People often ask me, “Judge, what is the secret of your success?” I would be delighted to give them a long and fulsome reply, except for the fact that a similar number of people ask me, “Judge, what went wrong?” Being a person who is not immune to flattery I prefer the former question to the latter, but in the interests of transparency, I will refer to another matter which I fear threw a spike strip in front of whatever vehicle was carrying me forwards.
Lawyers like to argue about many things. Today I’m picking just one of these - Social Media. To some it’s a life source, to others the scourge of modern society. That, of course, depends on its use, since a knife is a perfect tool for preparing food and eating, and also a perfect tool for causing dreadful injuries and death. Just recently Meta were taken to court and settled for up to $18bn to resolve claims with US states and territories that Facebook and Instagram harmed children. To me that sounds like a positive outcome, even though my understanding was that nobody under 80 used Facebook, although Instagram I am told is definitely still a thing.
Recently a friend of mine expressed dismay at how many people did not say a cheery thank you, or frankly show any thanks at all, when she slowed her car to let them out. Frankly, she said, she’d had enough and would not be offering this service forthwith. This led to an interesting discussion. Why do some people let others into a queue of cars and others do not? And why do some people say thank you and others feel there is no need to acknowledge such kindness?
I am old, I don’t feel old, at least until I look in the mirror, or for that matter if I try to run too fast and the knees no longer want to play. Apart from that, all is good. I mention this in part because I have lived through various legal eras and, as Dylan memorably sang, “The Times They Are A-Changin.”
Love, Peace and Harmony are generally not words many people would associate with a life in the law. Even I have had the occasional hug following a legal success (and a few nice bottles of silky smooth wine too) but getting to the point of success in a case is often a grind, and one of course that for any lawyer worth their salt requires meticulous preparation. Yes, best to avoid AI hallucinatory shortcuts here (I’ll deal with AI in a later blog), just hard slog, at least a modicum of self-belief and a metaphorical tin hat to shelter from those judges (you know who you are) who don’t take kindly to you or your arguments.
As the Pointer Sisters so perfectly sang back in my 80s heyday, “I’m so excited” - that’s how I feel, and that’s because I’m here, you’re here and Tutto è Bellissimo, which is my motto and translates to "Everything is beautiful" or "Everything is wonderful." Either way, it works for me and represents where I am and I trust where you are too. Or at least where you are going. This is a journey, so join me for the ride and I promise not to bore you!