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Posner Tells How Internet Research Has Helped Him Draft Opinions
August 6, 2013
Judge Richard Posner thinks judges and lawyers are too often ignoring a valuable source of information: the Internet. In a forthcoming book, Reflections on Judging, the Chicago-based federal appeals judge writes that the Internet is “an incredible compendium of data” that isn’t going away, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog (sub. req.) reports. Posner acknowledges that Internet research can lead to errors, but so can the traditional fact-finding process at trial, he says. Witnesses may lie,...
August 6, 2013
Judge Richard Posner thinks judges and lawyers are too often ignoring a valuable source of information: the Internet. In a forthcoming book, Reflections on Judging, the Chicago-based federal appeals judge writes that the Internet is “an incredible compendium of data” that isn’t going away, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog (sub. req.) reports. Posner acknowledges that Internet research can lead to errors, but so can the traditional fact-finding process at trial, he says. Witnesses may lie,...
When Facebook (et al.) Attacks
August 6, 2013
In 1975, PepsiCo began one of the most successful and well-known head-to-head business competitions of all time, challenging its chief rival Coca-Cola to the “Pepsi Challenge.” The ads had an immediate effect on Pepsi’s sales. A survey in Dallas in 1976 showed a jump in market sales of Pepsi from 8 percent to 12–13 percent. The challenge had the hallmarks of good advertising in that it was open to public scrutiny and could be—and was—easily put to the test by anyone with a can of Coke,...
August 6, 2013
In 1975, PepsiCo began one of the most successful and well-known head-to-head business competitions of all time, challenging its chief rival Coca-Cola to the “Pepsi Challenge.” The ads had an immediate effect on Pepsi’s sales. A survey in Dallas in 1976 showed a jump in market sales of Pepsi from 8 percent to 12–13 percent. The challenge had the hallmarks of good advertising in that it was open to public scrutiny and could be—and was—easily put to the test by anyone with a can of Coke,...
Admissibility of Settlement-Related Evidence at Trial
August 6, 2013
Many trial lawyers assume that evidence of settlement offers and negotiations can never be admitted at trial. There is a general belief that placing the legend “Settlement Communication” on correspondence and other documents somehow precludes those documents from ever being seen by a jury. The bar on admissibility of settlement-related evidence is not nearly that broad, however, and can lead to a trap for the unwary. Federal Rule of Evidence 408, which governs admissibility of settlement-related...
August 6, 2013
Many trial lawyers assume that evidence of settlement offers and negotiations can never be admitted at trial. There is a general belief that placing the legend “Settlement Communication” on correspondence and other documents somehow precludes those documents from ever being seen by a jury. The bar on admissibility of settlement-related evidence is not nearly that broad, however, and can lead to a trap for the unwary. Federal Rule of Evidence 408, which governs admissibility of settlement-related...
New Legal Research Site Combines Case Law with Crowdsourcing
August 5, 2013
Imagine if you could combine a full-text case law library for research with crowdsourced editing and annotating in the style of Wikipedia and user rankings of annotations and references in the style of a site such as Digg? That, roughly speaking, is the idea behind Casetext, an innovative legal research site launched this week that provides free access to court opinions together with a platform for crowdsourcing references and annotations. Casetext is the brainchild of two lawyers, Jake...
August 5, 2013
Imagine if you could combine a full-text case law library for research with crowdsourced editing and annotating in the style of Wikipedia and user rankings of annotations and references in the style of a site such as Digg? That, roughly speaking, is the idea behind Casetext, an innovative legal research site launched this week that provides free access to court opinions together with a platform for crowdsourcing references and annotations. Casetext is the brainchild of two lawyers, Jake...
‘Stowers’ Doctrine in Need of an Update
August 5, 2013
The Stowers doctrine, established by the Texas Supreme Court in G. A. Stowers Furniture Co. v. American Indemnity Co., is a mainstay of state law in need of an update to conform to modern business practices, say attorneys William Angelley and Jules Angelley.
