There have been recent efforts in Congress and state legislatures to address the issue of so-called patent trolls, also known as patent assertion entities. This year, at least three of the six patent-related decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States have been widely regarded as impacting PAE activity. Although these decisions are only six months old, they appear to be on a path to help curb these unwanted lawsuits.
The legal system plays a foundational role in a free society, and those who are called to this profession have an exciting opportunity to demonstrate their humanity while serving others.
Drawing upon Mr. David Letterman’s famous comic premise – the Top Ten List – we judges and lawyers would do well to take a similar look at our professional selves. So, for what it’s worth, see this judge’s Top Ten legal quotes, starting with No. 1 (and explanations). Of course, very few of them were said by lawyers.
I have a confession: I struggle to keep up with all the inputs in my life. Something is constantly seeking my attention – people, phone, texts, email and social media.
Bob Hammerle says “Whiplash” is a startling movie with an Oscar-worthy screenplay that assaults your senses.
In 2014, the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana’s Amicus Committee participated in a number of interesting appeals, several of which have not yet been decided. The cases DTCI became involved in this year addressed a variety of evidentiary and other issues that are of interest to the defense bar.
I will admit that when I first started practicing law, there were no BlackBerry phones, iPhones or tablets allowing one to access email at any time of the day, anywhere in the world. I also could not access the system in our office while at home or some other remote location. Now that all of these options are available to us, I can’t help but wonder is technology killing the ability to balance work with life?
According to the all-reliable Internet, the economy is improving. That may mean lawyers will soon be moving from their secure jobs to (possibly perceived) greener pastures. The act of leaving a law firm implicates several Rules of Professional Conduct that both law firm management and departing attorneys should be aware of. Here are three things to know about leaving a law firm.
Not only do the recipients of the volunteers’ time and effort benefit, but studies have shown that the volunteers themselves benefit as well.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General recently published a proposed rule seeking to add new safe harbors to the Anti-Kickback Statute, as well as amend certain existing safe harbors within the rule.
Legal education has lost its way. While many law schools seek to update and modernize their approach through the adoption of some required skills instruction and the addition of clinical experiences for more of their students, a significantly more aggressive approach is necessary to reform legal education fully and prepare law students to enter the practice of law today.
Rare is the restaurant that impresses with every dish. I mean every aspect of every dish, including, believe it or not, the fountain soda drinks. At least on one glorious September evening with my family, Coalition Pizza was that restaurant.
Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Patricia Riley offers an update on proceedings happening at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Regardless of practice area, Microsoft Word is an application that most of us spend significant time utilizing. Unfortunately, it is often amidst looming deadlines, preventing us from having time to truly explore features that could ultimately make us more efficient.
A growing economy needs all kinds of professional support – including leaders who have been trained in law and know how to problem-solve. That’s why we have developed several new programs at the IU Maurer School of Law designed to attract the best and brightest students to our school, introduce them to the growing global economy – and, we hope, keep them in the Hoosier State.
Bob Hammerle says “The Judge” can’t be saved by the appearance of brilliant actors Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall and Vera Farmiga.
Law firms will likely never be completely paperless (i.e., completely electronic). A good goal for firms, courts and attorneys is to use less paper and be more “paper-less.” This article presents four steps you can take to reduce the use of, and reliance on, paper in practice.
How is a chair like a cigarette? They can both kill us.
As a young lawyer, I have quickly learned that this friction between our duties to our clients and our duty to behave civilly becomes overly apparent at depositions. Without a doubt, depositions are an extremely effective and widely used discovery tool. They present great opportunity to gain valuable facts that can be used against an opponent. That being said, they also present great opportunity for incivility, especially because depositions are generally held outside a judge’s supervision.
In real estate and construction, zombies really are all around us. Structures with no life inside scar the real estate landscape in every major city – the abandoned automobile-parts manufacturing facility; the half-completed condo building; the vacant video store with its giant, empty parking lot; the literal hole in the ground surrounded by rusted construction fencing and graffiti – all threatening the health and safety of the structures and inhabitants around them.