Ask the average person or even the average lawyer what they think of forum shopping. It is viewed as a crime against the people. So let’s talk about “forum selection” instead. Forum selection is important, showed by the frequency with which parties contractually provide for and battle over venue. There…
U.S. District Court Judge James K. Bredar ruled this week that a legal malpractice insurer – our carrier Minnesota Lawyers Mutual, who I would recommend – does not have to provide coverage for a legal malpractice claim because its insured attorneys did not provide adequate notice of a potential claim.…
Local Government Tort Claims and the Maryland Tort Claims Act Our law firm does not handle police brutality cases. We have some experience handling the claims – not me but other lawyers here – and the injuries can be horrific. But the criminally insane Maryland Local Government Tort Claims Act…
Last week, in Hendrix v. Burns, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals dealt with the question of what plaintiffs’ lawyers can admit into evidence in a car accident case when the defendant stipulates to liability. In car accident cases, many defense lawyers loathe admitting responsibility. There is always a chance…
There are five finalists for the dean of University of Baltimore School of Law that will visit campus beginning March 26. I will review these candidates for you and make my selection. To be fair, I have never met or even heard of any of these people. I’ve limited my…
There is a bill pending in the Maryland Senate to overturn the Maryland Court of Appeals opinion in Maurer v. Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance six years ago. This bill allows car insurance companies who have underinsured exposure because the at-fault driver has insufficient insurance coverage, to consent to settlements…
The Maryland Court of Special Appeals issued an opinion last week in a case that should be read by every Maryland personal injury lawyer who is putting up or cross-examining expert witnesses at trial. What Happened in Yiallouro v. Tolson? In Yiallouro v. Tolson, the plaintiff was injured in a…
This blog is directed primarily to other personal injury lawyers around the country. I try not to focus too much on issues specific to Maryland because there are not enough lawyers in Maryland to maintain a readership. Even when I’m analyzing Maryland personal injury cases, I try to make the…
The Baltimore Sun has an article this week about Columbia criminal attorney Clarke F. Ahlers attempt to unseat Judge Lenore R. Gelfman and Judge William V. Tucker on the Howard County bench in November. I don’t know Ahlers. I know he was a former Howard County police officer who taught…
In all the hubbub about Robert McDonald’s selection to the Maryland Court of Appeals, I neglected to mention the new Circuit Court judges: Baltimore County District Judge Nancy Purpura (Baltimore County) William Rogers Nicklas Jr., a personal injury lawyer (Frederick County) Harford County prosecutor Melba Elizabeth Bowen (Harford County) Howard…