Trump extends Sigal Chattah’s term as U.S. Attorney despite opposition from Nevada senators. [TNI; Nevada Current]
Lawyers asks Nevada Supreme Court to dismiss murder charge in Tupac Shakur case. [RJ]
A Las Vegas festival promised ways to cheat death. Two attendees left fighting for their lives. [TNI]
Speaking of unlimited lifespan, someone recently noted in the comments several recent bar resignations from long-tenured members of the bar. What do you think about an upper age limit on the practice of law? Should there be one? Should it continue to be on a self-determinative case by case basis? Should judges have an upper age limit for sitting on the bench?
Not exiting the stage in a timely and graceful manner seems to be an acutely Boomer problem. You hate to make an absolute rule because of the generalized bad habits of the worst generation of all-time. Deference should be made to individual autonomy. Some people can practice law into their 80’s and beyond. Others, not so much.
I agree. I know a boomer, not me, who is doing the best work of their legal career right now. I am very happy for their success. It is a matter of reading the room. The consequences are HUGE for attorneys that make errors, its malpractice and not funny. Being old is not a reasonable excuse for making a mistake ie malpractice. Please retire before you mess up your client’s case(s). Until then, cheers to the dinosaurs amongst us.
Part of it is just knowing your limitations, recognizing that time marches on, and not letting ego get in the way. I’m older. I hope to practice another 5-10 years, but you aren’t going to find me racing down to the courthouse to start trial at 9:00 after five hours of sleep the night before. That’s a young person’s game.
So much of it just seems like ego. Just give it up old man. Move over and let the younger generation have a whack at it. Boomers love hoarding, both tangibles and intangibles.
I am the old man you speak of. While it is true that many of you can not issue spot, much less as someone else noted, find “the issue”, and many of you lack skill. But in fairness, these attributes were also true of the bar when I was first admitted.
Civility was almost always displayed by experienced lawyers. The incivility was mostly amongst younger lawyers, and that seems to be true today.
Notwithstanding, it does appear that legal education today is somewhat lacking and many lawyers today cannot carry a sharp analysis into their writing, or just can’t write.
I wish you well.
The legal writing of younger lawyers is actually better than that of older lawyers if I am being candid. I say this having been a law clerk at the EJDC and NV COA. Younger lawyers use headings, subheadings, and organize their arguments. Older lawyers, especially solo practitioners, write short briefs with the hope of just making it to oral argument. This is true ESPECIALLY in the criminal defense practice and to a certain extent in the civil practice. That being said, I’d take the writing of a younger attorney at a medium/ big law firm to that of an older attorney in a smaller firm 9/10 times.
The thing about motions and pleadings from mid to large firms, is that the firm has done 100’s of the same motion. Each time a firm attorney needs a motion they pick it up and maybe add facts for their case. But the motions tend to be long winded with 50 cites for every point.
Some of the older attorneys are from a time when judges and courts were more accessible. Judges actually read motion. These lawyers knew that what the judicial officer really wanted was a short and to the point motion. And today, I suspect that many still want short and to the point, because they cannot bill a corporate/insurance client, but a real wage earning person client, for 15 pages of blather.
Sam Lionel lived to be 103 and practiced until he was 100, I think. I saw him in court on some kind of perfunctory thing about a year or so before that, and he was basically fine, other than being a bit hard of hearing. I don’t think he would have been up to prepping for trial at 2 am or anything, but he seemed ok.
For all public office holders, judges included, I would favor a rule that says essentially that the term in which your 74th birthday occurs shall be your last. No one should be forced to resign mid-term, but this would guarantee that everyone is out by no later than 80. Too many fossils hanging on in Congress and elsewhere.
Practicing at 100 years old is nuts. Was there really nothing better to spend time doing? No family or friends to hang out with in the last years of one’s life? This is emblematic of the sad work culture in this profession and in the USA, generally, and people wonder why the new generation wants to prioritize working to live over living to work. I second the early Lake Como retirement.
I have another 15+ years until I can retire. I check my retirement accounts religiously and have a retirement clock on my dashboard. Boomers can die at their desks. I’m going to die on Lake Cuomo with a trophy husband.
How offensive. I’d take a “boomer” lawyer any day over what’s been pushed out since covid. The online law school lawyers are moronic and have no work ethic. They are the worst generation.
I see more issues involving incivility and simple knowledge of the rules with attorneys over sixty than the “moronic” and lazy “online law school lawyers” you thrash. Say what you will, but at least this younger generation can read the rules and generally treat each other with respect outside court. Incivility is bad all around, but the “over-sixties” take everything personally, their entire persona is wrapped around their identity as a lawyer, and their “I’m smarter than thou” attitude isn’t intimidating anyone. There’s a reason I will retire in ten years before the big “6-0”: Financial planning and not being a jerk to people.
