#real lawblr

[vividstardustrevolution]

Disabled people (both people with physical disabilities and people with psychological disabilities) should be able to get housing, food, medical needs, etc met without having to work or stay in school. ...Okay, really, everyone deserves access to free or affordable housing, food, and medical care, but disabled people ESPECIALLY deserve it because if I, a law student with "low support needs" autism, depression, GAD, OCD, and ADHD, cannot afford to take a break from school and take a semester off because I'd have to start repaying my loans because I had to drop down to three credits last fall and because I would have to get a job, so it wouldn't really be a break (which, I have had one job in my life, and I'm not fully convinced it wasn't a fluke, and also, trying to maintain a job when you have disabilities is difficult), I can only imagine that disabled people with higher support needs are even more fucked than me when it comes to being able to get housing and food and medical care without much, if any, funding.

Yes, Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, and housing programs exist in the US, but, uh, I hate to break it to y'all, but that doesn't fully fix the problem, at all. There are a lot of old apartment complexes that are straight up inaccessible if you use a wheelchair. I'm living in one now. Applying for Medicaid and other programs can be a pain in the ass, especially when you're disabled.

"Just live with your parents!" My parents were emotionally abusive and emotionally neglectful, transphobic, and they literally harassed me so much during my 1L year that I still have nightmares.

"Live with a roommate!" I tried to. It went fucking terribly.

"Are you really disabled if you're able to be in law school?" YES. YES I AM.

Actually, on that note, law schools and the law profession need to become more accommodating for disabled people ASAP. Buck v. Bell needs to be overturned. Courts should be wheelchair accessible. Having to get past seven plus different forms of ableism just to graduate and pass the bar is ridiculous. Seriously, can we get some resources for disabled people in law school and the law profession, please?

Disabled rights matter, and we have every right to be able to live in peace and get our needs met, regardless of our support needs, disabilities, or anything else.

[ziggyevenstar]

court employed lawyer off duty!!🎀🍃 i feel so laid back now compared to when i was in law school and reviewing for the bar. am i really living a happy lyf???

[shadowed-yet-vibrant]

Today, our firm hosted a CLE about mental health and substance abuse in the legal profession. It was a well-done presentation, trying to fit the breadth of a decades-long systemic issue into a neat PowerPoint while keeping it at only one hour long (not .1 more or .1 less).

It feels like a pointless uphill battle. You're asked to make 2100 billed hours per year (or more). As a junior associate you need to achieve perfection - but you don't even know where the standard is, not yet, you're too new and you're trying your best. You're asked to attend non-billable CLEs and networking events and participate in bar associations and look ahead to business development and go out with your colleagues and socialize with clients in non-billable events and. and. and. You know who at the firm is an alcoholic - maybe you are too. You laugh at jokes about online gambling - you know the partner who gambled away his last paycheck, and he's laughing. You know who's filing for their third divorce. Who's about to lose the kids. Who missed their son's state-level championship game because they had a call with a prospective client (he won't forget, he'll never forget).

But they ask you to take care of your mental health (but you're chastised if you don't respond to the 1am email from the partner within 10 minutes). But they ask you to take care of your physical health (but there's a beer fridge in the break room). But they ask you to practice well-being (but they expect you on-call 24/7). But they tell you to get enough sleep (but the junior associate got less than an hour because of the partner's poor planning). But you need to look out for signs of mental health concerns in your peers (but you're also thinking about dying).

I could write a novel on this. Many attorneys have written similar ramblings, articles, studies, surveys, so I don't really need to. It's a problem. But there's been no real attempts at change. Sure, yes, there's awareness. But billable demands keep rising. So do standards in not just federal court, but state court. But you're at a firm that pays so well you'll endure whatever demands they put on you because that's just too damn good to lose. But you feel like shit every day. But- hey, well, the partner has been doing this for 45 years now. Why can't you?

[themirokai]

It gave me a 1.2 percent performance reliability drop. I tapped Pin-Lee's feed and sent to her, Make a legal thing so I don't have to do that.

