Defending People

the tao of criminal defense trial lawyering

Look on the Bright Side: This Way You Can Do It on the Clock

Mark Bennett | November 25, 2008

Down at the criminal courthouse, the prosecutors are hard at work: updating their résumés. All Harris County Assistant District Attorneys, from the lowliest misdemeanor four to the most entrenched division chief, have been told by the incoming management to do so. (I couldn’t make this stuff up.)
Wow! That’ll be great for morale!
I will be [...]

Six Things; or, Does the Market Have Buddha-Nature?

Mark Bennett | October 7, 2008

• Houston DWI lawyer Paul B. Kennedy (The Defense Rests) notes the similarities between coaching 6-and-under soccer and communicating with a jury. (I like seeing other lawyers looking for clues to better lawyering in other areas . . . other, that is, than The Art of War.)
• Maryland criminal defense lawyer Jon Katz (Underdog Blog; [...]

You Know Your Organization is in Trouble When . . .

Mark Bennett | August 25, 2008

. . . you have your HR officer send out a bulk email explaining the procedure for resigning:
From: Walker, Gale
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 4:31 PM
To: All DA Employees
Subject: Resigned Employees…
Friendly Reminder…
Re: Letter of Resignation
All Employees of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office (including Summer Paid Interns) are required to submit a preferred two-week notice [...]