Sunday, January 27, 2008

Ah, People's Court

I've always wondered (not that much since I never bothered to look into it) how court television shows work. I heard of a friend of a friend who filed a suit in small claims court and ended up getting a letter from the People's Court inviting him to allow them to arbitrate the suit. Now it all makes sense. They 'guarantee' your settlement, presumably by paying your settlement (especially since a traditional judgment can never really be 'guaranteed' without you having to put more work into it...) and they will also pay you $250 if they decide against you. Wow.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's nice to see that there's some rational decision-making involved in people's willingness to air their dirty laundry on t.v.

Anonymous said...

Integrity. How does one define it? Does one have to gain it? What shows that one has it? What causes one to lose it? Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

Thoughts. One feels captain rhetorical may be pretentious.

Anonymous said...

Guaranteed settlement is also known as Binding Arbitration

Anonymous said...

Got this post from BW... does it seems a little crazy to anyone else?


Mine Your Own Business - the Dark Side of Environmentalism

Mine Your Own Business talks to some of the world's poorest people about how some western environmentalists are campaigning to keep them in poverty because they think their way of life is quaint. It is the first documentary to ask hard questions of the environmental movement.

Free Screening
February 7, 2008
6:30 p.m.
University of Colorado School of Law
Wittemyer Courtroom

cadoner said...

Someone tell that dude to stop sending me 5-10 emails a day. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Get over it Cadoner. Seriously. Just get over it. There are announcements that have been deemed worthwhile for distribution. BW is the designated person to send those announcements out. Sorry you have to click delete. It must be hard for you-- awww!

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize western environmentalists were campaigning to keep poor third world countries poor. To be sure, environmentalists would like to see less (or at least more responsible) industrialism, but I don't think the goal is to keep people poor...its to keep them alive.

Dirty Harry said...

"I didn't realize western environmentalists were campaigning to keep poor third world countries poor."

I read the feed as saying SOME western environmentalists are keeping poor people poor. Maybe it's BS maybe not, but I would find it hard to believe that ALL western environmentalists are super duper. Maybe you should see the documentary then tell us why it's BS.

Anonymous said...

Hey - when I travel to third world countries I always give poor people my extra granola bars when I take pictures of their "quaint" mut huts (well, actually I give them the cheap Safeway brand granola bars and I keep the yummy Luna bars for myself)...

cadoner said...

Anon 11:35, no need to be a dick. I'm not saying it's BW's fault. I'd just rather there be some sort of update site on the CU Law website than be spammed with emails all day.

Anonymous said...

RE: 'Dark Side..."

The event announcement itself is standard agit-prop, and to the extent that it gets taken at face value it is as successful as the classic gotcha question posed to a candidate: "Is it true that you beat your wife?"

It shifts the debate from the message to some red-herring that the messenger is forced to refute, giving undeserved credence to the claim. The temptation (indulged by at least one comment above) is to now discuss the relative numbers of environmentalists who want to keep 3rd world people impoverished in the name of 'quaintness.'

For some people/interests, that is a better use of our time/energy/intelligence than discussing issues relating to...umm..say...the environment. The claim is outlandish, but the tactic is far from crazy. Given how effective this type of communication has been in manipulating middle-America over the past several years, it is completely rational to expect that it will continue to work. Witness even the wee a bit of traction it's gained on this blog. If we get sucked into discussing the 'quaintness' spin, no one even has to see the movie for it to have served its purpose.

Anonymous said...

Yippee!

Today the 3Ls got their diploma request form...one step closer to the end of law school!

Yeah!

Anonymous said...

100 days till graduation

Anonymous said...

professor gazur says he is in the top 5% of wealthiest americans. he says we will all be at least in the top 10%.

Anonymous said...

Sweet!

I'm so glad he is confident in us...

Anonymous said...

Anybody hear of a mass dissatisfaction with RBs grades this last semester?

Anonymous said...

So - did any law students try out for American Gladiator on Saturday?

Anonymous said...

anyone know when we can register for summer classes?

Anonymous said...

I wonder if LT tried out - he would make a great Gladiator!

Anonymous said...

In the news today...

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2008/02/06/dnt.man.slugs.lawyer.wlex

Anonymous said...

Okay try watching it here...just play the video.

http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=7823864

Inmate Punches Attorney In Court

Anonymous said...

Here's The Guardian's review of the anti-environmentalist, pro-mining film, "Mine Your Own Business":
http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1936510,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=16
The director admitted it was partly funded by a giant mining company opposed by environmentalists.

Anonymous said...

So one post a month? The cite admins are WEAK.

Anonymous said...

Arg... I'm broke... I don't have a job for aftergraduation yet... and now I have to apply for more loans so I can pay for the stupid bar class!!

Ahhhh.

Anonymous said...

My thoughts and prayers are with the NIU students tonight.

Anonymous said...

Fellow freaking out 3l, you got me thinking. I am curious how many bloggers here (2L's and 3L's) are happy with their choice to go to law school. The question is: all things considered, would you do it again?

Anonymous said...

Methinks this deserves its own thread.

Personally, yes, I would do it again -- in a heartbeat. I have the moments when I'm stressed out and wonder what the hell I'm doing here, don't get me wrong, but I have also learned some really interesting things that will help me make a difference on the issues I care about when I get out of here. Plus, I have gotten interested in things I wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise . . . and made some awesome friends along the way!

OK, I'll shut up now. :)

Anonymous said...

I have mixed feelings. I've enjoyed learning about the law and getting more insight into how things "really" work. On the other hand, if I had known more about how many hours a week lawyers are expected to work and how difficult it is to balance work and life, I probably would have chosen a different career. I wish I had done more homework on the realities of practicing in the legal field.

Anonymous said...

Flat out - I would choose something else.

Anonymous said...

You know what's weak? The graduation reception menu. Yuck.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely not. I spent $100k for my JD and I never found legal work. I still do what I did before law school (clerical work). I wasn't in the bottom of my class, either.

Maybe I should be grateful. My classmates who did find legal work all hate their jobs and are now leaving the legal field.

Anonymous said...

I have really enjoyed law school. I would certainly do it again. But I'm also one of the (mentally disturbed) few who pretty much has known since high school that I wanted to be a lawyer "when I grow up" (still waiting for the growing up part to happen, but I am closer to being a lawyer).

Anonymous said...

Somebody get this discussion its own thread . . .