Alumni--Stay in touch!

I often get calls from attorneys looking for recent--or not-so-recent--graduates of our program to work in their offices. I am working hard at convincing the local attorneys of the advantages of hiring current students part-time and training them while they complete their education, but these things take time.

In any event, it's great that our alums have acquired such a good reputation that attorneys think of turning here first. I'm looking forward to working with all of you to keep that reputation up!

In the meantime, if you are an alumnus looking for a job, or if you know of someone who is, please send them my way. I know people who are looking for you.

Just because you've graduated doesn't mean you're not still part of the family.

Tenants' Rights Workshops

I just got this flyer from Legal Aid. These are FREE tenants' rights workshops being hosted at various locations around Lafayette. Great information for yourself or your friends, perhaps; a chance to learn about landlord-tenant law; and an opportunity to schmooze with attorneys.

Law as (almost) Poetry: Justice Kennedy on Marriage

Below is the last paragraph of Justice Kennedy's majority opinion in the gay marriage case. Too good not to share:

Fair Housing--Last SCOTUS Bombshell of the Day?

The Court also upheld the federal Fair Housing Law. The FHL was enacted roughly 40 years ago in an attempt to eradicate housing discrimination. Over the years it had been held to outlaw not only overt discrimination, but policies or laws that didn't appear discriminatory on their face, and yet had a discriminatory impact.

In the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, the question was whether that was still true.

By a 5-4 vote, the answer is yes.

Turns Out, It IS Adam and Steve

In Obergefell v. Hodges, the Court recognized the right of same-sex couples to marry in the United States. This 5-4 decision makes same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

Sometimes a Typo Is Just a Typo

In King v. Burwell, a handful of citizens challenged the Healthcare Affordability Act (Obamacare). The premise of the case stemmed from the wording of a single phrase contained in the dishearteningly long statute which seemed to indicate that the government could not give tax credits to citizens of states that had their own health insurance exchanges (which would be most of the states). Everyone agreed that that was not what Congress had intended. Everyone agreed that the unfortunate wording came about in the process of amending and re-amending the proposed law. And yet, there it was, right?

There were lots of problems with this lawsuit, by the way--the most pressing of which being that most (possibly all) of the plaintiffs lacked standing, or any legally recognizable harm. But the Supremes left those issues aside and tackled the question head on.

It's a typo. Move on. Obamacare can proceed as intended. (This case was decided by a suprisingly sturdy 6-3 majority.)

Big Week at the Supreme Court

Lots of major decisions are being handed down this week at the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). I'm posting a link to SCOTUSBlog, which is a well-respected blog that covers SCOTUS decisions, with thoughtful commentary on the reasoning behind them and their impact going forward. If you want to know what people who actually understand law are saying about the Court, this is the place to look.

Kramer v. Catholic Charities

Several of you attended an Indiana Supreme Court argument at Purdue last fall. In the case, Kramer v. Catholic Charities, the adoptive parents of a baby girl sued the adoption agency for negligence when they learned that that biological father had stepped forward to claim the child. The adoptive parents' claim was based on their allegation that the agency breached a duty to them by failing to check the putative father registry or by failing to warn the parents that the agency had not done so.

The Supreme Court, while sympathetic to the adoptive parents' anguish, was not sympathetic to their legal claims.

You can read the whole opinion here:

Kramer v. Catholic Charities

Who's a Drama Queen? I'm a Drama Queen!

Lafayette Civic Theatre will hold its annual 10-minute play festival next Friday and Saturday, June 12 & 13.

Why am I announcing it here?

Because I am making my dramatic debut, that's why. I have been cast in the role of "Mom" in the play "Fun House Debt." This is my first dramatic role since the 4th grade. I am cast alongside two seasoned performers. Yikes.

I push all of you to move beyond your comfort zones on a regular basis. This is your chance to see the tables get turned. :-) A link for information about the 10-minute Play Festival is below.

Lafayette Civic Theatre 10-Minute Play Festival

Hot Coffee Is No Longer Unreasonably Dangerous

For those of you hoping to make your fortune by spilling hot coffee on yourselves and then suing for the big bucks, it turns out that that particular gravy train has come to a grinding halt. A police officer accepted free coffee from a Starbucks, spilled it on himself, and sued. The jury was unimpressed. Maybe because he hadn't even paid for the coffee in the first place. Hard to tell. But it's just not worth it. He got $0 in damages.

Cop Sues over Free Hot Coffee

It Doesn't Get Any Better than This

I believe I've written about this case before. This is the one where the paralegal from one firm met opposing counsel in a bar and seduced him into drinking with her until he was drunk. She then played on his chivalry (yep, that's what we'll call it) to persuade him to get her car for her because she was too drunk. As soon as he headed for the parking lot, she and her supervising attorneys notified the police that he would be driving drunk.

Things didn't turn out as the paralegal and her firm had anticipated. Opposing counsel was not charged with drunken driving, but the paralegal's supervisors are facing some heavy discipline from the Florida state disciplinary commission.

To pick up on today's development--it appears that the disciplinary commission is relying on a confession by the paralegal which may have been illegally videotaped by her estranged husband. (Hardly a surprise that marriage isn't working out.) Florida law forbids videotaping persons without their consent, and while hubby says he held his cell phone in plain view, he's not positive she knew he was recording and he's sure she didn't expressly consent. Given that she was apparently quite inebriated herself that evening, it's unclear that her consent would have been valid had it been given.