August 5, 2013
The Stowers doctrine, established by the Texas Supreme Court in G. A. Stowers Furniture Co. v. American Indemnity Co., is a mainstay of state law in need of an update to conform to modern business practices, say attorneys William Angelley and Jules Angelley.
The Cost of Higher Education: The Big Picture
August 5, 2013
In a 2012 speech, Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan summed up the national sentiment regarding U.S. higher education: “The price of college is too high.” This should come as no surprise to students and parents who are making tough higher education decisions, focusing at once on the quality of the education as well as its cost. Many students choose to sacrifice quality in the name of affordability. According to Duncan, tuition is becoming less affordable because institutions are not performance-oriented...
August 5, 2013
In a 2012 speech, Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan summed up the national sentiment regarding U.S. higher education: “The price of college is too high.” This should come as no surprise to students and parents who are making tough higher education decisions, focusing at once on the quality of the education as well as its cost. Many students choose to sacrifice quality in the name of affordability. According to Duncan, tuition is becoming less affordable because institutions are not performance-oriented...
Detroit Bankruptcy Judge Proposes Mediator for Toughest Disputes
August 5, 2013
The bankruptcy judge overseeing Detroit's historic bankruptcy filing has proposed appointing a federal judge as mediator to hash out the most difficult disputes as the city struggles to resolve more than $18 billion in bond and pension obligations. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes has proposed appointing federal judge Gerald Rosen to oversee confidential mediation, if it is needed. The proposal was filed Tuesday afternoon, included in a list of issues to be heard on August 2. The...
August 5, 2013
The bankruptcy judge overseeing Detroit's historic bankruptcy filing has proposed appointing a federal judge as mediator to hash out the most difficult disputes as the city struggles to resolve more than $18 billion in bond and pension obligations. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes has proposed appointing federal judge Gerald Rosen to oversee confidential mediation, if it is needed. The proposal was filed Tuesday afternoon, included in a list of issues to be heard on August 2. The...
Senate Hearing Is Warned of Lasting Damage to Courts
August 5, 2013
In a congressional hearing on sequestration and the courts, a U.S. judge, federal defender and a private lawyer warned Senators that continued budget cuts would devastate the nation’s system of justice—threatening public safety, constitutional rights and economic well-being. “Flat funding at sequestration levels would … irreparably damage the system that is a hallmark of our liberty around the world,” Judge Julia S. Gibbons told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts....
August 5, 2013
In a congressional hearing on sequestration and the courts, a U.S. judge, federal defender and a private lawyer warned Senators that continued budget cuts would devastate the nation’s system of justice—threatening public safety, constitutional rights and economic well-being. “Flat funding at sequestration levels would … irreparably damage the system that is a hallmark of our liberty around the world,” Judge Julia S. Gibbons told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts....
A Farewell to Cushy BigLaw: Mayer Brown a Case Study in Coping and Hard-Charged Competition
August 5, 2013
Most BigLaw firms will eventually collapse or reinvent themselves, leaving only 20 to 25 law firms catering to clients who are willing...
August 5, 2013
Most BigLaw firms will eventually collapse or reinvent themselves, leaving only 20 to 25 law firms catering to clients who are willing...
World’s Thinnest LCD Panel Unveiled By LG
August 4, 2013
LG unveils world's thinnest Full HD LCD smartphone panel | Mobile - CNET News. LG is known for its LCD screen technology, and its new panels don't disappoint. In a computer world in which you can't be too thin or too light, this 5 inch panel is only 2.5 mm thick. It isn't a stretch to see this form factor becoming part of some really thin smart phone and TV products in the near future.
August 4, 2013
LG unveils world's thinnest Full HD LCD smartphone panel | Mobile - CNET News. LG is known for its LCD screen technology, and its new panels don't disappoint. In a computer world in which you can't be too thin or too light, this 5 inch panel is only 2.5 mm thick. It isn't a stretch to see this form factor becoming part of some really thin smart phone and TV products in the near future.
