What About Paris? ™

« December 29, 2013 - January 04, 2014 | Main | January 19, 2014 - January 25, 2014 »

January 18, 2014

Regarding Nino: Dick-gate?

To bring us up to date on cumulative reaction to the now infamous page 4, lines 10-12 of the SCOTUS transcript in Marvin M. Brandt Revocable Trust v. United States (No. 12-1173), heard by the Supreme Court on the morning of January 14, five gentlemen and mainstay observers of the 225-year-old court--Josh Blackman, Lyle Denniston, Tony Mauro, ATL's Joe Patrice and Scott Greenfield--can be seen variously weighing in on "Dick-gate" if you visit yesterday's Simple Justice and read "No Podium For Weenies", including the links Greenfield provides. Our humble take? It's in the comments, you miserable rubes.

Above: Josh Blackman. Nino's "dick" move or enforcing SCOTUS rules?

Posted by JD Hull at 11:42 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2014

SLM: Witness Demeanor in International Disputes.

In international arbitration and mediation, first-language barriers can be the least of your client's difficulties. How does a mediator or arbitrator arrive at a true--and fair--consensus on the meaning of ordinary verbal and non-verbal conduct by a witness? What is the significance of the "delayed answer" to a question? In one culture, delay means hesitancy and evasiveness (e.g., to most Westerners). In another, delay may denote careful consideration of the question--and a sign of respect to the questioner.

Four years ago, GE's in-house counsel Mike McIlwrath interviewed Australian mediator Joanna Kalowski, who works out of both Australia and Paris. Kalowski discusses how she became a mediator and lessons that come directly from her work. She has also trained mediators in Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Italy, Thailand and Hong Kong. Their 25-minute discussion, "Public Consensus Across Cultures" (IDN No. 61), taped on February 13, 2009, is part of McIlwrath's highly regarded interview series on International Dispute Negotiation sponsored by the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, or CPR Institute.

Posted by JD Hull at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2014

“We are on the hunt for others:” Nigeria's new law criminalizing homosexuality.

Nigeria, where sodomy has been illegal for decades, just raised the stakes. This week Africa's largest nation begins enforcement of a popular law which in effect outlaws most LGBT behavior and culture. Outbreaks of violence are especially feared in northern Nigeria, a majority-Muslim region administered in part under Islamic law. See in TIME Nate Rawlings' piece, "Anti-Gay Law Takes Effect in Africa’s Most Populous Country". Excerpts:

One day after Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed legislation criminalizing homosexuality, police reportedly began rounding up gay men in Africa‘s most populous country.

Under the new law, same-sex “amorous relationships” are banned, as is membership in gay rights groups, prohibitions that have sparked both fear and defiance among Nigeria’s gay activists.

Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa outlaw homosexual acts. Efforts by Western nations to cut aid to countries like Uganda and Malawi have helped to bridle anti-gay legislation in those countries.

But Nigeria, Africa’s largest producer of oil with an output of 2.5 million barrels per day, is mostly impervious to that kind of economic pressure. As Africa’s most populous country, developments in Nigeria echo across the continent, and there appears little other countries can do except condemn the new legislation.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed the law on Monday (AP photo).

Posted by JD Hull at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2014

Employee Reviews on CS Standards: How Do Your Firm's Dweebs Measure Up?

Are you serious about all that client service stuff on your website? Then talk about real customer service every single day, as if it were a substantive area of law practice. Make it a running conversation. If you are serious about building and keeping a "client service culture", you need to underscore it at every performance review. It's an idea that is here to stay in this, or any other economy.

Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2014

Sensitive Litigation Moment: Walken v. Hopper.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2014

Los Angeles and the Music Business: "A cruel and shallow money trench."

The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.

There's also a negative side.

--HST

Posted by JD Hull at 12:01 AM | Comments (0)