- law dawg
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Given the current political climate where the news cycle is consistently dominated by latest happenings in political races, our question for you today is how do you navigate that at work? Do you have a strict no politics rule at work? Do you only discuss with certain people? Do you state your opinions without regard to your audience? Has it ever come back to bite you? How do you be politically active in the community without it affecting your job? What about those of you who have run for office while still practicing law–how did you navigate it?
With clients and most people in the office, I try to be passive. If they bring it up, I just vaguely mirror what they are saying and use body language that communicates I find their take interesting (I don’t).
My political opinions are primarily “right-wing”. Pretty much everyone of my colleagues differ drastically in their opinions. Therefore, I avoid the issue at all costs. Not worth it IMO.
Same. No one wants to hear what I have to say, so I stay quiet. Path of least resistance.
9:33 here
Yup. I’m not changing anyone’s mind and they definitely aren’t changing mine. Literally just a giant waste of energy engaging in such conversations.
I am a right leaning Republican.
Politics are not an appropriate topic for discussion in the workplace.
I will throw out subtle teasers on occasion looking for common points of interest. Teasers that do not overtly indicate my position. If it goes to a discussion, I will academically question the position while appearing neutral or undecided on the issue.
I had an employee who liked to listen to right-wing radio. I asked her not to play the radio in the office. She didn’t listen and continued to play her radio. I literally cut the power cord to the radio. No more politics in the office.
This is what headphones are for. While I likely agree with her, politics, show some fealty to your boss and his instructions.
I would’ve done the same thing. Cutting the cord. Kudos.
Any audible noise at the office is rude. This is beyond the pale. You were left with no choice.
I say, “wow, that’s crazy,” until they go away.
This is my special move
HAPPY PIONEER DAY.
Here is a scary prediction for AI. Westlaw or Thomson Reuters (or someone else) will use A.I. to scan all court records, including hearing videos, to provide consumers/clients with analytics and statistics on every practicing attorney. These stats will be similar to baseball stats. Attorneys will adjust their strategies and practice to protect and promote their stats.
Who in town is going to have the highest OPS?
Easy. AI will correlate with campaign donations. Will be nearly 1:1 with OPS rank.
No politics, no religion, no sex…..no troubles.
Family Court Judge Mary Perry Censured
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/family-court-judge-publicly-censured-for-needlessly-disrespectful-behavior-3100626/
She had this coming. I genuinely hope she gets it together. She has some talents on the bench that are overshadowed by her behavior.
Avoid those in the office who talk politics. If contact can’t be avoided, politely smile and nod as they talk and then disengage as quickly as practicable.
Not at work, no. Instead, I go on NextDoor and Facebook. I use lots of CAPITAL letters and exclamation marks. That way, you know I know what I’m talking about.
Not me. NextDoor is specifically for asking if fireworks were gunshots and telling people about the scary coyote menace that threatens our safety.
Anyone who knows me knows my politics. At work I keep it respectful and I’m happy to engage in real discussions with some people on a one-to-one basis, but there are definitely people I avoid talking politics with. That said, if I don’t talk politics with you, that mostly means I don’t like you.
Just saw a post online that Adam Stokes passed, is this true?
Yes. Probably suicide. Another lawyer suicide while the ostriches over at SBN count their millions and plan another boondoggle on our dime.
And drown kittens while proclaiming their manhood.
I am no big fan of the SBN, but can you articulate what they should have done or what resources that they can provide that are not already being provided? Angry teeth gnashing w/o a solution is of little help.
1:34 here. I’m not an expert, but here’s some idea. First, something that has been mentioned before on this blog is that Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) do not require employees to out themselves to their employer when utilizing services. The SBN requires struggling attorneys to out themselves to avail themselves of the three free therapy sessions. Why? Why not engage with a professional EAP? Second, in the past OBC would reach out to struggling attorneys who were maybe on their radar, but had not gotten to the point of investigation/suspension/disbarment and they would counsel them. With the departure of Rob Bare, that went away. Now no one trusts OBC at all. The general consensus is that OBC goes after small/solo practitioners and anyone who annoys the powers that be. Sarah Hawkins being a prime example. Third, last time I looked at a BoG annual report, they had $6M in the bank. Why not hire a consultant who is actually a mental health expert and qualified to advise the bar on how to address this problem.
That is a lot of weight on the SBN for 3 free sessions and a lot of hearsay. I mean, c’mon.
