What are we running toward?

At the new gym I’ve been going to, there is a long row of treadmills. The treadmills face a wall of mirrors. This means you get to watch yourself suffer. If you look to the left or right, you can watch other runners suffer too. You know what? Looking at yourself in the mirror when your heart rate hits 170 is not always pretty. So sometimes I steal a glance to the left or right to see if (as bad as I look) others are holding up even worse than me. Or I look at the speed readout on their treadmill to see if I’m running faster. If so, I have a little private “mwhahahaha” moment. If not, ...

Read More

Outside-In

One of the great things about the Richland County Bar is the way it embraces “outsiders” and not only accepts them, but weaves them into the community. I (reformed Atlanta boy, never going back, thanks) am a case in point. But a better example of how the “not from around here” folks are not only woven in, but have become depended on (and dare I say critical) to the just functioning of our legal community, is Sue Berkowitz. You may know Sue as the Director of South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center. Appleseed serves the low-income members of our community. Poor mothers and father ...

Read More

Something’s on the Floor

My oldest son, now a senior in high school, has grown into an amazing young man. Getting there was not always easy, and frequently characterized by moments like this: Me: “Don’t dump cereal onto the floor.” Him: “I’m not!” Me: “I’m watching you do it RIGHT NOW!” Him: “No you aren’t.” His favorite (and still sometimes go-to) tactic was to reframe things in front of my very eyes in real time and try to neurologically reprogram me into thinking I was hallucinating. While never fully convinced, I’ll admit that the fatigue produced from having to constantly debate the ve ...

Read More

Waiting for Trudeau

Despite what my coffee mug says (and as many of you can confirm) I may not actually be the World’s Greatest Lawyer. Despite that, I’ve somehow managed to become president-elect of Richland County Bar. Thankfully, that doesn’t start until next year. My advance plea for your help in that endeavor is below. Meantime, since it would be wrong for one person to grasp the levers of both government and the press (however Stalinesquesly cool that sounds) we had to find a new Editor for this newsletter. Enter, my good friend Mike Polk. Those of you who know Mike already know what a great job he ...

Read More

H 4702 General Bill, By Rep. Mike Pitts (R) Laurens

“I don’t see,” purred Dr. Goebbels, “why you should have the slightest difficulty in adjusting the trend of what you write to the interests of the State...What is the use therefore of editorial skepticism? It only makes people uneasy.” But, just to make sure, the new Nazi government enacted measures imposing the death penalty on those who published “treasonable articles.” Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda, Nazi Party, introducing the National Press Law to journalists in 1933 as depicted in The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. H 4702 General Bill, By Rep. Mike ...

Read More

Through Being Cool

There comes a time in every man’s life when you figure out how cool you no longer are. For me, it finally happened three weeks ago. More in a moment on that; but first, a bit of background. I’m 47 so, as a realist, I should have seen this coming for a while. The writing was certainly on the wall. I know because my two teen boys and pop-culture hyperaware 11-year girl keep reading that wall aloud to me as we ride in the car listening to the radio: Me: “Who is this guy that keeps yelling in the middle of everyone else’s songs?” Them: “Dad. Seriously. That’s Pit Bull.” Me: “Pit ...

Read More

Moving On

Don’t tell me, because I already know.  You’ve been waiting by the mailbox, haven’t you?  Wondering where your Richbar newsletter is?  Well, as a matter of journalistic principal, the blame always lies with the editor. But unlike all the times I’ve accepted the blame in the past, this time it really is my fault. I’ve been in the midst of moving my family of five from one house to another for what seems like about two months.  It’s one of those “life events” that shouldn’t be that time consuming or stressful.  It only rates a 20 on the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale which r ...

Read More

Keeping Calm

“I think all right thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired.   I’m certainly not! And I’m sick and tired of being told that I am.”  Graham Chapman, Monty Python,  “Right Thinking People” 1973.    You know what I’m getting sick and tired of being told to do?  I’m fed up with being told to “KEEP CALM and CARRY ON.”  Surely you’ve seen that slogan everywhere lately — mugs, t-shirts, posters, beach towels, iPhone cases, pillows, defibrillators and farming impleme ...

Read More

The Way We Debate.

Q: “What is your position on the role of government in supporting innovation in the field of biotechnology?" A:  “Recent research has shown the empirical evidence for globalization of corporate innovation is very limited. And as a corollary, the market for technologies is shrinking.  As a world leader, it is important for America to provide systematic research grants for our scientists. I believe there will always be a need for us to have a well-articulated innovation policy with emphasis on human resource development. Thank you.”   (To audience): “Now THAT’s the way you debate!� ...

Read More

Unsustainable

Back when I was a law student, I got a lot of advice from older lawyers.  Some of it I even asked for.  But some not.  Like the time I enrolled in USC’s mentoring program. I was  assigned an older lawyer from a big firm in Columbia (which no longer exists).  My first official act as Mentoree was to miss my appointment with my Mentor.  Three days later, I received my first “Nasty Lawyer Letter” in which I was informed how my massive breach in etiquette reflected my basic lack of worth as a person (and even lower value as a prospective member of the Bar).  Somehow it took three page ...

