DOCSLIB.ORG

Michael D. Weinstein, Esquire 2015 Pegasus Scholar Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

REPORT OF PEGASUS SCHOLAR

Michael D. Weinstein, Esquire

2015 Pegasus Scholar Report
For six weeks in spring 2015, my life seemed surreal. I spent my days walking through the august halls of some of the world’s most historic courthouses, marveling at the majestic architecture around me. I worked in an office that overlooked a one‐thousand‐year‐old church still in use today. For lunch, I dined in the place where William Shakespeare first unveiled Twelfth Night to the public. And I was regularly invited to visit High Court Judges, Court of Appeal Judges, even a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. My days often ended on the rooftop of my flat overlooking the lively neighborhood of Kensington, a stone’s throw from Freddie Mercury’s old mansion, reflecting on this remarkable chapter of my life. For a young lawyer, curious about the world and the law, I can think of few experiences that can be as meaningful or memorable as the one I had as a Pegasus Scholar.

This report details those six weeks I spent living and working in London. My co‐scholar and flatmate, Tyler Garrett, has submitted his own report that provides a peek into his remarkable experience as a Pegasus Scholar. While Tyler and I lived together and visited judicial chambers together, most of our days were spent apart, working in different barristers’ chambers. So although our experiences were similar in many ways, they were also very different. Tyler’s report provides a great overview of legal London, including: a description of the differences between solicitors and barristers, and an explanation of how they work together to obtain the best result for their mutual client; how barristers’ chambers are organized; and the role of the English Inns of Court in fostering and promoting civility and professionalism in the practice of law. He also discusses some of the most striking differences between England’s legal system and that of the United States, such as how some barristers both prosecute and defend criminal cases, sometimes during the same day. This report assumes you are familiar with his. And so, instead of revisiting well‐trod ground, I focus on some unique experiences from my own journey.

It began in Church Court Chambers, the chambers of 2014 English Pegasus Scholar Colin Witcher. A relatively new set, Church Court Chambers has a broad practice that includes criminal, civil, and family matters. Since I am a public defender in the United States, I spent my time there working exclusively on criminal cases. Much to my delight, my first day working in London was spent at the Old Bailey, one of the most famous criminal courthouses in the world. Literary buffs probably recognize the name, memorialized by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities and John Mortimer in his Rumpole novels. Some of England’s most notorious criminal cases have been tried in this magnificent courthouse that has sat in the heart of London for hundreds of years. To this day, that tradition continues.

My arrival in London couldn’t have been better timed. Church Court Chambers’ head of chambers, Kerim Fuad QC, and his colleague, Kevin Molloy, were nearing the end of a double murder trial at the Old Bailey. Both welcomed me with open arms and treated me like an old colleague. And despite being in the middle of a murder trial, they spent time during their breaks making sure I understood what was happening in court. Kevin was even kind enough to make sure I understood seemingly everything there is to know about his homeland, Ireland. Closing arguments (or “speeches” as they call them in England) were supposed to start shortly after my arrival, but a juror fell ill and the trial was adjourned for several days.

Because of that adjournment, I spent most of my remaining time at Church Court Chambers with Colin, who was kind enough to allow me to shadow him on an almost daily basis. As we dashed from courthouse to courthouse to make one of Colin’s handful of daily appearances, he gave me a crash course on England’s legal system. Luckily, Colin had just spent six weeks in the United States learning about American law, so he had a deep understanding of the similarities and differences between our legal systems. Even better, he was a great teacher. After spending just one week with him, I felt as if I had studied the English legal system for a year. When we weren’t in court, we would spend our time in chambers. As mentioned above, my office overlooked Temple Church, which once

1 | P a g e

Michael D. Weinstein—2015 Pegasus Scholar Report

belonged to the Knights Templar. For me, this was one of the most remarkable parts of working in London. In Los Angeles, where I work, all that can be seen out of my office window is a condominium complex and a coffee shop. Thus, as minor as it may seem, having a view of a one‐thousand‐year‐old church where the Knights Templar used to meet is something I’ll never forget.

