ALSB member Janine Hiller from Virginia Tech shares the following case for use in class:
It occurred to me that one of the cases that I have long used in Internet Law actually resulted in a final verdict that illustrates trespass to land quite well, and relates to Streeview, of which students of course are well aware. It is not a brand new case, Boring v. Google settled in 2010, but I recently came across the website of the plaintiff's attorney chronicling the case which provides interesting and impassioned commentary on the power of Google and the rights of individuals. So other discussions can also be interesting.
Editor's note: The plaintiff's attorney's website is quite detailed.
Below is a news video from early in the life of this lawsuit:
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Featured Movie: The Verdict
TheVerdict is probably my favorite law movie of all time. I am enamored with its ironies and thoughtful inquiries into the civil justice system.
Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is a one time promising lawyer, now down on his luck after being victimized by ethically challenged legal employers. He has a case that is sure to get him back on his financial feet - a malpractice case against a hospital run by the powerful Archdiocese of Boston. A young mother is given a general anesthetic during childbirth and aspirates into her mask. The oxygen deprivation leaves her comatose. A settlement is all but assured, until Frank decides that he has an obligation to pursue the case to a verdict to expose the wrongdoers. But is it justice that Frank seeks or his own personal redemption?
In the eyes of many, it is usually the lawyer who wants the settlement money and the client that wants justice. In a beautifully designed reversal of roles Frank's clients, the victim's sister and her husband, are seeking a settlement to set up a perpetual care fund for their loved one before departing to Arizona to pursue work and better health. In a key scene, Frank, who is initially portrayed as a low life, turns down the substantial settlement offer to pursue "justice." It is the first time that Frank exhibits any redeeming qualities. Of course, it is also the moment when he breaches his professional obligation to his clients.
The movie examines issues of disparity of resources in civil litigation, professional ethics, civil settlements, the adversarial system, and the very nature of justice in the civil system. In a final irony, the only way justice can be acheived in court, is to ignore the law. Galvin's summation is a signal cinematic moment.
The Verdict earned 5 academy award nominations including best picture, best actor (Newman) and best supprting actor (James Mason as insurance counsel Ed Concannon).
The movie is based on the novel of the same name written by Boston attorney Barry Reed. For legal popular culture buffs, it is interesting to note that Reed is the lawyer who referred to Jan Schlictmann the Woburn, MA leukemia case that was the subject of the book and movie, A Civil Action.
Read Reviews. I have guided viewing questions available to share for educational purposes if you e-mail me at mark.deangelis@uconn.edu.
Other law movies featured in this blog: The Rainmaker; My Cousin Vinny
Watch the trailer:
Watch Galvin's summation at the American Movie Speeches site.
Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is a one time promising lawyer, now down on his luck after being victimized by ethically challenged legal employers. He has a case that is sure to get him back on his financial feet - a malpractice case against a hospital run by the powerful Archdiocese of Boston. A young mother is given a general anesthetic during childbirth and aspirates into her mask. The oxygen deprivation leaves her comatose. A settlement is all but assured, until Frank decides that he has an obligation to pursue the case to a verdict to expose the wrongdoers. But is it justice that Frank seeks or his own personal redemption?
In the eyes of many, it is usually the lawyer who wants the settlement money and the client that wants justice. In a beautifully designed reversal of roles Frank's clients, the victim's sister and her husband, are seeking a settlement to set up a perpetual care fund for their loved one before departing to Arizona to pursue work and better health. In a key scene, Frank, who is initially portrayed as a low life, turns down the substantial settlement offer to pursue "justice." It is the first time that Frank exhibits any redeeming qualities. Of course, it is also the moment when he breaches his professional obligation to his clients.
The movie examines issues of disparity of resources in civil litigation, professional ethics, civil settlements, the adversarial system, and the very nature of justice in the civil system. In a final irony, the only way justice can be acheived in court, is to ignore the law. Galvin's summation is a signal cinematic moment.
The Verdict earned 5 academy award nominations including best picture, best actor (Newman) and best supprting actor (James Mason as insurance counsel Ed Concannon).
The movie is based on the novel of the same name written by Boston attorney Barry Reed. For legal popular culture buffs, it is interesting to note that Reed is the lawyer who referred to Jan Schlictmann the Woburn, MA leukemia case that was the subject of the book and movie, A Civil Action.
Read Reviews. I have guided viewing questions available to share for educational purposes if you e-mail me at mark.deangelis@uconn.edu.
Other law movies featured in this blog: The Rainmaker; My Cousin Vinny
Watch the trailer:
Watch Galvin's summation at the American Movie Speeches site.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Unrealistic and Realistic Portrayals of Court Proceedings
This blog previously featured a guest post from Eve Brown where she featured clips of court scenes from popular culture that give false impressions about the drama of court proceedings juxtaposed against a clip of a real trial. Unfortunately, not all of those videos are still available on youtube. Below I have embedded two new video clips featuring an unrealistic portrayal and a realistic potrayal of courtroom proceedings.
Unrealistic:
Realistic:
Unrealistic:
Realistic:
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Law Music Video: Guns on the Roof
This week's installment in the "Law Music Videos" series is Guns on the Roof by The Clash. Law music videos played before your class starts will positively contribute to learning.
Friday, February 17, 2012
How Lawyers Look at Hourly Billing
We all recognize the truth in this. Luckily, most of us can put this in the category of "been there, done that."
The first video below has been particularly effective in illustrating for students the "insider's view" on hourly billing.
The first video below has been particularly effective in illustrating for students the "insider's view" on hourly billing.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Business Entities
The Mahalo channel on youtube includes a grouping of 7 videos on "Business Entities" all hosted by CPA Keith Hall. In a comfortable, folksy, tie-loose-at-the-neck style, Hall competently describes the characteristics of the principal forms of business organizations. There is a video on Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Corporations, S Corporations and Limited Liability Companies. There is also the overview video embedded below.
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