Read More

Fear of the Beast

“Being the parent of a young teenage son is not easy, but you can do it” my right brain says.  Meanwhile, my left brain is calculating the cost of military boarding schools in French Guiana.    But whenever I get ready to throw in the parenting towel, I’m reminded of some of the benefits of being a father to a teenage boy.  Like having someone to help move heavy furniture.  Or having someone who wants to go with me see “Need for Speed: Most Wanted” and not complain that it’s juvenile (when that — and the fact that Nicholas Sparks didn’t write it — is the entire point).  ...

Read More

The Final Rose

Florida State trails Auburn 31-27 in college football’s BCS Championship game.  13 seconds left on the clock.  FSU’s Heisman-winning quarterback, Jameis Winston, has just engineered a six play, 78 yard drive to the Auburn two.  Now he takes the snap.  He drops back, whips around, leaps, and hits receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the end zone!  Touchdown!!  Benjamin hangs on as the Auburn defense tries furiously to strip the ball from him, and FSU hangs on to win the last — and possibly the most thrilling - title game in BCS history. Unfortunately, I’m blissfully ...

Read More

Flight Risk

Have you heard about the FAA’s recent decision to allow the use of “Personal Electronic Devices” during all “flight phases?”  It’s true. Used to be that we had to wait until we were “safely cruising.” Now we can use our iPhones, Androids, Kindles, Nooks, and Laptops (simultaneously even) during takeoff and landing. Whether or not you welcome this new rule likely depends on what kind of traveler you are.  For me (and I suspect a lot of you) traveling is like driving — when we climb into that seat, our personality changes. In everyday life, I enjoy talking to people at the gy ...

Read More

Expect the Unexpected

A 2007 Honda Pilot has a total cargo capacity of 87 cubic feet. That didn’t stop my wife and me from loading it with 115 cubic feet of beach toys (plus three kids). You can load lots of equipment in a car when you don’t care about breaking it (which you don’t when you’re running three hours behind schedule and you’re furious at everyone). Jumping off a ladder makes closing the tailgate easier, too. My kids don’t know how easy they have it with their DVD’s, iPads, and iPods. God knows what else they have way back in the car. For all I know, they might be grilling paninis back ther ...

Read More

Breakfast Rules

One of the perks of being the editor of this newsletter is that once a month I get to eat a free breakfast with the members of Richland County Bar Association’s Executive Committee at their monthly meeting. I’m not sure that I’m actually supposed to be there. But my predecessor and friend Ward Bradley always was. So, if feeding a non-Committee member constitutes some kind of gross malfeasance, blame Ward. Anyway, in between stuffing myself with free Belgian waffles and remembering to restrain myself from voting on anything, I catch nuggets of news from the Executive Committee which occa ...

Read More

Freedom from Choice

Have you heard the big news? Hasbro, the maker of the Monopoly board game, is getting rid of one of the game’s eight playing pieces. In case you haven’t played for a while, the current pieces are (in order of lamest to coolest) : thimble, iron, wheelbarrow, boot, tophat, dog, battleship and racecar. We, the public, get to decide which piece gets the axe. Obviously, the racecar is totally safe. Everyone loves it. It has wheels - which makes sense in a game that goes in a circuit - and it looks awesome. The battleship is formidable. The tophat is dapper. The boot kind of looks like the race ...

Read More

The Man Who Had Everything

Unlike Fred Flinstone, and a thousand other cartoon/sitcom/family drama stereotypes, I really love my mother in law.  She’s always treated me like a son, and she’s never even ONCE tried to hit me with a rolling pin.  And she gives me great Christmas presents.  Usually. This year, in addition to a Barnes & Noble gift card (woohoo!) she gave me another gift -- a Brookstone battery-operated wine bottle opener.  “Oh no!”  I thought.  But it was official.  I had finally become The Man Who Had Everything. Don’t get me wrong, my hands DO get tired pulling cork after cor ...

Read More

Worrying

Do you have any recurring dreams?  I have one and it’s actually more of a nightmare.   It’s my  3rd Year at USC Law School.  It’s the last day of the last semester when I discover that I’ve forgotten to go to the required math class (I know — no math in law school, stay with me).  This class has met every day.  Now it’s time for the final exam on “Advanced Algetrigacalculculogicas.” Fail it, and I don’t graduate.  The professor stalks around the room handing out test booklets the thickness of the Dallas phone book.  I look at mine.  It appears to be comprised of char ...

Read More

Seven Things I Learned from Gene Trotter

Unless you just started practicing in the post-Lady Gaga era, you likely know my partner, Gene Trotter.  I still remember the day that Gene interviewed me.  It was 1995 and the highlight of  my resume was “graduated in top 65% of class.”   But he hired me anyway.  Besides being lucky enough to have great parents and finding the right girl to marry, getting hired by Gene was the biggest break I’ve ever caught. In the last 17 years, I’ve learned more from Gene about being a lawyer -- and life in general -- than I could possibly put into words. Nevertheless, in an effort to honor ...

Read More

SCDOR Data Breach

Saturday mornings as a kid in the 70’s were the best. I’d wake up early, pour myself a giant bowl of Count Chocula and sit down in front of the TV to watch Super Friends. In case you missed it, Super Friends was a cartoon about a team of superheroes (Batman, Superman, etc.) who banded together to fight evil as The Justice League. An oft-repeated scenario was this one: Super Villain X captures Aquaman. He then pretends to be Aquaman in order to wreak havoc and maybe learn the Justice League’s secret handshake. Just when you think all is lost, the real Aquaman escapes to confront fake A ...

Read More