Paralegal Education, Federal Judicial Appointments, Maryland Physician Discipline and the Noble Peace Prize?
Happy Friday everyone! Here's what's popping through my brain this morning:
Random Topic #1- One of the great things about M&Z is the collegial, family atmosphere. That applies to everybody here, not just the lawyers. Our receptionist is working on an assignment in legal citation for a paralegal class. She did not understand the difference between the state and regional reporters, so Ron Miller and I tried to explain.
One thing Ron and I quickly realized is that it is kind of hard to explain what parts of legal citations mean to someone who has never been in a law library and seen the actual books. Like, for example, the difference between state and regional reporters. How do you teach legal citation to people who have never seen a law library?
While we were explaining the difference between the official state reporter and the regional reporter, I looked down at the question sheet and noticed something strange. One of the questions creates a fictional Court of Special Appeals case, and the student is required to create a Bluebook form citation for it. Here's the information provided to the students:
Mary E. Moreland, et al. (Appellant); The Baltimore Sun (Appellee); Court of Special Appeals; January 20, 1955; Volume 550; Maryland Appellate Reports; Page 200; Volume 100; Atlantic Reporter; Page 5.
The problem? It can't possibly exist. It is supposedly a 1955 case. There was no Court of Special Appeals in 1955. That court was founded in 1966.
So when a student gets confused, and tries to figure it out, they are likely to get more confused because the correct citation form is one which could not exist. Good work, teach. Wouldn't it be just a little easier (and a better teaching tool) to use a real case?
Random Topic #2- Good lord. Please just confirm Judge Davis to the 4th Circuit. I agree wholeheartedly with this letter writer to the Baltimore Sun. Judge Andre Davis should immediately be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to take his seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. He is a good judge, that court is horribly understaffed, and the only reason he has not been confirmed is pure politics. Thanks to the letter writer, local attorney (and Republican, apparently) Jeff Cook for sticking up for a great judge who deserves his seat.
Random Topic #3- It is no surprise that the Maryland Board of Physicians lacks credibility. Even though orders in physician sanction proceedings are public, the Board drags its feet routinely in providing this information to the public. Today is October 8. How come the results of the September proceedings still aren't posted on the Board's web site? I for one would like to know if the doctor treating one of my clients has recently been suspended.
Random Topic #4- The Nobel Peace Prize? Seriously? I am an Obama supporter. I voted for him and contributed to his campaign. Even given my pro-Obama bias, I can't see what he has done to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. I guess if the Nobel awards were Little League they would be handing out trophies that say "participant."
