Insurance Claim1

I am horrible at math.  Just really suck at it.  And word problems?  Forget about it.  Yeah, I can do simple math but division and fractions have me stumped.  My dad was Mr. Awesome at all things math and he could never figure out why I sucked at it.  Heck, it took me three years just to get through high school algebra with something better than a "D." Is it any wonder, then, that I picked a profession that does not require math?  While I may see applications for algebra and calculus all around me, I do what I can to avoid having to do it because, well, I suck at math. I suspect it's that way for many people when it comes to legal research.  Yeah, there are some out there who think Librarians are outmoded dinosaurs who just push big, dusty books around (yeah, I'm looking at you Mr. know-more-than-a-Librarian). Fact is, when I started teaching people the how of legal research, I had to do some major soul searching to derive how I learned...

You ever feel like you have no clue what to do next?  You've worked hard all your life, planned, schemed, and plotted and are still at a point where you're stuck?  Happens all the time at my LAW library. Yesterday, in fact, I had a newly minted lawyer come into our LAW library. Seems new lawyer had recently passed the kafe but try as he might, he could not get a job at a law firm and so decided to put out his own shingle.   Problem was, while law school taught theory to help with passing the kafe exam, what he needed now was practice (or tools of a practical nature).   I suspected he was kicking himself for not paying more attention in his Legal Research and Writing class.  Yeah, that would have really helped him out now (in the real world). Anyway, I could see the fear in his eyes as he roamed our halls. Heck, I could smell it and he was really freaking out since he had just accepted a new client in a personal injury case and he didn't know where ...

You may not know this about me but I teach legal research classes to/for the public.  Really dig it, I do.  What I really like is working with people who are hungry for information. I can work with people like that.  What I can't deal with is whiners who complain that legal research is too hard. Thing is, the first time you do anything it's hard.   Nothing new, there. Take, for example, the Beatnik (a real hip and happening dude) who came into the law library the other day. Beatnik starts with the world is out to get him and how he doesn't know anything about legal research and would someone just do the work for him?! My answer(s) to him: Yes, it is, that's probably true, and no, I won't.   What I will do is help you out along the way.  Turns out Beatnik is fighting with his neighbor.  Seems neighbor has chickens that squawk at all hours of the day and the rooster starts sounding off around 3AM.   No amount of pleading will get neig...

Once upon a time I was in the market for some hiking boots. At the time, I didn't have a clue about what to buy (or not buy), what boots were made of, or that there are different boots for different occasions.  So, to a hiking boutique I went.  I picked this particular boutique because it held itself out as having particular knowledge on the subject of hiking apparel. After trying on a few pairs, the salesguy suggested I try/buy one particular pair.  They were all leather (in that they were all one piece of leather - no stitching at all).  Just one huge piece of leather molded around a bottom sole and each boot was little over 2.5 pounds each.  The salesguy (who was much more knowledgeable about hiking boot than I was) said these would last forever.  All I had to to was "break them in." Do you know what it takes to "break-in" a pair of new hiking boots?  It takes a lot of hiking.  LOTS and lots of it.  Well, on my very first hike up Mo...

You know how somethings come at you in life that you never saw coming?  I mean right upside the head it smacks you and there is nothing to prepare you for that moment.  You can't practice for it or rehearse and there are no do-overs.  You are either ready to deal with the situation or not. A few years back, I had that experience when I was in a bank robbery.  Laying face down with a Glock to the back of my head, I can still remember the feeling that in mere moments, life for me would end.  I remember the young lady laying across from me was crying that she would not see her daughter again.   I have often reflected back on that scenario and thought how I could have been better prepared and have come to the conclusion that I could not.  I am what I am and the best I can do is get ready for the next cataclysmic event, whatever that may be. Such was the thoughts going through my mind when a young-ish guy came into the library.  Guy had th...

The duduk kasus with being an omnipotent law Librarian is that after a while of hitting on all 16 cylinders, pulling answers out of the sky like they were cotton candy, you start to feel all powerful, thinking you know everything - until you skip a beat and you can't find anything.  Then you start to question the sanity of the universe. Such was my life the other day.  Seems this Guy came into my law library.  Seems Guy had just been in family court where his ex-wife had filed a motion to legally change his son's name to her new flame's name.  Judge told Guy she'd deny the motion if he could find something to prevent the change.  Guy was under the gun and came to me - the omnipotent Librarian - to help him in his hour of need.  I looked everywhere and couldn't find anything for him.  I mean, EVERYWHERE!  Guy flips out claiming that everyone told him that I was THE go to Librarian when you can't find something and that I failed him. Hu...

Once upon a time I had a laptop computer that was giving me trouble.  Seems no matter how long I had the computer plugged in, the battery wouldn't charge. Sometimes, even with a full charge (and right in the middle of a presentation), my laptop computer would just turn off. Luckily the computer was on warranty.  So, first I had the power ports replaced, then all the ports (USB, HDMI, everything) were replaced, then they replaced the power cord, the keyboard and, the day before the warranty was to expire, they replaced the motherboard.  Nothing helped. One day, I was in a computer repair shop.  The guy across the counter was talking to a customer who sounded like he had the same kasus I did. Then the repair guy said, "Did you remove the battery and run straight off the power cord?"   Wait.  Remove the battery?  If I remove the battery, then I can't move around.  Turns out, that was the problem.  I removed the battery and the laptop w...

The other day I was reading an article on the 15 skills employers just expect people to have.  Number 8 was the ability to do online research.  The article stated, simply, that any fool can do research - just type a search in Google and you can find what you want. Really?  It's that simple - just google it?  Do you realize how many people have tried to "just google" their legal work and were blown away by the judge or the clerk or opposing counsel?  The thing is that research is not all that easy for someone who doesn't do it all day, every day.  Heck, even though I've been doing legal research for almost 2 decades, I still get stumped.  Take, for example the question an attorney asked me the other day. Seems attorney had done some work on a case but was substituted out (client wanted to hire someone else).  Attorney decided that the work he had done on the case thus far warranted compensation - so he put a lien on the case (so that he c...

Today, as I was perusing the news feeds, I came across an article about rope.  Well, not rope, per se, but rope as in one group dolling out enough rope for another group to hang it's collective self .   Seems the democratic party has finally realized that spiteful, hateful, angry, foolish, stupid, reckless speech targeted toward the POTUS after losing an election (rather badly, I might add) may cause rank and file people, who don't understand that politicians are a bunch of windbags , may cause said peoples to rise up and try to kill those in authority (i.e. every politician in DC).  Such is the case in law and legal things and it brought to my mind a case that I worked on years back. Once upon a time, there was a Guy.  Guy had a wife and two beautiful children. One day, Guy was flipping through the mail and came across a letter addressed to his wife.  Turns out letter was written by an Admirer of wife.  I won't bore you with the details but after a...