Thursday, October 28, 2004

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

"So, are you a lawyer yet?"

A big thank you to everyone who has congratulated me on passing the bar and an answer to the question, "So, are you a lawyer yet?" The answer: not quite yet. As per Supreme Court Rule 52(a)(8), I have to complete a five month clerkship (http://courts.state.de.us/bbe/docs/clerkck.pdf) . Also, under Supreme Court Rule 52(a)(1) (http://courts.state.de.us/bbe/docs/scrulesbbe.pdf) , I have to have "good moral character and reputation."

Well, I'm making a lot of progress on my clerkship checklist and I will post the details of that in the coming weeks. Also, I had my Character and Fitness interview (there were no jumping jacks or sit-ups involved) which was surprisingly painless. The Character and Fitness board member that interviewed me gave me a bit of a ribbing about a speeding ticket that I got a few years ago, but I otherwise passed with flying colors. There was a laugh at the expense of my Duck-torate degree (http://www.wdwcpinfo.com/) from the Walt Disney World College Program.

So as long as all continues to go well, I will be sworn in to practice in the State of Delaware on December 10, 2004. Then I will officially be a lawyer that is licensed to practice law.

Kevin S. Mann

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Watching the Disney Trial

You don't need to be in Georgetown, Delaware, to watch the Disney trial presently happening in Chancery Court.

There's a webcast available for anyone who would like to see the events of the trial unfold. Courtroom Connect is providing free access for up to 50 simultaneous viewers from outside of Delaware, and unlimited simultaneous access for Delaware Residents. If there are more than 50 viewers watching at the same time from outside of the state, there is a fee of $10 for those outside of Delaware to view the broadcast for the day. Details are on their site at: Disney trial webcast

The free webcasts are time delayed. They are also providing realtime viewing for a fee.

I haven't tried the service yet, but will probably give it a shot sometime tomorrow.

The first of three planned witnesses for the share holders testified today on whether the record reflected that the board discussed the hiring and subsequent firing of the president of the company, Michael Ovitz.

This is the first time that a Delaware Court has made a webcast available to the public.

Ebooks, online publishing, and the EFF

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction novelist, advocate for online publishing, and member of The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

An interview with him provides some thoughtful commentary on how electronic publishing can work to help a first time novelist's career.

With a future in sight that promises more online distribution of music, movies, and books, listening to the success of one author is probably a good idea.

Lip-Sticking interviews Joy London of Excited Utterances

Definitely worth checking out - an insightful interview from Yvonne Divita of blogger Joy London, who writes about issues involving the knowledge management of law firms.

It provides some great information about the inner workings of large law firms, and the ways they look at technology and knowledge management. For even more on the subject, visit excited utterances.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Delaware's Official State Ghosts

Somehow I didn't expect to see ghost stories on the State of Delaware's web site.

But then, I hadn't realized that the Governor's Mansion, Woodburn, is haunted.

According to some stories about the Woodburn Ghosts, the noncorporeal inhabitants of the house love their wine, and at least one former Delaware governor went on record as having seen a ghost emptying a decanter. Guests to the inauguration party of former Governor Mike Castle also described an encounter with a ghost.

A list of the owners and occupants of the mansion notes that Governor Minner is only the second of Delaware's governors to make the house their primary residence. I haven't located any tales of Governor Minner and the ghosts of Woodburn.

I'm not sure that it's a topic that she would want to discuss during an election year either. Maybe we will get to hear more after Return Day.

Disney Comes to Georgetown

I'm reminded of the plot of a movie in which a high-powered executive is forced, for one reason or another, to spend some time away from a grand metropolis, and encounters small town America and all of its charms, and experiences a life-changing adventure.

It's the type of plot that may have even run in a Disney movie or two. In the real life version of this vision, Disney is coming to Georgetown, Delaware. I don't know how Delaware's small town ambience will affect the litigants, and the executives involved, but the residents of Georgetown may experience a media circus that could last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

The lawsuit is one which questions the severance package that had been given to former Disney executive Michael Ovitz. Since the action is on behalf of the shareholders of the company, and Disney is incorporated in Delaware, the venue for the case is in Delaware, within Delaware's Chancery Court.

As the folks at CNN point out, the Disney hearings in Georgetown will be under a microscope. It's possible that in addition to the severence monies paid to Michael Ovitz, some of the issues discussed will involve the topic of compensation of executives for large corporations. An article from the Quad-City Times last month (reprinted from the LA Times), Disney struggles with CEO choice today, mentions some of the concerns that share holders may have had in the choice to hire Ovitz, and the negotiations surrounding his firing and severence.

The case starts on Wednesday, and while it might not be showing on the movie screens, it may have an impact upon what does in the years to come.

In Which the Uncivil Litigator Describes His Very First Jury Trial

Ever wondered what a trial might look like from an attorney's perspective?

A very enjoyable series of posts from The Uncivil Litigator provides a view as he describes My very first jury trial.

Normally acting as a defense attorney for an office that represents insurance companies, the Uncivil Litigator finds himself representing a plaintiff against an insurance company in a trial resulting from a minor traffic accident.

The posts give a great set of insights into how a lawyer should behave during his or her appearance at court, some strategies during the examination and cross examination of witnesses, the interactions between lawyers before a trial, and notions on the preparation for trial.

Monday, October 11, 2004

Congratulations To Kevin!

We are proud to announce that our law clerk-and soon to be Associate Attorney - Kevin S. Mann has successfully navigated the Delaware Bar Examination.

Congratulations Kevin!

He is one of the few passing applicants (61% of the 261 examinees passed) of this year's Delaware Bar Examination, believed to be one of the toughest in the nation. We look forward to many years of announcements concerning Kevin's career and achievements.