My time at Church Court Chambers ended where it began, at the Old Bailey. On my last day at Church Court Chambers, I observed Kerim deliver, in defense of his client, one of the most powerful and eloquent closing arguments I have ever seen. Dressed in his silk robe, with a wig on his head, Kerim commanded the attention of the courtroom in grand fashion. He spoke with force and grace, and seamlessly wove the facts of the case into a cogent argument that had many jurors nodding in agreement with him. His client, I later found out, was found guilty. Sometimes even the best lawyering can’t overcome bad facts.

The second barristers’ chambers where I worked was 3 Hare Court, a leading set in several areas such as civil fraud, civil litigation, and employment. A few barristers from 3 Hare Court also, however, work on death penalty appeals heard before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the court of final appeal for the United Kingdom’s overseas territories and Crown dependencies, and for some Commonwealth countries. Several justices from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom sit on the Privy Council. James Guthrie QC was my host at 3 Hare Court. Consistently recommended in the main law directories as a leading “silk” in civil liberties and human rights work ‐‐ “silk” is the term used to refer to barristers who have attained the prestigious ranking of Queen’s Council, or QC ‐‐ James frequently undertakes Privy Council appeals in capital cases. He is one of the most prominent death penalty lawyers in the United Kingdom, someone whose record of success speaks volumes about his legal acumen and skills.

Working with James and his colleagues was a revelatory experience. Since I work on capital habeas cases in the United States, many of his colleagues asked me to read their “skellies” (what we call briefs). We would then discuss the different ways in which our countries handle capital cases, and there are many. For instance, in a Privy Council case called Pratt and Morgan, 1993 UKPC 1, the Privy Council held that any delay of over five years between sentencing and execution constitutes inhumane punishment. Accordingly, defendants whose death sentences are not carried out within five years can apply to have their sentences automatically reduced to life without parole. In some of my capital cases, my clients have been on death row longer than I have been alive.

But even though there were many differences between their cases and mine, I found that those differences were dwarfed by the commonalities. For instance, although their cases arose from Jamaica, Trinidad, or Mauritius, the underlying substantive criminal law was very similar to our own. Similarly, many of the constitutional principles being litigated on appeal were like ours, despite the fact that those countries’ constitutions differ from our own. But I gave it more thought and realized that I shouldn’t have been so surprised. We have based our common law system on England’s, as have many of these Commonwealth countries. And many of our constitutional rights, especially those enshrined in the Bill of Rights, are now regarded by the international community as basic human rights that must be protected. Accordingly, these rights are now enshrined in constitutions across the world.

Again, my timing could not have been any better. After spending about two weeks with James and his colleagues, engaging in fascinating conversations about capital punishment and murder trials, I had the privilege of seeing James and his head of chambers, Peter Knox QC, argue a case before the Privy Council. They were, interestingly enough, on opposite sides despite working in the same chambers. That, as Tyler notes in his report, would never occur in the United States. Also, unlike here, where appellate oral arguments are limited to a set time period, usually 10‐30 minutes per side, appellate oral arguments in England can last hours, sometimes even days. This oral argument was apparently on the shorter end of the spectrum ‐‐ it lasted just a day. It was impressive to see James and Peter deftly respond to hours of questioning while displaying an incredible mastery of the record. It was also interesting to see how the justices and lawyers all seemed to be working together, almost as if they were all on the same team, to ensure that a just result was reached. You rarely, if ever, see that type of collegiality in American proceedings.

2 | P a g e

Michael D. Weinstein—2015 Pegasus Scholar Report

My final two weeks were spent with QEB Hollis Whiteman, one of London’s most well‐regarded criminal defence barristers’ chambers. As I soon found out, I was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to spend the entire two weeks helping Edward Henry with his cases. One of the most skilled trial advocates I have ever seen, and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, Edward made sure I ended my trip on a high note.

During my last two weeks, I primarily assisted Edward in his defense of a man accused of a serious felony. Edward had just begun cross‐examining the complaining witness when I arrived. While in court, I marveled at Edward’s advocacy skills ‐‐ he was a masterful artist, and that might be selling him too short. On breaks, he and I would discuss strategies and he would refine his upcoming questions. The trial was one‐of‐a‐kind. Cross‐examination stretched on for days, largely because every time the complaining witness was caught in a lie, or unable to explain away a prior inconsistent statement, she would storm off the witness stand. At one point, she charged the dock where the defendant was sitting, spewing profanities and vulgarities. At another point, during one of her many tirades, she kicked a courtroom door with such force that the door broke. Eventually, the prosecution realized that it would be unable to carry its burden and conceded the case. The trial judge directed the jury to return a verdict of acquittal, and Edward’s client was released from custody less than twenty minutes later. It was the type of trial that frequently occurs in the movies, but rarely in real life.

