Letters: Running amok

Letters from Our Readers

Letters: Running amok

August 1, 2024, 2:30 am CDT

Running amok

Bryan A. Garner’s article (June-July, page 19) was, as always, both informative and entertaining. Knowing his work, I’m guessing that someone other than Mr. Garner chose the title that appeared in the ABA Journal Weekly Newsletter: “In some lawyers’ hands, the lexicographer rule can run amok.” Mr. Garner knows better than any of us that it’s the lawyer, not the rule, that runs amok.

Norm Tabler
Carmel, Indiana

Expanding diversity

President Mary Smith’s letter in the June-July issue of the ABA Journal (“The ABA’s Unyielding Fidelity to Diversity,” page 6) expresses appropriate concern about the future of our profession and the challenges of continuing to be responsive to diversity issues. Those who have been in the abuse/neglect system deserve recognition and care. To date, they have not been recognized as deserving of special diversity treatment. Admitting more foster children to collegiate education—from the local community college to the Ivy elite—is not only fair to them, but it also benefits all who interact with them. Minorities are sizable in the foster care population. All are entitled to dignity and a chance at success. They should not be overlooked or forgotten.

Judge Eugene M. Hyman (Ret.)
San Jose, California

The joys of retirement

I have enjoyed providing consulting to attorneys for their business practices and continue to do so for my existing clients. I am retired. For any attorney contemplating retirement, I often will suggest they consider offering their wisdom to their younger partners and senior associates. Experienced attorneys know far more than they are conscious of! Start by discussing how to manage the client relationship! And I endorse your article’s (“Resting Your Cases,” June-July, page 34) reference to joining a tennis club! It’s done wonders for me.

Peter Roberts
Seattle

Misquoted?

I fear David L. Hudson Jr. mistakenly quoted Oliver Perry at the conclusion of his article “A Too-Heavy Load” (June-July, page 20). Commodore Perry’s dispatch following his naval victory on Lake Erie in 1813 read “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.” The quote “We have met the enemy, and he is us” was cartoonist Walt Kelly’s parody, which appeared many years ago in the comic strip Pogo.

Thomas Goetzl
Bellingham, Washington

Skewed reporting

I am disappointed in the skewed nature of the article “Protesters’ legal rights are up for debate” (ABAJournal.com, May 24) and how it misrepresents the nature of the student protests against genocide. The article references horrific antisemitic chants with no citation and excludes the counterpoint that the student protests, oftentimes led by and including Jewish students, were not antisemitic and were peaceful until police were called to the campuses.

Perhaps worse, the article references incidents on the UCLA campus and notes a pro-Israel protester was on the ground with visible injuries. There is no mention of the aggression by the pro-Israel group against the students as documented by multiple sources, including CBS News, or to the resulting arrest, which CBS News and others also confirmed.

I expect better from our association’s excellent publication when such troubling challenges to the First Amendment are occurring on our campuses and simple fact-checking would avoid these obvious misrepresentations.

Roula Allouch
Cincinnati

‘Ownership mindset’

I recently had the pleasure of reading Erin Rhinehart’s article “Think Like an Owner” (June-July, page 16), not just once but twice. I found it incredibly helpful and timely for me personally and professionally.

At Subrosa, a private investigation company with employees in six states of which I am the president and CEO, we are preparing for an upcoming strategic meeting with our directors. The concept of the “ownership mindset” will be a key part of our discussion. While we are fortunate that many of our employees already embody the characteristics she described, my hope is that her recommendations will cascade throughout our organization and further strengthen our team’s commitment and engagement.

Thank you sincerely, Ms. Rhinehart, for bringing these thoughts forward. Your insights are invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Dan Perez
Phoenix