Eight years ago, an article appeared in the Florida Bar Journal tracking the tumultuous progress of Amendment 7. “On November 2, 2004, voters in Florida overwhelmingly approved Amendment 7. Known as the ‘Patients Right to Know About Adverse Medical Incidents,” Amendment 7 represents one of the most sweeping changes in law and public policy ever […]
The Lee Memorial Health System is a Florida Municipal District, authorized by Government Charter to operate hospital services in Lee County, Florida. It is now the only provider of hospital services in Lee County, Florida – owning each and every one of the hospitals currently operating here. In addition, LMHS aggressively pursued the rest of […]
“Justice delayed is justice denied.” A legal maxim often attributed to William Penn Clients are often surprised by the length of time their claims wait for final resolution in the courthouse. This is especially true for cases that may take a week or more to try. Insurance carriers and lawyers for defendants are financially […]
No one gives a damn about the things I give a damn about. The liberties that we can’t do without seem to disappear like ghosts in the air. When we don’t even care, it truly vanishes away. Jason Isbell, Alabama Pines In this jury trial series, we’ve been through history, television and the […]
When George Mastin rolled into town with his “Unparalleled Exhibition of Oil Paintings”, it was a sensational event by late 19th Century standards – enough to bring out the whole community. Broadsides on barn doors and tavern walls announced the happening, including historical and religious lectures. The Erin Twin Brothers would be there to clog dance. […]
What most people don’t understand – and most lawyers don’t want to talk about – is that jury selection is more DEselection. Everyone thinks they have no prejudices (they do) and can be fair in every case (they can’t). There’s a famous story about President George Herbert Walker Bush withdrawing as a judge in […]
The Jury consequently invests the people … with the direction of society. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America This series is about jury trials. Conflict has been used to resolve disputes for centuries – perhaps as long as time itself. Before trials, opposing sides would meet on a field for a battle or […]
Abraham Lincoln’s notes for a law lecture (discussed in the previous post here) are the subject of a ‘Professionalism Movement’ in the legal profession: the idea is that real change toward a better (more ethical) practice is caused not by changes to Model Rules but by freely acting agents – lawyers who voluntarily aspire for […]
Early in his career, lawyer Abraham Lincoln was a voracious reader of everything from poetry to newspapers. In 1837, his attention was fixed on a wave of violence and economic turmoil sweeping the country. He was convinced that America’s Founding principles demanded a renewed focus on respect for laws and a conscious turning away […]
“I am not an accomplished lawyer” Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was a famously small town lawyer. For the bulk of his career, he practiced solo with the help of a junior lawyer named Herndon – who functioned more as a paralegal – doing office organizing and paperwork. Lincoln was a circuit rider, traveling around the […]
