Wasting Our Greatest Resource.

No. 480.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reprinted a graphic from the New York Times that stated that only 5% of women and 10% of men are working full time at age 70. Also, 8% of women and 10% of men are working part time at this age.

This represents an incredible waste of our greatest resource — brainpower.

The fact is that most of the people who want to continue to work past arbitrary ages are driven out of the workplace by mandatory retirement policies that reflect the facts and values of a by-gone era. Every time such a forced retirement happens, the United States (or any other country) loses the benefit of a highly trained and experienced worker.

Employing experienced workers even after retirement is not as difficult as it may seem. We do it with judges. Mandatory retirement for judges is age 70. But even judges past the mandatory retirement age are engaged on a per diem basis to handle cases, until the judge or the Supreme Court decides that it is time to hang up the spurs. No doubt a senior worker will require accommodation, just as a disabled person may. But isn’t it worth it to retain him or her in the work force?

In addition, we need to encourage encore employment. Well-educated and seasoned individuals should be given the opportunity to become teachers. Rather than go through the extensive course work required of teachers who start their careers in their twenties, these senior recruits could audition for teacher openings.

On the other end of the age range, we need to focus on identifying and educating our most gifted students. This area has been sadly neglected, especially in schools with a high ratio of problem students. These students must be given special curricula geared to their needs and abilities. Plus, they must have teachers who are equal to the task. That’s where senior teachers come in. From the ranks of the would-be retired it is possible to recruit an elite corps of teachers who are smarter, better educated and experienced in a world outside the school to match the elite group of students.

No one who is willing and capable of doing good work should be forced out of the labor pool. No child who is willing and capable of becoming an exceptional student should be denied the opportunity to do so, regardless of what kind of school exists in his neighborhood. In other words, quit killing excellence.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

Is George Steinbrenner Really Dead?

No. 479

Today I heard an unsubstantiated and absolutely untrue rumor that George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, had faked his own death. But like most unsubstantiated and untrue rumors, it has a kernel of truth inside. By dying in 2010, Mr. Steinbrenner’s heirs have received a fabulous windfall. No federal estate tax will be due on his estate.

To some of us, such an extraordinary coincidence is too good to be true. Someone must have planned it. Or fabricated it. Mr. Steinbrenner’s reputation as a fierce fighter, a win-at-all-cost competitor, doesn’t hurt the plausibility of the rumor either. It would be a final victory so great as to eclipse all of the others. But before you get too excited about this, please remember that there are plenty of people who know that Mr Steinbrenner died from personal knowledge and presumably they have a body. Plus, for all of his wiliness, Mr Steinbrenner has never been known to commit a crime. This one would constitute a massive fraud.

Of course, even multibillionaires die and it will happen for some in 2010. And where is Steinbrenner hiding out? Possibly in the same place as Howard Hughes. Keep an eye on the tabloids for further developments.

Here’s what the Freakonomics Blog had to say about the the subject. Inheritance Tax, that is, not Steinbrenner. Dubner has a different motivation to suggest, generally, not in the Steinbrenner case. Murder.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

Something Else for Landlords to Worry About — Illegal Immigrants.

No. 478

Maybe it isn’t a trend yet, but a lot of angry people are thinking about enacting state laws and local ordinances to restrict the ability of illegal immigrants to live and work in their communities. This includes local ordinances forbidding landlords to rent to illegals. A new one cropped up in Fremont, Nebraska recently. And it is not the first time. Hazelton, PA, in the east, enacted a similar ordinance which, if memory serves, was struck down by a federal court and is on appeal.

Of course, the federal government has the responsibility under the Constitution for regulating its borders and it does not appreciate all of the well-meaning efforts of states and municipalities to help out.

We don’t have any such legislation here in Western Pennsylvania, but given the political climate, it could happen on any given Tuesday. But based on what we have seen thus far, the chances of this kind of legislation passing judicial scrutiny is zero to none. Immigration is just a federal thing, that’s all.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

Those Jersey Lawyers Can’t Take a Little Needling.