Although most of my time abroad was spent working directly with various barristers, as already mentioned, my co‐ scholar and I were frequently invited to spend an entire day with judges and justices. Specifically, we had the privilege of meeting: Judge Poulet, a Senior Circuit Judge at the Old Bailey; Lord Justice Moore‐Bick and Lord Justice Pitchford of the Royal Courts of Justice; and Lord Hughes of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. We also ventured outside of England and met Judge MacFarland, the Recorder of Belfast, and Lord Justice Gillen of the Court of Appeal of Northern Ireland. Every judge and justice was so generous with their time and so welcoming. They would spend hours with us in chambers. Over coffee, tea, sometimes even lunch, we would talk about our careers and discuss the development of the law in our respective jurisdictions. Everyone made us feel as if we were doing them the honor of granting them an audience, when the opposite was true. Judge MacFarland even gave Tyler and me a personal tour of Belfast and Lord Hughes gave us a personal tour of his courthouse. I truly appreciate everyone’s generosity.

In addition to visiting various judicial chambers, we also visited the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Faculty of Advocates is a body of independent lawyers who have been admitted to practice before the Court of Scotland. All advocates work out of their library, which we toured. The Clerk of Faculty invited us into her office which was filled with books older than the United States. Over a splendid cup of afternoon tea, she shared delightful stories with us about what it’s like to be an advocate in Scotland.

Of course, not all our time abroad was spent working. One of the great things about working in London is you have ready access to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe. I was fortunate that my co‐scholar had an adventurous spirit. A few weeks after arriving in London, we took a weekend trip to Brussels. We spent our days exploring the city, visiting well‐known sites such as the Grand Place (Brussel’s central square) and the Palace of Justice. Nights were spent drinking Trappist beers and mingling with locals. After visiting with the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland, we drove up to the Highlands where we stayed in a quiet lodge nestled in the countryside. When the sun was out, we ran along technical trails in verdant forests that were as lush as those in the Pacific Northwest, with nothing but secluded lochs and towering trees to keep us company. The nights were spent sitting by a hearth, sipping Scotch; I read books, Tyler began writing the next great novel. During another weekend, we went to Cumberland Lodge, a 17th‐century country house in Windsor Great Park, for a law student advocacy training. We spent most of the weekend socializing with soon‐to‐be barristers and judges (including our new friend, Lord Justice Moore‐Bick), and participating in late‐night dance parties and Fleetwood Mac singalongs. All English law students, or at least those we were with that weekend, apparently love all things Stevie Nicks. I spent a weekend by myself in Dublin exploring the medieval part of town and wandering along streets that served as inspiration to James Joyce. When you live in London, some of the greatest cities in the world are just a short flight or train ride away; Tyler and I took full advantage of our fantastic geographic location.

3 | P a g e

Michael D. Weinstein—2015 Pegasus Scholar Report

Being a Pegasus Scholar was a once‐in‐a‐lifetime opportunity. This type of experience lends itself so well to professional and personal growth. While working and living abroad, I learned a great deal about our legal forebears and now have a much more profound understanding of the way our legal system fits in with the rest of the world. The experience also forced me to reexamine, or in some situations confront, certain premises underlying our own legal system. Having worked in a different legal system, I feel that I now have a greater appreciation for my own. Equally important, being a Pegasus Scholar is a privilege. I knew that when I accepted the position, but didn’t fully grasp it until I was abroad. It’s hard not to feel blessed and honored when you experience the types of things I experienced in London.

Which brings me to what I believe is the most important part of this report, the part where I can express my gratitude to those who played a role sending me on this great journey. First, thank you to all members of the American Inns of Court who helped me get to London. To the Selection Committee, I will be forever grateful that you selected me to join your prestigious ranks. To Cindy Dennis, the American Inns of Court’s Awards & Scholarships Coordinator, you shepherded me through this program. Your guidance was always invaluable and I greatly appreciate you being available as a resource. Lastly, to American Inns of Court President Chief Judge Carl Stewart and board member Tom Leighton, thank you for spending time with me and Tyler while you were in London, for your kind words of encouragement, and for your continual support. I hope to see every one of you in October at the Celebration of Excellence Gala Event at the Supreme Court of the United States.

