The Eagle Has Landed

  • Law

  • A judge won’t toss charges against man accused of killing two tourists. [Las Vegas Sun]
  • The Apollo 11 landing brought Vegas to a standstill 50 years ago.. [RJ]
  • Some cannabis businesses, including some owned by lawyers, may go out of business if the State’s decisions stand. [TNI]
  • Speaking of lawyers and marijuana, one of our readers wants to know your thoughts on lawyers using marijuana in Nevada. It is still against federal law, but its legalization here has resulted in much more open use among our colleagues. Are lawyers risking their license by lighting up?
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 4:39 pm

Re: marijuana. I feel that if you are consuming in your own home in Nevada, there are probably not going to be any consequences. Of course, if you're busted for DUI or public intoxication, you're f*cked. But I haven't seen any ethics opinions or CLEs on this recently. Anyone have an official Bar position?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 4:43 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

DUIs will be handled in the same fashion as other DUIs. Unless you get arrested for something marijuana related, or someone reports you as having an issue with MJ, the bar is unlikely to get involved (or care).

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 8:28 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I use MJ regularly. I don't air my dirty laundry to anyone and only my wife and close friends know about my usage. Toke up!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 10:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Haven't seen the Bar address marijuana since the mea culpa about the devil's lettuce column from one of the past presidents.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 10:54 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Have a nice, fresh celery stalk for Andrew Craner's bloody mary.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 22, 2019 6:55 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Not recent but the CCBA offers a recorded CLE seminar that touched on the subject. See https://www.clarkcountybar.org/downloads/2017-finding-your-way-through-the-weeds-medical-marijuana-recreational-use/

anonymous
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anonymous
July 19, 2019 5:01 pm

Longtime plaintiff lawyer here – I really hope Trevor gets the appointment. Too many of these judges are clueless about the realities of having 80-100 open PI files sitting in your office.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 5:10 pm
Reply to  anonymous

It may be a little optimistic to think that Trevor's knowledge of the realities of civil litigation will result in any actual change. From what many judges have been saying at the pointless "Discovery Conferences," they are just following orders from the NSC. This still doesn't explain why I need to have my client (and defense counsel needs to have their client AND claims rep) attend the aforementioned pointlessness in certain departments.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 6:13 pm
Reply to  anonymous

I would like to see Trevor get appointed. He was a great mentor to me when I was a new lawyer.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 6:20 pm
Reply to  anonymous

No doubt Trevor is a good guy, but this is a split calendar and he has no criminal experience. Coffing has done some criminal work according to his application and that may sway the Gov.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 6:48 pm
Reply to  anonymous

Yes, Trevor A. and Terry C. have solid experience and bring the right demeanor and intellect to the bench. Joe V. oversaw over $30 million in eminent domain case work farmed out to outside counsel. That is not significant enough experience to transfer over and run a heavy civil and criminal docket single-handedly.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 8:00 pm
Reply to  anonymous

@11:20; The fact that the former judge in that department was assigned a split criminal/civil calendar does not necessarily mean that the newly appointed judge will maintain the same calendar. Much of the court system is seniority based rather than merely replacements. If another, civil calendar, judge wishes to assume the split calendar it is better than even odds that the chief judge will swap the calendars of the 2 departments (or possibly an even greater multi-department shuffle will occur) wherein the new judge receives the calendar that the affected judges least desire (e.g. change in specialty court, business court, homicide court, etc.)

The bottom line is any judge needs to be of sufficient capabilities to quickly come up to speed to handle any calendar assignment.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 10:43 pm
Reply to  anonymous

There are too many former pi hacks as judges.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 6:38 pm

Any tips for bar takers! It starts next Tuesday.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 7:27 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

"I'd turn back if I were you." – Wizard of Oz.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 7:35 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Immodium AD. Seriously, try not to eat anything that will risk making you sick the night before. Eat food that you know and trust so you have one less thing to worry about during the exam.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 8:03 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Don't load up on carbs.. the crash that follows a few hours later can seriously harm your ability to concentrate. Proteins are better choices.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 9:11 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

For every question, start with the first paragraph from the barbri answers for that topic, even if the question doesn't call for it.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 9:32 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Outline your essay answers. The outline should be the first sentence of each part of IRAC. Pace yourself. The other liberating (or brutal) truth is that, at this point, you've either put in the work or you haven't. The bar exam is just the perfunctory end to the real process of preparation. If you are prepared you shall not fear the bar exam.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 10:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

By the time you get to the bar exam you're not going to be able to stuff more information into your brain and you're not going to change how you've been answering questions – that ship's sailed.
Manage your body's needs so you can make it through the whole exam without having to deal with taking unplanned breaks in the middle of an exam.

If you need a pick-me-up, pop a No-Doz caffeine pill, don't drink soda (the liquid makes you take breaks, the sugar makes you crash in an hour.)

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 10:11 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

You could start each answer with, "It's impossible to answer this question without more information…"

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 10:45 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Start thinking about another career path. Being a lawyer sucks.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 10:59 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

2:32 nailed it. You are already 90% of the way to passing or failing based upon what you have done up to this point. For the last 10%, I would say know thyself. I never stressed too much about standardized exams but was burnt out from bar study, so I pretty much took the three days before the test off. I had friends that were the opposite and stayed up midnight the night before studying. If I would have done that, it would only have hurt me. You've taken lots of tests in order to get here, and should know what works for you and what doesn't. Trust that.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 11:12 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

My advice to you 11:38, is to start drinking heavily…

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 11:31 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Put your name in for judicial appointment so Sisolak can appoint you.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 11:43 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I earned a nursing degree from NYU, and I am 200k in debt for a degree that I could have earned at UNLV for 1/10th the price.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 20, 2019 7:47 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Be prepared to scale up or down your clothing. I sat for the barzam in Michigan in July a decade ago, and my exam was administered at the MSU Breslin Center – a basketball court that doubles as a hockey rink. I was seated directly under an industrial grade air conditioner that blew ice cold air down upon me for two days. Fortunately, I had followed the advice I am giving now and was able to "layer up" (get it? Heh heh! cf. "lawyer up"). I passed the MI bar on my first sitting.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 21, 2019 4:16 am
Reply to  Anonymous

1. Don't study the night before. Go to a movie. Don't drink. Stop hyperventilating. Fill the car with gas.
2. Each day of the bar, get there 30 minutes early. There is no anxiety like being stuck in traffic. Leave your outlines at home. Looking at them now will destroy your confidence.
3. Don't talk to anyone. They will unintentionally say something that will throw you off your game.
4. Eat something for lunch. Don't try to study during lunch. Your brain will go into panic spams. Sit by yourself (see rule #3). Go outside walk around the campus for a bit (it does not matter that it's hot, you need to release the tension in your body).

5. Break up a Cliff bar into small pieces, put it into a clear baggy. Open a bag before each session, place it next to your water bottle. You can eat a small piece without making disturbing rustling noises when you need a mid-afternoon boost.

6. Beat the crap out of anyone wearing flip flops.

Good luck, you got it.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 21, 2019 4:40 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Last couple days, just read sample essay answers. Helps confirm the structure you need to match for essay answers in your mind and it has the added benefit of confirming elements of legal theories in story format.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
July 19, 2019 7:06 pm

It's sad that a basic understanding of Civ Pro and Evidence would be a step up from the current judiciary

Anonymous
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Anonymous
July 19, 2019 8:52 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Sweet vagueplain, bro.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
July 19, 2019 11:25 pm

If you're already ugly, please stop using filters on facebook. People don't want to look at that shit.