- Quickdraw McLaw
- 24 Comments
- 844 Views
Traditionally we have closed out the year with a look back at the top ten stories of the year–but how do you do that with a year like 2020? So many newsworthy events happened this year that were overshadowed by the pandemic that it hardly seems possible to narrow it down. This was a year that started out with stories about pigeons wearing tiny cowboy hats, sombreros, and even MAGA hats, interspersed with stories about candidates filing for the judicial elections. Things were only beginning to heat up in the comments when we posted:
Finally, with regard to the comments about the increasing political comments on the blog, remember this is an election year. A divisive, presidential election year in which all of our local judges are running for reelection too. It is unavoidable that we are going to attract a certain number of political comments. That comes with the territory of being a local blog that permits anonymous commenting. Obviously, we are big proponents of free speech and see a genuine need for some of the discussion that is only able to take place behind the mask of anonymity. We are not big fans of junk comments that do not further the conversation. We do our best to keep the conversation flowing while allowing you to speak your mind (as long as it is workplace appropriate and non-defamatory), but we do not have the resources to moderate every comment and still allow for the type of commentary you want to have on the blog. If you have suggestions, we’re certainly open to hearing them. Thanks for your patience and your comments.
Little did we know what was yet to come…
We mentioned coronavirus on the blog for the first time in early February and by mid-March we were all in a toilet-paper hoarding frenzy as the Eighth Judicial District Court issued Administrative Order 20-01. (By the way, the court’s latest order was Administrative Order 20-24.) Not even a week later, Nevada had entered the lockdown featuring the closure of all non-essential businesses. During that time while many of us were binging Tiger King on Netflix, Justice Hardesty was looking into getting a new job as chancellor of the NSHE (spoiler alert: he didn’t get it).
In April, this little blog got it’s 5 millionth page view as we all began preparing for the primary election to be held entirely by mail-in ballots. That move to a mail-in election naturally resulted in lawsuits that would continue throughout the year. Many of us were dealing with unemployment as firms laid people off at a time when the US legal sector lost 64,000 jobs and 1/4 of all the US workers were unemployed. Those still employed were getting used to Zoom conferences and Bluejeans hearings and making sure that the mute button was on when using the toilet during oral argument before the US Supreme Court.
June brought us the primary election results and change (removal of the Hey Reb! statue at UNLV among other things) as racial discrimination protests took place around the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd. The Annual Meeting for the State Bar of Nevada took place over Zoom instead of at a luxurious hotel in New Orleans. Meanwhile a major bench trial known as World War Weed over the cannabis industry went forward at the Convention Center. The lawsuits over COVID-19 related restrictions continued with the Supreme Court rejecting a challenge by a church over attendance caps. The Nevada Legislature met at the end of July in what was its second special session of the year.
Despite efforts by Boyd grads to get diploma privilege instead of taking the bar exam, the online, open book bar exam was still a requirement for licensure when it took place in August. Around that time, we also posted our 2000th post on the blog. CCSD started the school year completely online. Not long after, it was revealed the district had been hacked. Just as everyone thought the eviction moratorium was about to end, it got a 45 day extension. September also brought us the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
As the eviction moratorium finally ended, turmoil surrounding the general election heated up and an October full of surprises included COVID-19 in the White House. Boulder City fired its City Attorney and City Manager and hired a third-year attorney as acting City Attorney. Election day came and went without any immediate clear winners. When the results were all in, women were big winners and will hold 75% of the seats on the Eighth Judicial District Court bench, Public defenders were also largely successful and partially responsible for DA Steve Wolfson voicing his opinion on changing how judges are selected.
With this year nearly at an end, there are still many stories continuing without an immediate resolution: the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline versus several judges, including, but not limited to Melanie Andress-Tobiasson; another eviction moratorium and continuing problems with DETR; whether the US Senate will ever get around to confirming Jennifer Togliatti as a federal judge; whether there will be a revote in Clark County Commission District C; and more.
We couldn’t even begin to touch on all the stories that affected each of us this year. There was so much loss. Our hearts and condolences go out to the families of the nearly 350,000 Americans whose deaths are COVID-related. Our appreciation and admiration goes out to the frontline workers who risk their lives to treat those affected.
Somehow though, we made to the end of 2020. It is a year that–though many of us wish it would–will not be soon forgotten. As we get ready to blow off 2020 and start 2021, we want to thank you for reading and wish you all a happy New Year.
Nevada Supreme Court has no problem in violating the law for their own, Hardesty for naming a building after him. But let's keep arguing how wonderful the Nevada Supreme Court is.
I hate to admit it, but while 2020 was a tough year by all accounts, in many ways I ended up better off than I started the year. I'm fortunate that no one I cared for died and that we all stayed financially afloat. I hope those of you were so fortunate have a better year in 2021. Happy New Year bloggers!
By sheer luck I made more money in 2020 than 2019. With the new administration my practice will bloom as the economy and freedom crash.
