the Zealous

30 Aug 21


In the TV series Goliath (Amazon Prime), Billy Bob Thornton plays Billy McBride, a badass but disgraced trial lawyer excommunicated from the massive firm that he founded. The show is about how Billy plots his attempt at redemption and revenge.

There's a scene in which Billy is prepping a deponent, his own witness, and conveys his five rules for depositions:

14 Aug 21

From David Lat, Law2020, The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence:

Just as lawyers can over-delegate work to subordinates, they can also under-delegate, causing them to serve their clients less efficiently. In the context of artificial intelligence, one can imagine underutilization of AI – for example, a lawyer not using AI even though it could help that lawyer serve the client better.

In fact, given some of the psychological attributes commonly associated with lawyers – a focus on detail, a desire for control, an aversion to risk – the greater danger might very well be underutilization of, rather than overreliance upon, artificial intelligence.

In the majority of US states, a lawyer's duty of competence includes an obligation to be up on the latest technologies.

31 Jul 21

The President then asked, "What about these notes? Why do you take notes? Lawyers don't take notes. I never had a lawyer take notes."

McGahn responded that he keeps notes because he is a "real lawyer" and explained that notes create a record and are not a bad thing.

The President said, "I've had a lot of great lawyers, like Roy Cohn. He did not take notes."

- Mueller Report, vol. 11, p. 117.