To all the members of the English Inns of Court who took time to show me and Tyler around your lovely campuses, thank you so much. A special thanks to Eamonn O’Reilly of the Inner Temple Inn of Court, who was chiefly responsible for creating my timetable while I was in London. I am deeply grateful that you took the time to tailor the program to my unique professional background and for putting together a phenomenal schedule for me. I could not have asked for better placements. Thank you also to Francesca Ellis for hosting us at Cumberland Lodge. We had such a great time that weekend. To Colin Witcher, Kevin Molloy, and Kerim Fuad of Church Court Chambers, you three are remarkable men and I consider myself quite lucky that I had the opportunity to work with you. To James Guthrie of 3 Hare Court, I learned so much while working in your chambers. Thank you for having me; it was a privilege. And to Edward Henry of QEB Hollis Whiteman, we formed a strong bond in our short time together. I look forward to the day when you join me in California to start up Henry & Weinstein, LLP.

To all the members of the bench who invited us into their chambers, it was an honor to meet such extraordinary people. We swapped stories, shared laughs, and learned from each other. Your hospitality was top‐notch and the memories we created will last a lifetime.

To my co‐scholar, Tyler Garrett ‐‐ when I first heard I’d be sharing a flat with a cowboy from Wyoming who moonlights as a lawyer, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Luckily, I ended up getting paired with someone who is incredibly kind, smart, and funny. You were a great ambassador for the American Inns of Court. I’m so glad we shared this experience with each other, and look forward to our friendship continuing to grow over the years.

My bosses and coworkers at the Office of the Federal Public Defender deserve much gratitude. To Hilary Potashner, Acting Federal Public Defender, and Margo Rocconi, Chief of the Capital Habeas Unit, thank you for allowing me to take time off from work to participate in this program. Margo, a special thanks to you for backing me from the first day I expressed interest in this program. To Deputy Federal Public Defender Marta VanLandingham, I would not have been selected without your support throughout the entire application process. And last but not least, thank you to my mentors, the Honorable J. Spencer Letts and the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez. Judge Letts, though you are no longer with us, I know you would have done everything you could to get me to London and that you would have loved hearing about my adventures. And Judge Gutierrez, you have been one of my biggest supporters ever since I clerked for you; I never would have become a Pegasus Scholar without your guiding hand.

Thank you, everyone, for everything.

4 | P a g e

Michael D. Weinstein—2015 Pegasus Scholar Report

Michael D. Weinstein, Esquire is a Deputy Federal Public Defender working in the Capital Habeas Unit of the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California. Weinstein earned his undergraduate degree in English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley while pursuing a diverse course of study including philosophy, art history, and astronomy. He earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where he served as Student Note Editor on the Journal of Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity and co ‐ chair of the student chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

Subsequent to his graduation from law school, Weinstein served as a judicial law clerk to Judges J. Spencer Letts and Philip S. Gutierrez, both of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He has also worked as a law clerk at the National Lawyers Guild, where he developed legal theories and drafted appellate and amicus briefs. In his current role as a public defender, Weinstein works mainly on death penalty appeals, litigating cases at both the trial and appellate levels, in state and federal court. He is a member of the Los Angeles Criminal Justice American Inn of Court.

