Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

A Note for my 1L Torts Class

Posted on August 13, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

I’ve written my Torts class a note about my class policies and about how to read and study law. I’m reprinting it here because it may be of interest to other people about to start law school. I’m hiding it below the fold because it’s longer than the average blog posting, and I doubt many others will be interested.

Continue reading →

Posted in Law School | 5 Comments

Textbook Buying as a Political Act

Posted on August 11, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

Law students thinking of buying their textbooks online might want to consider this way of doing a bit of social activism at the same time:

California College Democrats launched Textbooks for Change, an innovative program that leverages the Amazon Associates Program, and thousands of student textbook purchases, into cash for California's Courage Campaign and their ongoing efforts to repeal Prop 8.  By simply using the link on Textbooks for Change as the portal to Amazon and buying textbooks through the online merchant, approximately 7% of the purchase price goes to support ongoing efforts for marriage equality in California.

Of course, this only works if you support marriage equality….

Posted in Law School, Law: Con Law: Marriage | Comments Off on Textbook Buying as a Political Act

I, the Juror

Posted on August 11, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

I am on a jury duty again today. Posting will resume when possible.

Posted in Law: Criminal Law | 1 Comment

Dan’s Back

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

Dan's first HuffPo column went online today, Our Fuzzy President Is About To Come Into Focus.

Posted in Dan Froomkin | 1 Comment

Jury Duty Today

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

I have jury duty today in the Dade County Circuit Court, down on West Flagler.

I've been called once before, a couple of years ago (see Called for Jury Duty and Jury Duty), but that was for the criminal court. I was part of the venire for a truly horrible case of child molestation, and while prepared to do it, I was very relieved not to be chosen as it sounded as if the evidence would be very graphic and upsetting.

This time it is civil court. Again, though, we have a one-day one-trial system, so if I don't get picked for a case, that's it until next time.

You might think that a law professor has no chance to be on a jury, but in fact that's not the case. A few of my colleagues have sat in actual trials.

See you in court. Maybe.

Posted in Personal | 4 Comments

Making the Rounds

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Michael Froomkin

This email is making the rounds. Original source unknown (to me anyway):

this morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US department of energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the national weather service of the national oceanographic and atmospheric administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the national aeronautics and space administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US department of agriculture inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the food and drug administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US congress and kept accurate by the national institute of standards and technology and the US naval observatory, I get into my national highway traffic safety administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the environmental protection agency, using legal tender issed by the federal reserve bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US postal service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the department of labor and the occupational safety and health administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to ny house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all it's valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log on to the internet which was developed by the defense advanced research projects administration and post on freerepublic.com and fox news forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right

Bingo.

Update: Kevin Drum reminds us that for really infuriating customer service you have to be a budget-minded consumer dealing with a large faceless profit-minded corporation.

Posted in Politics: US | 18 Comments