Futurelawyer

Stoicism - Philosophy For The Rest Of Us.

If you think the study of philosophy is an arcane, complex study of academic interest only, let me show you how that is untrue. Check out this little handbook that will bring a very practical way of living well to you, and which is completely easy to practice and control. You have the power to decide how you will react to the world and its successes and problems. Check out this little book. Recommended.

 

#MondayMorningHangover...NFL Has Been Testing Headgear For A Century.

Okay, the Bucs lost last night. Season is over. But, I was struck by some of the hits, and, when it was announced that the star rookie QB for the Washington club had cleared concussion protocol, it occurred to me that there is something wrong with a sport that thinks there is nothing wrong with banging your head against a wall over and over again. As this graphic shows, the NFL has been testing helmets for over 100 years. In all that time, the only thing we have discovered is that it is impossible to prevent damage to the brain that comes from repeated blows to the head. Duh. Hey, let's invent a sport in which we spend the whole game beating our heads against other players heads and bodies, and the ground! What could go wrong? Maybe this is God's way of telling the NFL that any sport in which you bang your head against the wall over and over again will never be safe. Duh. Somebody needs to get their head examined. Hey, I have been, all my life, a fan of the game. But, I feel like we haven't come very far from the Roman gladiators, whose audience enjoyed seeing the carnage. Is it sacrilege to suggest that we should do more for player safety? Is it possible for the game to continue without injuring the players? Would you allow your child or loved one to play the game? If not, should we be paying money to watch? I don't know the answer; but it seems pretty obvious that the guy in this photograph is an idiot.

                                                                             

Peter Yarrow - Rest In Peace.

My generation is dying off. Soon, now, the world will be yours. What will you do with it? I am less concerned, as I approach death, than I was when I was younger. I thought we were important then. Old age, and a study of Stoicsim, has convinced me that we are mere specks in time and whatever grand design we are a part of. So, spend your remaining days seeking what joy as you can, and doing for others as you would have be done to yourself. Everything else is unimportant.

 

Happy Thanksgiving. Top Ten Reasons To Be Thankful There Were No Lawyers On The Mayflower.

I wrote this many years ago, and have gotten into the habit of republishing it every year around this time. I think I am going on 20 years now. I try to be thankful every day, and not just on a special day. But it occurred to me that lawyers were not represented in the first group of expats who bravely got on the Mayflower and ventured over the sea to the new World. Either lawyers are too cowardly to take such a voyage, or too smart to risk it all. But, sooner or later, lawyers arrive, and nothing is the same again.

The First Thanksgiving

Top Ten Reasons To Be Thankful There Were No Lawyers On The Mayflower.

 

10. Conducting a trial on a small wooden ship would be difficult.

9. The Seamen's Union would go on strike, and refuse to offload passengers and freight until their lawyers conducted settlement negotiations.

8. It would have taken years to get zoning approval for the houses the Pilgrims wanted to live in.

7. Where would all of the secretaries and paralegals have slept?

6. Contract negotiations with the Indians would have delayed the food delivery by months.

5. Litigation over the failure to pay a minimum wage to the food preparation staff would have resulted in a strike, and nobody would get to eat.

4. A lawsuit over the despoliation of the environment would have caused the crops to go unharvested.

3. The Indians would have filed a lawsuit claiming that the Pilgrims were trespassing on tribal land, and obtained an injunction.

2. The Society for the Preservation of the Flowers of May would have prevented the docking of the ship, for tradename infringement.

And, drum-stick roll , please, the Number One reason to be thankful there were no lawyers on the MayFlower:

1. The Pilgrims and the Indians would have flooded the colonial courts with litigation for negligent food preparation when they all got sick from eating wild turkeys.

 

Enjoy your Feast. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank You, God, for making a world with work for lawyers.

Politics? Elections? Ugh. A Lawyer's Prayer - Follow The Law Or Reap The Whirlwind.

 

A Man For All Seasons, Act One, Scene Seven.

It occurred to me that the current political climate reminded me of the movie, A Man For All Seasons, which considered the refusal of St. Thomas More to accede to the King's edict invalidating his marriage so that he might remarry. Political expediency should never take precedence over conscience and priniciple, should it? Any lawyer will tell you that the recent spate of "lawfare" that seems to take process and elevate it over principle has created courtroom results that are pretty much insane. The contortions required to turn a legal system on its head in order to defeat a political opponent are ludicrous in the eyes of any sane, independent legal observer. But, hey, we need to rid ourselves of this "tyrant", don't we? 

