At the time of this writing, much of the attention of U.S. legal scholars is directed at the televised trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. This article does not address the merits of either […]
Addressing the Ancient Problem of Lawyers Talking Too Long
Did a Missing Constitutional Amendment Take Away the Citizenship of All Lawyers?
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers!” (Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2). When William Shakespeare wrote those infamous words about lawyers in 1591, he parodied the […]
Writers of Law Sentence You to Read Sentences
Lawyers are expected to use long, complicated sentences. Many attorneys pride themselves on their ability to use unnecessarily-complicated words and phrases. Sometimes, however, even those within the profession will cry foul at […]
Lincoln’s Defense Strategy: Don’t Be a Liar
Abraham Lincoln had quite a reputation as a trial lawyer. He was most known for representing railroads and other businesses in civil matters, but he was no stranger to criminal law cases. […]
The Case of the Surprise Witnesses
In the early years of the 20th century, John T. Bevins, an attorney from Pearsall, Texas, asked a judge to continue his case, due to the fact that two vital witnesses were […]
John Adams Equates Uselessness and Congress
John Adams (1735-1826) was notoriously thin-skinned and rarely responded to criticism or ridicule with anything approaching a light-hearted spirit. When he found his role as Vice President did not earn him the […]
Charles Vance Millar: The Man Who Laughed From Beyond the Grave
To be a good practical joker, you need to have patience. Timing of a joke is everything. By that measure, Charles Vance Millar had all the makings of being one of the […]
Should Abraham Lincoln Have Been a Pastor?
As often as Abraham Lincoln referred to faith issues in speeches and ordinary conversation, one wonders if he may have felt a call toward pastoral ministry. An incident in the decade before […]
The Case That Kept Finding Presidents
Of the thousands of cases appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, only a few are accepted by the Court each year. Of those, most fade into obscurity and are interesting only to […]
Supreme-ly Qualified Presidents
For an attorney, arguing a case before the United States Supreme Court is one of the highest honors imaginable. Twenty-six of the 44 men who have served as President of the United […]
Judge Rules on Lawsuit 26 Years Late, After Finding File in His Attic
As far as landmark judicial decisions go, the mineral rights case of Ayers v Rubow is hardly a candidate to change the face of established jurisprudence. When Toole County, Montana Judge Ronald McPhillips […]
Three Lawyers Found This Client to Be a Pain in the Neck
Josh Monson was facing trial for murder and drug charges in 2011 in Everett, Washington. Apparently unsatisfied with his defense attorney, Monson stabbed him in the neck with a pencil. That lawyer […]
Counselor, Don’t Just Keep Saying, “Who?” When I Ask How Your Client Pleads
If Charles Abbott’s attorney gives the impression of being as wise as an owl, that might be because he is one. Granted, he’s a stuffed owl, but that can be excused, because […]
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
The World’s Biggest Liar competition is held every year in Cumbria, England. Contestants have five minutes to tell the biggest and most-convincing lie. Lawyers and politicians are barred from participating, out of […]
This Couldn’t Have Been Demonstrated on the Ground Floor?
Toronto attorney Garry Hoy (1955 – 1993) fell to his death after he threw himself through the glass wall on the 24th floor of the Toronto-Dominion Centre in order to prove the […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 