Lene Caracas-Apuntar News
The ERA Is Back?
The Equal Rights Amendment, a topic I’ve previously discussed in the form of a retrospective on Phyllis Schlafly, is back in the news. The occasion for this déjà vu is the newly-woke Virginia legislature’s recent ratification of the measure, which was proposed by Congress way back in 1972. The ERA pre-dates Saturday Night Fever, Charlie’s Angels, and the death of Elvis! In January, the Democratic majorities in the Old Dominion’s statehouse purported to give the ERA—long thought to be moribund—a new lease on life when Virginia became the 38th state to ratify it.
Judge Plumlee, how do you plead?
Family court judges don’t win popularity contests. In most of their cases, one of the parties appearing before them will be disappointed by the outcome. In many cases, both parties will be.
Hey, Californians, don’t come to Texas – unless you plan to stay!
California is banning travel to Texas? Seriously? Are they banning relocation, too? That could be a problem. For them, not us, because the flood of exiles will just keep growing.
Going Nuclear
You’ve heard of nuclear explosions and the nuclear option. Nuclear verdicts? Maybe not. But as the name implies, we should all be wary of them.
BRADLEY ARANT BOULT CUMMINGS: Bradley Celebrates 150 Years
Bradley is proud to announce that it is celebrating the firm’s 150th anniversary this year.
Our Favorite New “Bad Place” Demon – The Insurance Industry
The critically-acclaimed comedy, The Good Place, comes to an end this month and that’s too bad. If you haven’t seen the show, it’s about the afterlife. There’s not just a Good Place. There’s also a Bad Place, populated by demons wearing expensive suits who torture and destroy things. My first thought was, “who does that remind me of? Oh yeah, the property/casualty insurance industry. They torture their policyholders and try to destroy businesses." They'd be perfect for this show. If only there were another season.
‘Wolf! Wolf!’ ‘The sky is falling! The sky is falling!’
Everyone knows the story of the shepherd boy who cried wolf when there was no wolf. He was bored and wanted some excitement. The panicked townspeople who came running to help were not amused by his repeated pranks and learned to ignore them. When a wolf eventually did appear, the boy’s cries went unanswered.
The strange case of the man who was injured by a text message
You can tell a lot about a person by the way he reacts to petty grievances. If he shrugs them off or doesn’t even notice, he’s probably well-balanced and able to keep things in perspective. If, however, the least little thing sets him off, he may have serious ego – or anger-management problems – and should probably be avoided.
Pay no attention to that man behind the candidate!
“It’s time for a change!”
All the clichés come out at election time, often masquerading as campaign slogans, but most of them are just empty words. They sound nice, but are basically meaningless.
The dark fantasies of climate change activists
When are the California municipalities suing ExxonMobil over the alleged effects of climate change going to trot out Greta Thunberg as a star witness?
Driving Litigation
The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted a lawsuit issue that has increasingly become a problem in many states, including Texas: litigation against trucking companies.
How a So-Called “Expert Witness” Derailed an East Texas Jury
The dynamic nature of our tech sector fosters a flow of new startups entering markets constantly. The speed at which companies can collaborate and innovate can significantly influence which may be the next Apple or Google and which will fail in their first year. These innovations, often the result of tireless investment in R&D, are frequently safeguarded through our system of intellectual property – through protections like patents and trade secrets.
Don’t laugh when you hear the word ‘Labradoodle’!
People who have funny-sounding last names know how traumatic it is to go through life introducing themselves to titters, snickers, snorts, and guffaws.
Phipps Deacon & Whoever? ‘Programs! Programs! You can’t tell the players without a program!’
That’s what program sellers shout, or used to shout, outside stadiums.
Asbestos, The Non-Partisan Killer
Asbestos has been killing Americans - and industries have been covering up asbestos disease - since at least the early 1900s. (See the complete story here.) Nearly the entire industrialized world bans asbestos but not the United States. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to find this lethal substance making news yet again, yet we genuinely are.
When disaster strikes, you can help or take advantage
The door of an armored truck traveling on Interstate 285 outside Atlanta popped open this summer and disgorged more than $175,000 on the highway. You can guess what happened next. A free-for-all ensued, with cash fluttering everywhere like confetti and motorists stopping in the middle of the road to collect as much of it as they could get their hands on.
Amtrak’s Lawsuit Hypocrisy Problem
Everyone should have the right to use the courts. Even Amtrak. We know that U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) shares this sentiment.This week, he introduced a bill called the Rail Passenger Fairness Act, which would give Amtrak the right to “sue freight railroads if it believes that they are failing to give preference to passenger rail operating on their rail lines.”
Legitimate grievance or snow job?
Could the plaintiff in this case be dreaming of a green Christmas?
When you’re done, you’re done
The great English metaphysical poet John Donne got terrible grades in college. Often, when taking exams, he would come across a question that required a bit of thought, so he would put his quill pen down and ponder it. The proctor, seeing that he was no longer writing, would approach and ask, “Are you done?” Thinking that he was being asked to affirm his identity, he would reply, “Yes, I am.” Whereupon the proctor would take possession of his uncompleted test and dismiss him, dooming Donne to a failing mark.
BOYARMILLER: BoyarMiller Promotes Three Attorneys to Senior Associate
BoyarMiller announces that Lauren Black, P. Cyrus Chin and Lyndsay Fincher have been promoted to senior associates.