1:34, you are right about one thing. You are not an expert. No attorney has to “out themselves” to get access to the free counseling. The mental health care professional provides three free (to the lawyer) (3) sessions and does not generate records. The State Bar pays without asking for or receiving any identifying documentation. Finally, communications per SCR 106.5(3) (Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers) is both confidential and inadmissible in any State Bar proceeding (discipline, admission, administrative). Please read before you rant.
1:34 here. If you think that anything the SBN is trustworthy, good for you. I 100% would never call them for therapy sessions or LCL. I also do not believe for one minute that Hooge & Co would not use information gleaned from those calls to start investigating attorneys. I never said anything about the therapist keeping or divulging records. My concerns center directly on the SBN itself. It’s almost cute that you have such faith in them OR you are them. In the Rules if an attorney is substantially involved in a case, the conflict is imputed to the whole firm. So why treat the SBN any differently? If the receptionist takes down your name and bar number for a therapy referral, why not impute knowledge of that referral to the whole SBN? No thank you.
All I know is that there is a direct link between SBN investigations and attorney suicides. I personally know of 3. Does anyone care? Seems like they don’t.
1:34 here. I feel the same. It genuinely upsets me that we have this many suicides and they have not been unpredictable. Some of them, perhaps, but there are many that we saw coming. I do not think it is too much to suggest that an organization like the SBN that has so much power and control over our lives and our livelihoods should take steps to address this problem. Instead it seems like they have chosen to make it worse with the current regime in OBC.
Really? Give some examples. If there is a legitimate basis for a bar investigation and the attorney commits suicide (Nancy Quon) is the invesitgation at fault?
Larry Penny, Tom Mark. We are not saying the investigation is at fault, but the SBN should be aware that the investigation could easily drive the attorney to the breaking point. The SBN needs to let the attorney know that it is not the end of the world, that resources are available, and the outcome the SBN will be requesting. I know for a fact that Rob Bare used to provide both comfort and direction.
I hate the OBC with white hot passion. But if we as a profession want to interdict attorney suicides, then start pointing the thumb and not the finger. Intervene for your colleagues who are struggling. If one as an attorney who actually knows the attorney in crisis cannot intervene and prevent such tragedies, why do we expect OBC to save the life of an attorney with whom they have no knowledge of their mental health? I am all for OBC not driving attorneys to the brink (and perhaps being more mindful of the stress that they cause). But this is something we all need to take responsibility for if we really care.
I personally know an attorney who wrote a lengthy letter to the bar alerting them that Hafter was not ok. Said letter writer offered to help, suggested the bar have a kind of pathway back after suspension, etc. SBN did nothing.
There was an attorney demonstrating unstable behavior a few months ago. Discussions re what to do devolved into STFU or you’ll get them investigated and disbarred.
People have tried to help.
I’ve tried to help colleagues, with mixed results. In general, the impaired attorney that wants help will accept help and the impaired attorney that doesn’t want help won’t accept help. I realize this is intuitively obvious; but it holds true. A person in trouble must perceive the trouble before he or she will accept help. What an outside third party thinks or perceives is mostly irrelevant to the affected person. The affected person must first recognize that he or she is in trouble.
An attorney who recently received a pubic reprimand (but who deserved far more) has been approached over the years by friends, colleagues and employees, who pointed out how he was contributing to his ongoing issues, including alcohol. The attorney replied that he believes that he must enjoy chaos, because every time it disappears, he creates more of the same. He then rebuffed every suggestion he received. You are right, there is only so much one can do.
Marty Hart also?
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/las-vegas-nv/adam-stokes-11900166
15 years for stealing $109M.
https://lawandcrime.com/military/civilian-employee-dubbed-gucci-goddess-stole-108m-meant-for-army-families-because-she-thought-she-deserved-31-properties-80-cars/
Reading the link, she submitted false documents for a fake charity, submitting them to her supervisor for signature, occasionally forging the super’s sig. This went on for 10+ years.
So, where was the oversight in government. Where were the audits? Why wasn’t the supervisor fired?
Piggy backing on a comment from a few days ago, there is no accountability or consequences for government employees.
Everyone has to do their jobs, but government employees… 911: “please hold…”; Metro: “we don’t have enough cops to respond to ALL the crime or car accidents.”; DA Wolfson: “we don’t have enough staff to prosecute traffic tickets”, but let’s spend taxpayer money to set up a whole new *broken* system; DMV: “efficiency, who needs efficiency?”; CCSD: just look at the educational stats. I could go on and on and on…
https://twitter.com/howardstutz/status/1816264013053059099
I have a photo of me and my family in my office with Elizabeth Warren.
Maybe this was already posted, Fiore suspended: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/fiore-suspended-from-bench-after-federal-indictment