Although the quality of comments on the blog may have hit an all time low around the election time, I appreciate the blog and believe that most of the lawyers in our community are decent people. Thanks for the service quickdrawmclaw@gmail.com and/or law.dawg.esq@gmail.com.
Unrelated, free decent IOLTA banks in Nevada recommendations, please. No Valley Bank of Nevada. They suck.
We enjoy our relationship with Town and Country Bank. Their service is excellent. Got us the first wave of PPP with zero fuss.
Have always had solid service and relationships with the business bankers at both Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Both of which I continue to use for IOLTA and General Operating.
Thank you.
I advise against WF. They will lie to you. For example, when I first applied for an SBA loan, they failed to inform me that they were under lending restrictions pursuant to a letter agreement with regulators, and therefore the loan never could have been approved.
Town and Country and Bank of George have good reputations for helping the local community. Though an IOLTA might be slightly safer at the "too big to fail" WF and BA, I feel better having my IOLTA money locally banked.
Bank of Nevada. I have a solo practice with my IOLTA with them and they have treated me like royalty for almost 10 years.
I had a non-offensive comment re: Covid going into 2021 deleted without comment. Is that the blog host or the blog site that is doing this? I also had that happen with a post a while back regarding the election.
2021 is going to see an acceleration of de-platforming unapproved voices. Just need to know the limits for this little corner of the net.
It called for sedition. It also added nothing to the conversation.
What happened to Lin Wood. Guy was a nationally recognized lawyer and now his partners left him about a year ago and he is calling Supreme Court Justices pedophiles.
Execution of the Vice President he supposedly supports. He is truly off of the rails.
How does banning speech make anything more inclusive? Father/husband/brother born of a mother.
Terms to be struck from clause 8(c)(3) of rule XXIII, the House’s Code of Official Conduct, as outlined in the proposed rules (pdf), include “father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, grandson, [and] granddaughter.”
Such terms would be replaced with “parent, child, sibling, parent’s sibling, first cousin, sibling’s child, spouse, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, half-sibling, [and] grandchild.”
According to the proposed rules, “seamen” would be replaced with “seafarers,” and “Chairman” would be replaced with “Chair” in Rule X of the House.
Give us more context about what you're whining about, and maybe we'll develop a clue about how to respond.
Extremely arcane terms in the House of Representatives's Code of Conduct are proposed to be changed. One of those issues on both sides that you wonder why we are wasting time changing it in the middle of a pandemic. On the other hand, why am I wasting time even explaining it on a Sunday (except that you asked really nicely and I appreciate the earnest courtesy).
Bank of America problem-I am seeking some advice here. I have had an IOLTA Trust Account with Bank of America for years. During COVID restrictions B of A sent a Notice with a form to send back that the account was still active or will be closed. At that time you could not go to any branches because half were closed. I mailed the form back. It had no phone number. This was back in June. I then got a notice that they closed the account and the small amount of money escheated to the state. I spent two hours on the phone with various departments. I explained that this was an
IOLTA Account that can only be closed by myself or my order of the court, I went up three levels. The folks in the Closed Accounts Department were pleasant but could do nothing because they said the funds escheated to the state. They claimed they never got the form. I kept a copy. I then made an appointment with the branch where I opened the account. The branch was busy with lines and waiting even with an appointment. They sent a Merrill Edge employee to look into it. Got the same answer-they had no record of me sending in the form. I could not get my money back (not client's it was just enough to keep account active and operating under $100.00). I then got a notice from B of A that the account was there with no money in it. Employees in banking are getting so unknowledgeable about banking. I never had a problem in many years till now. I have not settled any cases and have not used the account to deposit funds. I am worried when I do. What to do now?
Rush over to Bank of George or Town and Country and open an IOLTA account. BA and WF do not care.
Do they charge for an IOLTA? I second the earlier poster, Valley Bank of Nevada is horrible. Do not go there for an acoount for your cat.
With respect to getting your money back, contact the NV Treasurer or file a claim at https://claims.nevadaunclaimedproperty.gov/Property/SearchIndex.
BoA isn't going to reopen a closed account. So any existing blank checks for that account are worthless now and should be shredded. Just open a new IOLTA account at your preferred institution.
Bank of America is horrible in all respects. I am with Wells Fargo, which is a little bit better, and at least you can get into a branch and see someone if necessary. When I first opened my solo practice the teller supervisor, who didn’t know her rear end from a hole in the ground, gave me a hard time about depositing my settlement checks with a client POA. I went to the business banker at my branch and explained what I needed to do, she fixed it and I haven’t had a problem since, but I always go to the same branch, where they sort of know me by now. Bank of America seems much more impersonal than that.
On the Issues of IOLTA – anyone have a bank they can recommend who has at least partial saturday hours?
Current bank seems to close early without notice, and generally causes more hassle than it is worth.
Thanks for the comments on B of A closing an IOLTA Account. Has anyone else had any experience with this?