John G. Browning News
Legally Speaking: If You Can't Teach 'Em, Sue 'Em
John G. Browning There are some strange things afoot within the ivory towers of academia. For example, a recent perusal of the University of California-Berkeley Law School's faculty Web site listed "Test Dummy" among the names of its many legal scholars.
Legally Speaking: Tales of Inspiration
Every now and then, I'll receive a chiding e-mail or comment from a reader, asking why so many of my columns have focused on what's wrong with the legal profession or on outrageous lawsuits or decisions.
Legally Speaking: Judges Behaving Badly
Judges have very difficult jobs. I know � I've seen a lot of them in action over the years.
Legally Speaking: Through a Lens, Darkly
Last week, the California Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision struck down a state law banning same-sex marriages as unconstitutional, saying in part that the capacity to enter into a stable, loving relationship and to "responsibly care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation."
Legally Speaking: And the envelope, please �
Forget the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys, and the Tonys of the entertainment world.
Legally Speaking: The World Turned Upside Down-Part II
If the wackiness afoot in the legal system makes you wonder sometimes if the end of the world is approaching, then you're not alone. Some of the hard to believe developments that have occurred recently make me wonder if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are going to show up carrying briefcases.
Legally Speaking: The World Turned Upside Down-Part I
After the British army formally surrendered to George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown, heralding the end of the Revolutionary War, Gen. Cornwallis' once-proud military band played a tune they must have thought quite appropriate � "The World Turned Upside Down."
Legally Speaking: Whatever happened to �
I frequently hear from readers curious about what happened after a column � how did a particular case turn out, what happened to a particular litigant, and so forth.
Legally Speaking: Litigating in the Twilight Zone
Whenever I spoke at Career Day at schools, I used to dread being asked The Question � no, not some little smart aleck asking "Aren't lawyers just parasites preying on society?" � but that equally difficult-to-answer inquiry, "Isn't it boring to be a lawyer?"
Legally Speaking: Lawyers Behaving Badly-Part Three
I had originally intended my "Lawyers Behaving Badly" series to be a two-parter. But these darn lawyers just keep on getting into trouble, and that trouble keeps on making news.
Legally Speaking: Lawyers Behaving Badly-Part Two
In the first part of this series, I discussed lawyers with some serious ethical shortcomings � stealing from clients, bribery, filing made-up lawsuits, and so on.
Legally Speaking: Lawyers Behaving Badly-Part One
Like virtually every lawyer out there, I was required to take a law school class called "Professional Responsibility" and to pass a test called Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) as part of being admitted to the practice of law.
Legally Speaking: The tricks of the trade
Trickery and deception are things that society tends to associate with the legal profession.
Legally Speaking: An Irish Legacy
Amidst the photos in my law office that serve as reminders of my Irish heritage and mementos of my travels in the Emerald Isle, there is one that stands out.
Legally Speaking: Disorder in the court?
Having practiced law for over 18 years, I thought I'd seen it all until the evening news recently played a piece of courtroom video from a criminal trial in Georgetown, Ky.
Legally Speaking: Deep pockets, shallow justice
If hell has a sneak preview, the world probably witnessed it on Feb. 20, 2003. On that night, rock band Great White, having fallen far from its '80s heyday, was playing a gig at The Station, a nightclub in West Warwick, R.I.
Legally Speaking: The Civil Rights cold cases � A vow never to forget
On Feb. 12, 2008, at a Black History Month event at the White House, President Bush noted the disturbing recent displays of nooses at schools, workplaces and neighborhoods around the country, and suggested that some Americans may have lost sight of the suffering endured by African-Americans.
Legally Speaking: Justice for sale?
Perhaps it's only appropriate that in a hotly-contested election year, the latest legal thriller from trial lawyer-turned-literary-cottage-industry John Grisham centers on the buying of influence in the courts by moneyed special interests.
Legally Speaking: More weirdness in the courtroom
As many of you know, I write a year-end wrap-up recognizing some of the strangest lawsuits and legal stories of the year. However, 2008 is off to such an early start in this department that I just can't wait � there's just been too much weirdness going on in the courtroom.
Legally Speaking: Twelve Angry Men (and Women)
Last week, I reported on the strange case of Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina. Following the June 2007 fire that destroyed his Houston-area home under what Harris County Fire Marshals office investigators described as suspicious circumstances, Justice Medina and his wife Francisca were indicted by a grand jury.