5 | P a g e

Recommended publications
  • The Inns of Court

    The Inns of Court

    1 Dr Peter Sillitoe, ShaLT Collection Enhancement Report No. 20 for the V&A, Theatre and Performance Department (May 2013) The Inns of Court NB: Earlier, the ShaLT Collection Enhancement Reports have used the printed collections at the National Art Library (particularly the unique Dyce Collection) to highlight printed texts in terms of issues such as authorship and genre. However, bearing in mind that the key outreach goal of the AHRC funding for the project was to further public awareness about the actual theatre sites (The Theatre, Blackfriars, and so on) it seems highly appropriate for a series of reports to focus on the actual theatre spaces. Thus, this report highlights the Inns of Court. Indeed, it is envisaged that the T&P Department at the V&A might be able to host a small exhibition of Dyce material in terms of the actual Shakespearean London Playhouses. With this in mind, this report picks-out printed work at the V&A that links to the Inns of Court. This topic should prove interesting to visitors to a potential exhibition because often the title page is the only evidence we have for the performance of a play at a certain location. The Inns of Court were established for the training of London's lawyers. But in this period the students often organised and acted in plays and masques at winter festival times at the Inn’s hall. Indeed, the Inns of Court still are London’s premier colleges for the training of lawyers (barristers and judges). In the Shakespearean period the four locations were sometimes referred to as ‘the third university’ after Oxford and Cambridge, since the young men who studied to qualify in the law - often wealthy and socially well-connected - occupied these elite spaces.
  • In Re Grant Macfarlane, Sr

    In Re Grant Macfarlane, Sr

    Brigham Young University Law School BYU Law Digital Commons Utah Supreme Court Briefs (pre-1965) 1959 In Re Grant MacFarlane, Sr. : Brief of Respondents Utah Supreme Court Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/uofu_sc1 Part of the Law Commons Original Brief submitted to the Utah Supreme Court; funding for digitization provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Utah State Library, and sponsored by the S.J. Quinney Law Library; machine- generated OCR, may contain errors. Edward W. Clyde; Ray R. Christensen; Ned Warnock; Recommended Citation Brief of Respondent, State v. MacFarlane, No. 9051 (Utah Supreme Court, 1959). https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/uofu_sc1/3343 This Brief of Respondent is brought to you for free and open access by BYU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Utah Supreme Court Briefs (pre-1965) by an authorized administrator of BYU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OCT I 4 1959 ~,.,.,, ._,u.v,.,y IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF UTAH ---+-:~ I L E D INRE GRANT MACF.ARLANE BRIEF OF RESPONDENTS EDWARD W. CLYDE RAY R. CHRISTENSEN NED WARNOCK Sponsored by the S.J. Quinney Law Library. Funding for digitization provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Utah State Library. Machine-generated OCR, may contain errors. IXDEX Page TIIE FACTS- ARGUMENT ,' I. KATURB OF DTSCIPI,T'\ARY PROCEEDIKGS BY THE BAR COMMTSSIOK II. THE ~ATURE OF THF.
  • Student Days at the Inns of Court

    Student Days at the Inns of Court

    STUDENT DAYS AT THE INNS OF COURT.* Fortescue tells us that when King John fixed the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, the professors of the municipal law who heretofore had been scattered about the kingdom formed themselves into an aggregate body "wholly addicted to the study of the law." This body, having been excluded from Oxford and Cambridge where the civil and canon laws alone were taught, found it necessary to establish a university of its own. This it did by purchasing at various times certain houses between the City of Westminster, where the King's courts were held, and the City of London, where they could obtain their provisions. The nearest of these institutions to the City of London was the Temple. Passing through Ludgate, one came to the bridge over the Fleet Brook and continued down Fleet Street a short distance to Temple Bar where were the Middle, Inner and Outer Temples. The grounds of the Temples reached to the bank of the Thames and the barges of royalty were not infrequently seen drawn up to the landing, when kings and queens would honor the Inns with their presence at some of the elaborate revels. For at Westminster was also the Royal Palace and the Abbey, and the Thames was an easy highway from the market houses and busi- ness offices of London to the royal city of Westminster. Passage on land was a far different matter and at first only the clergy dared risk living beyond the gates, and then only in strongly-walled dwellings. St.
  • Barriers to the Legal Profession

    Barriers to the Legal Profession

    Barriers to the legal profession Rosaline Sullivan July 2010 1 Introduction “Increasingly, children‟s success at school determines their success as adults, determining whether and where they go to college (university), what profession they enter, and how much they are paid” (Buckham and Lee, 2002). The provision of legal services at the highest levels and in the most prestigious firms is dominated by white, male lawyers from the highest socio-economic groups. Our belief is that such an outcome does not occur as a result of overt discrimination but instead barriers to entry and progression occur over the lifetime of individuals seeking a career in law from initial education, to training, to gaining experience within a law firm. This paper explores each stage that an individual follows in pursuing a career in law and the evidence that can help explain the socio-economic characteristics of lawyers we see in England and Wales. Overall purpose of research The Legal Services Board (LSB) has been formed to reform and modernise the regulation of the legal services market place in the interests of consumers. One focus of the LSB‟s first year was on “promoting access to a diverse profession”. In 2010/11 the LSB extends this area of focus to “developing a workforce for a changing market”, enabling us to consider more widely what consumers and procurers of legal services need, want and should be able to expect from the legal workforce. Promoting a legal workforce that is open to the widest pool of talent is recognised across the sector and government as a priority area.
  • Edmund Plowden, Master Treasurer of the Middle Temple

