March 2005 Archives

Showy, Tenacious Lawyer Rode Simpson Murder Trial to Fame (washingtonpost.com)

Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., 67, the dogged lawyer whose emotional, sometimes flamboyant courtroom summations played to national audiences during his successful defense of O.J. Simpson, died March 29 at his home in Los Angeles. He had an inoperable brain tumor.

When I glanced at the comics page today, I noticed that Prince Valiant had shrunk and that the art was cruder and the story more preposterous than usual. A glance at the byline revealed that the strip is now drawn by Gianni and Schultz rather than John Cullen Murphy. I never thought that Murphy was the equal of Hal Foster, but his art was far superior to the current version. I have a strong sentimental attachment to Prince Valiant because my father used to read it to me, along with "The Phantom," when I was a little boy. Reading the Sunday comics with my father is one of my fondest memories, but I do not think it will sustain me through this latest iteration of Prince Valiant.

Federal Lawmakers Reach Deal in Schiavo Case (washingtonpost.com)

A one-page memo, distributed to Republican senators by party leaders, called the debate over Schiavo legislation "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's base, or core, supporters. The memo singled out Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who is up for reelection next year and is potentially vulnerable in a state President Bush won last year.

"This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo, which was reported by ABC News and later given to The Washington Post. "This is a great political issue, because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a cosponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats."

The Republican leadership of the Senate shows its respect for the dignity of human life and adherence to the principles of federalism and states' rights. Andrew Sullivan comments.

Students top Peace Corps' volunteer rolls, serve across the globe

The Peace Corps has recently released statistics that show Chicago ranks No. 1 among institutions with undergraduate populations of fewer than 5,000 in the number of alumni who volunteer for the corps.

For the second year in a row, Chicago has pushed to the top of the Peace Corps' annual list of smaller colleges and universities, with a total of 39 College alumni joining last year.

In my years as a volunteer with Peace Corps Morocco, we had one person from the University of Chicago. I did not go to Chicago until after I returned to the States. For different reasons, they were two of the best decisions I ever made. (I met my wife at Chicago.)

Blogger David Kennedy has published an article in the American Bar Association's Law Practice Today that outlines the most common mistakes of new legal bloggers.

From a career standpoint, Kennedy does not think that blogging "helps you" if you blog anonymously, but he understands why lawyers might be reluctant to attach their names to their blogs: "On the one hand, I am very disturbed by the current legal culture in which associates in law firms live in such a state of terror that they will not blog unless they are anonymous. On the other hand, I don't understand how blogging anonymously helps you."

Where I think I disagree with Kennedy is over his view of a blog as a tool to enhance one's career or law practice. I write a blog because it offers me a chance for personal expression and in the hope that it may open up new conversations with interesting people. I only hope that it does not become a professional liability.

Garry Kasparov, World's No. 1 Chess Player, Announces Retirement (washingtonpost.com)

MOSCOW (AP) — Garry Kasparov, the chess world's youngest-ever champion and its public face and undisputed king the last two decades, made a stunning move shortly after winning a prestigious tournament in Spain: he announced his retirement from professional play.

I hardly expect Kasparov to fade quietly from the chess scene just yet, but I cannot remember a time when he was not the dominant figure in chess. This is perhaps the beginning of the end of an era.

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The Debt-Peonage Society

A vast majority of personal bankruptcies in the United States are the result of severe misfortune. One recent study found that more than half of bankruptcies are the result of medical emergencies. The rest are overwhelmingly the result either of job loss or of divorce.

The Congress is apparently on the brink of making it much harder for middle class families that have suffered personal misfortune or tragedy to take refuge in bankruptcy. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman sees this as part of an ideologically driven shift in the law that will force middle class Americans into poverty. The only beneficiaries are the credit card companies, but for the Republican Congress, their vote is apparently the only vote that matters. Thanks to Workplace Fairness.

The Washington Post has an update.

law.com - Law Firms Mull the 'Gen Y' Equation

Another managing partner at a national firm said that many new associates, unlike associates before them, no longer "feel lucky" to have their jobs. The attorney also said that associates now operate under a pack mentality.

"[Newer associates] have a very strong connection with each other as opposed to the institution. If someone is treated badly, they all react to it," the attorney said.

My wife perceptively observed that this anonymous managing partner has a huge blind spot: he fails to recognize that the associates feel no loyalty to the firm because the firm shows no loyalty to them. Clearly, as far as he is concerned, they are simply so many expendable units of billable hours. Small wonder that they are not willing to sell themselves body and soul into indentured servitude. What is most galling is that this gutless bully of a "managing partner" insists on hiding behind anonymity in print. If this is really his national firm's policy, he should have the cojones to stand behind it.

Ron Keniston, a friend of our family, is suffering from Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the blood plasma. His family is rallying to support him as he confronts this little discussed but very serious disease. Any help is much appreciated.

The New York Times > Arts > Frank Rich: Gonzo Gone, Rather Going, Watergate Still Here

[Hunter]Thompson was out to break the mainstream media's rules. His unruly mix of fact, opinion and masturbatory self-regard may have made him a blogger before there was an Internet, but he was a blogger who had the zeal to leave home and report firsthand and who could write great sentences that made you want to savor what he found out rather than just scroll quickly through screen after screen of minutiae and rant.