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Let’s All Help “Pat Barnes” Find Decent Employment
I pity “Pat Barnes”. He or she is a representative of a company that wants to sell me, an 18-year member of the Maryland Bar, a plaque commemorating my 15th year of membership in the Maryland Bar. And be darned if she or he isn’t persistent: I have gotten maybe half a dozen of these
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Good Law Office Management Advice from Brian Tannebaum
Florida criminal defense and attorney discipline attorney Brian Tannebaum, Esquire, has a rather sensible list of suggestions for attorneys for their “fall cleaning” in his column at Above the Law. Out of respect for his copyright I will list only three of his 15 suggestions here: 1. If you have an office, or even a
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Beyond Parody: “Small Business Bodyguard”
Among my lesser faults (many others are much worse) is a propensity towards foul language, one that I do restrain with clients and in court, but one that I tend not to restrain as much on the phone with friends and peers in personal conversations. It is a regrettable fault, though it’s easier on the
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Today in courthouse stupidity….
Before my client’s case was called down at the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City, I watched an idiot come within about 10 seconds of getting herself locked up for aggressive disrespect, whining and snideness towards a pretty even-tempered member of the City’s Bench. Idiot had not filed her notice of intention to defend
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Checklist for Overtime and Minimum Wage Violations
The following is a non-exhaustive checklist of factors to consider for possible violations of the US Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage, FLSA overtime provision or both under federal or Maryland law for non-exempt workers. Most obviously, an hourly wage below $7.25/hour for most workers, with some exceptions.  Likewise, work for which no additional pay is
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“New” Maryland Rule 2-305
Effective January 1 of this year, a new rule provision went into effect governing damages clauses in civil complaints in Circuit Court. Under newly modified Rule 2-305, a demand for a money judgment less than $75,000 shall specify the amount sought, but a demand for more than $75,000 shall not specify the amount, but merely
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Miscellany
I put up four posts earlier today, and Twitter decided to spread the one across the Internet that I found the least well-organized of the four. Conclusion: I am a pretty good blogger, not great, and Twitter has pretty good taste, not great. The Law Office has established an informal business relationship with opposition research
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Professionalism vs. Zero-Sum Thinking
I don’t think I have anything particularly special to say about professionalism as such. Â All of us can grow and learn. Â Well, maybe all of us have growing and learning to do; whether we “can” is another matter. Â I know I still have a lot to learn, even 18 years into this way of helping
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A Few Practice Tips for Maryland Attorneys re Unemployment Appeals
This checklist is aimed primarily at attorneys practicing in unemployment appeals litigation at any level (Lower Appeals, Board of Appeals, Judicial Review). Â Most of my remarks are aimed at workers’ attorneys, but some will apply to management attorneys as well. All references to the “Act” below pertain to Title 8 of the Maryland Annotated Code,
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“Messiah” prohibited by Tennessee judge as name for baby
ABC News, August 12, 2013: Child Support Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew ordered the name change last week, according to WBIR-TV (http://on.wbir.com/1cDOeTY). The boy’s parents were in court because they could not agree on the child’s last name, but when the judge heard the boy’s first name, she ordered it changed, too. * * * *
