Bar to stop asking about applicants' depression: It's bad enough that applicants to the Connecticut Bar have to answer all those exam questions. Up until recently, they were also forced to respond to the question of whether they had ever been diagnosed with or hospitalized for clinical depression.
The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee has decided to remove the question from the applicant questionnaire. An American Bar Association resolution, passed prior to the question appearing on the Connecticut questionnaire, states that such questions "intrude too far, and in any event, yield information of questionable value."
Lawyer's anthrax hoax costs him his job: A prosecutor in Cook County, Ill., thought it would be funny to take an envelope, write the return address of a person being prosecuted by another lawyer in the office, sprinkle some sugar on it and then leave the envelope on the colleague's desk. Evidently, others in the office just didn't find the anthrax hoax very funny. The 27-year-old lawyer has resigned after admitting he had done it.
New York lawyers share office space with firms after Sept. 11: New York lawyers displaced as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center were able find help from other Manhattan law firms. Latham & Watkins, for example, offered space to about 30 lawyers from Cleary Gottlieb. The Cleary litigation department was given space at the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Several other firms and clients also came through with available space. According to a partner at Cleary Gottlieb, none of the other firms asked for money and instead of leases, handshake agreements were made.
Lawsuit of the month: A litigation that is sure to be fought like cats and dogs has resulted from a claim filed in San Diego. The plaintiff is a disabled man who uses a service dog to help him with his activities. The man went into a city library only to see his Labrador Kimba attacked by "the library's pet cat." The claim states that the cat leaped from a counter and "without provocation, began clawing Kimba, at times with all four paws." Veterinarian bills amounted to $46.49. The claim is for $1.5 million.
Historical
The first American law school was opened in Litchfield, Conn., in 1775. The case law method of instruction was introduced at Harvard Law School at the end of the 19th century.
Trivial
The number of discrimination and harassment suits filed against employers in federal court grew by what percentage during the 1990s?
(a) 50 percent
(b) 100 percent
(c) 200 percent
(d) 300 percent
(answer following Footnote below)
Hearsay
"My bailiff has a train to catch."
-- A California judge, just before granting a prosecution motion in a murder trial, as quoted in a dissenting opinion.
Footnote
More than 500 lawyers showed up when the Bar of the City of New York asked for attorney volunteers to assist families of victims of the World Trade Center attack with the processing of death certificates.
Trivia Answer: (d) According to Forbes magazine, federal cases grew by 300 percent in the 1990s.
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