I stg “make a legal thing so [we] don’t have to do that” is like 25% of what my clients ask for.

Another 40% is “make a legal thing so we CAN do that.”

Well done, Murderbot, you have successfully imitated human legal clients. Obviously Pin-Lee did not blink at this request.

[saul--transman]

"In the workforce you have to argue things you don't agree with"

how about we don't make minority students argue against their own humanity so the white cishets can have a fun little debate about topics that they'd never give a shit about otherwise

[lawbyrhys]

Lawyer Breaks Down The Imane Khelif Lawsuit

I am an American attorney, and even though this lawsuit was filed in French court, I can still break it down and give my thoughts on the situation.

Let's get into this high-profile criminal lawsuit.

Algerian boxer and Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has filed a criminal complaint in French court last Friday, August 9, alleging that "acts of aggravated cyber harassment” have been perpetrated against the star athlete since her appearance at the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The lawsuit was filed with the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office and names X as the defendant; X as it refers to unknown persons in French law. Doing so "ensure[s] that the ‘prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people," including those who may have shared hateful messages under pseudonyms and screen names.

To discuss another X in this case, though, Elon Musk finds himself named in the lawsuit, as does author J.K. Rowling. The pair have found themselves at the center of the controversy, having taken to their respective social media channels to post their takes and stoke the flames surrounding Khelif. "J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,' says Nabil Boudi, Khelif's Paris-based attorney.

What about former president and 34-time convicted felon Donald Trump, though? He's shared his own remarks on the Algerian boxer. "Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution."

Khelif's time at the 2024 Olympics—despite winning gold in women's 66kg boxing—has been overshadowed by speculation regarding her gender. It's important to note that Imane Khelif is a cisgender woman; she was born female and does not identify as transgender or intersex. The International Olympic Committee backs these facts, too, stating that "scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman." Yet, the vitriol continues; the internet at large has been having a field day with it.

Adding to the flames are Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling. Musk, who is the owner of the X site, shared a post from swimmer Riley Gaines that read, "Men don't belong in women's sports," approving the message with one of his own: "Absolutely." Additionally, Rowling posted an image of Khelif and Italian boxer Angela Carini mid-fight with a caption accusing Khelif of "[being a man who was] enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head." She posted this to her 14.2M X followers. Donald Trump piped in—as he's known to do—with his own caption for the image of Khelif and Carini, with a vow of sorts: "I will keep men out of women’s sports!" A campaign promise, maybe?

Interestingly, even Logan Paul had something to say. As if Paul isn't busy enough with his frivalous defamation lawsuit against fellow creator Coffeezilla, he added to the mix with his denouncement of Khelif's triumph over Carini:

"This is the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes. A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fighting for her deceased father. This delusion must end." Paul later deleted this post, though, admitting that, "might be guilty of spreading misinformation." He doesn't want yet another lawsuit on his hands—that's my take.

Khelif's attorney isn't buying any of the bullshit, though, and nobody's apology will absolve them of their legal liability in his eyes. "That lawsuit is filed and the facts remain."

About the intentions of the lawsuit, Boudi said:

"What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary. If the case goes to court, they will stand trial." As it pertains to those on US soil, he adds that "[the lawsuit] could target personalities overseas. The prosecutor’s office for combating online hate speech has the possibility to make requests for mutual legal assistance with other countries." Boudi cites an agreement between the French and American equivalent office per the online hate speech.

The lawsuit is intended to prosecute individual social media users and not the platforms themselves. As Boudi states, "It’s the responsibility of lawmakers to issue sanctions to platforms, not ours," going on to note the severity of similar cyber harassment cases, and that in some cases, "there are prison sentences."

Judicial systems worldwide have begun to take cyber crimes like these more serious in recent years. As use, popularity, and reliance on the internet grow, so must the laws and protections.

Khelif's coach, Pedro Diaz, has even weighed in on all the controversy surrounding his champion athlete. He states the hate has "incredibly affected her and everyone around her."

What do you think of this case? Let me know!

