Archive for February 2005
Alabama Court Appointed Attorneys May Strike
We’ve already had a lengthy discussion over the reasonableness of $30-$40/hour court appointed rates back here. Now, there’s an interesting development relating to court appointed rates out of Alabama as reported in Lawyers for Poor Threaten Walkout, David Holden, Huntsville Times (2/22/05). According to the article, the state currently pays attorneys for indigent criminal clients…
Read MoreLawyer Sanctioned for Disclosing What A Judge Should Have
Here’s another outrageous story of judicial heavyhandedness. This story, Attorneys Sanctioned for Representing Client’s Challenges of Judicial Ethics (Empire Journal 2/14/05). According to the article, the New York Appellate Division, First Department sanctioned two New York attorneys (to the tune of $2000 and $250 respectively) for “frivolous conduct” when they argued that a judge who…
Read MoreThat Slippery Downhill Spiral
I’m finding that it takes a strong stomach to blog about lawyers’ ethics transgressions. Even though I’m careful and try to do the right thing with every action I take, I often feel as if I’m just a breathe away from tipping over to the other side. Maybe it would start with a small act…
Read MoreLack of A Retainer Can Cost Lawyers’ Their Fee
Next time you find yourself thinking about letting the retainer agreement requirement slide (“I trust the client,” or “There’s no time,” are some excuses that might run through your mind), think again. Lack of a retainer agreement one can cost you your entire fee. That’s what happened in the case desribed in this New York…
Read MoreFree Divorces for Valentine’s Day
You’ll want to go over to David Giacalone’s f/k/a and read this post about presumably solo attorney Brad Margolis’ (no other attorneys are listed at his website) marketing stunt giving away a free divorce for Valentine’s Day. The news story that David links contains some discussion over whether the contest is tasteless. David, however, takes…
Read MoreThe 94 Hour Day
A Connecticut solo Timothy Spayne recently paid the federal government $1.24 million to settle charges that he overbilled the Electric Boat corporation for representing the company’s employees in workers compensation claims as reported in Billing for 94 Hour Day Nets Solo $1 Million Fraud Charge, Keith Griffin, Connecticut Law Journal (2/7/05). According to the article, …
Read MoreGoing Solo Right After Law School
One of our readers writes: I graduated law school last year and am finishing up another graduate degree…and am taking the bar this summer. For law students with little “real world” legal training (some law clerking), any advice on going solo out of law school? I read on your site about attorneys getting $40/hr court…
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