Blawg Review #8

Blawg Review #8 lands on Memorial Day.  Hopefully most of you aren't working, and thus have some time to remember those who died in faraway lands.  Bruce MacEwen and Ken Lammers share two powerful images here and here. 

Gary Trudeau is using his Doonesbury strip to list the names of those who died fighting in Iraq, and Ted Kopel will read the names of the dead soldiers on his television program.  Before you yell that they hate America for reminding us that people die in wars, read the preface to We Were Soldiers Once...And Young - which I was required to read before becoming an Army officer, and which is required reading at West Point.  In We Were Soldiers, a battalion commander recounts the Battle of Ia Drang, and in the preface to his book, lists those who died in the battle - on both sides.  Freedom, in Iraq or in America, isn't free; we should always remember the cost, not as a partisan ploy, but as citizens respecting the dead.

Today I'll remember the death of 1LT Brian Slavenas, a close friend with whom I attended Officer Candidate School.  He was shot down over Fallujah, piloting a helicopter that, had I not decided to move to California for law school (and instead had attended the University of Illinois), I would have been flying.  Brian was a kind and intelligent person, one whose accomplishments and intellect dwarfed his ego.  We're all worse off that he's not with us.

Now, on to Blawg Review #8...

Babe, I've got your money, don't you worry. Christine Hurt of The Conglomerate wonders what happened to the $1.4 billion that crooked (my word) investment banks paid to settle SEC conflict-of-interest charges.  So far, "In a nutshell, the SEC has done nothing with federal portion of the money and has suggested that it sort of escheat to the NASD.  The states have put their money to use in such 'innovative' approaches as billboards and PSAs."  Professor Hurt suggests that the SEC fund a high school program on investments.  KipEsquire, "an investment banker who does no deals," suggests that the SEC "give the money to PBS to create some documentaries about financial planning?"

Speaking of crooks, BarBri is being sued for antitrust violations. Well, BarBri isn't being sued for stealing.  Rather, they're being sued for allegedly paying Kaplan to stay out of the bar-review market. Richard Radcliffe summarizes the more damning aspect of the suit.  I've always considered BarBri the most overpriced gig in the United States (they got not a penny from me).  If the allegegations are true, then we now know why BarBri's cost groosly exceeds its value.

At the Greatest American Lawyer, you can learn how to save money by hiring virtual employees.  Speaking of using technology to save money, don't miss this post discussing "the biggest mistake small firms make when using litigation support technology."

Finally, at All Deliberate Speed, Donald argues that living one's principles is often costly - but worth it.

I fought the law, and the lawyer won.  This is an excellent post illustrating why people hate lawyers, but love their own lawyers.  Then again, Morgan Stanely is upset with Kirkland & Ellis - perhaps unjustly.  Read about the Morgan Stanley-Kirkland & Ellis fallout.

The American Bar Association's Law Practice magazine will "feature a year in the life of a brand new blogger in every other issue."

Jeremy Richey discusses the future of legal representation for poor people in Illinois.

Like a virgin's eyes.  Ron Coleman analyzes Hollywood's attempt to keep the smut in the reels.  Like him, I'm not sure one needs to see skin to get the point of Titanic.  But since I'm not a concerned parent (or a parent at all), censoring is unnecessary.

Every time I look at you, I go blind.  The Viagra lawsuits.

My way.  Sandefur is on an indefinite hiatus. It's a loss to the blogosphere, but his reasons are persuasive.  He still has an invitation to post here anytime his fingers get itchy. Fortunately, while Sandefur stopped writing, Ms. Fowler intends to keep writing.  And, Ruth Edlund has a list of things she enjoys.

I heard it on the AM radio.  No, XM Radio; Monica Bay tells us about hers.  I received an XM radio as a graduation present.  Wow - it rocks!

Take this job and shove it.  Strike that, give this lawyer a job, as interviewing sucks.

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies, about what going to law school and being a lawyer is like.  I disagree with Ms. Fowler on one point: She says that it's a lie that "grades have some correlation to the knowledge a student has about a course."  I scored a C in Wills & Trusts.  You would not want me drafting your will.  I scored an A+ in Constitutional Law and Civil Rights Actions; you could do worse than having me analyze your possible rights violations.  There are exceptions, to be sure, but no one's ever persuaded me that grades are random or that they don't correlate with one's knowledge.

Every trial lawyer's nightmare - the stealth juror, i.e., someone who lies to get on a jury - was realized in a recent asbestos lawsuit.

That's all for this issue.  I hope you enjoyed it.  If not, there's hope.  Next week JurisPundit will host Blawg Review #9. Blawg Review has information about next week's host, and instructions how to get your blawg posts reviewed in upcoming issues.