Blog Posts

I’ve been offered all sorts of things as a fee for my services. My favorite offer was of a house in Mexico. I turned it down, telling the potential client I didn’t have time to visit Mexico, much less own a house there.
Accepting property as a fee is trouble brewing. You have to...

There's a new security rule in the state courthouses. At least I think there is a new rule. As with so many security measures, practices across the state are inconsistent. It's maddening.
I was asked the other day in Bridgeport to show my bar card. The request surprised me. So far as I know,...

It’s hard to avoid online commentary about the value of social media to practicing lawyers, so my decision to leave Twitter and Facebook is, at a minimum, counterintuitive.
An active online presence gives a lawyer an opportunity to attract clients, to educate the...

Connecticut has now joined the majority of states requiring lawyers to complete continuing legal education (CLE) courses each year. The only thing I don't like about the requirement is that the Judges of the Superior Court have ordered us to do it. The judges, all members of the bar themselves,...

Experienced litigators learn the hard way that some institutions regard themselves as too big to comply with the humdrum requirements of the law. I've seen large institutions simply ignore a subpoena, not even bothering to show up as directed. Yale University is notorious for doing this; so are...

Gov. Dannel Malloy will soon be given an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to the Second Chance Society to which he committed more than one year ago. His stated goal is to reduce the number of people who go to prison unnecessarily. He can demonstrate the commitment by refusing to sign...

Donald Trump walked away from the so-called "Acela primaries" in the Northeast a complete winner, sweeping the Republican contests in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island in convincing fashion. All eyes are now focused on Indiana, where Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has declared...

State and federal law enforcement agencies make millions of dollars each year manipulating asset forfeiture laws. Generally, these laws permit seizure of items -- including houses, cash and cars -- that are the fruits or instrumentalities of a crime. If forfeited, the funds, whether...

I was in court the other day when I erupted in a tone loud enough to be overheard by others: "You know, Aristotle once said that it is hard to be angry to the right degree, at the right person, at the right time. He preached moderation and wisdom. You're not being moderate or...

I’m thinking of sending David Brooks of The New York Times a scholarship. I’d like him to attend Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College this summer. Of course, Brooks is not a lawyer; he is a columnist. But, given what he’s written recently about Donald...