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f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

October 3, 2004

lawyers, and morons, and mangoes and more

Filed under: pre-06-2006 — David Giacalone @ 12:30 am


one-breath pundit






    • Maybe big city lawyers use this approach, but I’ve never seen an ad like this one 

      from Schenectady, NY, lawyer Charles J. Mango:








Your Child’s Most Important Lawyer 

   Will Be Your Child’s First Lawyer

 

       If Your Son or Daughter

      Has Been Arrested Call

      MANGO LAW OFFICES

              [518] 382-0203

 

 Caring For Your Kids Since 1982

Talk about preparing for your child’s future!  And, aiming high.



 

. . . .  purse snatcher

 

breathing in
shadows pass over
the mango tree


Graham Nunn, from A Zen Firecracker.








 

 

streetwalker

with a black eye    halo

around the moon

 

 


by George Swede from 





  • Am I too unforgiving?   The  NYS Appellate Division, Third Department, has suspended

    a lawyer for two years, who converted $117,000 in funds and engaged in a conflict of interest

    in his dealings with an estate.  The Court noted in mitigation that, besides repaying all converted

    sums, the attorney “has waived all legal fees and executor commissions for services rendered to

    the estate. “(Matter of Paul M. Whitaker, NYSlipOp 06822, Sept. 30, 2004).  Why not disbar him?



  • clown head f  A Pa. judge ruled this past week that Calling Lawyer a ‘Moron’ [Is] Not Defamatory (The Legal

    Intelligencer, 10-01-2004).  However, before lawyer Romolo Versaci of “so-called lawyer” fame gets too disheartened, it is only fair to say that Judge Gene D. Cohen didn’t say that it could never be defamation to call a

    lawyer a “moron” or an “idiot.”  The audience, the context, and the addressee surely must be taken into account.

    (thanks to Denise and Steve for the pointers).

 


foolish crow
do you think this first snow
is my fault?



translated by David G. Lanoue

 



  • By the way, if you’re interested in the ethics of alternative billing, see here and here.

8 Comments

  1. No, you are not too unforgiving. I fail to see any reason why Mr. Whitaker should be allowed to continue practice law ever again. He only gave the money back because he was caught. And being a lawyer, he knew his chances of being reinstated would increase by his compensating his victims. I’m saddened, though not surprised, that he was not disbarred.

    Comment by UCL — October 3, 2004 @ 1:23 am

  2. No, you are not too unforgiving. I fail to see any reason why Mr. Whitaker should be allowed to continue practice law ever again. He only gave the money back because he was caught. And being a lawyer, he knew his chances of being reinstated would increase by his compensating his victims. I’m saddened, though not surprised, that he was not disbarred.

    Comment by UCL — October 3, 2004 @ 1:23 am

  3. UCL, What are we doing weblogging this late on a Saturday night?  If you keep agreeing with me, I’m going to have to get into a new line of business!
    Didn’t you love the fact that the client wasn’t billed??

    Comment by David Giacalone — October 3, 2004 @ 1:27 am

  4. UCL, What are we doing weblogging this late on a Saturday night?  If you keep agreeing with me, I’m going to have to get into a new line of business!
    Didn’t you love the fact that the client wasn’t billed??

    Comment by David Giacalone — October 3, 2004 @ 1:27 am

  5. Re: The best lawyer your child will ever have.

    Well, David, it’s sure a hell of a lot better than having parents send their children into the police station to just “answer a few questions.” Cf. Yarborough v. Alvarado (Parents take child, sans lawyer, into police station. Child is now in prison).

    Comment by Fedster — October 3, 2004 @ 5:26 pm

  6. Re: The best lawyer your child will ever have.

    Well, David, it’s sure a hell of a lot better than having parents send their children into the police station to just “answer a few questions.” Cf. Yarborough v. Alvarado (Parents take child, sans lawyer, into police station. Child is now in prison).

    Comment by Fedster — October 3, 2004 @ 5:26 pm

  7. As a former “law guardian” for juvenile delinquents and persons in need of supervision in Family Court, I agree with your general sentiment, Fed.   Of course, trying to be too adversarial can make a prosecutor into an enemy rather than a ally looking to “divert” the young accused.
    Although I can’t put my finger on it, there’s something about the general tone of this ad that seems a little strange — or at least strange-funny — to me.  I’d like “Make you child’s first criminal lawyer, the child’s last criminal lawyer.”  (On second thought, you might need an asterik: “death penalty or life without parole excepted.”)

    Comment by David Giacalone — October 3, 2004 @ 6:06 pm

  8. As a former “law guardian” for juvenile delinquents and persons in need of supervision in Family Court, I agree with your general sentiment, Fed.   Of course, trying to be too adversarial can make a prosecutor into an enemy rather than a ally looking to “divert” the young accused.
    Although I can’t put my finger on it, there’s something about the general tone of this ad that seems a little strange — or at least strange-funny — to me.  I’d like “Make you child’s first criminal lawyer, the child’s last criminal lawyer.”  (On second thought, you might need an asterik: “death penalty or life without parole excepted.”)

    Comment by David Giacalone — October 3, 2004 @ 6:06 pm

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