Commentary

Commentary

Will You Report Sexual Harassment or Bullying? Be Honest.

Vivia Chen | October 10, 2018

A notable percentage of female lawyers experience harassment and bullying, yet the vast majority of them never report it, a recent study finds.

Commentary

Another Path to Safer Gun Legislation

Connecticut Editorial Board | October 05, 2018

We suggest “semi-automatic” guns not be banned, but regulated, just as machine guns and sawed–off shotguns have been for the last 80-plus years.

Commentary

Fellow Yale Student, Kavanaugh Contemporary: The Nominee Should Not Be Presumed Innocent

Nina Pirrotti | October 03, 2018

Too often the worst fears of these survivors are reinforced by those in power who fail to credit their allegations and take meaningful action to redress them.

Commentary

Many Are Reliving Unforgettable Terror Today

Mark Dubois | September 27, 2018

Deeply troubling childhood experiences can lay dormant in the psyche of victims for a long, long time, only to bubble up years later in response to an unexpected trigger.

Commentary

CT Editorial Board: Reopen Judge Kavanaugh Background Investigation

Connecticut Editorial Board | September 27, 2018

A full, fair, objective, definitive, and final investigation of the claims of sexual assault is the only way to put an end to the now utterly polarized process of selecting an associate justice who will serve for life.

Commentary

5 Things You Need to Realize About Your Realization Rate

Alexander M. Geisler | September 26, 2018

Don't ignore your realization rate, take control. Need a reason? It matters a lot to the people who determine your pay.

Commentary

Ouch, Babe. Big Law Associate Sues Ex-Fiancee Over $100K Engagement Ring

Jenna Greene | September 25, 2018

Troutman Sanders lawyer Ryan Strasser says the 4-carat diamond ring was a conditional gift that must be returned if the marriage failed to occur.

Commentary

Examining the Federal Pursuit of Harvey Weinstein

Connecticut Editorial Board | September 21, 2018

While few would voice concern over the well-being of the notorious former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the recent news that federal authorities have chosen to join the multiple legal proceedings involving Weinstein raises concerns that transcend the fate of this individual.

Commentary

Lessons From 'My Cousin Vinny'

Connecticut Law Tribune Editorial Board | September 14, 2018

There is much to learn from the movie, including how to deal with a hostile witness and how to effectively examine an expert. The movie has as much potential to educate as it does to entertain.

Commentary

Professionalism Boot Camp: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Connecticut Editorial Board | September 06, 2018

Most law degree curricula now include robust clinical programs, internships, trial practice courses and similar programs designed to expose the law student to the realities of the legal profession he or she will soon enter.

Commentary

Kavanaugh Will Be Our Next Supreme Court Justice, But...

Mark Dubois | September 05, 2018

When I agreed to return to UConn Law to teach a first-year course on legal analysis and writing a few months ago I had no idea how my semester would…

Commentary

Remembering Attorney Allen Gary Palmer

Connecticut Editorial Board | September 04, 2018

Allen was one of the most interesting and memorable members of the Connecticut bar.

Commentary

Family Separations Are Too Much To Bear

Connecticut Editorial Board | August 30, 2018

Sometimes there is an event, initiative, court decision that is monumental in its effect but almost too much to put into words. What is going on with…

Commentary

Prohibition and the Future of Marijuana in Connecticut

Nicholas Paindiris and Ian Butler | August 27, 2018

Despite the surging momentum in favor of legalization, there remains a federal prohibition on both the medical and recreational use of marijuana.

Commentary

Read the Fine Print: Alarming Impeachment in West Virginia

Connecticut Editorial Board | August 23, 2018

We watch with alarm the legislative proceedings in West Virginia impeaching all the justices of the Supreme Court of Errors. Not that some of the justices…

Commentary

A 'Loaves and Fishes' Approach Won't Help Underfunded Judiciary

Mark Dubois | August 20, 2018

The third branch of government always seems to be the poor stepchild when it comes to funding priorities.

Commentary

Law Firms Just Turned in Their Best Half Since the Recession

John Wilmouth and Gretta Rusanow | August 19, 2018

Revenue growth of 5.5 percent in the first half of 2018 was the highest since 2007, and the outlook going forward remains positive.

