John G. Browning News
Legally Speaking: Disclaimers -- can't live without them
Warning: The following statements should not be taken as legal advice, life coaching, spiritual guidance or used as a flotation device. They are intended for humorous or entertainment purposes only, and are not intended for internal consumption. Prolonged exposure to the words on this page may result in chuckling, head-nodding, and eventual eyestrain and drowsiness. Operating heavy machinery after
Legally Speaking: Lowering the Bars
Lawyers don’t just automatically become full-fledged attorneys the moment they receive that piece of sheepskin with “Doctor of Jurisprudence” on it.
Legally Speaking: Witches need lawyers, too
“You’ve got to pick up every stitch
Legally Speaking: Halloween -- lawyer style
It’s that time of year again, when our thoughts turn to ghosts, goblins and things that go bump in the night.
Legally Speaking: As superstitious as the rest of us
“Superstition ain’t the way.”
Legally Speaking: Can we pretend that never happened?
Most states, including Texas, have laws allowing for the expungement of criminal convictions under certain circumstances. Under this procedure, it has the legal effect of what we used to call a “do-over” on the playground; it’s as if the conviction never happened.
Legally Speaking: 'Justie' Awards I'd like to see
For years, I’ve been chronicling some of the best, worst, and most unusual aspects of the legal system. Many of the strangest claims, defenses, and even the litigants themselves deserve their own special kind of notoriety, so I made up the “Justie” Awards, for some of the weirdest denizens of our legal system.
Legally Speaking: To boldly go where no lawyer has gone before
It’s only natural for popular culture to affect what we do in the rest of our lives, and those in the legal profession are no different.
Legally Speaking: When a picture is worth more than a thousand words
It’s often said that actions speak louder than words. Pictures, however, sometimes speak loudest of all.
Legally Speaking: Replacing lawyers with computers
In Johnny Cash’s great song “The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer” (inspired by American folklore hero/railroad worker John Henry), one of the great man vs. machine showdowns takes place.
Legally Speaking: Signs of the times
Browning
Legally Speaking: Some child actors go to rehab; others go to law school
I recently saw some footage of former "Sixth Sense" star Haley Joel Osment, now all grown up, acting in what seemed to be a forgettable role in an even more forgettable movie.
Legally Speaking: It seemed like a good idea at the time
The civil and criminal justice systems are full of people who probably wish they could go back in time and change that one crucial moment when they made a snap decision they would come to regret.
Legally Speaking: Stranger than fiction
Whenever I'd watch one of those TV shows with a legal theme, like "Boston Legal" or "Ally McBeal" (or pretty much anything else springing from the fertile mind of David E. Kelley), inevitably there would be some case, litigant or legal circumstance that would not just strain credibility, but actually make me laugh out loud at how preposterous it was.
Legally Speaking: An American tragedy
In a corner of sleepy Miami, Okla., (population 13,570) sits a factory that once epitomized the American dream: a "can-do" attitude reflected in the products built there by generations of local men and women and used by millions of consumers across the country.
Legally Speaking: Letting the punishment fit the crime
Judges from around the country engage periodically in what's called "creative sentencing." Some legal observers criticize such punishments as forms of public shaming taking us back to the days of Puritans putting people in the stocks.
Legally Speaking: Oh vanity, thy name is lawyer
I've always resisted the temptation to get vanity license plates. When I graduated from law school, my sister suggested personalized plates spelling out "JGB-ESQ;" I retorted that I might as well spell out "IM A TOOL."
Legally Speaking: Expect the unexpected
If the legal system has taught me anything, it's that you never know what's coming next.
Legally Speaking: When all else fails, blame social media
I frequently write about what I consider frivolous lawsuits and the attendant lack of accepting personal responsibility in many of these cases.
Legally Speaking: Lessons I have learned
Around this time of year, graduating students at all levels are treated to pearls of wisdom dispensed by commencement speakers.