Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly articles from December 2008

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly archives from December 2008

Commentary: The specter of court layoffs.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Editorial According to a recent report by the Pioneer Institute, state lawmakers spent $48.3 million during the past four years to add 382 court jobs that were never requested by the judiciary. ...

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's most important opinions for December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil rights Injuries sustained in arrest Where a plaintiff has sued the defendant city of Boston, claiming that his civil rights were violated during his arrest by special police...

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court rules 'Emotionally injured' guard can collect in Geoghan case.
December 1, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank A correction officer who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder was entitled to workers' compensation after prisoners, and subsequently the media, accused him of throwing feces in the cell of pedophile priest...

Mass. Superior Court rules Mass. Corporation Act applies retroactively.
December 1, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank A plaintiff shareholder involved in the dissolution of a hair salon was entitled to dismissal of a counterclaim where the defendant, who was the only other shareholder in the company, failed to properly make a...

Mass. Bar: IOLTA funds 'drastically' reduced by closing companies.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Julia Reischel Companies that handle real estate closings in Massachusetts are siphoning money from the state's already-depleted legal aid services, according to the Real Estate Bar Association and Massachusetts IOLTA Committee....

Justice John M. Greaney departs Mass. Supreme Judicial Court; no replacement named.
December 1, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank As the Supreme Judicial Court prepares to hear 25 oral arguments this week, attorneys say they are not overly concerned that the Patrick administration's goal of finding a replacement for Justice John M. Greaney...

Seized by Nazis, the girl is finally returned home: Hitler got his comeuppance on Nov. 19 in R.I.
December 1, 2008... Byline: David Yas An art thief got his comeuppance on Nov. 19 in Rhode Island. His name? Adolf Hitler. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a rather procedural-heavy opinion in the case of Vineberg v. Bissonnette. But...

Boston lawyers get seats on Commission on Judicial Conduct.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan has announced the appointments of Joseph D. Steinfield as a member of the Commission on Judicial Conduct and John J. Carroll Jr....

Furloughs instituted at Essex DA's office.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Julia Reischel In an effort to trim $218,000 from his budget, Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett has asked his staff to take up to three days of unpaid leave between January and June of next year. It's the only...

Mass. Gov. Patrick nominates 3 for judgeships.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Gov. Deval L. Patrick has announced the nomination of three attorneys to the Middlesex Juvenile Court, the western division of the Housing Court and the East Boston division of Boston Municipal...

New Mass. Guide to Evidence available.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The Supreme Judicial Court and its Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Evidence Law have announced the release of the Massachusetts Guide to Evidence. The 375-page guide assembles existing...

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court rules online grad can sit for bar exam.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Thomas E. Egan A graduate of an online law school is qualified to sit for the Massachusetts bar examination, the Supreme Judicial Court has concluded. The applicant, Ross E. Mitchell, is a member of the California bar, having...

FDIC announces IOLTA money gets unlimited protection.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has announced that, effective immediately, client funds deposited in IOLTA accounts are eligible for unlimited deposit insurance coverage. All funds in an...

Examining the results of pass rate for Mass. prospective attorneys.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Applicants for licenses to practice law in Massachusetts joined prospective attorneys nationwide in achieving a noticeably higher pass rate when they took the bar exam in July, Board of Bar...

Hub crawl set for senior members of the Boston Bar Association.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff For the walkers among the senior members of the Boston Bar Association, attorney James J. Marcellino has organized a first-of-its kind pub crawl. The Senior Lawyers Section will set out from...

Boston attorney high on nation's top law-enforcer-in-waiting.
December 1, 2008... The nation's top law-enforcer-in-waiting, Eric H. Holder Jr., President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the U.S. Department of Justice, has a fan and former colleague in Boston attorney Michael K. Fee. The two worked together from 1985...

In and out for U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan in Boston.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff While it is still unknown who will be calling the prosecutorial shots when embattled politicians Dianne Wilkerson and Chuck Turner face federal juries in their respective high-profile bribery...

