If a tree's rights are violated in the woods but nobody hears it, does it make a sound?

In Hedgpeth v. Pulido, the U.S. Supreme Court explained yesterday in essence that when the trial court commits certain kinds of error with regard to the jury instructions, the appeals court should consider "whether the flaw in the instructions 'had substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury's verdict.'"

On used books

Not too long ago, I finally went to Mr. K's used books in Johnson City - an amazing place, until you consider, for example, all the bookshops in Charlottesville.

We love free stuff

Years ago, I bought a copy of the Manual on Complex Litigation, because it was referenced in some order I had in case that was transferred as part of multi-district litigation.

More recently, I discovered that the later edition is downloadable for free from the Federal Judicial Center website.

There's a lot of forms and other good stuff in there, worth consulting even when you aren't in a case that is totally too big and complex.

Surviving the plunging numbers

The stock market? No, the .500 or less records at Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Auburn, UCLA, and Texas A & M, with LSU, Clemson, and West Virginia not much better - doesn't that sound like a list of the usual suspects from about 1950 to 2000? Has there been a "realignment" in college football, in the language of political theorists?

On being a criminal defense lawyer at age 88

The Atlanta paper has this fun article on an experienced lawyer in Georgia.

Should the Bar disciplinary hearing docket be online?

This article in the Daily Press says that Bar counsel want a reversal of the Supreme Court's decision that the docket of upcoming hearings on disciplinary charges against Virginia lawyers should be accessible online to the public.