Scott Greenfield posted a story a while back about a conversation he had with a biglaw lawyer who was trying to refer a client on a criminal matter. The biglaw guy apparently wanted Scott to commit to negotiating a deal for the client without going to trial. He didn't even think it was necessary for Scott to do legal research or investigate the case. His explanation for why he … [Read more...] about Bargaining Power 101
Legal
Is The Legal Field Ready for CSO?
A couple of days ago, Scott Greenfield was writing about some of the complexities of federal sentencing, when a commenter named Jake proposed a crazy solution: Was there ever a task in the courtroom more ripe for automation? Well, yes, there's tons of administrative crap that can be, or has been, automated. However, Jake had a particular problem in mind that he'd like to … [Read more...] about Is The Legal Field Ready for CSO?
Keep Talkin’ Judge
One of the most amazing developments in the legal blogosphere last year was the emergence of the Hercules and the Umpire blog, because it was written by an actual sitting federal judge. It wasn't just warmed-over pablum, nor was it some sort of scholarly legal blather. Instead, like a classic blogger from the early days, a federal judge just started telling us what it's like to … [Read more...] about Keep Talkin’ Judge
A Few Ways to Look At Criminal Lawyers
(This post started with a few ideas, and then got all long and rambling, but I don't have time to make it shorter. Sorry.)A few years ago I had a toothache, and I made an emergency appointment with my dentist.Her diagnosis was that the tooth's pulp was infected around the nerve, and her treatment procedure required a lot of painstaking work using her carefully-honed … [Read more...] about A Few Ways to Look At Criminal Lawyers
Paying For Prosecutions in Virginia?
Over at Crimlaw, Virginia prosecutor Ken Lammers writes about the state's law allowing private prosecutions. It's a fascinating concept, and Ken goes into a bit of detail, but it comes down to this: So, basically, if doubly approved by the judge and the public prosecutor, the hired gun prosecutor can take part in the case as long as he is under the control of the Commonwealth … [Read more...] about Paying For Prosecutions in Virginia?