Verdicts & Settlements December 1, 2008: Controversial procedure results in patient's death.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $2.7 million settlement In July 2002, a 47-year-old married man underwent a craniotomy to diagnose a mass in his left orbit. A biopsy of the mass was consistent with aspergillus infection, and...

Verdicts & Settlements December 1, 2008: Town, family negotiate taking of historic property.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $1.83 million settlement The plaintiffs were four siblings whose parents had owned a parcel of land adjacent to one of the town of Hingham's public works facilities. The property had a...

Verdicts & Settlements December 1, 2008: Nursing home resident reports rampant staff abuse.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $125,000 settlement The plaintiff was in her late 80s and a resident at the defendant nursing home. The estate of the plaintiff claimed that the defendant nursing home acted in complete...

Commentary: Facing the facts about booking space on Facebook.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Dianne Bluestein Seller's Market offers practitioners information about marketing their skills and services as attorneys. There is no denying it, professional organizations are joining Facebook. This yearbook- style social...

Commentary: Know the ROI on your IT.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Edward Poll In today's economy, new computers, software and database research services are significant overhead costs, and firms are looking hard whether they can afford the high up-front expense. New solo practices may decide...

Commentary: Firms need to put dining etiquette on their plate.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Gretchen Neels In Do the Right Thing, Boston-based consultant Gretchen Neels offers advice on professional etiquette and other behavioral issues that might arise in a law practice. Q. When, if ever, is it appropriate to correct...

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court Justice John M. Greaney: Our own 'Man in Black' departs the bench.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff Today marks the final day of the distinguished judicial career of Supreme Judicial Court Justice John M. Greaney. It is a sad day because Greaney leaves the bench just as sharp and elegant a writer as...

Commentary: Ending the 'culture of waiver' in governmental investigations.
December 1, 2008... Byline: William A. Haddad On Oct. 6, the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement issued and released, for the first time, a manual designed to provide basic policy and procedure guidance to its line enforcement staff....

Mass. Lawyers in the News: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff New associations Lauren Dwyer has joined the litigation department of Donoghue, Barrett & Singal in Boston. Dwyer was at Foley Hoag in Boston. Stephen Bik, formerly of Taylor Abstract Co., has joined...

1st U.S. Court of Appeals Case Summaries: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff 1ST U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS Editor's note: The full text of these decisions can be found on Lawyers Weekly's website, www.masslawyersweekly.com. Civil practice Replevin - Artwork Where a defendant...

U.S. District Court Case Summaries: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff U.S. DISTRICT COURT Civil rights Injuries sustained in arrest Where a plaintiff has sued the defendant city of Boston, claiming that his civil rights were violated during his arrest by special police...

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court Case Summaries: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT Editor's note: The full text of these decisions can be found on Lawyers Weekly's website, www.masslawyersweekly.com. Workers' compensation Emotional and mental injury compensation...

Mass. Appeals Court Case Summaries: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff APPEALS COURT Editor's note: The full text of these decisions can be found on Lawyers Weekly's website, www.masslawyersweekly.com. Criminal Lifetime community parole Where a defendant has been convicted...

Mass. Appeals Court Unpublished Case Summaries: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff APPEALS COURT - UNPUBLISHED Following are the summaries of decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to Rule 1:28. In reporting these unpublished decisions, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reminds...

Mass. Superior Court Case Summaries: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff SUPERIOR COURT Corporate Demand requirement - Derivative counterclaim Where plaintiffs have moved to dismiss Count III of the defendant shareholder's counterclaim, the motion should be allowed because the...

District Court/BMC Appellate Division Case Summaries: December 1, 2008.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff DISTRICT COURT/BMC APPELLATE DIVISION Contract Legal fees Where a plaintiff attorney, who sued a defendant client to recover unpaid legal fees and was granted judgment, has challenged the judge's award,...

U.S. District Court Case Summaries: December 15, 2008.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Habeas corpus Ineffective assistance Where a defendant, who was convicted and sentenced for illegal re-entry into the United States, has petitioned for habeas corpus on the basis of ineffective...

