Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus.

Run, Baby, Run!

The Solo Attorney Practitioner’s Forum has been having a long discussion (just passed 110 comments) on the subject of “when should you RUN from a potential case?”
The commenters have suggested avoiding clients who:
• Have had multiple lawyers on the same case;
• Badmouth prior lawyers;
• Arrive at the first interview with a shopping bag full of [...]

That Lawyer Guy on 22 Tweets

Posted by Cliff Tuttle (c) 2010
I recommend the interview with the lawyer-blogger “That Lawyer Guy” on 22 Tweets, which can be accessed via the blogroll.  Here is a lawyer who cares passionately about his clients, many of whom are at the end of the road and out of chances.
CLT

Yes, Virginia, There Are Lawyers Who Love Their Work (and they’re Not Sickos).

Posted by Cliff Tuttle (c) 2009
SUMMARY: Lawyers on 22 Tweets tell why they love their work.
With all the talk about lawyer burnout, layoff, stress, etc., it is a fair question to ask: who would ever want to be one?  The archetypal story seems to be that this smart, energetic and even idealistic kid accumulates six figure [...]

Twittering Worth Reading: 22 Tweets.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle (c) 2009
In case you are still wondering what kind of twittering could possibly be worth it, may I suggest “22 Tweets“. This blog consists of live Twitter interviews with various practicing lawyers.Of course, I’ve added it to the blogroll on this site.

Unemployed Lawyers are Still With Us.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle (c) 2009.
Eugene Volokh, a West Coast law prof who writes a heavily-read blog called Volokh Conspiracy, recently asked his readers to say something about themselves.  A surprising (surprising to me) high percentage of the 309 lawyers and law students responding identified themselves as unemployed.
CLT

Harrison Barnes, Legal Recruiter, on Over-lawyering the Deal.

This story illustrates a trait often found among lawyers (not all, but many) to overkill a contract negotiation and unwittingly poison the relationship between the parties in the process. Frequently, the client doesn’t even want any of the 1001 changes suggested by counsel but goes along on the assumption that others must be getting all these perks. Over-negotiated contracts eventually lose their focus, consistency and purpose, becoming a meandering affair, full of lawyerly phrases like “notwithstanding the foregoing” and “including, without limitation.”

Urgency.

he task with the closest deadline is viewed as the most urgent – - and perhaps it usually is. But what about the rest of them? Must there be a deadline for a task to acquire urgency?

Judd N. Poffinberger, Jr.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle
Judd N. Poffinberger, Jr. passed away on December 2, 2009.  He was described by the ACBA as the most senior lawyer at K&L Gates, a product of merger involving the Pittsburgh firm last known as Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, LLP. Poffinberger, who graduated from Harvard Law in 1949, had been the firm’s first [...]

Kudos to Angela R. Winslow who just made Shareholder at Dickie McCamie & Chilcote . . .

It goes to show: you don’t have to look very far from home to find a hero.

Pittsburgh Legal Newslog: Iran Alleged to have Confiscated Human Rights Lawyer Sharin Ebadi’s Nobel Peace Prize Medal.

Lawyers around the world applaud and support this heroic member of our profession.

keep looking »

Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 36 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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