Reflections of a Boston Lawyer

This editorial from today's New York Times says it all.  A toast not only "for the steady currents, flowing out of the past, that have brought us to this table," but also to the unexpected, "for all the ways that life interrupts and renews itself without warning." How drab our collective lives would be without this Thanksgiving Day.  Best wishes to all. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/opinion/26thur1.html

As the holiday approaches, it is customary to pause and reflect on those things for which we are thankful.  Many of our causes for giving thanks are personal, but we should not overlook the blessings of our professional lives.  As the legal profession, like so many others, struggles through difficult times, and as the burden of those times falls heavily and unfairly on many talented and dedicated lawyers, it becomes more difficult to see reasons to be thankful.  When the stresses and strains of modern law practice start to wear on me, I find it helpful to think of a balance sheet, that lists both assets and liabilities, and to use this time to focus only on the assets side, knowing full well that I spend more than enough time the rest of the year focused on the liabilities.  And I find it helpful to think beyond my personal situation, to the lives and works of others.  So, here is a partial list of those things for which I am thankful today. I am thankful for the many brilliant peopl

I don't pretend to be an expert on the current healthcare debate, nor have I had the time to follow it as closely as some.  I have read a few articles, listened to a few speeches, and engaged in a few conversations, usually with people who are no greater experts than I am.  I understand that critics think the healthcare reform law will cost to much, while supporters say that if it's not passed we will end up spending more.  I have cringed at the shouting at town meetings by people who react emotionally rather than rationally to the issues, and who would be well advised to listen rather than speak. But for me, putting aside the details and complexities that the policy makers and Congress have to grapple with, it comes down to this.  I had my annual physical yesterday.  It went well, with no surprises. I left with the peace of mind of knowing that there is a primary care physician I am able to see every year, or more often if necessary, who has ready access to my medical histor

I'm going to break from the focus on law, and turn briefly to the arts.  This weekend brought me back in touch with some songs, and one  poem, whose sheer lyricism caught me by surprise.  It started Friday night at the TD Garden, before the Celtics game, at the singing of " The Star Spangled Banner ."  I've heard the song a million times, but this time I shut out the distractions and listened closely to the lyrics, trying to envision what Francis Scott Key witnessed during the British attack on Fort McHenry that inspired the poem.  You would think I'd be inured to the familiar lyrics sung at every major sporting event, but I'm not too embarrassed to say I got a little choked up as I let my imagination carry me to that monumental Maryland night.  (The game was entertaining too, although my team lost to the very talented Phoenix Suns.) Then, last night, my wife and I went to see Maureen McGovern's one-woman show at the Huntington Theatre , " The Long

Critics of plans to create the first public law school in Massachusetts argue that there are already too many lawyers. This argument finds support in the current contraction in the legal industry, in which law firms are laying off lawyers, cutting back on hiring, and reducing salaries and bonuses in record numbers. David Yas, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly , counters that, although there may be too many lawyers seeking jobs in private law firms, there is a scarcity of community lawyers and lawyers in public service jobs. A public law school, he argues, would allow students from economically depressed communities who cannot afford private law school tuitions, and who may be more motivated to represent those most in need of access to justice, to become lawyers. Instead of an over-supply of lawyers, Yas suggests, there is a shortage, at least when it comes to serving the needs of people who live in such communities and the poor. I don't know whether h

The first time I learned the phrase, "the more things change, the more they stay the same," I was a teenager reading an article in "Circus" magazine, a periodical devoted to the music scene of the late '60s and early '70s. (The article included the French version of the phrase, but I won't embarrass myself by trying to set that out here.) I don't remember the point of the article today, but that phrase and one other stuck with me. The other, which sometimes applies to the way I approach blogging, is "How do I know what I'm thinking until I see what I say?" Wisdom for the ages. A year ago at this time, America voted for change, and change was badly needed. We were stuck in two wars, the economy was in shambles, and we were as divided politically and culturally as we have ever been since the 1860s. Although some progress has been made under the current Administration, our basic condition has not changed. We remain in Iraq and Afgha