Everything you wrote is the complete opposite of how the zoom lawyers act. They clearly have never read the rules. They are terrible. Embarrassing. Took an easy and shortened bar exam because they couldn’t hang with the one the rest of us passed. They write like dogshit, and couldn’t spot an issue (let alone THE issue) if it was smack dab in front of their face on TikTok. They speak incoherently using unprofessional and embarrassing slang, and lack self awareness. The participation trophy generation, fragile as they come.
BS. Most young bucks are arrogant a holes. The does not so much, but a good percentage. Older lawyers are just tired of all the bs. You’ll get there, trust me. Now get the hell off my lawn.
This is an older story, but I just saw it and was alarmed. The data Big Tech, and now the Trump Administration, has on all of us is alarming and dangerous. Is not just the one-off contained in this story, but this kind of constant flow of our data to who-knows-where. Nevada needs actual laws on this and a competent AG’s Office.
If you had a case where both sides’ attorneys think a settlement can be reached, and the alternative is bad for both sides, but the clients hate each other so much that they just can’t see reason, who would you use as a mediator?
Someone who can be very evaluative and will brook no BS from either client. Maybe Peggy Leen or Jackie Glass. There are a few others I could probably think of.
I’ll mirror others and recommend Togliatti. She is very good at breaking down a case to the important parts and explaining it to clients. Excellent analytical mind, but doesn’t come across as uncaring or aloof.
Speaking of unlimited lifespan, this article just came out today re: RAADFest at Red Rock earlier this month and potential criminal/civil liability for organizers:
A good & accurate observation. I generally avoid reading TNI articles, so I overlooked the link & assumed it was a different story. My apologies for the redundancy.
No latinesque first today suckas
Ego sum phoca.
Not exiting the stage in a timely and graceful manner seems to be an acutely Boomer problem. You hate to make an absolute rule because of the generalized bad habits of the worst generation of all-time. Deference should be made to individual autonomy. Some people can practice law into their 80’s and beyond. Others, not so much.
I agree. I know a boomer, not me, who is doing the best work of their legal career right now. I am very happy for their success. It is a matter of reading the room. The consequences are HUGE for attorneys that make errors, its malpractice and not funny. Being old is not a reasonable excuse for making a mistake ie malpractice. Please retire before you mess up your client’s case(s). Until then, cheers to the dinosaurs amongst us.
Part of it is just knowing your limitations, recognizing that time marches on, and not letting ego get in the way. I’m older. I hope to practice another 5-10 years, but you aren’t going to find me racing down to the courthouse to start trial at 9:00 after five hours of sleep the night before. That’s a young person’s game.
So much of it just seems like ego. Just give it up old man. Move over and let the younger generation have a whack at it. Boomers love hoarding, both tangibles and intangibles.
YGFYA
I am the old man you speak of. While it is true that many of you can not issue spot, much less as someone else noted, find “the issue”, and many of you lack skill. But in fairness, these attributes were also true of the bar when I was first admitted.
Civility was almost always displayed by experienced lawyers. The incivility was mostly amongst younger lawyers, and that seems to be true today.
Notwithstanding, it does appear that legal education today is somewhat lacking and many lawyers today cannot carry a sharp analysis into their writing, or just can’t write.
I wish you well.
The legal writing of younger lawyers is actually better than that of older lawyers if I am being candid. I say this having been a law clerk at the EJDC and NV COA. Younger lawyers use headings, subheadings, and organize their arguments. Older lawyers, especially solo practitioners, write short briefs with the hope of just making it to oral argument. This is true ESPECIALLY in the criminal defense practice and to a certain extent in the civil practice. That being said, I’d take the writing of a younger attorney at a medium/ big law firm to that of an older attorney in a smaller firm 9/10 times.
The thing about motions and pleadings from mid to large firms, is that the firm has done 100’s of the same motion. Each time a firm attorney needs a motion they pick it up and maybe add facts for their case. But the motions tend to be long winded with 50 cites for every point.
Some of the older attorneys are from a time when judges and courts were more accessible. Judges actually read motion. These lawyers knew that what the judicial officer really wanted was a short and to the point motion. And today, I suspect that many still want short and to the point, because they cannot bill a corporate/insurance client, but a real wage earning person client, for 15 pages of blather.
The comma usage in the first sentence …
Sam Lionel lived to be 103 and practiced until he was 100, I think. I saw him in court on some kind of perfunctory thing about a year or so before that, and he was basically fine, other than being a bit hard of hearing. I don’t think he would have been up to prepping for trial at 2 am or anything, but he seemed ok.
For all public office holders, judges included, I would favor a rule that says essentially that the term in which your 74th birthday occurs shall be your last. No one should be forced to resign mid-term, but this would guarantee that everyone is out by no later than 80. Too many fossils hanging on in Congress and elsewhere.