[noirandchocolate]

I reviewed another opinion for a judge in a case I worked on, and she not only copied my supervisor on an e-mail glowing with praise for my memo and how quick and helpful my editing was, she asked me to call her just so she could 'thank me properly' for explaining a complicated area of the law she was unfamiliar with and 'making her job so much easier.'

^(^o^)^ I am gooooood at what I do and everybody says so!!!

[not-your-lawyer]

To bar-takers tomorrow:

Y’all have got this and will come out on the other side. Good luck everyone.

[attorney-anon]

Goodnotes Stuff

So lately, I've gotten into using Goodnotes to keep track of my work because I have a large enough case load that it really, truly helps to give myself a running checklist, and I prefer digital notetaking because then I can use stickers without actually losing them (because commitment is scary).

I even made myself a colorful to-do list template with my firm's branding colors on it so that it serves as a reminder that when I have it open, I'm supposed to be working. And I've set up a way to color-code my notes so I can tell at a glance what's done, what's urgent, and what's on the horizon. For tasks that I am dependent on someone else doing their job, I have a way to notate who/what I'm waiting on. And I converted my handwriting into a cute font, so that it feels personalized.

To the extent that any of this is helpful to anyone else, here are the non-self-identifying papers, covers, stickers, and color palettes I've made for myself. Not everything is in every color, because I do these according to my attention span. Feel free to recolor/reshare/whatever.

I will add on to this as I remember to do so.

[bemusedlybespectacled]

Hi! I'm in law school rn and having a lot feelings and thoughts about it. Would ou share some thoughts and positivity? Am I in the right path? Cries and panics in finals are coming and I don't know if this is for me

IMO there are two potential reasons for these kinds of feelings:

You don't feel like this is the right path for you because you feel incapable/incompetent and lawyers are supposed to be Very Very Smart And Capable And Good At Shit All The Time.

You don't feel this is the right path for you because you just genuinely don't like law: you don't like compiling big piles of data into neat bins that match the elements of a particular statute or a specific holding or a coherent argument.

(The third potential reason is for later in your career, in which case it might be that you don't like certain elements of the practice of law: dealing with needy clients, meeting a billable hours requirement, working long hours, etc. In that case, you can always try changing the type of law you're doing - like, if you hate litigating in courtrooms, you might prefer going in-house, or becoming a law librarian, or being a clerk.)

If it's that you don't like law, you do not have to keep doing it. You are allowed to find something else that you like better. A couple of people in my law school class dropped out to be teachers; my clinic partner has a law degree and a PhD and has only ever taught as a professor; you do not have to throw good money after bad on a career that you don't like.

If it's that you feel incompetent and stupid and not like A Lawyer™ because lawyers are geniuses: first of all, I bet you are perfectly fine and can totally do this, because you got all the way here and that's pretty fucking hard already. But let's pretend that fear is actually true and you really are that bad (I doubt it): I promise you, I promise you that there are people practicing law right now who have no idea what the fuck they are doing. Not even in a cutesy "we all get imposter syndrome sometimes" way, I mean "holy fuck how are you still practicing" way.

The CPS attorney I worked across from in my old job did not know any of the rules of evidence, had no legal writing skills whatsoever, and couldn't handle making or defending objections to save her fucking life. She was the attorney for the entire fucking county.

I once got a response to a multi-page motion (like four pages of argument and another 25 or so of exhibits) that was two pages with enormous fucking margins and paragraph spacing, spelling errors, and no actual argument from a guy who had been practicing longer than I've been alive. I actually saved his reply (and the judgement with the footnote that says "as Attorney Bespectacled correctly notes in her brief") as a pick-me-up for when I'm feeling like a fucking idiot.

There are lawyers with a shitload of experience, who make millions of dollars taking on high profile cases, who fucking suck at it. Seriously, watch either of the Sandy Hook trials on the Law and Crime Youtube channel (or listen to any of the depositions that get covered on the Knowledge Fight podcast - they're all titled "Formulaic Objections") if you want to see just how bad a person has to be at being a lawyer in order to get sanctioned.

