Perfect For Napping

  • Law

  • Although not yet specific to Nevada, the California Supreme Court made a ruling that could definitely have an impact here:  public officials’ private emails are a matter of public record if they deal with public business. [LA Times]
  • A juror in the Bunkerville trial was dismissed for nodding off. [RJ]
  • Some jurors are being asked to sit through at 12-month trial…anyone know what the trial is? [KTNV]
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 4:39 pm

I'm new to managing other attorneys and their work. I would love to hear from WHO YOU PEOPLE as to tips and tricks in making this transition from being managed to managing others. I am finding it difficult to keep up with the work that I am doing and reviewing the work the associates give me. I have really good associates. They do work quickly and competently.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 5:02 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Time management is key. Set times to speak with associates. Don't let people just come into your office when they feel like it. Set aside 15 – 30 minutes a day to meet with them and go over stuff and the issues they have. Also make them email you prior to the meeting with the issue, what they think is the best approach or way to solve it and why. Then you meet. This allows you to prepare, allows them to actual think about stuff and stops the constant interruptions.

Signed – Who You People

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 5:14 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

@9:02 a.m. also good advice for the attorneys being managed.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 10:01 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Here are a couple examples of what doesn't work, in my opinion:

1. Yelling at the associate (who is in his/her office) from your office, even though you have an intercom system that works perfectly well.
2. Reading only as far as the first mistake/typo and then giving it back to the associate to "try again."
3. Requiring every pleading, even a form motion written by a 4th-year associate, be personally reviewed by you before it is filed.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 10:55 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Sh*t! I do all of those things.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 3, 2017 5:15 pm

Have faith in the people you work with. Let them express their own style w/o trying to force yours upon them. Edit 1 time and be done. If you make substantive changes, take the time to explain why you made the change. Even better, tell them what you see that needs to be changed and let them have another try w/o rewriting

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 6:15 pm

I'm a 12th year at a regional firm and have found it difficult to transition from being a grinder to the face of the client relationship and the manager. Most of the work I do now is coordinating who does what and providing input on strategy. I think it's important to keep an open door strategy and generally be accessible. Also, its important that you stay engage by still writing briefs, even drafting discovery. I recall partners at prior firms that literally didn't know how to be lawyers anymore because all they did was sit around and talk with people all day and then bill for it.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 6:37 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

8:39 AM here. The most surprising thing about this change has been the amount of time I spend on the phone and writing emails or in meetings. I fear becoming one of those partners you speak of.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 4, 2017 8:24 am
Reply to  Anonymous

On the flip side, how do I become one of those partners you speak of? Not being facetious

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 4, 2017 4:41 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

12:24: hand off all of your work to an associate. Once you've done that, stay involved by meeting with them frequently to find out how things are coming along. Bill for every second of every conversation. Bill for impromptu meetings in the hallway when you simply make eye contact. You might even attend hearings with the associate, but the associate will do all the work so you don't even need to prepare–you just get to show up and bill for travel time and sitting at the table in court while you're buying stuff with your amazon app. If you're an overachiever, find an associate that you REALLY trust and have this associate draft everything, but not sign anything. The associate will submit to you to sign, which you will, and then bill for more than the time it takes to sign.

Most of us know that all of the above actually happens at many firms.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 3, 2017 6:41 pm

Can we talk about Metro's use of a mannequin decoy to catch a possible killer? Legality of this? http://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/man-jail-after-attack-homeless-person-decoy-downtown-las-vegas

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 7:25 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I have no comment on the legality; I will leave that to criminal defense attorneys. But the story is revolting. I praise LVMPD for taking action to catch a killer who was targeting some of our community's most vulnerable persons.

Lawyer Bird
Guest
Lawyer Bird
March 3, 2017 7:53 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

What you're probably thinking about is "entrapment" which is when police entice you to commit a crime you would not otherwise commit. It's only a defense when you would not have been predisposed to commit the crime. And it's an affirmative defense.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 3, 2017 8:32 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Can the fact that this guy attacked the dummy be used as evidence in the other cases?

