Chuck Newton

Bing Crosby - White Christmas

Thank You Dennis Kennedy For Your Kind Words

To those that have not read about it, my little blog won Dennis Kennedy's 2008 Law-Related Blogging Award ("The Blawggies").  Specifically, my blog was awarded The Sherry Fowler Best Writing On A Legal Blog award.

Like Sally Fields' gushing acceptance speech in 1985 for Places in the Heart, I will say as well: "I haven't had an orthodox career, and I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!"

Unorthodox is right.  Whether it has been my Jewish side, my Catholic side, political leanings, or my career choices, it can be said that I have not stayed on the beaten path.  I try not to adhere to cookie cutters law practices, religion doctrine, or political allegiances.  To me, it is a truly American experience.  I am religious, yet have a healthy skepticism for religion.  I am political, yet have an abiding distrust for political leadership.  I absolutely love the practice of law, yet at times I do not.  It makes me hard to peg I guess.  Offbeat is fine, if I do have to apologize from time to time for being a little sarcastic.

Tony Bennett - I'll Be Home For Christmas

Ella Fitzgerald Sings Christmas

A little Ella Fitzgerald Christmas music is what is needed.  Here is a video of Ella, including some visuals.

Going Once ... Going Twice ... The Law School Naming Rights Go To ...

Much like sport stadiums, product placement in movies and, really, advertising on the side of buses represents an interesting way these days to raise money, no longer it seems do you have venues and institutions named in honor of people who actually contribute something of importance in their respective fields, as we  after buildings and libraries and the like named after extraneous people who offer little more than money.

Take St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami.  It has entered a new level of selling the naming rights to almost everything for a price. Maybe there might be room, in my case, for there to be the Chuck Newton door stop or pencil sharpener or something.  I do not have that much money.

As reported by the National Law Journal:

"While all law schools seem to be launching naming rights campaigns to raise funds these days, St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami has taken the concept to a new level.

Not only is the small private law school selling naming rights to its school for $10 million, it is also offering donors the opportunity to have their names plastered on the student center, law library, conference room, annexes, breezeways, classrooms, instructor's offices, and a new "Center for Global Justice and Dialogue." The bathroom, however, is not for sale.

"The genesis of this is the law school is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary next year, and this is the first serious concerted fundraising effort we have launched," said Al Garcia, dean of the law school.

The naming rights fundraising campaign was launched one year ago.  And while the big enchilada — the naming of the law school for $10 million — is still up for grabs, the school has had considerable success selling off pieces of the school, raising some $600,000 so far....

[L]ast month, alumnus Alex Hanna donated $250,000 to name the school's law library. Hanna previously donated $25,000 to name the law school's main entrance.  Other donations include $50,000 from attorney Pat Cordero for a breezeway, $25,000 from Phil and Denise Gerson for the law school conference room, $10,000 from Miami-Dade Judge David Gerstein for the moot courtroom atrium, $10,000 from Sean Greene for the law school walkway and $10,000 from Michael P. Rudd for the student affairs walkway.

Other, smaller gifts will be used to name classrooms and faculty suites, said Mark Casale, director of alumni affairs and major gifts.....  But hasn't the economy hit lawyers?  Apparently not, according to Casale. "The economy is hitting hard everywhere, but there are attorneys in all walks of life doing well," he said"

I remember when Catholic Universities named buildings out after saints, or at least notable priests, nuns, brothers and the dedicated religious that dedicated their life to making a difference.

I would hope that if St. Thomas is going to do this, tht it at least use the money gained to drastically and dramatically reduce its tuition, and try to provide a free law school education to the deserving.  But, I doubt it will happen.

The Mistake Made In Downsizing Is Not Being Brutally Fast About It

You head a conventional law practice with outside offices, staff, and other overhead.  It is too much in your mind and you start to feel there is the need for a change.  How nice would it be to rid yourself of the chains of overhead, costs and debt?  How wonderful it would be to downshift into an environment that would be more peaceful and less complicated?

I personally think it is a thought that most solo and small firm lawyers encounter at some point in their careers, but there is some danger in making the change.

Unlike many who might think the danger is actually making the change to a home office or a small office, I tend to think the danger comes in not making the move more dramatically and with all due haste.

There is always a tendency in all of us to hesitate and to hedge our bets.  We do not want to hurt those working with us with abrupt decisions.  We know there needs to be a change, but we feel responsible for those who have worked with us over the years.  So, we think we need to make these changes in stages or over times.  This can be tragic for the reason that downsizing or downshift requires you live on less earnings (but more profit), while the traditional office requires more earnings to continue.  So, as you downsize gradually you reach a crises point when you are not earning enough to fund the old office and environment or, worse, you lose all of your profit (meaning the money on which you live) in the process.

There is a tendency in downsizing and downshifting in fooling ourselves.  This is because we do not want to disappoint those working for us, or landlords who are working to get us to sign a new lease, or clients that are use to a different way of business.  We also worry about what others will think of us if we make a drastic move.  But, it is important not to fall into this trap.  You must make brutally honest statements to your staff and others as to what is about to happen, why and how fast it is going to happen.  You need to work with speed so as to cut overhead faster than your earnings.

What is most important is that the transition be as quick as possible.

10 Things I Did Not Learn In Law School

For some reason this has excited a little controversy, but I have got to admit that I found the 10 Things I Didn't Learn In Law School, published or posted by Gideon, more than a little humorous.  I found it mainly true.  I will let you search the web yourself for the criticisms of it, but some say that it is cynical.  I tend to think it probably hit a little close to home for some people.  Regardless, here is the list:

1. Nobody ever uses the phrase “black letter law“. Seriously. Lawyers who do use the phrase “black letter law” are usually laughed at by cliques of other lawyers. This is an invention of professors, I’m sure, meant to intimidate and harass poor first year students. Black letter law? Is that some Rules of Court book?
2. That you will forever be haunted by names of cases, but not remember a damn thing about the case itself. Who here can tell me about Helicopteros or International Shoe or Pennoyer or Dudley and Stephens? (Okay, that last one is really cool - it’s about cannibalism). Wasn’t there a Vana White case?
3. How to pick a jury.
4. There is no box. Law school professors keep telling you to think outside the box. What they don’t tell you is that there is no box.
5. That law review leads to document review. If you want to do real work, take a clinic or something.
6. Your clients will hate you. They will think they are smarter than you. They will try to tell you what to do.
7. How to deal with #6 above.
8. Most judges haven’t practiced in a while, so forgive them if they make stuff up as they go along.
9. Caselaw and precedent may or may not mean much until you get to an appellate court. And even then…
10. Finally, no matter how long you practice or what you do, there will always be more to learn and ways to better yourself.

Dean Martin's Christmas In California

I have always loved this video.  First, who does not like Dean.  Second, I just love the mid century ranch furniture with which I grew up, and the big TV antenna at the end of the video.

Can A Law School Consultant Help You?

I ran across this video on How Can A Consultant Help Me With My Applications?  I have a hard time trying visualizing the help.  After all, I did not employ a consultant to get into law school.  Neither did my wife, my sister or my daughter.  In fact, I really do not know anybody that has.  Although, I suspect I know a few who just do not reveal such things.  Is it worth the money?  You will have to judge for yourself.  For me, probably, is was more an argument of I did not have the money.

Bill White Announces He Will Run For The Senate From Texas In 2010. I Am Hooking My Horse To This Wagon.

Bill White is the very popular three term mayor of Houston, Texas.  He has announced that he is going to try to build the support base to run for and win the United States Senate seat in Texas in 2010.