A recent visit to the Court of Appeal added another war story to the ever lengthening list of examples of why an attorney should never overestimate judges and justices, who sometimes don’t understand the most basic of concepts. But first, a little context. I wrote an article on the wonders of using speech-to-text voice dictation…
Category: Winning Strategies
Don’t be that Attorney – Ten Ways to Make Yourself Look Foolish
I’ve had this article in mind for quite some time. I see attorneys make the same mistakes over and over, and I thought by posting an article listing those mistakes, I would have a place to send them to explain, in the nicest possible terms, that they are making themselves look like idiots. The article…
Don’t Be That Attorney — Misstating Record on Appeal
As reported elsewhere, we received a very satisfying verdict of more than $1.5 million resulting from a defamatory email sent by a defendant, concerning our client. The defendant did not go silently into the good night, and appealed the verdict, claiming that there was insufficient evidence to support an award of that size. That’s all…
Putting the “Alternative” Back in Alternative Dispute Resolution
A recent settlement victory showed me once again that you can achieve amazing results at a mediation if you never lose sight of the fact that you are unrestrained by any “negotiating rules”, even if (or perhaps especially because) no one else in the room understands that to be the case. Most who attend a…
Of course it’s a “self-serving declaration”! Why else would I file it?!
If you lose a motion and rail against the stupidity of the judge, that’s just viewed as sour grapes. But today I was in court for a hearing, and it was the case BEFORE mine that raised my hackles, so I can rant with impunity. (And yes I won my motion, so this isn’t indirect…
Why I Love Being a Lawyer — Taking Bank of America to the Woodshed
In case you missed it, there was a video posted on YouTube a few years back, consisting of a music video entitled “United Breaks Guitars.” Singer, songwriter Dave Carroll was sitting in a United Airlines plane while his beloved Taylor guitar was being loaded in the luggage compartment. He looked out and saw the baggage…
A Big, Fat Thank You for Making Big, Fat Pipeline the #1 Law Firm Marketing Book on Amazon
The number one book on law firm marketing. One year ago today my book on law firm marketing appeared on Amazon, and shot straight to number one among all the books in that category. It occasionally drifts down to 2, 3 or 4, but for the most part it has remained #1 throughout the year….
Don’t Be That Attorney — Save the Drama for Your Mama
I have spoken here before about the folly of posturing, but an incident today made me return to the keyboard. Many attorneys must think that posturing accomplishes something, because so many engage in the practice, but it is my position that it usually works to the detriment of their clients. Opposing counsel will know the…
Don’t be That Attorney – If You Must Rant, At Least be Right
I’m at the drive through teller at my bank yesterday, to cash a small check. I sign the back of the check and send it up the tube with my driver’s license and ATM card, a process I have followed dozens of times. But this teller is clueless. He asks if I have an account…
Attorney App of the Week – Sign-N-Send
Litigation can move fast. Under normal circumstances, there should be sufficient time for clients to review and execute declarations and verifications, but what about an ex parte hearing noticed for tomorrow? By the time you draft the opposition, there might only be hours for you to obtain a signature from the client on a supporting…