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Subject Index
Judge's Corner
Black Robe to Gold Watch
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2016
Column
, Page 46
What do aging citizens – and judges – mean for the justice system?
Judging Forensic Science
By Hon. Ron Spears
November
2015
Column
, Page 48
Lawyers and judges have been slow to acknowledge the limitations of forensic science.
Are Courts Headed for a Market Failure?
By Ron Spears
August
2015
Column
, Page 52
Dissatisfied litigants and other unhappy "consumers" of justice are increasingly choosing private options.
2 comments
(Most recent July 30, 2015)
Flawed Facts and Fact-Finders
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2015
Column
, Page 44
More judges are being asked to allow expert testimony about eyewitness ID and confessions.
Are We Ready for ‘Practice Ready’?
By Hon. Ron Spears
November
2014
Column
, Page 550
Should law schools do more to prepare grads for practice?
Unstructuring Structured Settlements
By Hon. Ron Spears
May
2014
Column
, Page 248
Some companies and plaintiffs want to revert structured settlements to lump sums, and judges have the final say.
Judicial Independence: Two Westerns and a Promise
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2014
Column
, Page 98
Sometimes judges have to make a lonely stand against the majority.
Lincoln on the Wall
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2013
Column
, Page 104
Lincoln was an exemplary but not perfect lawyer - which makes his example all the more inspiring.
The Real Prisoner’s Dilemma
By Hon. Ron Spears
August
2012
Column
, Page 442
Defendants have a Constitutional right to effective counsel during plea bargains.
A Bricoleur’s Response to Murphy’s Law
By Hon. Ron Spears
May
2012
Column
, Page 270
"Bricolage" is the art of creating a solution using whatever is available. It's an art litigators would do well to cultivate.
Lawyers, Doctors and Matryoshka Dolls
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2012
Column
, Page 106
Fee contests over physician testimony reflect the tension between lawyers and doctors.
Contagion and the Courts
By Hon. Ron Spears
November
2011
Column
, Page 588
Health care providers aren't the only ones who have to respond to public health emergencies.
A Visit to the Academy
By Hon. Ron Spears
August
2011
Column
, Page 420
Dispatches from a four-day seminar on the impact of poverty and wealth on justice.
What Price Justice? The County Board Wants to Know
By Hon. Ron Spears
May
2011
Column
, Page 260
How much process is due a criminal defendant? It's a dollars-and-cents question.
Character on Trial
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2011
Column
, Page 102
Judge Justice and his colleagues express their misgivings about character evidence.
Humpty Dumpty Child
By Hon. Ron Spears
November
2010
Column
, Page 588
Healing broken children is hard but essential work.
Foreseeing the “Four C’s” (Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions)
By Hon. Ron Spears
August
2010
Column
, Page 432
The collateral consequences of conviction are often the gravest.
Looking for “facts” in all the Wrong Places
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2010
Column
, Page 102
Social networking sites are great - unless jurors are using them in ways that threaten a fair trial.
Predictions, Probabilities and the Magic 8-Ball
November
2009
Column
, Page 585
Despite the best analysis of the best evidence, predicting human behavior is a risky business.
Make Settlement Agreements a Centerpiece, not an Afterthought
By Hon. Ron Spears
August
2009
Column
, Page 422
Careful planning for settlements can prevent bad results.
A Snipe-Hunter’s guide to Coaxing Answers from Hostile Witnesses
By Hon. Ron Spears
May
2009
Column
, Page 260
Preparation and skillful questioning can help you bag your quarry.
Lincoln’s Teams of Legal Rivals
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2009
Column
, Page 100
Before he was President, Lawyer Lincoln drew on the strength of rivals.
The Five People You Meet in Wal-Mart
By Hon. Ron Spears
November
2008
Column
, Page 586
Judge Justice learns how he has affected the lives of litigants.
Eyewitnesses and the Rashomon Effect
By Hon. Ron Spears
August
2008
Column
, Page 424
Research indicates that eyewitness testimony is less reliable than people think.
Are Civility and Zealous Advocacy Compatible?
By Hon. Ron Spears
May
2008
Column
, Page 260
Reason can change minds when rudeness won't.
Diogenes and the Testimonial Whopper
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2008
Column
, Page 104
What can we do to improve the accuracy and honesty of witness testimony? Not enough.
Burdens of Proof
By Hon. Ron Spears
November
2007
Column
, Page 604
Defining burdens of proof can be hard. But they're easier to understand than to define.
If the Gloves Don’t Fit…
By Hon. Ron Spears
August
2007
Column
, Page 436
Physical evidence can have a huge impact, but know whether it will help or hurt your client.
Attorney Independence? Remember the Alamo!
By Hon. Ron Spears
May
2007
Column
, Page 272
Let's stand up for lawyers who represent unpopular clients.
Opening Statements: Soup for the Jury’s Soul
By Hon. Ron Spears
February
2007
Column
, Page 102
A good opening statement will shape jurors' perception of the case.
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