Y! Alert: Texas Lawyer

Yahoo! Alerts
My Alerts

The latest from Texas Lawyer

• Humor, Weekend Work Help Judge Sam Sparks Get the Job Done
• Newsmakers
• Inadmissible
• Investor Splinter Group Loses Bid to Shake Up Stanford Receivership
• Discord Over Strategy on Dr. Conrad Murray's Defense Team
• Justices Ponder Privilege in Workers' Comp Cases
• New Legislation and Rules for Inactive Oil and Gas Wells
• Analyzing Renewable Energy Projects for Investment
• Discipline
• Banishing the Word "Bossy" From Women's Vocabularies
• A Four-Phase Formula for Strategic Planning
• Commentary: Reel in Discovery Disputes in Travis County District Courts
• Don't Let Life Imitate Art
• Three Things Never to Write in Court Papers
• Identity and Meaning in and Outside Law
• Letter to the Editor: Success Is Based on Competence, Not Looks
• I Like Being a Lawyer
• Commentary: Handling Clients With Personality Disorders
• Commentary: Let "Jersey Shore" Pick Your Practice
• Law Clerks Offer Big Opportunities for Small Firms
• I Like Being a Lawyer!

---

Humor, Weekend Work Help Judge Sam Sparks Get the Job Done	Top
When U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks was growing up, his father worked long hours as a lawyer. saw something in his dad that influenced him to follow the same path. The elder Sparks worked hard, not because he wanted the paycheck, but because he felt satisfied doing important work and was good at it.
Newsmakers	Top
Inadmissible	Top
"Suit Settles" and "Fees Please"
Investor Splinter Group Loses Bid to Shake Up Stanford Receivership	Top
On Nov. 14, the U.S. district judge in Dallas overseeing the receivership of R. Allen Stanford's collapsed financial empire threw out a motion by a group of disaffected investors who have been trying to intervene in the proceedings since June.
Discord Over Strategy on Dr. Conrad Murray's Defense Team	Top
For much of the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray in Los Angeles Superior Court, discord dominated relations between Houston lawyer Ed Chernoff (pictured), who led the criminal-defense team for Murray, and his co-counsel J. Michael Flanagan of Glendale, Calif.'s Flanagan Unger Grover & McCool. Neither lawyer plans to represent Murray on appeal.
Justices Ponder Privilege in Workers' Comp Cases	Top
The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments recently in a case involving a discovery dispute that raises a question about the attorney-client privilege in workers' compensation cases. At issue in the mandamus proceeding is whether the attorney-client privilege applies to communications between an insurer, its lawyer and an employer that purchased workers' comp insurance. Houston solo Alan Daughtry represents the real party in interest.
New Legislation and Rules for Inactive Oil and Gas Wells	Top
Out of some 400,000 oil and gas wells in Texas, as of Sept. 30 the Texas Railroad Commission classified 112,653 as "inactive," writes John R. Hays Jr. Once a well becomes inactive, unless the operator obtains a deadline extension, the operator must properly plug the well to prevent pollution and leakage and clean up the surface — at least to some extent.
Analyzing Renewable Energy Projects for Investment	Top
Renewable energy projects differ from traditional power generation facilities, writes Becky H. Diffen. Wind farms, for example, can be spread over thousands of acres of land and across multiple county and local jurisdictions, and most renewable projects are dependent on federal and local incentive programs.
Discipline	Top
A Harris County lawyer has been disbarred, a Travis County lawyer has been placed on probation, and a Bexar County lawyer has received a public reprimand.
Banishing the Word "Bossy" From Women's Vocabularies	Top
One of the reasons women seem to hit a wall in their careers goes back to a word they've heard consistently since elementary school: bossy, writes Kathleen J. Wu. Two studies report that when women who work in professions traditionally held by men are successful, they are less liked than similarly successful men.
A Four-Phase Formula for Strategic Planning	Top
Over the past decade, significant changes have occurred within the legal profession that have required law firms to do long-range planning. The market for legal services has become, and will continue to be, more competitive, writes Joel A. Rose.
Commentary: Reel in Discovery Disputes in Travis County District Courts	Top
Want to know what Travis County District Court judges probably think about these disputes? Sara M. Foskitt writes that, typically, they're related to a slew of overly broad, irrelevant requests that equate to a fishing expedition (although that isn't always the case). A quick look at some local district court history can offer a few clues as to how the judges will probably proceed in discovery disputes and can provide a few lessons for lawyers.
Don't Let Life Imitate Art	Top
Articles that focus or comment on the physical characteristics of women are so commonplace that our society no longer questions or is offended by them, writes Linda Bray Chanow, executive director of the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. These articles perpetuate cultural definitions of gender that have a deep impact on the way women relate to and use power in the workplace.
Three Things Never to Write in Court Papers	Top
James M. Stanton writes that his experience on the state district court bench taught him that trial judges are a conscientious lot who read the briefs and want to get their rulings right. In light of that, he offers three things a lawyer should never write in court papers for fear of turning off the judge and hurting a client's chances of prevailing at a hearing.
Identity and Meaning in and Outside Law	Top
Been to a singles bar lately? Checked out an Internet dating site? Not that he would know, writes Michael P. Maslanka, but he hears that the No. 1 question is, "So, what do you do?" The question enslaves if used as a proxy for valuing people, but it liberates if used as a starting point for understanding them. Art illuminates the contrast between life and work. It can teach values, provide clarity and generate understanding, he says.
Letter to the Editor: Success Is Based on Competence, Not Looks	Top
Elizabeth Poole of Austin takes issue with a Texas Lawyer article titled "Pretty Power: Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful." The author of that article "writes from the point of view of a woman who is succeeding in a male-dominated profession by pandering to males. Her method of navigating this testosterone-laden minefield by donning the protective gear of 5-inch heels, pink suits and makeup is not without its drawbacks," Poole writes.
I Like Being a Lawyer	Top
Susan Morrison lists the top five reasons she likes being a lawyer.
Commentary: Handling Clients With Personality Disorders	Top
In contemporary law practice, particularly in litigation, the expert witness in psychology — psychiatrists, forensic psychologists, psychotherapists and so on — increasingly is a member of the teams on opposite sides of a courtroom. Litigators need at least a passing sense of some of the language used by experts in this field, writes James Dolan.
Commentary: Let "Jersey Shore" Pick Your Practice	Top
For the benefit of recent law school graduates, Kip Mendrygal has created a personality test to help new lawyers match themselves to the right fields. For the test, he picked a platform the intended audience would relate to: MTV's "Jersey Shore," the heartwarming tale of eight soft-spoken and introspective men and women brought together to live in a house and, mostly, fight and party.
Law Clerks Offer Big Opportunities for Small Firms	Top
In this difficult economy the legal job market is an increasingly competitive place, says Raymond L. Panneton. There are more law students seeking clerk positions than the larger firms can handle or want. Small firms might not have the financial resources to hire a full-time associate, but they may need additional manpower in the office to stay on top of the caseload. Although the notion of hiring a part-time clerk may be daunting, the benefits received by both parties make the experience more than worth it.
I Like Being a Lawyer!	Top

CREATE MORE ALERTS:

Auctions - Find out when new auctions are posted

Horoscopes - Receive your daily horoscope

Music - Get the newest Album Releases, Playlists and more

News - Only the news you want, delivered!

Stocks - Stay connected to the market with price quotes and more

Weather - Get today's weather conditions

You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.