Update (August 26, 2014): Veterinarian Terrance Rapacz does not appear to have had a very good business, but he did have a very good friend, John Sluck. With very little documentation, Sluck agreed to help Rapacz out in Rapacz’s failing business to the tune of more than $250,000. Then, sadly, Mr. Sluck died. And then, […]
I had the good fortune of being able to pepper Judge James Michael Rosenbaum with questions over lunch recently. Given the depth and span of Judge Rosenbaum’s Minnesota legal career and my interest in Minnesota civil litigation, this was a Holy Grail opportunity and I am sincerely grateful to Judge Rosenbaum. To me, maybe the […]
It’s State Fair time. That means fall is approaching. And the start of a new U.S. Supreme Court term. Last year’s term ended with some interesting commentary by professors, reporters and bloggers. Experienced Supreme Court attorney and professor Neal Katyal started the discussion. In an op ed piece in the New York Times, he argued […]
Update (August 22, 2014): The lawsuit of Doe v. Colleges of St. Benedict and St. John’s University started with splashy drama early this month (emergency motions, dramatic allegations) and ended in sealed silence this week. Good for everyone, I think, that the lawsuit was short-lived (except, the cynic adds, for the trial lawyers and their law firms). […]
In early 2011, Minnesota Litigator noted the unorthodox website of Twin Cities lawyer, Marc G. Kurzman. Specifically, Mr. Kurzman includes ten quotes from unnamed sitting judges supposedly praising Mr. Kurzman’s “moral character” and his “legal acumen.” Really??? The man has a veritable rap sheet of ethical violations stretching back twenty years. I note that Mr. Kurzman […]
Back in December, 2013, Minnesota Litigator had a post about Wells Fargo’s apparently inconsistent positions on “SLPs” and “SIVs” back in the go-go years in the U.S. mortgage industry (before the 2008 meltdown). Wells Fargo seemed to tell some investors that these Securities Lending Programs (“SLPs”) presented opportunities for risk-free gains while also saying publicly […]
Summer can be a slow time for sports fans. Basketball season is over, football season hasn’t started, and, while baseball season is still going, some fans know that their team’s season is effectively over (see: Minnesota Twins). But one season has been alive and very active this summer: college sports litigation! The NCAA has been […]
Have you ever given any thought to the dollar value of trust? How much money does distrust cost? Distrust is extremely expensive and the parties and lawyers in St. Jude v. Grubiak will be measuring it. Minnesota Litigator has covered St. Jude v. Grubiak previously. St. Jude distrusts Grubiak. So, rather than asking for and […]
One of the joys of civil litigation is that one’s work is SUPER SECRET sometimes and SUPER PUBLIC at other times. And sometimes, you’re completely swamped with work and secret stuff accidentally goes public or public stuff can have embarrassing typos and the like. (Laugh all you want. Ventura’s victorious trial lawyers can surely afford a snicker at […]
There are deadlines and then there are DEADLINES. Civil litigators must adhere to every deadline in every instance forever. This is a good basic “best practices” rule. But the fact is that some deadlines are deadly and some deadlines, most civil litigators will sheepishly admit, are “more honored in the breach” (that is, in the improper […]