1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Case Summaries: December 15, 2008.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Securities Primary liability - Mutual fund underwriter Where the Securities and Exchange Commission brought a complaint against defendant executives of the primary underwriter for a family of...

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court restricts 'subprime' foreclosures.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Thomas E. Egan The Supreme Judicial Court has upheld a preliminary injunction restricting a California bank's right to foreclose on "subprime" loans. The preliminary injunction sets forth a pre-foreclosure procedure for the...

Most Important Massachusetts Opinions: December 15, 2008.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Securities Primary liability - Mutual fund underwriter Where the Securities and Exchange Commission brought a complaint against defendant executives of the primary underwriter for a family...

Fall River lawyer target of grand jury investigation: suspected of forging judge and DA signatures.
December 15, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank A popular Fall River defense attorney already under indictment for witness intimidation in Plymouth County may face a new round of unrelated charges in Bristol County, sources tell Lawyers Weekly. Last week,...

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court OKs law firm's partnership agreement.
December 15, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank Finding no violation of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct, the Supreme Judicial Court has rejected the claims of five former Morrison Mahoney partners that the Boston firm's partnership agreement...

Massachusetts employment lawyers mull venues for non-compete cases.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Barbara Rabinovitz A recent decision by a federal judge in Massachusetts, who preliminarily enjoined an employee from assuming a position with a competitor of his former employer, got Boston attorney Michael L. Rosen thinking - and...

Commentary: advice for taxpayers with undeclared UBS Swiss bank accounts.(Union Bank of Switzerland)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Terry Philip Segal and Michael M. Mustokoff At present, up to 19,000 American taxpayers who have undeclared Swiss bank accounts run a substantial risk of criminal prosecution or heavy civil tax penalties. For decades, Swiss...

Commentary: when legislators sell us on 'cute-sounding' laws.
December 15, 2008... Byline: David Yas Jessica's Law. Megan's Law. Melanie's Law. Jenny's Law. What do they all have in common? Are they all named after crime victims? Do they all seek to punish violent criminals? Actually, no. The only thing these...

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issues new order on Rule 1:28 citations.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The Supreme Judicial Court has approved a new rule detailing how decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to Rule 1:28 are to be cited. For many years, a long-standing policy existed...

Verdicts & Settlements December 15, 2008: Piping contractor breaches fixed-price agreement.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $4.44 million arbitration award The defendant company had contracted in 2004 to deliver to the plaintiff company in late 2006 the piping and nozzles for the "spray headers" in a wet flue gas...

Verdicts & Settlements December 15, 2008: Lead poisoning blamed for ADHD, learning disabilities.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $230,000 settlement The minor plaintiff was born on March 18, 1997, and lived on rental property owned by the defendants. From 1997 to 1999, he suffered lead poisoning at one property and...

Verdicts & Settlements December 15, 2008: Business owner sued for non-payment of debts.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Defense verdict The plaintiff claimed to have made two loans to the defendant for the defendant's use in a car and truck business. The first loan, for $50,000, was made in the form of...

Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers Admonitions: December 15, 2008.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff SJC No. BD-2007-062 IN RE: PETER PAUL MITRANO Last known address: P.O. Box 3973 Merrifield, VA 22116 Order of Temporary Suspension entered by Cordy, J., on October 29, 2008...

Commentary: winning an otherwise hopeless case with an affirmative defense.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Neil V. Madden The typical defense in a criminal case usually centers on an attack-like cross-examination of police officers. It generally goes as follows: Q. And you didn't see anything exchange hands, right? A. Well,...

Commentary: be selective in whom you vouch for in reference.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Gretchen Neels In Do the Right Thing, Boston-based consultant Gretchen Neels offers advice on professional etiquette and other behavioral issues that might arise in a law practice. Q. Recently a former administrative assistant...