    Edmund Plowden, Master Treasurer of the Middle Temple

    The Catholic Lawyer Volume 3 Number 1 Volume 3, January 1957, Number 1 Article 7 Edmund Plowden, Master Treasurer of the Middle Temple Richard O'Sullivan Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/tcl Part of the Catholic Studies Commons This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at St. John's Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Catholic Lawyer by an authorized editor of St. John's Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EDMUND PLOWDEN' MASTER TREASURER OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE (1561-1570) RICHARD O'SULLIVAN D ENUO SURREXIT DOMUS: the Latin inscription high on the outside wall of this stately building announces and records the fact that in the year 1949, under the hand of our Royal Treasurer, Elizabeth the Queen, the Hall of the Middle Temple rose again and became once more the centre of our professional life and aspiration. To those who early in the war had seen the destruction of these walls and the shattering of the screen and the disappearance of the Minstrels' Gallery; and to those who saw the timbers of the roof ablaze upon a certain -midnight in March 1944, the restoration of Domus must seem something of a miracle. All these things naturally link our thought with the work and the memory of Edmund Plowden who, in the reign of an earlier Queen Elizabeth, devoted his years as Treasurer and as Master of the House to the building of this noble Hall.
  • The Inns of Court and the Impact on the Legal Profession in England

    The Inns of Court and the Impact on the Legal Profession in England

    SMU Law Review Volume 4 Issue 4 Article 2 1950 The Inns of Court and the Impact on the Legal Profession in England David Maxwell-Fyfe Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/smulr Recommended Citation David Maxwell-Fyfe, The Inns of Court and the Impact on the Legal Profession in England, 4 SW L.J. 391 (1950) https://scholar.smu.edu/smulr/vol4/iss4/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in SMU Law Review by an authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu. 19501 THE INNS OF COURT THE INNS OF COURT AND THE IMPACT ON THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN ENGLAND The Rt. Hon. Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe, K.C., M.P., London, England A TTHE present day there are many eminent lawyers who have received a part, perhaps the greater part, of their legal grounding at Oxford or Cambridge or other universities, but there was a time when no legal teaching of any consequence, except in Canon and Roman law, was obtainable anywhere outside the Inns of Court. Sir Wm. Blackstone called them "Our Judicial Univer- sity." In them were taught and trained the barristers and the judges who molded and developed the common law and the principles of equity. The Inns were not in earlier times, as they are now, inhabited merely during the daytime by lawyers and students who dispersed in all directions to their homes every night.
  • THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION Tampa, Florida | March - April 2016 | VOL

    THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION Tampa, Florida | March - April 2016 | VOL

    LAWYERTHE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION TAmpA, FLORIdA | mARCH - ApRIL 2016 | VOL. 26, NO. 4 The 3 R’s of a Good Referral Respect Gunn Law Group is honored to receive the majority of its cases as referrals from our peers who entrust us with their most valued clients. Our reputation with the courts and amongst the defense bar is impeccable. Resources Prosecuting serious matters requires both human and capital resources. Gunn Law Group is proud to offer a team of resolute attorneys who have distinguished trial records. At our new offices, we arm them with the technical and facility resources to serve our clients best. Results Our record of multi-million dollar rewards and settlements speaks for itself. We are pleased to offer referral fees as permitted by the Florida Bar. Referring your clients to a firm that has the right experience to handle the matter is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. When your clients have a serious matter to deal with, turn to Gunn. INSURANCE COVERAGE BAD FAITH SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY PRODUCT LIABILITY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE Client Referrals...One of the Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make GUNN LAW GROUP CIVIL TRIAL ATTORNEYS Advocating for Justice 400 North Ashley Drive, Suite 2050 Tampa, FL 33602 Toll Free: 866.GUNNLAW Ph 813.228.7070 F 813.228.9400 [email protected] ^^^N\UUSH^NYV\WJVT THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION LAWYER MAR - APR 2016 | VOL. 26, NO. 4 divisions features 8 and events 6 6 hcba pasT presidenTs luncheon 12 Tips for inTeracTing WiTh Jurors by Judge Samantha Ward, Judge Lisa Campbell, and Judge Steven Stephens (with contributions from Michael Boucher, Kirk S.
  • Careers and Employability Service Additional Resources and Information for Law

