Dennis's blog

Thanksgiving approaches. Time to commit your study plan to writing!  

For each course, set target dates for completion of your outline (course summary), early completion of your briefing for class, and the number of practice exam questions you intend to answer.  Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 24, 2011. Usually, law schools have no classes on the day before, Wednesday, November 23. Reading week and exams follow shortly after the semester resumes.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals is so aggravated by the quality of an Illinois lawyer’s legal writing that it has ordered him to show cause why he shouldn’t be barred from practicing before the court.

According to Alan Scher Zagier, writing for the Associated Press, "The days of top law school graduates having their pick of six-figure jobs at boutique firms — or at least being assured of putting their degrees to use — are over.  Post-graduate employment rates are at their lowest levels in 15 years."

The article continues, explaining that because the employment rates have declined, so have the law school application rates.  "New student enrollment at UCLA law school is down 16 percent, while the University of Michigan reports a 14 percent decrease in applicants."

I'm a proponent of approaching law school as "practicing" law ... preparing for the professional practice by doing each day in law school many of the things laywers ought to be doing.  Example: attend every class.  There are hundreds of excuses ... even reasons for missing a class now and then.  But how many excuses or reasons stand up to the scrutiny of a client or a judge when a lawyer blows off a deposition or fails to show up for the second day of trial?  (Answer: zero.)  There's one example.

If you were to write a book for youngsters about how to play baseball, or an adult-oriented romance novel, your “audience” would be easy to identify.  In the first example, you’d be writing for an age group between 7 and 11; the readers would all be interested in baseball; and they’d be, let’s say, beginner-to-intermediate level of capability and sophistication in the sport.  In the second example, you could Google the demographics for who buys

This is terrific!  Look what The Wall Street Journal has done for you!  Yes, it's a couple of years old ... but some things never change. 

HAPPIER THAN A TICK ON A FAT DOG

Judge Martin Sheehan of Covington, Kentucky, was so happy to hear a case had settled before trial that he searched for the right metaphor.

There's no question who's in charge when His or Her Honor enters the courtroom from the secret door leading to the judicial chambers.  Why do they all dress in those unflattering robes?

Finally, an answer!  Rohn K. Robbins, a Colorado (and California) lawyer has researched the area and provides a pretty thorough backgroundand response to this question every law student and lawyer ought to know!

"I don't need a big copier, I don't need a huge support staff to manage all my paperwork and I don't need an expensive phone system," Damon Chetson said in a recent interview."  Basically I just need a laptop and cell phone and I'm off and running."

Take the time to read: "Talking to Students About the Differences Between Undergraduate Writing and Legal Writing," a brief article by Professor Anne Enquist, Anne M. Enquist, Professor of Lawyering Skills and Associate Director of the Legal Writing Program at Seattle University School of Law.