Commentary: nowadays, no firm is too big to fail.
December 15, 2008... Byline: Edward Poll The largest law firms, which not too long ago were in the headlines for record high starting associate salaries and profits per partner, now often gain notoriety for their layoffs of lawyers and staff - and, in rare but...

Massachusetts court says fuel truck driver not 'independent contractor'.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Eric T. Berkman Lawyers say a recent Superior Court decision addressing the misclassification of workers as independent contractors highlights the contradictions and confusion plaguing employers as a result of the 2004 amendment of...

Commentary: coach's corner; are you cheap ... or reasonable?(reasonable fees for lawyers services)
December 22, 2008... Byline: Edward Poll With today's tough economic conditions, chances are few lawyers at any size firm are considering an increase in their fees. This is, of course, a matter of economics. The seller of any service must understand costs, set...

Commentary: the Santa system patent.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Howard Zaharoff United States Patent 59604SC Claus, et al. Dec. 25, 2008 Method and system for creating a conditional seasonal gift using a self-executing contract and a unique means of packaging, transportation and...

Commentary: what employers - and their lawyers - need to know about E-Verify.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Bradley Maged E-Verify (formerly the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program) is an online system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. Participating...

Commentary: clearing the bench for 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank There's still 10 days to go, but the award for Worst Legal Advice of the Year has to go to Texas attorney Rusty Hardin for his representation of former Sox pitcher Roger Clemens. Things haven't exactly worked out...

Massachusetts Bar Association fires its executive director.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Barbara Rabinovitz and Julia Reischel Barely three years into her tenure as executive director of the Massachusetts Bar Association, Marilyn J. Wellington was shown the exit door at the association's downtown Boston headquarters on...

Massachusetts Appeals Court, Judgments Affirmed: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. Although the decisions do not appear to address any substantive issues of law, the full text of each...

U.S. Supreme Court Decisions: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Commercial Cigarettes Claims made by states that tobacco companies have deceptively marketed light or low tar cigarettes are not preempted by federal law. Altria Group, Inc., et al. v. Good,...

1st. U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Case Summaries: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Arbitration DRA - Employment application Where (1) a Maine plaintiff brought suit against the defendant employer alleging federal and state law claims of sex discrimination, age discrimination...

U.S. District Court Case Summaries: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Constitutional Wine shipments - Interstate commerce Where plaintiffs, two Massachusetts consumers and a non-profit trade association which advocates the rights and interests of its member...

U.S. Magistrate Judges Case Summaries: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Insurance Implied coinsured doctrine Where (1) a woman, who was insured by the defendant and is now deceased, negligently started a fire in her unit which damaged a retirement community...

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Case Summaries: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Bankruptcy Claim acquisition - Futility Where a debtor has filed a Motion to Approve Acquisition of Claims, the motion should be denied as futile. The Debtor's purpose in filing the...

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Decisions: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil practice Sex offender - Composition of Registry Board Where a plaintiff classified as a level-three sex offender has challenged that classification, his appeal must fail despite the fact...

Massachusetts Appeals Court Decisions: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Insurance Uninsured motorist - Taxi Where a taxi passenger injured in a traffic accident sought uninsured motorist benefits under an auto policy issued to her mother, a declaratory judgment...

Massachusetts Appeals Court - Summaries of Unpublished Decisions: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Following are the summaries of decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to Rule 1:28. In reporting these unpublished decisions, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reminds readers that the decisions...

Massachusetts Superior Court Decisions: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Employment Wage Law - Independent contractor Where a plaintiff fuel delivery truck driver claims that a defendant oil company for whom he worked misclassified him as an independent contractor...

Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Case Summaries: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Wills and trusts Capacity - Undue influence Where the defendant, a deceased woman's son who is also the executor of her estate, (1) has failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence...

Appellate Tax Board Case Summaries: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Taxation Abatement - Natick residential property Where two homeowners have appealed decisions by the Natick board of assessors denying property tax abatements for fiscal years 2006 and 2007,...

