The power of procrastination
September 30, 2008
Picture this: you’re a lawyer in Hagerstown, doing some family law, some litigation, some mediation; you’ve applied for a spot on the circuit court, but it will be more than a month until you hear if you made the first cut.
So how cool would it be to get quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the ABA Journal’s Law News Now, both on the same day? And not only quoted, but both stories lead with you!
True, they lead with the fact that you have a tendency to put things off. That’s OK, because the stories are all about “structured procrastination,” techniques for turning that tendency into a motivating force instead of an immobilizing fear. Procrastinator power!
So, just how cool IS it to be Dana Moylan Wright today?
Well. Can we get back to you on that later?
Turns out she took the day off.
The person who answered the phone at her law firm, Miller, Oliver, Baker, Moylan & Stone, didn’t know if Wright, the daughter of retired Judge Charles E. Moylan Jr., had even seen the articles. And no, she said, the phones had not been ringing off the hook with friends and neighbors who saw the stories.
I expect that will change as the week wears on, and I’d sure love to hear all about it. And what about the rest of you procrastinators: Is this technique worth a shot? Or do you think structured procrastination isn’t procrastination at all? Send me an e-mail or post your response below.
Just as soon as you get around to it, I mean.
BARBARA GRZINCIC, Managing Editor/Law
Sphere: Related Content‘All the comforts of home’ now include Wii
September 30, 2008
Ever miss the screeching sound of your kids fighting for control of the Wii while you’re on the road?
Well, now Marriott hotel guests can indulge in a little Nintendo Wii in the comfort of their hotel rooms.
Bethesda-based Marriott International, Inc. is piloting a new specially-built Wii hotel game system in guest rooms and lounges. Guests will have 20 games to chose from, including Mario Kart, Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
The six properties with the pilot game systems are:
- New York Marriott Marquis
- Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square
- Boston Marriott Cambridge
- Bethesda (Md.) Marriott Suites
- Annapolis (Md.) Marriott Waterfront
- JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix (Lounge only)
The Wii guest room packages include unlimited Wii access for the entire stay, but there is a small premium for a room with Wii over the standard guest room rate. Of course.
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
Sphere: Related ContentThis week in Maryland Lawyer
September 29, 2008
Some of the biggest Ravens fans — steadiest tailgaters — are none other than lawyers, writes Richard Simon. Read about their M&T Bank Stadium tailgates, along with how they think tailgating is like preparing for a case. ONLINE EXTRAS: Blog about your own tailgate and watch video of tailgating lawyers.
What will the Supreme Court decide to hear this term? Will Baltimore County’s LNG appeal be on the docket?
Real estate attorney Susan Eleff helped make a Montgomery County family’s dream of owning a home — a refurbished “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” home, that is — a reality.
In this week’s Verdicts & Settlements, Danny Jacobs writes about a Sparks insurance firm that won a coverage dispute; Brendan Kearney tells an interesting story about a case of a stapled-shut rectum.
Read about the fate of Kimmel & Silverman’s lemon law cases after its two name partners were suspended by the Court of Appeals for 90 days.
A. Harold DuBois talks about his first job interview and how he used what he learned in the Navy to make his case and land a job.
DuBois.
In other news: the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is poised to decide another Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower case; a 4th Circuit judge thinks Justice Antonin Scalia is engaging in judicial activism; defense contractor CACI claims immunity in Abu Ghraib torture lawsuit; the Honorable Steven G. Salant and Sharon V. Burrell have been appointed to the Montgomery County Circuit Court; and Baltimore City Circuit Judge Stuart R. Berger takes over the court’s Business and Technology Case Management Program.
PLUS:
* The Big Picture, by Jack Gohn: Too much information
* Andy Baida’s Art of Appellate Advocacy: A civil appeal
* Check the 16 cases in our Law Digest this week, including decisions from the Court of Appeals, Court of Special Appeals (3 parts), 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. District Court, Maryland.
CHRISTINA DORAN, Assistant Legal Editor
Sphere: Related ContentLaw blog round-up
September 29, 2008
Happy Monday! Here are some law-related stories and blog posts from around the Web:
- Maryland is getting a whole bunch of the community development block grant funding set aside by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address the foreclosure crisis. Of Maryland counties, Prince George’s County will get the largest chunk.
- TheDeal.com examines the Constellation sale. HT: Gabe’s Guide.
- The Post had a story over the weekend on the three new judges on the Court of Appeals. In large part, the story doesn’t offer much on the ways Judges Murphy, Adkins and Barbera might affect the court’s rulings. (The first quote is “The truth is no one knows.” Maybe the story could have waited, then?) The one specific point is a conjecture that the new judges might help shift the court to the left on growth and land development issues.
- Ron Miller says that when lawyers hear about another lawyer behaving badly, their instinct is to hope for the lawyer to be disciplined. When doctors hear about an allegation of medical malpractice, “their instinct is to defend the doctor and attack the accusers (not the victims, but their medical malpractice lawyers),” he says.
- Lawyers have started Googling and Facebooking prospective jurors to get a sense of whether they want them on the jury. “Anyone who doesn’t make use of [Internet searches] is bordering on malpractice,” says a trial consultant. Thanks to How Appealing for pointing the way to this story.
CARYN TAMBER, Legal Affairs Writer
Sphere: Related ContentRemembering Frederick DeKuyper
September 29, 2008
In an article in today’s print edition, Jim Astrachan shares his memories of the life and work of Frederick DeKuyper, the retired associate general counsel at the Johns Hopkins University who died last week at the age of 70. But DeKuyper shared his own memories of the GC’s office with the JHU Gazette more than 13 years ago. Here’s a sample:
“There was a man in California who believed we had a brain-wave modification machine staffed 24 hours a day,” said DeKuyper, a Hopkins associate general counsel. “This machine allegedly was sending electronic emissions to the West Coast. These emissions, he said, were entering his left ear and doing harm to him.”
