Tag Archives: Legal

If It Can Happen To Erin Andrews . . . It Can Happen To You

Posted on March 10, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

This week, Erin Andrews was awarded $55 million by a Tennessee jury in her peeping tom lawsuit.  The lawsuit was against the owner of the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University where she was staying, as well as against Michael David Barrett, … Continue reading →

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Attorney Tip #13 – Know Your Stuff or Get Help

Posted on March 3, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

There are many areas of the law, and no lawyer is an expert in all of them.  So before you offer legal advice and/or services that venture into an area of the law that is not within your expertise, be sure … Continue reading →

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Cameras In The Courtroom – Take Three

Posted on February 25, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

Illinois has just joined a number of state courts — including Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri — that allow news cameras in their courtrooms.  According to a February 23, 2016 article in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, titled Supreme Court … Continue reading →

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RIP Justice Scalia

Posted on February 17, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away on February 13, 2016.  As arguably the most staunchly conservative jurist on the Court, his opinions often drew ire from opponents.  But what is now emerging is a more intimate look at … Continue reading →

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Evaluation of the North Carolina State Bar

Posted on February 10, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

Something is rotten in the state of North Carolina . . . or at least in the State Bar (“Bar”). Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr has called for a full independent review of the Bar, which is the entity … Continue reading →

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Lawyers Are Members of a Privileged Class?

Posted on February 3, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

Shockingly those words were actually uttered by a New York lawyer during a meeting with who he thought was a potential client.  The lawyer boasted that “they don’t send the lawyers to jail because we run the country,” that lawyers are “members … Continue reading →

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Federal Criminal Sentencing Reform

Posted on January 26, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

As our loyal readers well know, we generally do not blog about criminal matters unless something truly remarkable compels us to do so.  Judge Stefan Underhill’s call to reform federal sentencing is one of those remarkable matters. Judge Underhill, who sits on … Continue reading →

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Civil Justice System Reform

Posted on January 19, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

How do you change the deeply ingrained culture of the American civil justice system? According to Rebecca Love Kourlis by: polling the American public; engaging in focus groups and conversations with judges, lawyers, and court administrators; and reporting the results. Ms. Kourlis is … Continue reading →

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Attorney Tip #12 – Simplicity and Clear Communication

Posted on January 11, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

There is a breed of lawyer that writes long-winded filings to the court, thinking that the length and complexity of his/her words will impress and win over the judge.  Roya Behnia does not agree.  Ms. Behnia, recent senior vice president, general … Continue reading →

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The Chief Justice Chides Lawyers and Judges

Posted on January 4, 2016 by The Legal Reformer

We start the new year with a review of Chief Justice Roberts’ 2015 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary, which is the subject of a December 31, 2015 article in The Washington Post, titled Roberts urges lawyers, judges to help improve … Continue reading →

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