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Case Summaries: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Employment Sex discrimination claim Where a terminated clothing store manager has brought a sex discrimination claim against her former employer, I hold that her claim must fail because...

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's most important opinions for December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Constitutional Wine shipments - Interstate commerce Where plaintiffs, two Massachusetts consumers and a non-profit trade association which advocates the rights and interests of its member...

From big firm to big league: Boston attorney sets his sights on a career in baseball.(Massachusetts)
December 22, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank This is part of a series in which Lawyers Weekly offers a snapshot of attorneys making their way in the profession. It was 4 a.m. when the telephone in Joseph S. Rosen's Framingham home started ringing. One of...

Massachusetts Turnpike Authority's company-handbook case further warning to employers.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Julia Reischel A Supreme Judicial Court decision entitling a retired employee of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to be compensated for unused sick time falls in line with previous rulings by the court on issues involving...

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court seeks comment on civil rule changes.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The Supreme Judicial Court's Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure is inviting comments on proposed amendments to Rules 33, 41 and 77. The amendments address rules that were...

Verdicts & Settlements December 22, 2008: Burst pipe in unoccupied home fuels insurance feud.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $210,000 settlement In 2005, the plaintiff, a 55-year-old woman, placed her elderly father in a nursing home due to his deteriorating physical condition. In doing so, the plaintiff left their...

Verdicts & Settlements December 22, 2008: Quarry worker's arm crushed in backhoe accident.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $640,000 verdict A 43-year-old quarry employee suffered an incomplete amputation of his left arm after it was crushed in the pinch-point of a backhoe operated by a co-worker. An initial...

Verdicts & Settlements December 22, 2008: Infant is burned, scarred by overly hot radiator.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $228,500 settlement During the summer of 2004, a mother, child and infant moved into a low-income apartment. Unbeknownst to the mother, at the time they moved in the property was in violation...

Verdicts & Settlements December 22, 2008: Jury finds sun glare was cause of fatal car crash.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Defense verdict This case involved a motor vehicle accident that occurred on Oct. 26, 2006, in Medford. There was no evidence of speeding, inebriation or erratic driving. The commonwealth's...

Verdicts & Settlements December 22, 2008: Lead exposure blamed for girl's learning deficiencies.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $357,500 settlement The minor plaintiff was born on Aug. 26, 1998. She lived in rental property owned by the defendants. From 1998 to 2002, she suffered lead poisoning at one property....

Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers: December 22, 2008.
December 22, 2008... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The following summaries were compiled by the Board of Bar Overseers based on the record of proceedings before the board. SJC No. BD-2007-067 IN RE: BRUCE NAMENSON Last known address:...

Appeals Court says arbitration clause doesn't extend to non-signatories.(Massachusetts)
December 29, 2008... Byline: Eric T. Berkman A group of nurses named individually in a wrongful-death suit stemming from the care of a nursing home patient could not enforce an arbitration clause in an admission contract between the nursing home and the...

Massachusetts lawyers predict more non-compete litigation in '09.
December 29, 2008... Byline: David E. Frank As the nation's economy continues its downward spiral, employment lawyers in Massachusetts say they expect disputes over the enforceability of non-compete agreements to rise in 2009. With job layoffs growing in...

Commentary: what time is it? Rhyme time: the year in limerick, 2008.
December 29, 2008... Byline: David Yas It's a column that in the year comes quite late; It's been called "pretty good," never "great"; Come to grips with your fear Because it's finally here It's the year in limerick, 2008. In November it was fashionable...

Commentary: take care of time, and it will take care of you.
December 29, 2008... Byline: Edward Poll Abraham Lincoln is often attributed as having said that time and advice are a lawyer's stock in trade. The client receives advice; the lawyer expends time to provide it. But there are two types of "law time": the...

Commentary: in tough times, you could drop a.m. pick-me-up.
December 29, 2008... Byline: Gretchen Neels In Do the Right Thing, Boston-based consultant Gretchen Neels offers advice on professional etiquette and other behavioral issues that might arise in a law practice. Q. After doing a quick analysis of the...