December 21, 2015 § 4 Comments
Taking a holiday break.
I wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, or just a few days off work.
Next post December 28, 2015.
Justice Pierce to MJC
December 15, 2015 § 1 Comment
MSSC Justice Randy Pierce is stepping down from his Mississippi Supreme Court seat to take on directorship of the Mississippi Judicial College (MJC). The appointment is effective February 1, 2016.
MJC is the body that is responsible for training and continuing education of Mississippi judges at all levels, court clerks, and court reporters. It also compiles data on the judicial branch for the Mississippi Legislature. MJC is a division of the University of Mississippi, and has its offices on campus in Oxford.
Justice Pierce stated that he had already made the decision not to seek another term when his current one expires in 2017. Justice Pierce is a resident of Greene County, and was elected from MSSC District 2, which is the southernmost district of the state.
The official MSSC announcement is at this link. An article from Mississippi Press-News at Gulflive.com is at this link.
Only yesterday Phillip Thomas had a post on his blog about Justice David Chandler’s decision to leave the court to take over the state’s troubled foster-care program, and how other contested seats in upcoming elections will change the face of the court over the next few years. Looks like that is already happening.
Don’t Forget The MRCP Revision Project
December 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
The MSSC has invited all members of the Bar to submit comments and suggestions for revisions to the MRCP. You can access the page where submissions to date are posted at this link.
Send your suggestions to P. O. Box 249, Jackson, MS, 39205. Deadline is December 31, 2015.
So far there are only two submissions.
“Quote Unquote”
December 4, 2015 § Leave a comment
“Though boys throw stones at frogs in sport, yet the frogs do not die in sport but in earnest.” — Bion of Borysthenes
“If you want to discover just what there is in a man — give him power.” — Francis Trevelyan Miller
“When strength is yoked with justice, where is a mightier pair than they?” — Aeschylus
Obergefell, the MSSC, and Marbury v. Madison
December 1, 2015 § 2 Comments
As previously noted, the MSSC simply dismissed the appeal in the Czekala-Chatham v. State case, rather than address the merits. Two justices would have voted, in essence, to reverse Obergefell because, in their view, it was wrong, and they wrote what amounted to dissenting opinions.
Philip Thomas explains why the dissenters are swimming against the tide of legal history.
Reprise: What Sets You Apart?
November 25, 2015 § 3 Comments
Reprise replays posts from the past that you may find useful today.
WHAT SETS YOU APART?
November 29, 2011 § 2 Comments
Many years ago, when I had been practicing law only a few years, my father-in-law posed this question to me: “What sets you apart from the other lawyers in your town?”
His question was actually “What is it about you that makes people want to hire you instead of any of the other lawyers in your town?”
Now I will confess that I had not really given that sort of thing much thought at the time. With all the demands of a law practice, a family and the myriad other things that make up the life of a young lawyer, I hadn’t taken time to sit down and ponder that sort of thing.
But I have in the many years since. And I learned to become aware of the things that I could do as a lawyer that would add value for my clients. I learned that not all lawyers take time to listen to their clients, to really hear what their concerns are — so I tried to listen better. I learned that most lawyers do not take the time to explain to their clients what is happening and will happen in their cases — so I tried to explain. I learned that many lawyers are impatient with their clients and try to cut them short — so I tried to be patient and give them some attention. I learned that there are lawyers who file sloppy pleadings and discovery — so I tried to make sure that everything I filed looked professional and like it was done with care. I learned that some lawyers do not prepare their clients and key witnesses for trial — so I did, and did a better job than many in litigation.
Sometimes I fell short. But I like to think that most times I succeeded. Simply because I took care to give some thought and attention to what I could do to do a little better job.
My father-in-law also told me that only 10% of people in any profession are superlative, and it takes only a little extra effort and attention to rise above the other 90%. It takes continued attention and effort to stay in that special 10%.
Clients like to think they are getting the best when they spend their hard-earned money to hire a lawyer.
What sets you apart? What is it about the way you practice law that makes people want to hire you instead of the other 90% of lawyers?
What’s Your Biggest Rant About …
November 13, 2015 § 6 Comments
… How hearings are scheduled in chancery court?
What doesn’t work well, and how would you fix it?
Comments by lawyers and judges are welcome and invited. You may post as anonymous or use a screen name, but you must include a valid email address so that I can verify that you are a member of the legal profession. Your email address will not appear.
No personal attacks. Please do not name particular lawyers or judges. Please be brief and to the point. All comments by persons who have not been approved before are moderated, so it may take a while for your comment to appear if it is approved.
Have at it.
“Quote Unquote”
November 6, 2015 § 2 Comments
“As for the education of our children is concerned I think they should be taught not the little virtues but the great ones. Not thrift but generosity and an indifference to money; not caution but courage and contempt for danger; not shrewdness but frankness and a love of truth; not tact but love for one’s neighbor and self-denial; not a desire for success but a desire to be and to know.” — Natalia Ginzburg
“To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue — gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” — Confucius
“The weakest of all weak things is a virtue which has not been tested in the fire.” — Mark Twain
R.I.P. Chancellor Talmadge Littlejohn
October 27, 2015 § 2 Comments
Judge Littlejohn, of New Albany, passed away yesterday evening, October 26, 2015.
The Better Chancery Practice Blog 