At one point when I was studying for the bar exam and panicking over it, my partner said, "Michael Cohen passed the bar exam, and I know you're smarter than him, so if he can pass it, so can you." I'm certain you're both smarter and a better person than, like, any of Trump's lawyers, or even a good chunk of my law school classmates (like the entirety of FedSoc cough cough).

But even if you're not, remember: there's only ever one CALI winner per class, so most people aren't going to ever get one. Most people who graduate law school and pass the bar and practice law are just incredibly fucking average. Like, that's just math. You're not a failure if you aren't the best, because most people aren't the best. You can still do very well in life as a lawyer even if you're just Some Person, because that's what most lawyers are.

(Also, sidenote: law school and actual law are very different environments. How you do in one has very little bearing on how you do in the other.)

tl;dr: You're going to be fine no matter what you end up deciding.

[wittyno]

Im feelings nostalgic tonight so here are some tips for those of you thinking about going to law school

1. do not go to an unaccredited law school. I know they are cheaper. They may even provide a semi decent education. Yes law school loans suck I have them too and the amount school costs is a crime. But as someone who knows about legal hiring don’t do it. People will not hire you.

2. depending on the school you go to the school May encourage competing for example by posting your class rank / grade. Do not give into that. Do not view your fellow students as the enemy. They are your comrades in arms. Trust me, you will need them and they will need you.

3. it will suck. Especially 1L year because you are learning a whole new way of looking at the world. It is a lot and it’s going to be crushing at times. That’s ok. You will get through this.

4. there is this weird idea that if you didn’t get into the big fancy schools / can’t afford them, don’t have perfect grades, on law review, clerk, and that other fun stuff you’ll never get a job. That’s bullshit. You might not get the biglaw job but do you really want to sell your soul only to work 80 hours a week? Nothing against people who do it. We all got loans to pay but… it’s not biglaw or bust.

5. figure out your learning style, if you haven’t already. It will save you time and crying. There are guides online. Then design your learning around that. I used to record my outlines and listen back to them because I’m an auditory learner. But do what works for you.

6. social media / influencer lawyers are almost all big law lawyers at least the ones I’ve seen. Don’t base your goals on them. Again see point 4. they’re fine but again you are seeing a curated snapshot of their lives, not all of it.

7. do not give legal advice to anyone. The second you start law school you’ll start being asked for legal advice. Do not do it. It’s against the law and can get you barred from becoming a lawyer. I know it’s exciting because what if someone you know just had their fiancé walk out on them and they want the ring back and you just read a case on that in property. Don’t do it. Don’t fuck up your future.

8. do Social stuff. One of the things that I was most looking forward to in law school was to make new friends. COVID took that from me, which sucks. But you have a chance. Go out have fun.

9. some subjects will be hard for you and easy for others and vice versa. I hated property. If I could get into a ring with any legal concept it would be the rule against perpetuities. Though they might stop teaching that soon, because I think the bar is dropping it which is good. Or maybe Erie‘s got you down. That’s fine. Some shit is just hard. It’s ok to acknowledge that.

10. chances are you will get your shit rocked by your grades. Chances are you’re pretty good at school. You may have even tied your self worth to your academic performance. Law school is a whole other league. I don’t say this to scare you. I say this to prepare you for getting your shit rocked. The grading is different. The material harder, you have to take in way more quickly. if your first semester grades turn out lower than what you’re expecting. that’s ok. Know that what you’re doing is hard but you can do hard things. untie your self worth from your academic success as fast as you can. No one cares if you fuck up a cold call. They are too worried about themselves.

11. most important. There will always be more to do. More learning more reading. This was one of the biggest adjustments I had to make because up until that point in my academic career there was always an end to my to do list. There were natural end points. These do not exist in law school. There is always someone studying more than you. Remember study smart not hard. I mean it will still be hard, but at some point you hit a point of diminishing returns. If you’re staying up past midnight every night to study ask yourself how much are you actually learning. Take breaks, sleep, rest, keep work life balance at all costs.

