Blog Posts

Louis Freeh’s report on Penn State and Jerry Sandusky reads like the not-too-original account of a honeymoon: He said all the right things, and in just the right tone. There were even pictures, in the form of exhibits. I am sure the university spent millions of dollars for the effort. But it...

New Hampshire did something extraordinary the other day. The Granite State decided to take juries and the work they do seriously. As of January 1, 2013, criminal defense lawyers will be permitted to inform juries that they are to determine not just the facts in a given prosecution, but whether the...

There really ought not to be two standards for what is fair, just and reasonable, one for the ordinary, run of the mill case, the other for cases in which the world is watching, struck dumb with pity. But lawyers for Charla Nash think otherwise. Ms. Nash is an entirely sympathetic figure. She is...

What happens next in the Jerry Sandusky case? The premiere event will, of course, be sentencing day. A few months from now the former Penn State football coach will stand before Judge John Cleland, who will then impose an eye-popping sentence. Sandusky was found guilty of 45 of the 48 counts...

I awoke to the sound of radio reports on the trial of Jerry Sandusky. There was rejoicing outside the courtroom. Folks traveled for miles to be present when the all but inevitable guilty verdicts were reported. Sandusky was found guilty of 45 of 48 counts! Hurrah! I listened to this celebration...

I’ve never wanted to be the dean of law school. For that matter, I’ve never even wanted to teach at a law school either. I suppose that is a good thing, since no law school has ever wanted me to teach or lead by example. So much the worse for legal education, I say.
But at least...

Here is a letter and email chain reflecting how a Kangaroo Court works. A tragedy in four parts:
ACT I: An Invitation to an Execution:
On Jun 15, 2012, at 4:23 PM, "W, Diane" <Diane.W@po.state.ct.us> wrote:
> Dear Attorney Pattis: > > Attached please find a copy of...

My wife took me to breakfast with our two surrogate children, Odysseus and Penelope, bright and early this morning. She found a dog friendly restaurant in Wellfleet, on Cape Cod, where we are hiding out for a long weekend. She said breakfast out was the dogs’ idea, a father’s day treat....

A lawyer’s role as counselor is often quiet, uncelebrated work. A dramatic verdict and high-fives on the courthouse steps catch all the attention. But soft words spoken in secret are often far more influential. Being a lawyer is a lot like being a parent.
All parents of adult children...

Call me an idealist, a dreamer, even a fool: I believe in the presumption of innocence. When a client stands presented to the world as a criminal, his reputation in tatters, his livelihood at risk, the presumption of innocence is all he has left. I wish the courts took it more seriously. I stood...