The Great American Tocqueville Discovery.
Was young Alexis a stud or what? Three years ago, on the Sunday editorial page of one of the most conservative papers […]
Work-Life Balance = Expensive.
Today is Saturday. On Thursday morning, I spoke briefly with a well-credentialed if young California criminal defense lawyer about a matter our […]
Stop talking & writing like a lawyer. It’s Pompous & Faggy. Use “people” words instead.
Let’s get over ourselves. Doesn’t changing legal writing to just clear and simple writing come down to leadership? As in “maybe I […]
Be bad like Jesse James. Do something. Anything.
Get off your knees. Stop hiding. Life’s short.
Does “Client Service” Mean “Being Nice” to Clients?
Above: Holden Oliver’s squeeze-of-the-week takes liberties with The Only Nice New Yorker. So it’s a Recession. Fine. Still, get up off your […]
Cross-Border Unbundling and Signs of Times: “Need to litigate in Germany?”
Got GrÏ‹ndlichkeit? A telling ad appears in this month’s Washington Lawyer magazine. It’s placed by a Frankfurt-based lawyer–a Total Teutonic Betty, too, […]
The Unbearable Lightness of Lawyers.
Risk-aversion can be annoying. Get off your knees. Tell the client what it can do, too. What it should do. Take a […]
Doing Duke: John Chambers does Commencement.
Sunday, May 15, 2011. An “R” who admires Bill Clinton. The light bathroom humor worked. Reputed to be a fine fly fisherman, […]
Bat Country: Travel, Work, Rum & Writing.
Booze and cigarettes are essential to good journalism. –Jack Shafer, Slate During the last Pagan tradition-based Christian drinking season (i.e., Christmas), The […]
Those Geniuses You Hired? How’s That Working Out For You?
Energy. It’s 75 percent of the job. If you haven’t got it, just be nice. –Paul Arden, Saatchi & Saatchi legend, in […]
June 16, 1904.
June 16th will mark the 107th Bloomsday, honoring James Joyce and recreating the events of his novel Ulysses, all of which take […]
Rakofsky Bad. Defendant Lawyers, 4th Estate & 1st Amendment Good.
See above for my take on the Rakofsky suit. But let’s not foul the nest. JR’s been covered. Way too much was […]
Santa Monica Playhouse: Locked and Loaded.
A new play by Todd Susman, extended until June 26. With Paul Linke, Andrew Parks and Terasa Sciortino.
Sensitive Litigation Moment No. 15: Is “Professionalism” a Smokescreen for Bad Lawyering?
Professionalism–like good crops, the flag and motherhood–is indeed hard to criticize. It is also tough to define. Is it always good for […]
Scott Greenfield: Clients, Bonding & Lawyering.
On the one hand, there’s a critical need for trust between lawyer and client. On the other, there’s a critical need for […]
Feat Tuesday: I hear you moan, I hear you moan, I hear you moan.
Billy he got so sad, dejected, put on his hat and start to run Runnin’ down the street yellin’ at the top […]
Sensitive Litigation Moment No. 14: Remember arbitration? How was that supposed to work, anyway?
Is there a way to stop feeding the monster? It’s clear that both globally and in the U.S., arbitration and “ADR” have […]
Club Ned Evening Wear: Overheard in Palisades.
“Honey, just wear a black turtleneck–even Ned Beatty looks good in a black turtleneck.” Club Ned: Beatty looks happy and relaxed just […]
Friday the 13th: Did You Have a Bad Week?
In old Rome, witches gathered in groups of 12–and a 13th was believed to be the devil. There’s also a Norse gods […]
An incomplete person. A negligent citizen. And a drag to have around.
Is the client rep or GC you’re going to lunch with a Marshall or Fulbright scholar? Well, do not drag people under […]
Challenges, twists, prima donnas–and hard work.
I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis. –Humphrey Bogart You think life in law and business is hard? What if […]