California lawyers just got a wake-up slap from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that has been long overdue. . . . "As the organization charged with regulating the professional conduct of its members, the conduct of the State Bar must be above reproach. Regrettably, it is not." Unfortunately, he is dead on accurate.
September 21, 2009
After getting off to a roaring start, it seems the ABAJournal's Legal Rebels tour is getting watered down. I had such high hopes, but find myself sadly disappointed. The latest four "rebels" seem to have added nothing rebellious at all.
September 12, 2009
This evening I attended my very first “tweet-up”* after a long day of continuing legal education at the California Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. *For you those of you as ignorant as I was a day or two ago, a tweet-up is a real world meeting between two or more people who know each other via Twitter, an… [Read more…]
September 11, 2009
While I am busy “rethinking” the legal profession (and doing my part to implement change with FreelanceLaw and the National Association of Freelance Legal Professionals), the ABA Journal has given a great boost to us visionaries through its Legal Rebels project. A Legal Rebel road tour has just kicked off that will profile 50 of… [Read more…]
September 4, 2009
Jane Q Citizen returns home from a hard day of work and sighing, flips through the day's mail. Junk mail, junk mail, junk mail, bill, bill, bill, credit card offer . . . Juror Summons. $%@#@^&$%^&*(&$@ !!!! . . . Jury trials are an important and necessary part of our government, our economy, and our everyday lives. The jury room is the only true democracy left in the world, the only place where every voice is heard, every vote is counted, and nobody leaves until there is a consensus. It is pure democracy, practiced by a rotating group of everyday citizens making common sense judgments on important issues. It should be considered a privilege to serve on a jury, not a burden.
September 3, 2009
Congratulations to me! The ABAJournal has just confirmed that this blog has been added to its Blawg list – http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/rethinking_the_legal_profession/
August 12, 2009
Yesterday I had the misfortune to witness a town meeting in Pennsylvania where Arlen Specter attempted to offer a forum for citizens who had questions or concerns about the current health care proposals swirling around Washington. One woman emotionally pleaded for a return to "what the original founders had intended" and made some reference to those founders rolling over in their graves. The woman was partially right. I can envision ol' George, Ben, and Tom rolling over in their graves if they knew women could vote, that slavery had been abolished, and that a black man had been elected President of the United States. Let's not kid ourselves. As much as we admire our founding fathers, they didn't know everything and they got some things wrong or incomplete. I'd like to think that we as a country continue to progress and grow and learn things.
July 23, 2009
This afternoon I stumbled across a craigslist ad in the Chicago area that read as follows: Attorney WILL WORK FOR FREE; MAYBE EVEN PAY TO WORK (Loop [Chicago area]) I am looking for a mentor. In exchange I will work on your cases and/or pay to work for the opportunities to learn more about depositions,… [Read more…]
July 10, 2009
I have just read a most disturbing article from the New York Times – Aspiring Lawyer Finds Debt Is Bigger Hurdle Than Bar Exam (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/business/02lawyer.html). It seems that Robert Bowman, who worked himself from foster child to law graduate despite having to spend six years in rehab after a tragic accident. He worked himself through… [Read more…]
June 27, 2009
It is ironic that the very profession that has had a hand in creating increased legal protections for employees – wage/hour regulations, overtime pay rules, mandatory worker’s compensation coverage, etc. – has done such a poor job of protecting their own. Example, typical lawyers in private practice work far more than 8 hours a day,… [Read more…]
Melody A. Kramer
November 12, 2009
5