    Careers and Employability Service Additional Resources and Information for Law

    Careers and Employability Service Additional Resources and Information for Law Welcome: We have developed this recourse pack to help you research specific job sectors which may be of particular interest to Law students and graduates. • Prospects.ac.uk - Options with Law The Prospects site includes information and advice covering: Your skills, job options, career areas, further study, what next, case studies, contacts and job search sites. Document Index (Quick Links): This document has handy hyperlinks to help you navigate around it if you view in an electronic format. • Skills • Employability activities within your degree • Employment Destinations • Finding Job Vacancies • Key occupational information for solicitors and barristers: • Key occupational information on ancillary legal careers: • Training Contract, Pupillage and other law-related vacancies: • Recruitment agencies focussing on the legal sector: • Other Vacancies: • Postgraduate study and research opportunities: • Legal Practice Course (LPC): • Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC): • LLM - Masters in Law: • Bespoke Career Planning for Law Students: • Alumni Information and Profiles: SKILLS: A degree in law is very attractive to a wide range of employers both in the legal and non-legal sectors. As well as strong academic ability, employers also value the range of skills learned through studying law. These include: • the ability to research, collect and analyse large amounts of information • strong written and oral communication skills including the ability to create logical
  • “Making Time Their King”: the Christmas Culture and Politics of the Early Modern Inns of Court in Thomas Middleton’S Masque of Heroes

    “Making Time Their King”: the Christmas Culture and Politics of the Early Modern Inns of Court in Thomas Middleton’S Masque of Heroes

    중세르네상스영문학 20권 2호 (2012): 265-293 “Making Time their king”: The Christmas Culture and Politics of the Early Modern Inns of Court in Thomas Middleton’s Masque of Heroes Bomin Kim New York University Probably no other demographic is more frequently mentioned in the history of early modern English drama, besides the monarch and the people who created and performed the dramatic works, than the Inns of Court men. They were creators and performers of plays; they frequented the theaters (especially the indoor playhouses within the liberties [Gurr 77]) as audience and routinely hired playing companies to perform in their main halls; singly and collectively they were often dedicatees of playwrights and poets; and, most relevant to my present topic, they were also creators, connoisseurs, sponsors and performers of masques. In the scholarship of early modern literature, however, the masques produced or performed by Inns of Court men are under-represented, most studies preoccupied with specimens of the genre produced in the context of the royal court with issues of high politics and religion as their subject matters. 266 Bomin Kim In the spirit of what Patricia Fumerton has usefully, if schematically, called “a new new historicism” which is “not so much ‘political’ as ‘social’ historicism” (4), this article participates in the revisionary trend in scholarship to bring due attention to the “the complexity and multifariousness of masque” (Laskowski 12) with a case study on Thomas Middleton’s Masque of Heroes, performed at the Inner Temple during the 1618/9 Christmas season.1 Masque of Heroes has been recipient of only a limited amount of critical attention from scholars, most of them stopping short at merely introducing the masque in a summary fashion.
  • Drexel University Kline School of Law American Inn of Court