Also of note: Jezebel Paralegal's firm is representing their client, a "shock jock" DJ, against a defamation claim by someone who goes by "Bubba the Love Sponge Clem."

This looks like it'll be a case that just keeps on giving.

Jezebel Paralegal and Bubba the Love Sponge

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch

Loretta Lynch was sworn in as the country's new Attorney General earlier this week. She replaced Eric Holder, who resigned last year (but remained on the job until his replacement was sworn in). The Attorney General is the nation's chief federal prosecutor. She decides what the federal law enforcement priorities will be.

Ms. Lynch is a graduate of both Harvard College and Harvard Law School. (No, I have never met her. She graduated before I started.) Accordingly, Harvard published a very nice bio of her today.

Loretta Lynch Bio

Supreme Court Arguments in Obergefell

The Supremes do not allow cameras in the courtroom, but they do allow audiotaping. The audiorecordings of yesterday's Obergefell v. Hodges has been posted on the Supreme Court's website. Those of you looking for some interesting listening can click on the link below.

Obergefell v. Hodges Oral Argument

Summer Classes--Not as Popular as I Had Thought

I misread the enrollment figures for the summer classes. It turns out that there is plenty of room in both Litigation and Law Office Technology (not to mention Civil Procedure and Legal Ethics). Join us!

US Supreme Court Hears Argument re Same-Sex Marriage Tomorrow

Tomorrow, April 28, 2015, the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, concerning whether there is a Constitutional right to marry someone of the same sex and to have that marriage recognized in all 50 states, will be argued before the Supreme Court. Supreme Court proceedings are not televised, webcasted, or in any way videotaped, and a line reportedly started forming last Friday for the limited seats in the courtroom, so if you're not already in line, you'll probably have to wait until after it's over to find out how the arguments went.

In the meantime, if you'd like a little light reading, the ABA has published all--and I do mean all--of the briefs filed in the case. There are over 100 briefs. Twelve are for the parties, and the remaining 90 + are amicus curiae, or friends of the court, briefs. It seems that everyone who's anyone has an opinion they would like to share with the Court.

Obergefell v. Hodges, Tanco v. Haslam, DeBoer v. Snyder, Bourke v. Beshear

Docket Nos. 14-556, 14-562, 14-571 and 14-574

QUESTION PRESENTED:
1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? 2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state?

Supreme Court briefs

Summer Classes

Enrollment in PARA 155, Law Office Technology, and PARA 202, Litigation, are both at 21 students as of this morning. (Woot!) These classes are capped at 24 students. If you want to take either class this summer, you should sign up SOON. Maybe today.

PARA 103, Civil Litigation, and PARA 170, Legal Ethics, are also being offered this summer.

Unhinged Pro Se Filing

Sure, lawyering looks easy. We've all seen "Law & Order." But sometimes the stress of self-representation can push a person over the edge. That's apparently what happened to Tamah Jada Clark down in the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The language is a little salty (fair warning), but the spelling and grammar are actually not half bad. It is good reading!

Notice to F*ck This Court

In Re: Guardianship of Izzo

In a remarkably fast decision, the Court of Appeals has issued its order in the Izzo case that formed the basis of this year's Appeals on Wheels argument. As you may recall, Sharon Izzo is an older adult who, according to the trial court, was incapacitated and in need of a guardian to manage her affairs. Ms. Izzo brought the appeal to challenge that decision, and the case was argued right here at Ivy Tech.

In its decision, issued Friday, April 17, the Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's order. The decision to appoint a guardian for someone is within the discretion of the trial court. Overturning that order would require the Court of Appeals to find that the trial court abused its discretion--a really tough standard to meet. Ms. Izzo didn't meet it, and the guardianship stands.

The link to the decision is below. Ivy Tech students and faculty get a little shout-out in footnote #1. It's worth looking at the opinion just for that!

Izzo Opinion

Clay Bowl Lunch and Dinner Tomorrow, April 16, 2015

Clay Bowl Giving Project 

Thursday, April 16, 2015 at the YWCA
605 N. 6th Street, Lafayette

Hundreds of beautiful clay bowls donated from over 30 local potters are on display. Join us for lunch or dinner and pick out a clay bowl to take home.

Lunch is served 11:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Dinner is served 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Carry-out is available.

Reservations are $25 in advance and $30 day of event.

Students can attend dinner for only $10.  Must show student ID and pay at the door.

All proceeds benefit the YWCA Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Program.

Because Who Couldn't Use a Better Memory?

Paul Nowak, who teaches seminars on improving one's memory, is offering a free study skills workshop to Ivy Tech students, just in time for finals. The details are below.



Earlier in the school year, I taught a workshop to help students read faster. 
I'm now teaching a new workshop, Memory Techniques for Students, and was wondering if you could pass this information along to members of your organization that might be interested.  
This workshop is free to all students. 
Because class space is limited, we're asking that students RSVP here:
http://wwww.irisreading.com/memory-techniques
This workshop will cover the following:

1. How To Remember More of What You Read
2. How To Memorize Lists of Information
3. How To Memorize Equations
4. How To Memorize New Vocabulary

I think students will find the workshops very useful.