No. 477

So, a New Jersey lawyer was placed behind bars after being taunted (but just a bit) by Pennsylvania counsel on a car accident case. Good.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

“Sending Resumes is Like Buying Lottery Tickets.”

No. 476

Every once in a while, you run into a quote so clever, you wish you had said it.

Everyone who has ever sent out a few hundred resumes could second ProfJonathan for this observation during his tweeterview on 22 Tweets. He suggests being creative with social/ media. So what’s creative? Good question.

How about a fellow I know (not a client) who advertised his services on Craig’s List after getting out of prison? There’s one that’s even a longer shot than a new lawyer. But he received two inquiries and one of them ended up with a job.

What do you think? What would be a creative way to use social media to get a job? I’ll be posting this in a few forums where I belong and I’ll sharethe best answers in a future post.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

The Only Rabbit He’ll Ever Catch.

No. 475

Category: Uncategorized

Pittsburgh Legal Newslog: Police Restrain Seizure Victim and Draw a Suit.

Number 474

Mt. Lebanon Police and paramedics responded to a call when Jessica Yochum had an epileptic seizure by restraining her. Now they are facing suit in Federal Court. This case hasn’t received much attention – yet – but it puts one in mind of the tazering of a Mt. Lebanon pizza shop owner a few years ago. Is it really necessary for members of the Mt. Lebanon police to respond in ambiguous situations so vigorously? We realize that every member of the police force is not responsible for this action. And we realize that police must make instantaneous decisions. But it makes me a little sad to know that this happened in my town.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

Passing Some Milestones on AVVO

Number 473

Well, I answered my 300th question on AVVO Answers today and then, on question 311 I passed 5,000 points and rose to level 7. The question I answered is a favorite one these days, but it is surprising that the two prior lawyers to answer the question didn’t know that there is federal statutory protection for tenants whose residence is sold in foreclosure. Here is my AVVO Answer No. 311.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

Hot Hot Hot

Number 472

Its back to 90º today in Pittsburgh. So, if you happen to leave your iPhone in your car today, Julie from the Gadgeteer tells you what to do.

Category: Uncategorized

Making Every Minute Count.

No. 471

Entertainment is the enemy of productivity. It is ubiquitous in our world and that means it can hijack our thoughts and occupy our minds like a conquering army. Even the news broadcast contains a lethal dose of entertainment. Press releases and film clips about the vacuous lives of celebrities are not news.

Television and radio commercials sow weeds in our memory garden. They teach us to remember jingles and slogans in preference to names of people and appointments we need to keep. They also whisper temptation, hypnotically inducing us to donate money that ought to be spent elsewhere.

Some thoughts:

Don’t watch television without a plan. Watch a specific television program for a specific reason and then turn it off. Get up and straighten up the room during commercials. Be especially wary of the local news. You can get the gist of the news in about 30 seconds by checking the headlines on their web site. And if you actually want to know about something you see there, you can read an article in about another 30 seconds.

Have something worth reading (that means useful information you don’t know or literature written by somebody smarter than you are) with you all day and read it in the minutes when you have nothing else to do. Reading during TV commercials requires discipline, but it can be done.

Don’t listen to the radio or anything else while working. It will only slow your mind down to a crawl.

When you work, strive to get into the zone, concentrating totally with no distractions. Identify your most important task each day and strive hard to complete it. Eliminate distractions entirely during this time. That means no email, no phone.

Relax totally when it is time to relax.

Sleep totally when it is time to sleep.

CLT

Category: Uncategorized

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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.

Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

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

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Wasting Our Greatest Resource.

Is George Steinbrenner Really Dead?

Something Else for Landlords to Worry About — Illegal Immigrants.

Those Jersey Lawyers Can’t Take a Little Needling.

“Sending Resumes is Like Buying Lottery Tickets.”

The Only Rabbit He’ll Ever Catch.

Pittsburgh Legal Newslog: Police Restrain Seizure Victim and Draw a Suit.

Passing Some Milestones on AVVO

Hot Hot Hot

Making Every Minute Count.

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