[shadowed-yet-vibrant]

Big decisions about abortion and LGBTQ rights make better headlines but SCOTUS just eviscerated the Chevron doctrine and no one but my dork-ass lawyer colleagues knows how immense this is (even if Chevron was arguably dead in the water before, and they just finally pulled the trigger to put it out of its misery).

[themirokai]

Federal contract my company might get: You need to comply with the ADA.

Me: Cool. No problem.

Asshole CFO: Have we reviewed that?

Me: The… the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Asshole CFO: Yes. It’s part of the contract. We should review it.

Me: It’s longstanding federal law. We’re totally compliant with it.

Asshole CFO: How do you know if you haven’t reviewed it?

Me: Because I am generally familiar with its provisions and we pay an HR company to make sure our handbook complies with federal and state law.

Asshole CFO: The HR company says lots of stuff. I just think if something is in a contract we should review it.

Me: I agree with you generally but are you saying that I need to review every single federal statute?

Asshole CFO: I just think if something is in a contract we should review it.

Me: See, just saying that makes it sound like a reasonable thing. Having me actually review the entire ADA and the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act on top of the Federal Acquisition Requirements (which I *am* reviewing) is not reasonable.

Fml.

[lawschoolruinedme]

[lawbyrhys]

An American Lawyer's Mindset on Nov. 6th

Hey there, guys. It's been a while since I've been able to sit down and write any real long-form content for this blog because I was so busy with my real life work and trying to do everything I can to stay sane in these treacherous times. I've been working on some projects, but those will have to wait while I evaluate options for my future. As I'm writing this, it's November 6th, and Donald Trump has been reelected President of the United States. In this post, I just want to talk to you a little about where my head is at as an American attorney in these terrifying times.

Needless to say, I'm fucking devastated. I was so positive Harris-Walz was the winning ticket, and I am beyond disappointed in this country and all the people who either sat out the vote or gave theirs to his fascist ideology. Project 2025 is a real threat, and I do not think the threat was taken as seriously as it should've been. I have given so much of myself to this country and the rule of law herein, and I have had to do a lot of soul-searching as to my steps moving forward as an attorney and what my future looks like.

I wrote a draft of this post late last night over a few glasses of whiskey, but I'm writing it again 24 hours later with a sober mind and marinated spirit. While I'm still devastated, I have decided I will not take this lying down. I went into law because I care about the people of this country, even the ones who have proven not to care about themselves. If I gave up and ran for the hills on day one, what kind of example would that set for my peers? That isn't to say I don't have plans in place to leave if I need to, but that shouldn't be and will not be my knee-jerk reaction. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have the resources and connections to have an "out" if need be, but I'm going to stay in this fight as long as I possibly can. So expect more from me in this field and on this blog until I see no feasible way to continue with my work in this country. I took an oath, and I will stand by that oath until the Constitution no longer stands.

I want to take a moment to send my love and appreciation to those of you who have supported my blog. This law blog is a true passion project for me, even though I've been too busy to post regularly as of late, and I intend to keep treating it as such. I am devastated about the state of this nation, but the law still stands for now, and so shall Law by Rhys.

Again, I can't, and we can't let this hate win. We have to stand for something or fall for nothing. I will always be your friendly Tumblr lawyer as long as you will have me. Thank you for all your support and stay strong in these insane times.

[noirandchocolate]

It's really fun that I've become my office's resident 'expert' on a particular relatively new legal topic because two of the court opinions that have been issued in recent years on the subject were copypasted with minimal changes from my memos on the cases.* So now when I write memos for new cases dealing with the same or similar subject matter, I am often just quoting myself, but with a judge's name pasted over mine to give my words actual precedential weight. There's this added layer of humor for me that I'm now essentially writing opinions that cite to other opinions I wrote. Which is something judges do openly, but I do in secret.

I am the ghost in this area of law in my state, and my power grows each time somebody bitches baselessly about something this one agency does.

*Mostly just to change bits where I said 'I recommend that you find X' to 'we find X.' Things like that.