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Poor Advocacy Choices: “I am the [*******] lawyer”
Scene: Essex (“of course”, said every Baltimore area practitioner to her/himself), afternoon docket. I am there with my client, about whom I will make no comment. The Court heard a “not guilty agreed statement of facts” (tantamount in general to a guilty plea) for a woman (not my client) who was accused of drunk driving
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Friolo v. Frankel: 14 years of Maryland litigation and still going strong
Friolo sued Frankel under the Maryland wage payment and collection statute, and the rest has been 14 years of trial and appellate history, including the appointment of a special master and three trips to Maryland’s highest court. Â A lot of the fighting has dealt with attorneys’ fees, specifically the reasonableness of requested fee-shifting under Md.
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Congratulations to “Rising Star” Dondi West
A heartfelt “Congratulations” to Columbia attorney, colleague and friend Dondi West, Esquire, upon his recognition as a “Rising Star” in the Maryland Bar by SuperLawyers.
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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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“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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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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What is a Stipulation of Dismissal?
A recent comment on this blog suggested the following post for information purposes. For those (maybe my mentees) who don’t practice routinely in the Maryland or federal civil courts, a stipulation of dismissal is a tool by which a plaintiff may dismiss any unserved defendant, any defendant who has not yet filed a responsive pleading
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How to Call a Law Office
This guide is to help those who call a law office to get what they want: legal help. 1) Â Your name. Â We attorneys want to know it if you call us. Â If you are calling for someone else, we want to know your name and the name of the person for whom you are calling.
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Can you waive your right to unemployment benefits in Maryland?
A question that comes up often in my practice is whether one can – intentionally or by accident – waive one’s right to apply for unemployment benefits in Maryland. Â The following is a discussion of law and is not legal advice; I am not your lawyer and if you want legal advice, you should print
