That "should p.d.'s be blogging?" meme

What to leave in, what to leave out...

Clarence Gideon has this pretty well covered. Meanwhile, thanks to some single variable analysis at On Firm Ground, now all the civil lawyer bloggers think of me as one of the sad kids in black. I promise you, if I were to get morose over something, this blog or not to blog issue wouldn't be it. (cue judge / prosecutor / client saying, "I'll give you something to be morose about!")

In the meantime, Mr. Brightside is interviewing with a public defenders office in Southern California this week. Do you think that they might ask him about his one of his blog entries? The old "how can you defend the child murderer" rhetorical question. Brights thinks only a true believer or a mercenary can do it, but he presupposes that the lawyer is going to have to stand before a jury arguing the client's innocence. I'm not familiar with the particulars of the case, but I know a little bit about lawyering in similar tough spots. Think "mitigation," Brightsides, think "penalty phase," think "making the case for life." Better yet, think "negotiating the hell out of the D.A. to get them to drop the death penalty in exchange for a plea." Good luck with the hypos in your job interview, mister.