Even the Mighty Fail

This is a few weeks old, but I just ran across this item about the former dean of Stanford Law School, Kathleen Sullivan, not passing the California Bar Exam. Also noted in this report is the fact that it took former California Governor Pete Wilson four times to pass the Bar, and current mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaragosa, never did pass.

Happy New Year!

And go 'SC! Beat the Cows!

Hey There

Been kind of ill the past couple of weeks, and well, I just haven't been much inspired to blog about anything. Hopefully, things will change after the new year.

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

While surfing around The Matrix website, I discovered that the Wachowski brothers are coming out with a new movie next year called V for Vendetta.

At first, when I saw some information about who Guy Fawkes was, I thought this movie was about the Gunpowder Plot. Turns out, it's a fictional story about a masked freedom fighter, played by Hugo Weaver (aka Agent Smith in The Matrix movies) who resists the forces of totalitarianism in futuristic Britain. The mask this freedom fighter wears is apparently the face of Guy Fawkes.

V for Vendetta looks like an entertaining movie, but I'd personally be more intrigued if it was about the failed plan to free persecuted Catholics in Protestant Britain.

From the Heart of Mormonism to the Heart of Hedonism

The new Archbishop of San Francisco is George Niederauer. I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling he's a Cardinal Mahoney clone.

Father Niederauer’s first priestly assignment was as assistant pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Claremont. In 1966, he completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

From 1972-1994, he served as spiritual director at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. During those years he was also an instructor in Spiritual Theology. From 1987-1992, he served as rector of the seminary. From 1992-1994, he co-directed the Cardinal Manning House of Prayer for priests in Los Angeles.

Not Just for "Old" Guys

After a few years of "thinking about it," I finally got around to joining the Knights of Columbus. Since it seems as though I'm the only attorney in my local Council, I'm sort of curious to know whether there are very many lawyers who are Knights.

Initial Impression: Not Good

Ahnuld taps Carol Corrigan, an apparent RINO and CINO, to replace Janice Rogers Brown on the California Supreme Court.

Corrigan has long been active in the Roman Catholic Church and in Catholic charities. In response to questions, she said the church's views on such issues as abortion and homosexuality may not necessarily reflect her beliefs, nor would she ever permit her religion to influence her legal decisions.

"I was raised to believe that everybody has an obligation to inform their own conscience, and that is my understanding of the Catholic tradition as well," she said.

"Judges," she added, "should not impose their privately held views on the body politic."

If Only They Were Allowed to Marry

Another school teacher is criminally charged for sexually molesting students.

Totus Tuus

Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Did you remember to go to Mass?

How About Narnia?

You know the part of the Mass where intercessory prayers are requested of the congregation and the response "Lord, hear our prayer" is said? Over the past couple of weeks at the parish I have been attending since permanently moving to the OC, prayers have been requested for the peoples of war ravaged countries around the world. Specifically pointed out were Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and...Palestine.

Palestine?!

Either someone at this parish is in dire need of a geography lesson, or worse, he or she is politicizing the Mass.

Back in the Blogging Saddle

I just finished my first real trial and we won. The case involved the dissolution of a business partnership in a small restaurant that never made any money, and I was part of counsel for defendants.

Although I didn't try the case alone, I think I probably could have and still won given that plaintiff's counsel did just about everything you shouldn't do in a case that has gone to trial. First and foremost, call the court if you think you're going to be late. In an age where cell phones are as common as traffic jams in Southern California, there really is no excuse for not informing the court that you aren't going to make the designated trial time.

Second, don't list a witness and call that person to the stand if you've never talked to him or her before, and have no idea what he or she is going to say. On two separate occasions, with the same witness, plaintiff's counsel was chewed out by the presiding judge for conducting an examination that was really a deposition. (Depositions are conducted during the discovery phase of litigation, not trial).

Last, if you're arguing that your client is entitled to money, give a specific dollar amount. If you don't, and you have a winning argument (which wasn't the case here), the judge or jury just may give you what you're asking for: nothing.

Heading to Trial

Unless the party who is suing my client has a miraculous change of heart and drops her case, it looks like I'm going to have my first court trial in about 2 weeks. So blogging will be lighter than normal (heh).

I read somewhere (probably from PS Bradley) that there basically two reasons why a civil lawsuit makes it to trial: one side either doesn't know the facts of the case or they have miscalculated. The latter seems to be the situation in the matter I'm involved in to the extent that opposing counsel just doesn't seem to know what the applicable law is.

Pass the Kool-Aid

In the course of chronicling the brewing controversy over the possible moving of Ave Maria Law School from Michigan to Florida, Naomi Schaefer Riley proceeds to not so subtly insult "conservative" Catholics. She, as well as her headline writer at the Wall Street Journal, does this by describing, via an unnamed Ave Maria faculty member, Tom Monaghan's planned Ave Maria Town as a "Catholic Jonestown." So much for substantive debate, I guess.

Initiative Voting

Here's how I'm voting in tomorrow's special election here in California:

Props. 73 to 77 - Yes
Props. 78 to 80 - No

"Happy" 400

If you're a Protestant Brit, today is Guy Fawkes Day a.k.a. lame excuse to express hatred toward Catholicism.

My New Hobby

Tracking down where every member of the North Torrance High School Class of 1987 is today (or as of the end of 2007). It'll be tough, if not impossible, but I'm gonna try to do this without spending any money.

Birth Choice

More information about them here. A worthwhile organization that I personally hope to be more involved with.

It Was 25 Years Ago Yesterday

That Ronald Reagan was first elected President of the United States. Even though I was only 11 at the time, I can recall rooting real hard for him to beat the peanut farmer who had fat brother who always seemed to be drunk.

Time After Time

I really hate it when I arrive someplace at the wrong time because I didn't realize we were supposed to change our clocks the night before. Today, I had intended to go to the 9:30 a.m. Mass, but when I got to the church, I found myself in the middle of the homily of the 8:00 a.m. Mass. D'oh!

Mr. Sulu Comes Out

And get this, he likens the desire to have intercourse with a member of the same sex with race. What a shocker!

In other earth shattering news today, scientists have determined that water is wet.