green She-Hulk superhero persona fool you — Walters is a highly intelligent attorney with an excellent track record. Since “specialty” isn’t a word comic book writers know, Walters has been defender and prosecutor for superheroes, supervillains, and regular citizens, handling cases ranging from slander to sexual assault. Now that’s a super lawyer. The attorneys at Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell might not be superheroes or literary icons, but they are a team of capable attorneys ready to fight for justice.

2 www.blocklaw.com

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