Personal Lives

Courthouse Chaos: Knife-Wielding Man Killed in Calif. Courtroom

There was chaos at a central California courthouse yesterday afternoon, as a man wielding two knives burst into building and ran into a packed courtroom before officers shot him to death there. Robert Eaton, 40, who apparently had a history of mental illness and had reportedly previously rammed his car…

Apr 29, 2008 5:18 PM CDT

Lawyer Creates Website for Smart People

Having a hard time finding someone smart enough to be Mr. or Ms. Right? Or are you just looking for friends with whom you can have an intelligent conversation? A corporate lawyer from Copenhagen, Denmark, says she may have the solution to both problems—a new social networking site for smart…

Apr 29, 2008 3:39 PM CDT

Law Practice Fear Factor: Caging the Tiger

There’s one common denominator among law students and lawyers in virtually any practice area: fear, says a Dallas psychotherapist who provides career coaching to lawyers. So learning to deal effectively with the constant concern that making a major mistake or losing a client or a case could eliminate a lawyer’s…

Apr 23, 2008 4:54 PM CDT

Lawyer’s Son, 11, Gets Florida Food-Donation Bill Enacted

A 6th-grader from Miami met with Gov. Charlie Crist today after he successfully lobbied to have the Florida state legislature pass a law allowing restaurants to donate unused food to the homeless. Jack Davis, 11, the son of personal injury attorney Jeffrey Davis, admits that “a bunch of connections” helped…

Apr 22, 2008 8:50 PM CDT

Attorney Cites Cop for Parking Infractions

When a city police officer allegedly parked his patrol car last month in a no-parking zone in front of an Asian restaurant on the trendy Northwest side of Portland, Ore., a local attorney happened to be there, too. So, after looking up the relevant law, attorney Eric Bryant, who recently…

Apr 21, 2008 11:16 PM CDT

Lawyer Uncovers McCain ‘Family Recipe’ Scandal

An “eagle-eyed” New York lawyer searching the Internet for recipes has broken the latest campaign scandal in search of a clever name. Lawyer Lauren Handel, a partner in McDermott Will & Emery’s New York office, made an unusual discovery when she was looking for a recipe from a chef on…

Apr 18, 2008 1:03 PM CDT

Wedding Ring Coffin a ‘Must Have’ Gift, Divorce Lawyer Says

Looking for the perfect gift for a divorce attorney or a divorcing client? An Atlanta newspaper offers a possible suggestion: a wedding ring coffin. “When I heard about it, I went to the website and thought to myself, ‘Must have. Must have’,” divorce attorney Melody Richardson tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.…

Apr 8, 2008 5:17 PM CDT

Lawyer Pays for Retraction After Pulling Wash. Post Obit Prank

The prank that Washington, D.C., lawyer J. Peter Segall played on a longtime friend turned out to be no laughing matter when he was forced to pay a retraction and, apparently, strained his friendship. Segall took out a fake “in memoriam” ad in the Washington Post on Tuesday with a…

Apr 2, 2008 9:23 PM CDT

Texas Lawyer Gets Last Laugh in Tax Law Contest

Austin, Texas, lawyer John Ramsey is $10,000 richer, but he didn’t get the money by bringing in legal business or winning a case. Ramsey produced a three-minute YouTube skit in which he jokes about paying his taxes with Monopoly money. When the IRS threatens him with jail time, he says…

Apr 1, 2008 10:21 PM CDT

Building the Road Less Traveled

Alabama solo puts practice on hold to answer military’s call to Afghanistan

Apr 1, 2008 3:16 PM CDT

Lawyer Writes Christian Guide to Legal Issues, Advises Against Revenge

Christian lawyer Stephen Bloom has written a new book that advises litigants to “rise above the mindset of greed and revenge so prevalent in the law.” The new book is The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues, Legal Blog Watch reports. Bloom, a lawyer from Carlisle, Penn., says too many people…

Apr 1, 2008 12:27 PM CDT

Retired Lawyer, Worried About Mental Decline, Asks Court to Approve Suicide

A retired lawyer in Florida has filed suit asking a court to allow his doctor to assist his suicide when he reaches the point of mental incapacity. James Mahorner, 76, says small strokes are attacking his brain, and he wants to establish a right to die while he is still…

Apr 1, 2008 12:09 PM CDT

Women Lawyers Have Higher Divorce Rates, Need Loving Husbands, Researcher Says

A researcher has found that young female lawyers and other women professionals have slightly higher divorce rates than their male counterparts. Law professor Robin Fretwell Wilson of Washington & Lee University is the author of the study. She says her study indicates that “women can’t have it all because there…

Apr 1, 2008 11:17 AM CDT

Legal Gender-Bender: Dad-to-Be Pregnant

How does the law relate to a pregnant dad? Some folks in a central Oregon resort town are about to find out. Originally born female, a transgender man in the city of Bend is now legally Thomas Beatie, married to Nancy. Because his wife had her uterus removed, however, and…

Mar 27, 2008 9:16 PM CDT

Creepy Convict Has Right to See Lawyer-Related Public Records

A Washington state prison inmate serving 24 years for arranging to firebomb two lawyers’ cars has a right to seek personal information about state attorneys, prison guards and judges, a court case has determined, even if it isn’t apparent that doing so serves the public interest. Under open records laws,…

Mar 25, 2008 10:44 PM CDT