Practicing at 100 years old is nuts. Was there really nothing better to spend time doing? No family or friends to hang out with in the last years of one’s life? This is emblematic of the sad work culture in this profession and in the USA, generally, and people wonder why the new generation wants to prioritize working to live over living to work. I second the early Lake Como retirement.
I have another 15+ years until I can retire. I check my retirement accounts religiously and have a retirement clock on my dashboard. Boomers can die at their desks. I’m going to die on Lake Cuomo with a trophy husband.
It’s Lake Como, not Lake Cuomo, with all due respect to the late Mario and his two moron sons.
However it’s spelled, I’ll be there and not at the RJC.
“How ever” darn my phone.
How offensive. I’d take a “boomer” lawyer any day over what’s been pushed out since covid. The online law school lawyers are moronic and have no work ethic. They are the worst generation.
OK, Boomer.
Thank you, that’s a compliment.
Okay, renter
I see more issues involving incivility and simple knowledge of the rules with attorneys over sixty than the “moronic” and lazy “online law school lawyers” you thrash. Say what you will, but at least this younger generation can read the rules and generally treat each other with respect outside court. Incivility is bad all around, but the “over-sixties” take everything personally, their entire persona is wrapped around their identity as a lawyer, and their “I’m smarter than thou” attitude isn’t intimidating anyone. There’s a reason I will retire in ten years before the big “6-0”: Financial planning and not being a jerk to people.
Cap. Just plain Cap.
Everything you wrote is the complete opposite of how the zoom lawyers act. They clearly have never read the rules. They are terrible. Embarrassing. Took an easy and shortened bar exam because they couldn’t hang with the one the rest of us passed. They write like dogshit, and couldn’t spot an issue (let alone THE issue) if it was smack dab in front of their face on TikTok. They speak incoherently using unprofessional and embarrassing slang, and lack self awareness. The participation trophy generation, fragile as they come.
Yeah, but illegal aliens are ONLY committing civil violations, not crimes. . . . .
And don’t get me started on how law school difficulty compares between the 90s and now.
Boomer this, bitch. Gen X is waiting for ya.
Amen brother/sister.
Found the all-knowing boomer. Enjoy the last 5 years of practice before you fade into irrelevancy and, ultimately, a nursing home.
BS. Most young bucks are arrogant a holes. The does not so much, but a good percentage. Older lawyers are just tired of all the bs. You’ll get there, trust me. Now get the hell off my lawn.
Back at it again, PISSED that you’re no better or more special than a 28-year-old.
GFY
This is an older story, but I just saw it and was alarmed. The data Big Tech, and now the Trump Administration, has on all of us is alarming and dangerous. Is not just the one-off contained in this story, but this kind of constant flow of our data to who-knows-where. Nevada needs actual laws on this and a competent AG’s Office.
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/we-caught-nevada-sharing-personal-health-data-with-big-tech
If you had a case where both sides’ attorneys think a settlement can be reached, and the alternative is bad for both sides, but the clients hate each other so much that they just can’t see reason, who would you use as a mediator?
Someone who can be very evaluative and will brook no BS from either client. Maybe Peggy Leen or Jackie Glass. There are a few others I could probably think of.
Jackie Glass is good
I was going to say Glass if you need someone to knock some sense into the clients. She’s used very strong words with my clients before and it helped.
Togliatti is also great.
When the case doesn’t settle, withdraw immediately.
David Jones
David Jones is incredible. I also love Jennifer Togliatti.
I have been wanting to try Jones. I have heard nothing but good about him as a mediator.
He understands what happens out of the courtroom–particularly how to communicate to/through insurance adjusters and corporate clients.
Not to say that’s a one way street. He can lean into a Plaintiff without making them too defensive.
Most of all, he’s straight to the point.
You mean every case in family court?
You took the words out of my mouth.
Trevor Atkin, David Jones, and Jennifer Togliatti are the first names that come to mind.
I’ll mirror others and recommend Togliatti. She is very good at breaking down a case to the important parts and explaining it to clients. Excellent analytical mind, but doesn’t come across as uncaring or aloof.
Sounds like an LA Law episode
Speaking of unlimited lifespan, this article just came out today re: RAADFest at Red Rock earlier this month and potential criminal/civil liability for organizers:
https://www.propublica.org/article/peptide-injections-raadfest-rfk-jr
We’re likely to see more of these transhumanist events, conferences, etc. in the coming months & years.
natural selection
that’s literally the same article linked up to above–just at the Indy website instead of propublica.
A good & accurate observation. I generally avoid reading TNI articles, so I overlooked the link & assumed it was a different story. My apologies for the redundancy.