I don't know what Houston criminal defense lawyer Mark Bennett's politics are, but over the past couple of months he's been experiencing a classic example of the sort of thing that turns people into libertarians: Out of the blue, the government--in the form of the State Bar of Texas--wants to outlaw his business model. He usually charges clients a flat fee, but now the … [Read more...] about A Long Post About Flat-Fee Lawyering
The Chicago Code – First Thoughts
I took a look at the pilot episode of The Chicago Code last night and...didn't hate it. It's got some of potential. Minor spoilers follow. (As I write this, you can watch the pilot episode for free here.) It's not what I was hoping for. That's because what I was hoping for was The Wire: Chicago, and that was never going to happen. I'm sure other people could make a crime show … [Read more...] about The Chicago Code – First Thoughts
Cleaning Up the Snow
Chicago got hit by a pretty big snowstorm this week. I suppose I'd know just how big if I'd been paying attention to the news, but those people drive me crazy. What are they calling it? "Snowmaggedon"? "Snowpocalypse"? "Snowlocaust"? Bah. Look, it's not that this wasn't a big snowstorm. It was huge. It's got to be one of the 4 or 5 heaviest snowfalls in the past 50 years. I'm … [Read more...] about Cleaning Up the Snow
Oh My God, Chicago Has a Criminal Defense Blogger!
Back in July of 2009, I declared myself the Greatest Criminal Defense Blogger in Chicago. This was not a boast, it was a lament. I am not a lawyer, and most of my posts have nothing to do with criminal defense. Yet I seemed to be blogging more about criminal defense than any actual Chicago lawyer. Rob Deters was gone, Steven Molo's blog was fake, and James Dimeas mostly just … [Read more...] about Oh My God, Chicago Has a Criminal Defense Blogger!
Photography of Public Buildings Still Legal
As has always been the rule, if you are in a location legally, you can still take pictures of almost anything you can see from there, including federal buildings. And now, here's an official bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security explaining it. I don't know it it will really help, or if it will just mark me as a smartass, but I'm going to download a copy and keep it … [Read more...] about Photography of Public Buildings Still Legal