Commentary

Why Must Women Wear High Heels?

Vivia Chen | August 16, 2018

Maybe it's become a talking point among those in the women-empowerment racket, but I have a hard time understanding the notion that expensive, sky-high pumps boost a woman's confidence. Pain is not empowering.

Commentary

Saving Precious Water: The Tilcon Precedent

Margaret Miner | August 16, 2018

The public trust in water should not be for sale.

Commentary

Viewpoint: Judge Ellis Is a Bully in a Black Robe

Connecticut Editorial Board | August 16, 2018

He has described himself as “Caesar in my own Rome,” and his bizarre behavior, thus far directed almost exclusively at the federal prosecutors, suggests he truly believes that self-description.

Commentary

An Overly Broad Interpretation of the Rule of Confidentiality

Connecticut Editorial Board | August 10, 2018

Most lawyers believe that if they file a document in court or with a public agency the Rules of Professional Conduct (“the Rules”) do not prohibit…

Commentary

Women Think Sexual Harassment Is a Problem. Men: Not So Much

Vivia Chen | August 05, 2018

A survey by Working Mother magazine and the American Bar Association finds that while men agree harassment exists in the workplace, they don't fully appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

Commentary

Flip-Flopping at the State Supreme Court

Connecticut Editorial Board | August 03, 2018

Tie votes on motions should either always or never result in adding a tiebreaker. We could support either way, but the court should choose one way or the other now.

Commentary

Progressive Causes Suffer Under 'Weaponization' of First Amendment

Connecticut Editorial Board | August 03, 2018

Much has been, and will be, written about the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.…

Commentary

The Law Firm Disrupted: ‘The Millennials’ Are Coming, and Big Law Isn’t Ready

Roy Strom | August 02, 2018

A Canadian law and MBA student sheds some light on a disconnect between law firm leaders and a younger generation.

Commentary

Breaches of State Leadership Upset Delicate Balance

Connecticut Editorial Board | July 25, 2018

For the second time in the last legislative session, Joseph Aresimowicz, the speaker of the House of Representatives, breached his fiduciary duty to the public.

Commentary

Comparing Expert Witnesses Here and Across the Pond

EDITORIAL BOARD | July 20, 2018

Sometimes other legal systems have good ideas. When it comes to experts, the English system certainly does.

Commentary

Trump Commits Presidential Assault on Family Integrity

Connecticut Law Tribune Editorial Board | July 13, 2018

This policy is brutal. It is barbaric. And it is disgusting.

Commentary

Connecticut Legislature Folds to Mob Justice

Connecticut Editorial Board | July 05, 2018

We look to our leaders to stand up for right and to show courage. The General Assembly let us down on this one. Up or down, they should have voted. The General Assembly ducked this issue. Democracy has taken a hit. And sadly so too has Emons.

Commentary

American 'Fake News' Dates Back to Myths of Our Founding Fathers

Sol Wachtler | July 03, 2018

Our country was built on myths—good myths—but myths nonetheless.

Commentary

Lawmakers Missed an Opportunity to Reform Sex-Offender Registry

Connecticut Editorial Board | June 28, 2018

Hopefully, the Sentencing Commission will resubmit its well-researched, broadly debated and carefully drafted proposal for reform to the registry again next year and it will be enacted by the Legislature.

Commentary

Remembering Lesser-Known Founding Father Luther Martin

Connecticut Editorial Board | June 21, 2018

Many Americans recall that, ironically, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 within hours of one another. Few recall that another noteworthy…

Commentary

Extorting the Tyranny of the Majority?

Mark Dubois | June 20, 2018

I was more than a little unsettled the other day to read about the successful recall petition involving California Judge Aaron Persky. Persky lost…

Commentary

Prospering in the 'New Normal'

J. Mark Santiago | June 15, 2018

Raising Costs and Declining Demand are Sapping Profits

The “New Normal” of today is one in which raising operating costs, associate salary increases, and reduced realization rates coupled with AFAs and demands from corporate counsel for reduced rates are sapping firm profits and there is no relief on the horizon. Law firm leaders, seeing current conditions, should be asking if there is a better way.

