In “A Privilege or a Free Pass: Higher Standards Sought for State Secrets Privilege,” contributor Bob Kemper examines the key players pulled into the debate: the courts and their divergent interpretations of the privilege, a Congress that seeks to rein in this executive power, and a government that appears reluctant to fully rewrite the rules on public disclosure of classified information.
With two pending bills calling for judicial review of presidential assertions of the privilege, President Barack Obama now finds himself the new target of civil libertarians wary if he will deliver on his campaign promise of transparency.
Profiled in our latest “Legends in the Law” series is leading patent law expert Donald R. Dunner, who played an important role in the creation of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in 1982. Dunner shares with staff writer Kathryn Alfisi memories of his childhood years as well as highlights of his legal career spanning more than 50 years.
Meanwhile, Jacob A. Stein recalls the familiar faces of the 5th Street of old—from the rogues to the small-time lawyers whose steady business flowed from the transgressions of the former, to judges and men of political influence. This mix of characters may explain why, in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to take a ride down 5th Street in an open car.
Separately, in his “Legal Spectator” column, Stein talks about a common practice trap lawyers may fall into as they get caught up in the daily demands of their work. Procrastination has a cost, as Stein illustrates in the case of Massachusetts lawyer Ralph Baker.
What’s a lawyer to do with a client who lies? In “Speaking of Ethics,” Saul Jay Singer addresses two conflicting ethical obligations attorneys face: the duty to advocate for a client’s position and preserve confidentiality, and the duty to refuse to offer false evidence.
In her column, D.C. Bar President Kim M. Keenan notes the growing number of solo practitioners, a trend primarily driven by the struggling economy, and how the Bar is responding to these lawyers’ need to learn how to run a successful practice. The Bar’s “Basic Training” is a free crash course members should take advantage of as they pursue a new direction in their legal careers.
This month’s issue also reviews three books fresh off the presses: James MacGregor Burns’ Packing the Court: The Rise of Judicial Power and the Coming Crisis of the Supreme Court, Dennis Henigan’s Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths That Paralyze American Gun Policy, and Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice.
News and notes on the D.C. Bar legal community, attorney honors and
announcements, and a review of upcoming events round out the November
issue of Washington
Lawyer.