    Drexel University Kline School of Law American Inn of Court

    Drexel University Kline School of Law American Inn of Court Group 4, February 26, 2019 Philadelphia’s Soda Tax: Is the Sweet Deal for the City Leaving Local Businesses Feeling Parched AGENDA • Introduction of group 4 and topic (including a PowerPoint overview of the soda tax that touches on origin, public health issues, city council vote, litigation at the lower and appellate court levels, effects of the tax, reaction of local business owners and school district) (15 minutes, Stephen) • Moot court argument (25 minutes, Nicole, Monica, John, Kelsey, Ilana, Elaine) • Policy questions and break-out groups to discuss (20 minutes total, Stephen to show remaining videos, Elaine to organize small groups and assign a question to each): 1. Does your view of this tax change based on whether it has health benefits for the city and why? 2. Does your view of this tax depend on what the tax is used for (schools, general funds, infrastructure)? 3. Some clergy in Philadelphia have argued that the tax overburdens specific communities; should that differential impact matter? 4. Given that the PA Supreme Court found the tax legal, should it be extended to other items with health consequences (caffeinated or sugar-free beverages, for example) and, if no, why not? 5. Should it matter if people are avoiding Philadelphia businesses to buy their sugared beverages outside of the city (in the suburbs or New Jersey, for example)? • Reconvene to share discussions, summary, and conclusion (5 minutes, Elaine to coordinate, and all members of Group 4 to participate) 1 | Page PARTICIPANT BIOS John Campbell is a third-year law student at Drexel University Thomas R.
  • The Beginning, Flourishing and Decline of the Inns of Court: the Consolidation of the English Legal Profession After 1400

    The Beginning, Flourishing and Decline of the Inns of Court: the Consolidation of the English Legal Profession After 1400

    Vanderbilt Law Review Volume 10 Issue 1 Issue 1 - December 1956 Article 3 12-1956 The Beginning, Flourishing and Decline of the Inns of Court: The Consolidation of the English Legal Profession after 1400 Anton Hermann Chroust Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vlr Part of the Legal Profession Commons Recommended Citation Anton Hermann Chroust, The Beginning, Flourishing and Decline of the Inns of Court: The Consolidation of the English Legal Profession after 1400, 10 Vanderbilt Law Review 79 (1956) Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vlr/vol10/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Vanderbilt Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Vanderbilt Law Review by an authorized editor of Scholarship@Vanderbilt Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE BEGINNING, FLOURISHING AND DECLINE OF THE INNS OF COURT: THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE ENGLISH LEGAL PROFESSION AFTER 1400 ANTON-HERMANN CHROUST* Wherever the common law is studied and practiced [the Inns of Court] must be regarded as the original fountainhead of the law, toward which the true lawyer must feel as a Jew does toward Jerusalem and a Mus- sulman towards Mecca. The four Inns of Court-Lincoln's Inn, Gray's Inn, the Middle Tem- ple and the Inner Temple-may well be called one single legal univer- sity composed of four relatively independent colleges. In their long and illustrious history these Inns have discharged important func- tions in the domains of legal education and professional discipline. As the depository of splendid professional traditions which date back to the Middle Ages, they were for a long time the guardian as well as the gateway to the higher English Bar.
  • The Magistrate •fl and Humorous Magistrates •fl In

    The Magistrate •fl and Humorous Magistrates •fl In

    Early Theatre 14.2 (2011) Louis A. Knafla The Magistrate — and Humorous Magistrates — in Early Seventeenth-Century England As we have seen, The Humorous Magistrate features — in the representation of Justice Thrifty and his professional activities — a characterization of the legal system and its officials during the personal rule of Charles I. Among the play’s themes are some generally held concerns about legal process: judi- cial corruption and the failure of the central state to govern rural localities according to customary traditions. These issues engage what historians have called the contest between ‘court and country’, the reforming zeal that evan- gelical Anglicans and Puritans brought to the reform of the law, and the enmity that Charles I and his privy council had engendered in their (by the standards of the reformers) arbitrary rule during the 1630s. It has been established that the play was written by John Newdigate III (1600–42),1 a prominent gentleman and lawyer of the West Midlands. Newdigate was the eldest son of Sir John and Anne Newdigate (née Fitton), a prominent Warwickshire family allied with several quasi-Puritan or reform- minded gentry families such as the Burdetts, Egertons, Holcrofts, Leighs, Greasleys, and Hastings, whose members included prominent lawyers and JPs who were allied in sentiment to the law reformers of the age. While John Newdigate attended Gray’s Inn and the Inner Temple, and was later involved in considerable litigation, there is no evidence that he studied for the bar. He was elected sheriff of Warwickshire in 1625, as member of parliament in 1628, and was on the commission of the peace from 1630, though there is no evidence that he was an active magistrate.