How Long Can Your Lawyer Nap Before It’s “Ineffective Assistance of Counsel”?
As long as it’s it’s less than a “substantial portion” of trial, the Constitution doesn’t mind.
Legal Profession
Fifth Circuit Smacks Down Disgruntled-Cheerleader-Mom Lawsuit
“It is a petty squabble, masquerading as a civil rights matter, that has no place in federal court or any other court.”
In This Country We Would Simply Instruct the Witness Not to Answer
But in Europe, where I think they got their legal system mostly from the French, lawyers may have other options. An Austrian newspaper is reporting that a lawyer dropped his trousers during the questioning of his client by two female…
The People Who Sued Themselves
Over the weekend I wrote about Lodi v. Lodi, which was not a divorce but rather one man's legal crusade against himself. I was thinking about that because I'm working on a legal-ethics presentation about conflict-of-interest rules, which is a sufficiently…
TIP: Giving Birth Likely to Be Considered Good Reason for a Continuance
“Pick your battles” is a phrase often used in this business, and it reflects the reality that fighting over everything wastes effort and hurts your credibility, and so just because you may have an argument to make doesn’t always mean…
Please, Lord, Let Joe Francis Represent Himself at Trial
If I remember correctly, Joe Francis, the "brains" behind "Girls Gone Wild" and sleazemaster extraordinaire, has been mentioned here before. <Google search> "Girls Gone Wild" Founder Says Judge Has Gone Wild in Suit Filed by Girls Who Had Previously Gone…
Offices and What Not to Do in Them
The first office I’m going to mention is my new one. We have just moved to a new building in San Francisco, and these offices are so much better than our old ones (leased just before the dot-com crash in…
Lawyer Finds $1 Million in Cash in His Closet
From today's ABA Journal: A South Carolina lawyer known for his TV commercials and billboards has turned over $994,000 in cash kept in a closet of his Myrtle Beach law office after a court-appointed bankruptcy investigator stressed the importance of…
Lawyer Sued After Delivering Belly Bump, Sucker Punch
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that an attorney who works with "The Heavy Hitter" Glen Lerner has been sued for allegedly hitting somebody in the face at a charity golf tournament. Brian Walsh alleges that associate Benjamin Lund "sucker punched"…
TIP: Avoid Interview Statements Contrary to What You Said at Your Sentencing Hearing
On Monday, a federal judge denied William Lerach's request to teach a law-school class to satisfy a community-service requirement, saying that he was not convinced that Lerach had been truthful when he expressed remorse at his sentencing hearing. According to the…