It’s hard to keep an open mind. We ask jurors to do it. We ask the parties in mediation to do it. But how does it work?  When lawyers want to win, we think “what would the other side say to defeat my argument?” If we can articulate our opponents’ best case, we are...

In 2011 “Occupy Wall Street” held America’s attention for a few weeks. According to Wikipedia, OWS was “a left-wing protest movement ... against economic inequality.” I took this photo at Zuccotti Park before the occupation ended.  I happened...

All members of the Virginia bar are aware of their duties to the profession. And, in my experience, they perform them admirably! In mediation, the context changes and calls for some subtle adjustments. Before the mediation begins, the attorney and client...

Do we have a great court system in America? Yes. Could we make it better? Yes. Society changes; it is challenging for institutions to meet changes while preserving their strength.  Tradition and dignity are strengths of the court system. Stuffiness and...

Some do; some don’t.  But lawyers volunteer all the time, providing pro bono legal services, staffing walk-in clinics, and serving on nonprofit Boards of Directors. When February rolls around each year, lawyers support Jazz 4 Justice. Our local Jazz 4...

Do you remember Y2K? Predictions of doom for the crossover from 1999 to 2000, all because of numerals built into electronic code. As the year drew to a close, the urgency factor went up.  Divorce lawyers, divorcing spouses, and courts may now be facing...