Forbes recently published an interesting little piece here on why Jimmy Fallon is so liked and successful. Much of the “Jimmy Fallon technique” is basic rapport building while emphasizing the importance of listening. The conclusion of the article is that there are “three lessons to take from Jimmy Fallon: Find common ground with the person you’re … Continue reading On Jimmy Fallon and Finding Common Ground →

Five days ago, an unarmed eighteen year old, Michael Brown, was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.  As is all too commonly the situation, Mr. Brown was African American and the police officer who did the shooting (as with most of the police in Ferguson) was white.  An investigation is on-going, but the … Continue reading “Tell her Capt. Johnson is sorry and he apologizes.” →

Forbes recently published an interesting, and discouraging read, on the challenges that women face in Silicon Valley.  See here The author (it is written anonymously) draws a picture of an environment where she regularly has to deal with inappropriate comments and advances but because she is seeking funding from these same folks for her company, … Continue reading Negotiating Silicon Valley →

  That is the title of an op-ed in yesterday’s New York Times written by Carrie Menkel-Meadow and Edwin Chemerinsky.  The op-ed cautions against rushing to fix legal education in ways that may do “more harm than good.”  The full op-ed can be read here .

Last week the NY Times published an interesting piece: The Science of Older and Wiser. Just one snippet that I liked (from many): “True personal wisdom involves five elements… They are self-insight; the ability to demonstrate personal growth; self-awareness in terms of your historical era and your family history; understanding that priorities and values, including … Continue reading The Science of Wisdom →

  I spent two days at the end of last week attending a conference at the Regent University School of Law on Promoting the Rule of Law in East Africa.  The conference was well organized and included an impressive list of thoughtful and thought provoking speakers (see here ).  The conference included a number of … Continue reading When children are being sacrificed, why is love a crime? →

One of the things I did over the winter break was try to find some new material for my class on Advanced Issues in Criminal Justice.  I came across two interesting movies on restorative justice that I had not known about and that I am planning to use in different ways in my class this spring. … Continue reading Movies on Restorative Justice →

A federal judge in Washington issued a decision holding that two cities in Washington violated the sixth amendment right to counsel because their public defender system was so underfunded and understaffed that the representation amounted to little more than a “meet and plead” system.  The decision is critical of the caseloads that the appointed counsel … Continue reading Intervening to fix a “Meet and Plead” System →

As we recently announced on our website: Texas A&M University invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the Texas A&M University School of Law. The desired appointment date is July 1, 2014. The Dean Search Committee has been appointed by the Provost and Executive Vice President of Texas A&M University, Dr. Karan … Continue reading Texas A&M Dean Search →

  Last week the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Burt v. Titlow.  Many hoped the Court would use the decision in Titlow to bring more definition to the Court’s 2012 decisions  in Lafler and Frye when they held that defendants have a right to effective assistance of counsel in plea bargaining.  Instead, in … Continue reading The Latest Supreme Court Case on Plea Bargaining, or Not →