Lawyers ask some dumb questions on cross-examination. “Why?” being the dumbest of them all because it opens the door for the witness to say almost anything. The following quotations are taken from official court records across the nation, showing how funny and embarrassing it is that recorders operate at all times in courts of law, so that even the slightest inadvertence is preserved for posterity. If you are looking for more lawyer humor, click here to get Lawyer Humor Handbook. ________________________________________ o Lawyer: “Was that the same nose you broke as a child?” o Witne ..read more

Consumption of poorly prepared food has been identified as a factor in a fatal Guillain-Barré outbreak in Guatemala. Findings come from the results of case control studies announced by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) and the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS). Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system damages nerves. The cause is not fully understood but the syndrome often follows infection with a virus or bacteria. Infection with Campylobacter jejuni, which causes gastroenteritis, including symptoms of nausea, vomit ..read more

Here are students in my Seattle  University Law School’s Pretrial Advocacy course arguing a mock motion during the last class of the course. While King County Superior Court Judge Melinda Young presided over some of the arguments – for instance the one shown here, Judge Patrick Oishi presided over others during this Saturday’s event. This is the culmination and a high point of the course for the students.  My students are participating in S.U. Law School’s FLEX JD program which is designed for people who are working or otherwise occupied during the day.  The FLEX JD program ru ..read more

Editor’s Note: This comprehensive report explores the intricate relationship between economic trends, Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) transaction activities, and their implications for professionals in cybersecurity, information governance, and eDiscovery. Drawing from recent GDP data and HSR transaction statistics, the analysis offers a detailed overview of the current economic landscape, emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies in the face of fluctuating market conditions. It aims to equip professionals with insights and strategic considerations necessary for navigating the complexities of today ..read more

In Illinois, child custody (now called allocations of parenting time and decision making) can be modified through the courts if there is a substantial change in circumstances that warrants a modification. In general, the modification will be sought after two years has expired from the original judgment, but some cases allow for a modification before two years if the issues presented are serious, or if the changes are moderate and needed to serve the interests of the child(ren). Here are the basic steps: File a Petition in Kane County: The process begins by filing a petition with the court re ..read more

Generative AI Tools and Tips. Jim Calloway and Julie Bays, of the Oklahoma Bar, have penned a great article on the use of AI in law practice. They discuss document and deposition summaries, web based browser tools, drafting tools, video editing tools, Open AI’s Chat GPT, and Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, which integrates Chat GPT into the Windows environment, and much more. Want to find out how lawyers are, and can, use generative AI? Read the article.          Related Stories Open AI Was First, And Open AI Is The Best. Have You Played With Generative A ..read more

Lina Khan was a controversial choice to head the Federal Trade Commission, and she’s shown that the controversy was justified. While the historical role of the FTC was to police the marketplace, she’s now taken the affirmative step, by a 3-2 vote of the commissioners, to ban essentially all non-compete clauses. There are two rationales for this action. The easy prong of the ban for the F.T.C. to justify is the one that applies to nurses, hairdressers, truck drivers — actually, every kind of worker except for senior executives. For 99 percent of the American work force, the F.T.C. said, requir ..read more

Weiming Tan (National University of Singapore – Faculty of Law) recently published, Directors, Concurrent Fiduciary Duties, and Ad Hoc Fiduciary Relationships, 2024. Provided below is an abstract: In Tan Teck Kee v Ratan Kumar Rai, the Singapore Court of Appeal ..read more

On April 5, 2024, Justice Reed of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in dMY Sponsor, LLC v. Glatt, 2024 NY Slip Op. 50364(U), upholding a claim for conversion of stock even where there was no physical stock certificate, explaining: Counterclaimants also seek to add a new claim for conversion as against You and de Masi, asserting that You and de Masi caused 251,250 Class Y units of dMY Sponsor owned by Glatt, through Captains Neck, to be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of. A conversion takes place when someone, intentionally and without authority, assumes or exer ..read more

Scientists at Washington State University (WSU) have uncovered a startling behavior among some of the world’s deadliest bacteria — they’re attracted to human blood, a phenomenon they’re terming “bacterial vampirism.” A recent study published in the journal eLife led by researchers from WSU reveals that certain bacteria, including some foodborne bacteria, have a strong affinity for the liquid component of blood, known as serum, which contains vital nutrients for their sustenance. Among the chemicals in blood that these bacteria are particularly drawn to is serine, an amino acid abundant in huma ..read more