Eventually, the case was dismissed.
“I realized later I should have said, ‘You’re right, there is such a machine — but it’s at Harvard,’” he added, laughing.
What were your favorite DeKuyper quips?
BARBARA GRZINCIC, Managing Editor/Law
Sphere: Related ContentHow is tailgating like preparing for a case?
September 29, 2008
Some of the best reactions I got while I was conducting interviews for today’s cover story, “The Tailgate is Now in Session,” were when I asked lawyers the question, “How is tailgating like preparing for a case?”
I received some befuddled looks, but I did receive some great answers. Take Rob Erdman of Webb & Blitz LLC, who said:
Preparation is key. You don’t want to get caught with your pants down and not have enough food at the tailgate. Just like you want to have the right case ready for your arguments.
Below is a video of some other responses from lawyers. Have any better ones?
_
Also, I tried to get to as many lawyer-led tailgates as I could, but I know I missed some. Do you feel that there are others that deserve recognition?
RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter
Sphere: Related ContentLegislation up for vote
September 29, 2008
After a nerve-racking week, Congress will vote on a proposal later today for a $700 billion government bailout. The basic proposal hasn’t changed much, but lawmakers have added safeguards to protect taxpayer money and put caps on executive pay.
If you would like to read a draft of the bailout bill, click here.
RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter
Sphere: Related ContentReal Astute
September 29, 2008
The Daily Record often covers big real estate projects built by major developers with well-funded investors. But today marks the inaugural installation of something different: “Real Astute,” an occasional feature where I will profile small-time residential real estate investors.
The idea is to highlight folks who have made interesting and/or successful investments, done fun things with equity, taken a chance on a transitional neighborhood, or otherwise done extraordinary things with real estate in and around Baltimore.
Today we meet Nik Todorov, a 26-year-old Bulgarian immigrant who came to America six years ago with virtually nothing, but now owns two houses, is a partner in a retail kiosk business (you know – those jewelry stands in the Inner Harbor), auctions off residential properties he buys from wholesalers, and brokers homes the old-fashioned way for Keller Williams.
I hope you take a look at the story itself to find out how Nik turned his networking skills and work ethic into solid small business practice. In the coming weeks and months, I’ve got a few other subjects in mind, from a former WWF wrestler to a green building innovator in Northeast Baltimore.
Meanwhile, I want to hear from you! If you or anyone you know has real estate dreams, has renovated and sold a house to some success, or who has taken a chance and come out on the right side of a real estate deal, let me hear about it! The more amateur, the better!
Send tips to me at robbie.whelan[at]mddailyrecord.com, and we’ll see if you or your friends, family, or colleagues end up featured as “Real Astute.”
Thanks in advance!
ROBBIE WHELAN, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentGame on
September 26, 2008
There are few things as enjoyable to me as getting lost in the fantasy of a video game. With the stress of the current economic crisis, it appears more and more people have come to agree, according to a recent NPR report.
Much as movie theaters provided Americans distraction during the Great Depression, video games have proven to be excellent providers of escapism. According to NPR, movie revenue is up only slightly when compared to the same time last year. That’s not the case with the world of gaming:
“By comparison, overall video game sales are up 43 percent from this time in 2007. Since its release on Aug. 12, fans have purchased more than 2 million copies of the football game Madden NFL 09, according to the National Purchase Diary (NPD) Group.”
Grand Theft Auto IV grossed more than $500 million in its first week of release. Compare that to The Dark Knight, released July 18 with a current total gross of $522,573,036, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. I think that puts the game’s success into perspective.
The great thing about games, as opposed to movies, is that you can actually spend time with friends without having to sit quietly in a darkened room. Also, a movie is over in maybe two hours. With ticket prices, obligatory snacks and parking, that could mean $50 for two people to enjoy two hours. A $50 game can provide hours more entertainment.
Maybe this isn’t the best venue for a post extolling the virtues of video games – but maybe it is. Anyone out there spend their free time in this particular fantasy world?
JOE BACCHUS, Web Specialist
Sphere: Related ContentWhat if you threw a settlement conference and nobody came?
September 26, 2008
A class-action lawsuit against ExxonMobil stemming from a 2006 gas leak at a Jacksonville gas station will go to trial next week in Baltimore County as scheduled, despite a flurry of last-minute activity based on a settlement judge’s request for postponement.
A notification letter sent out Sept. 9 required all involved parties to appear Tuesday in Baltimore County Circuit Court for a settlement conference. A courtroom had even been reserved to accommodate what could have potentially been hundreds of people from the 91 families collectively known as the Alban plaintiffs.
So when only the lawyers in the case appeared, retired Judge Barbara Kerr Howe, overseeing the settlement talks, was none too pleased. She wrote a letter to retired Judge Maurice W. Baldwin Jr., the former Harford County judge specially assigned to the case, seeking to postpone the trial’s Oct. 1 start date as a sanction.
That led to a conference call between Baldwin and counsel Wednesday. Baldwin decided Thursday not to postpone the trial but ordered all parties to appear before Howe “at a time that can be arranged after the trial commences.”
“The parties will be required to honor Judge Howe’s directives concerning who should attend the settlement conference,” Baldwin wrote.
Jury selection begins Oct. 1. The plaintiffs are represented by Snyder Weltcheck & Snyder in Pikesville, led by Stephen L. Snyder and Robert J. Weltchek. ExxonMobil’s local counsel are Andrew Gendron and C. Carey Deeley Jr. of Venable LLP’s Baltimore and Towson offices, respectively.
DANNY JACOBS, Legal Affairs Writer
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