Columns
What lawyers need to know about bank failures and trust accounts
(Editor’s Note: Due to the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, the Bar’s Ethics Hotline has been...
The Mindful Lawyer
A few weeks ago Burt Bacharach passed away at the age of 94. Bacharach is widely regarded as one of...
Be a healthy lawyer
Back at work for the new year, I put on my suit and tie. My shirt collar was too snug,...
Mindfulness and Summary Judgments
Last year Florida adopted the federal standard for evaluating motions for summary judgment. To prevail, the moving party must show...
Be a resolute lawyer
Be a resolute lawyer. A new year often brings about resolutions. Unfortunately, resolutions quickly disappear. The way resolutions become reality...
Ask Judge Smith: ‘Default Judgments and Damages’
Q. Judge Smith, what is a default judgment? Does a default judgment end the case? Thank you, Dee.A. Due process of...
The Mindful Lawyer: Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You Listening?
Last month’s column, Perry Mason and the Present Moment, explored mindful listening, a topic we’ll again consider, this time with...
Ask Judge Smith: The Art of Cross-Examination
Q. Judge Smith, what advice can you give about cross-examining witnesses? — Tate A. I have spent thousands of hours...
Be a joyful lawyer
Ode To Joy! Have joy in your heart, have joy for life, make joy for others. Joyfulness is a feeling...
Perry Mason and the Present Moment
This month’s column meanders like a river, flowing from television’s most popular trial attorney, to a largely forgotten courageous and...