There is too much disrespect for the law and personal freedoms these days. Some argue that it is okay to ignore laws that we feel are unjust or not in keeping with our personal code or political bent, whatever that may be. In fact, laws need to be respected and honored, in an apolitical way, and need to apply to everyone. We seem to think that, if a person is of our political persuasion, they should be cancelled, and censored, regardless of the law.

We all need to read some Thomas More.

 

"William Roper: “So now you give the Devil the benefit of the law?”

Sir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great swath through the law to get after the Devil?”

William Roper: “Yes, I’d cut down every Law in England to do that!”

Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down and the Devil turned ‘round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man’s laws, not God’s! And if you cut them down, and you’re just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of Law for my own safety’s sake!”

 

Dead Men Speak To Me.

The photograph hung in his office.

Over a hundred years old,

the fresh faces of the graduates

were solemn, but hopeful.

He felt the energy

of the young men,

proud of their group,

and of their accomplishments.

His grandfather was young then,

in a suit and starched collar,

bow tie with a perfect knot,

staring at the photographer,

ready to face an uncertain future.

The parchment captured his optimism;

and, if you listened closely,

you could hear the possibilities

he expressed,

and the voices of his band of brothers,

ready to thrive in a new century.

But, history is a tale told by the living,

and lasts only as long as they survive.

In two years,

they would be at war.

No new offices for them.

No taking care of business.

The bombshells would shatter

the quiet of the photograph,

and some of the images would be fixed in time,

forever.

Some, like his grandfather,

would return alive,

but damaged.

They would build new lives,

and make new photographs.

Some would leave nothing but an image

of young men,

unaware of war,

and filled with serious resolve.

They still speak

with the wisdom of the dead.

 

Here's An Idea....Can't We All Just Get Along?

Humans have, from the beginning of time, tried to explain what we didn't understand, by ascribing godlike qualities to all sorts of things. Gradually, anything that couldn't be explained was said to require blind faith. Religion seems to me to be the manifestation that we are all ignorant victims of fate. Why do we hate those who don't share our religious beliefs? Are we so insecure in our belief systems that we want to destroy all dissenters? So, I have a message to all you rabbit god believers. The duck god believers have as much a right to their delusions as you do. Let's all indulge each other's delusions, and leave each other alone. This modest proposal seems to me to be the solution to many human problems. Believers, I will begin. You have nothing to fear from me. 

When So Called Professors Start Trashing The Constitution, It Is Time To Speak Up.

Professor Runs Movement To Trash The Constitution. Packing the Supreme Court for more political power, or to fight against decisions you disagree with. That stupid idea has been around for a long time. Thankfully, it hasn't gotten much traction. The so-called movement to trash the Constitution, however, has some heavyweight allies. Where did these people go to law school? Why would so called intelligent persons want to dismantle the basic document that retains the power of self government in the people of a country? Why would so called intelligent persons want to dismantle the document that has created the most powerful, successful, just, society that has ever existed on planet earth? I can only conclude that these short-sighted idiots learned nothing in school, and have closed their eyes to human history. Sure, political ebbs and flows will always affect constitutional interpretation. Government will always seek power, and will sometimes find it in Justices who assist by finding power in the "penumbra" of Constitutional provisions. But, destroy the document itself? Replace it with what? A monarchy? A government controlled by the powerful elite? I don't think so. The Constitution and free speech are all that protect us from dictatorship and tyranny. If you want another Civil War, this is the way to do it.

9/11 - Never Forget

911memorial.org As I sit in my garage/den this morning, I am recalling a day 23 years ago, sitting in the same place, and watching the news unfold that changed everything. There are, thank God, precious few of such days; but that doesn't lessen their power. We still live in a dangerous world, and we have learned to stay vigilant. I tend to worry less as I age, realizing that my days are numbered; but the power of fate and evil to destroy lives is an ever present threat. Let's all resolve to try to make the world better in our own small way today. And, never forget.

The FutureLawyer Didn't Invent The Internet...But I Ran Around Florida Telling Lawyers About It.

Several years ago, Diane accidentally gave me the idea for this post when she came out to my man cave that used to be a garage and cast her eye on the graphic sitting on top of a bookcase behind my desk, asking what it was, and why was it crooked. It was ironic that she asked about it, while I was using the Internet and scanning the news of the world and checking social media, and checking email and making connections all over the globe, all while sitting in my garage on a Sunday morning. The graphic, I explained to her, was the graphic used by the Florida Bar at the 1994 Bar Convention, at which I was educating Bar members about this new thing called the World Wide Web, and telling them how it would change their lives. At that time, only a few people believed me. What a difference 30 years makes. I don't ascribe magical powers in possessions, and the only ones I value are computer or gadget related; but, this graphic panel holds a special place in the FutureLawyer's memory. Now, get out there and "Surf The Net!"