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 3, 2017 9:32 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

What is wrong with attacking a dummy? That is what it is like every time you have a case against Lewis and Rodriguez.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 3, 2017 9:59 pm

Well Becky Pintar was granted some relief by the Court of Appeals …. but you should still probably go through your inbox. http://nvcourts.gov/COAPortal/caseView.aspx?csiid=40095

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 3, 2017 10:21 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Becky Pintar is dumber than a DMV or DOI crash test dummy.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 3, 2017 11:19 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Teddy ain't gettin' his scratch? Damn.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 3, 2017 11:41 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

This was the right decision. It's entirely inappropriate to seek additional relief outside the time frame allowed in EDCR 2.20.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 4, 2017 3:52 am
Reply to  Anonymous

At long last, the Jessie Walsh Reversal Department in the Nevada appellate court system is finally going to be able to wind down. Now that she is retired, is it safe to say what an abomination that woman was to the Nevada judiciary? She will long be remembered as one the worst judges to ever disgrace the Nevada judiciary. May the stench she conferred upon Department X be quickly dissipated. Good riddance.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 4, 2017 6:33 pm

Can someone talk with male attorneys about how to buy a suit. For Christ sake buy a custom suit. You can get ones now for about $500, which is what you spend buying off the rack and having it tailored for you. At minimum stop buying suits at Macy's and buy at a small retailer who gives you nice material and does not use glue. Take some pride. Look good, feel good.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 4, 2017 8:00 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I am torn. On the one hand I admire well dressed attorneys like Campbell and Williams. Their look compliments their top shelf legal skills. On the other hand, there is something to be said for the humble cheap suit look. Maybe the answer is bespoke suit for clients and judges, and something less so for juries. Then again, I think juries expect attorneys to look successful, so maybe I am just projecting my own desire to avoid updating my dated wardrobe.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 5, 2017 7:11 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Seventh grade is over. There are only small handfuls of people in a small handful of urban bubbles–and usually highly debt-ridden, broke people at that–who give a flying rats about whether other people wear custom fit clothing. If someone wants to invest in a nice custom suit, more power to them. But anybody who thinks that more than a handful of jurors or clients respect them more because they wear expensive clothing and lease a Baby Benz are living in their own special fantasy world.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 5, 2017 2:08 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

You are correct. Dressing for success is stupid. The guy who looks like a slob gets way more respect than a well dressed person.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 6, 2017 5:04 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

For Christ sake, buy a custom suit if you want a custom suit. Look clean and professional. But if you want to wear a Macys suit and save your money for something that really matters (like making memories with your kids) fine. I had the tailor come to the office and custom tailor a suit for me. It cost 8x my normal suits. The fit is not that different, and the give when my weight yo-yos is not as forgiving.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 4, 2017 7:11 pm

You want a custom suit for $500, you'd better have a hookup with a Chinese sweatshop. Or at least access to someone who can buy *Italian silk* in China. Otherwise, it's going to look like shit. My OTR Brooks Bros. + tailoring cost $400.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 4, 2017 10:15 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

You can get a suit on Indochino.com that looks better than your Trump look alike brooks brother suit.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 5, 2017 6:26 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Did you look at their website? It is pretty pathetic when the suits the models are wearing are poorly fitted (jacket too tight, pants at high water, etc.) If they can't fit their own models.. what do you think it will look like on non-models buying by mail-order?

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 5, 2017 6:47 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

It is still better than off the rack. I would not buy there but it is cheap.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 5, 2017 8:02 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Thats why you 1. Learn how to buy a suit, and 2. Get the suits you buy tailored to your body. Same with shirts. OTR looks sharp if it is the right cut for you, and it's tailored properly. Get your head out of your ass. Bespoke looks the best, sure, but Indochino is not bespoke.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 5, 2017 9:48 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

"If it is tailored properly". Why not just have one done by a tailor? You can buy a suit for $1000 that is custom tailored and will look better any day than OTR. Buying OTR still has to cost $500 for something decent. I guess indochino would be ok if it is measured correctly and the quality is nice. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 10, 2017 5:40 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Having a great suit is important when you're dealing with a shallow douche who values the label or lack of label on your suit any more or less than the logo on your car. In all other cases, being clean, well groomed, and reasonably well fitted, plus competent will do just fine. Come to think of it, that applies to the car, too.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 6, 2017 4:45 pm

I think the bigger problem about male suits is the loose fitting, mismatching, dirty looking appearance some attorneys are just fine with. At least try to look like you are trying to match, and have it tailored or fit close to your body. Some of these attorneys come into court looking like clowns

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 6, 2017 5:13 pm

You can get a decent off the rack suit on sale, such as Hugo Boss, but you have to get it professionally tailored for about an extra $100 to $125. Do not do it in-store. Or if you are in construction defect, squeeze into that one Alfani suit you have and hope for the best.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 6, 2017 7:14 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Any recommendations on a decent tailor? I went to George Yaghi recently and was very disappointed in the result.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
March 6, 2017 10:42 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

http://www.perfectfittailor.net/

Right behind Flemings on Charleston

Anonymous
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Anonymous
March 7, 2017 6:18 pm
Reply to  Anonymous