Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

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

1410 Posts and Counting

Commonwealth Court holds that hospital employee who quit on religious grounds because she was assigned to a job involving utilization of fetal tissue from abortions was not justified because she could have been reassigned.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| February 10, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,414

[Click on case heading for opinion]

Lori A. Kelly, Petitioner,
v.
Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, Respondent.

No. 286 C.D. 2017.
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
Argued: September 11, 2017.
Filed: October 17, 2017.

Category: Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Supreme Court Enters Order Reassigning Allegheny County Judges

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| February 10, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,413

Category: Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, Family Law, Pittsburgh Legal Community

Taking Notes the 21st Century

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| February 9, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,412

Taking notes during the day really is a good idea.  You can’t remember everything.  You don’t remember some things correctly.  And sometimes, hopefully not too often, you don’t remember anything without consulting your notes.

Effective note taking requires being organized — you have to have your act together.  Keeping track of notebooks or legal pads can be a problem.  If you keep case notes in the file, the file is not always in your hand — especially when you take an unplanned phone call.

There are at least two kinds of notes.  When I am sitting at my desk, I take down short bits of information like names, telephone numbers, email addresses or similar information, in my daily planner. Then, when I have a chance, I transfer the information to my electronic address book.

But when longer note-taking is required, I have been dissatisfied with the traditional paper and pen technology. After experimenting with different methods, I use an electronic notebook App installed on my iPad called “Notes Plus” and an Apple Pencil to take notes during the day. The Apple Pencil retails for around $100.00. The App cost a modest price, but I found all of the free versions were more suited to drawing than note-taking.

Inside this App, I have a general notebook for daily notes that is usually open when I tap the icon.  I also maintain individual notebooks for certain cases that require more frequent and extensive note taking. I can get to any one of them in two clicks.

Using such an app does require a little preparation.  I have to keep the Apple Pencil near at hand and charged.  I have to remember to pack both the iPad and the Apple Pencil when I go out.  The Apple Pencil could get lost of you just throw it in the bottom of your case, so use one of the slots provided for pens. I keep the box it came with as a holder on my desk. I hear that there are Apple Pencil desk top stands for sale, but I haven’t gotten around to purchasing one.

I chose a background On the App that looks like one of those yellow legal pads that we have been using for years. It makes me feel at home, but without the coffee stains and the curling corners. Other software I tried required me to take notes on a blank page. I didn’t like the blank page.  I need lines to keep me from going uphill and downhill.  You can set the ink to create a nice black line that looks just like using a good quality pen on a fresh pad from the supply room.

I did have a break-in period during which, for some reason I never figured out,  I had some trouble getting the pen to write. I played with the settings and after a while that went away.

In order to charge the Apple Pencil, you take off the cap on the non-writing end and plug it into the charging port of the iPad.  It doesn’t take very long.

If getting started and developing these maintenance habits seem like a lot of trouble, for me it was worth it. I pack my iPad in my case for a variety of reasons.  Now, I have all of my notebooks with me. It takes a little practice, but now I can take notes during a meeting or a court case just as easily as I can with paper and pen. When others are scrounging to find a scrap of paper (which they will probably lose) and a pen that writes, I’m ready.

Now, I must confess that I keep real paper and a real pen in my case in the event of emergency.  But I haven’t had to use them too much since I converted on January 1.

CLT

Category: Legal Technology, Personal Productivity
Tags: > >

AVVO ANSWER: Tenant wants to sue landlord after house is condemned as unfit for human habitation.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| February 7, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,411

Category: AVVO Answers, Landlord and Tenant law and litigation

Notice to Quit must Be in writing and hand-delivered; but may be waived in the lease.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| February 3, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,410

Category: AVVO Answers, Landlord and Tenant law and litigation
Tags: > >

Issue of constitutionality of CFPB is heading to the Supreme Court.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| February 1, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,409

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the District Court ruling that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was unconstitutional because it had been created with a single director who could not be replaced by the President, except for cause.  There will almost certainly be a Petition for Review filed with the Supreme Court.  The Court could let the decision stand, which would leave the door open for other circuits to weigh in.  Here’s a basic and readable explanation of the case.

CLT

Category: Consumer Protection

Pa. Supreme Court grants appeal to determine whether Philly can assess tax on soft drinks.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| January 30, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,408

The Pa. Supreme Court granted an allowance of appeal to determine whether the City can collect a “soda tax” when state sales tax is already imposed upon the product.

LORA JEAN WILLIAMS et al. v. CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, 321 EAL 2017, 322 EAL 2017.

Category: Trends in the Law

Noisy Neighbor? Consider Moving.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| January 28, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,407

Here’s an AVVO Answer Question I answered today.  The noisy neighbor problem is a common one in apartment buildings and is especially vexatious when the Landlord will do nothing about it. In some communities, the Landlord has an incentive to evict a noisy tenant because the municipality will charge the owner ( landlord) for the cost of police calls after two.  We call it “three strikes you’re out” and it probably works, with the exception of domestic battles.

Landlords probably should threaten eviction anyway, assuming the lease is explicit in stating that disturbing the neighbors is a violation.  Your bad tenants will drive out the good ones.  And they will appreciate you going to bat for them.

Always bear in mind that there is a potential for violence in situations like this.  Keep your cool and your distance.

If any lawyers post comments with any better ideas, I’ll pick them up in a later post.

 

CLT

Category: AVVO Answers, Landlord and Tenant law and litigation
Tags: >

Jury Duty, Doctor’s Waiting Rooms and Other Day Killers.

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| January 25, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,406

WARNING: You are about to be exposed to a short sermon, but read it anyway.

Image: medical bag.com

The other day, I heard a fellow complaining loudly about being called to jury duty while we were both in the dentist’s waiting room.  After I couldn’t stand it anymore, I looked up from my book and told him to take a book with him that he really wanted to read.  From the expression on his face, I could tell that he would rather have a root canal than read for a few hours. OK, I said, then you can stand around at the coffee machine and complain and be miserable with all the other people who hate being there.

Waiting is  a fact of life, just like sleeping, eating and all those other necessary things. The doctor and even the jury commission, who are aware of your dissatisfaction, will probably try to distract you with daytime television. Of course, somebody else picks the show you have to watch.  You can surrender to that if you want, but you can also come prepared to do what you want. Pack a few books in your cell phone using the Kindle App.  Or if you don’t want to use your eyes that much, subscribe to Audible and use earphones.

Yes, getting set up requires a little bit of work.  But it pays dividends.  Engage your mind and time passes more quickly.  You learn something and you are entertained.  Indeed, you might even start enjoying yourself at jury duty.

Sermon over.

CLT

 

Category: Personal Productivity
Tags: > >

You Will Probably Want to be Far Away When Alexa Plays Doggie Lullabys

Posted by Cliff Tuttle| January 24, 2018 | © 2025

No. 1,405

Category: Advertising
Tags:
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Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 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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