Commentary

Closing Argument: Time to Stop Ignoring the State's Eviction Crisis

Connecticut Editorial Board | June 14, 2018

Lawyers can do much to prevent or mitigate the poverty-causing effects of evictions, and we must do more to address this growing crisis.

Commentary

Alarming Increase in Suicide Rate Needs to Be Addressed Everywhere

Mark Dubois | June 13, 2018

Suicide in the United States has been on the rise, going up 25 percent since 1999.

Commentary

Golden State Killer Case Raises Legal, Ethical DNA Issues

Connecticut Editorial Board | June 08, 2018

We urge lawyers and bar associations to take the lead in giving guidance to practitioners and clients about the issues raised by this new forensic technology.

Commentary

Not Dead Yet: When Is It Time to Hang Up the Robe?

Mark L. Dubois | June 08, 2018

I’m glad I’m not a judge and can choose when to stop. For now, balancing the sacred and the profane, with a dose of public service on the side, seems to be working.

Commentary

Napping While Black: Policing Northern Color Lines in the Modern Day

Connecticut Editorial Board | June 08, 2018

Recent incidents have revealed ways white people—often specifically white women—are still using the law to maintain white dominance in the northern states.

Commentary

This is an Awesome Time to be a Big Law Associate—Not!

Vivia Chen | June 05, 2018

Too much upbeat news makes The Careerist skittish. And there's plenty out there right now for young lawyers.

Commentary

What Clients Really Want From Outside Counsel

Lean Adviser Legal | May 31, 2018

It doesn't take a magic formula or a lengthy pitch to impress clients, just master these five fundamentals.

Commentary

Excelsior: Fondly Remembering the Late Tom Ullmann

Connecticut Editorial Board | May 25, 2018

The members of the editorial board were shocked and deeply saddened to hear that a beloved member, Thomas J. Ullmann, died in a hiking accident on April 13, 2018, in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York.

Commentary

State Legislature Finally Passes Revised Uniform Arbitration Act

Connecticut Editorial Board | May 15, 2018

With the increasing use of arbitration as a means of resolving disputes throughout the state and at the federal level, this is a positive step toward revising and modernizing arbitration procedures.

Commentary

For Kennedy Cousin Skakel, a Gold-Plated Standard for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Jenna Greene | May 07, 2018

As the saying goes, if your lawyer has a pulse, it’s not ineffective assistance of counsel. Unless you’re Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, who just had his conviction for murdering Martha Moxley in 1975 overturned.

Commentary

Viewpoint: Connecticut's Gun Seizure Law Can Serve as National Model

Connecticut Law Tribune Editorial Board | April 27, 2018

Connecticut was the first state in the nation to pass a law to allow police to obtain a court order to seize guns from anyone who presents an imminent risk of harming himself or someone else.

Best Practices Commentary

As Medical Technologies Reduce Errors, Malpractice Attorneys Must Stay Informed

Shaun Patrick Willis | April 26, 2018

It is imperative that we not only understand the elements necessary to prosecute or defend a claim of medical malpractice, but that we are also able to identify and apply the specific facts of a case to those elements, proving that each one exists.

Commentary

State's Teen Criminal Cases Belong in Juvenile Court

Connecticut Law Tribune Editorial Board | April 20, 2018

At 14, children cannot drive, buy alcohol or cigarettes, cannot vote and cannot be employed by grocery stores. They certainly shouldn’t be exposed to lifelong adult felony convictions.

Commentary

After the Driverless Fatality, Insurance and Litigation Will Be Forever Changed

Randy Maniloff | April 10, 2018

Unlike an inconsequential glitch with your office computer, in the case of driverless cars it's control, alt and someone’s life is deleted.

Commentary

Salary Options Limited for Retired Teachers Returning to Work

Connecticut Law Tribune Editorial Board | April 06, 2018

Those who have retired from a public school position may only be re-employed in a public school at a salary of no more than 45 percent of the maximum salary level for the position.

Commentary

MCLEs in Connecticut: Better Late Than Never

Connecticut Editorial Board | March 30, 2018

The Superior Court Rules Committee adopted MCLE in June 2016 to be effective Jan. 1, 2017, and its implementation in the intervening year has demonstrated unequivocally that the fear of—and opposition to—MCLE was completely unwarranted.