Law And More

Olivia de Havilland, Legal Trailblazer, Dies at Age 104

As the world knows: Today, Olivia de Havilland passed gently into the night of natural causes in her residence in Paris, France.

She was 104 years old. Here is a backgrounder on her life and career.

Her sister Joan Fontaine, also a Hollywood big name, died at age 96. Family genes structured for longevity.

The Olivia de Havilland brand is most associated with her dramatic performances. They include the now-controversial "Gone with the Wind." Along the way, she picked up two Academy Awards.

But her legacy in the legal sector is quite different.

She was a trailblazer in using the law to reduce the power of Hollywood studios. Yes, she instituted a kind of power outage.

In 1943, she filed a lawsuit against Warner Brothers. It was confining her to ingenue roles. No fool, she got it that she wouldn't be an ingenue forever. Warner's management of her was keeping her career on a short runway.

In 1944, the court ruled that after seven years - calendar ones - the contract was fulfilled. That freed the actress to seek out roles at other studios.

Of course, Warner Brothers tried to blackball her in the industry. Obviously that didn't have the career-killing results Warner expected. Her career, though, like most in Hollywood, had its ups and downs. The universe wasn't always smiling on her. 

In this time of renamings, a law school should take on the new moniker of "The Olivia de Havilland School of Game-Changing Law."

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The UPS Store Website, Executive Parkway, Toledo, OH Gushes: WE ARE OPEN

But that branch of UPS wasn't this morning. That is, open.

Not when it was supposed to at 9 A.M.

Not around 9:25 A.M. when the many of us waiting on the sidewalk in the hot sun decided to give up.

Corridor of shame. 

Among ourselves we swapped information about alternatives.

One woman briefed me how I could get processed what I needed to at Fed Ex. And, that's exactly what I did.

At the Monroe Street store of FedEx in Toledo, Ohio, Jessica who manned the operations was a superhero. And the total cost was a bit over 2 bucks. For the same service, UPS usually charges a buck a page. 

No more doing (or even trying to do) business with UPS again. Not for me.

Life has become too hard. No business will stay in business long if it comports itself like a whatever in a banana republic. I am a businesswoman. I need reliability in the vendors I use.

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Dick Wolf in the BLM Era

Those brilliant fictional characters in law enforcement producer Dick Wolf created don't fit well with the BLM ethos.

Wolf became a brandname and wealthy through catchy police crime shows, ranging from "Law and Order SVU" to "Chicago PD."

The best known part of the formula is, of course, having plots ripped from the headlines. For example, "Law and Order SVU" had two episodes anchored around the Harvey Weinstein saga of expecting career women to pony up sexual favors in order to stay in the game.

But another part is positioning and packaging members of law enforcement as heroes. Given that status, they can operate according to their own rules. For instance, to save the day, Hank Voigt from "Chicago PD" will rough up suspects. As Dawn Chmielewski hammers in FORBES, both of these Wolf stock tactics are being put under the microscope during this era of BLM.

Consequently, Wolf will have to rethink how his writers put together plot lines, put boundaries on characters' behavior, and present the flaws of the law-enforcement system.

The elephant in the room on that one is if Wolf can function in that new box and still produce hot entertainment?

He could find himself too boxed in.

The history of success is filled with players who operated brilliantly in one context. Then things changed. And they fell off a cliff. The well known example had been Henry Ford. His rigid approach in stylistics initially had been part of his strategic model. Then competitor GM went beyond that. It took a while for Ford's business to recover.

Both Wolf's supporters and his critics (currently they are growing in number) will be monitoring all his creations. Those include the newest one which brings back Christopher Meloni.

Can Wolf change and still get, hold, and grow audiences?

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Big Apple - In It Alone, Paul, Weiss Employs 832 Lawyers

Lots of watchers of business in the Big Apple might be declaring it over.

But one sector within Manhattan which continues to thrive, at least in manpower body count is law.

According to Law.com, reports Abovethelaw, at the top of the number list, in terms of lawyers, is Paul, Weiss.

In just Manhattan per se, Paul, Weiss employs 832 lawyers. 

Their presence generates plenty of revenue into the local economy.

And, wow, what about the taxes.

The government powers that be in Manhattan should institute a Paul, Weiss Day.

On the first one, Paul, Weiss Chairman Brad Karp can be saluted for his leadership in collaborative pro-bono initiatives. Across myriad law firms, Karp put together the unique Coronavirus Resource Center. 

To transform tensions with China into collaboration, the next Administration should catapult Karp into that loop.

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BigLaw + Unemployed Lawyers: Pro-Bono Front Lines for COVID-19 Victims w/o Health Insurance, Housing

BigLaw has been downright proactive in its pro-bono outreach during COVID-19 time.

Iconic is the example of Paul, Weiss, under the leadership of Brad Karp, of the Coronavirus Resource Center.

Unfortunately, the human fallout from COVID-19 is escalating. The pandemic, at least in a growing number of states in the United States, is unmanageable.

California had no choice but to return to lockdown. Say good-bye to jobs, again.

The result of that sustained unemployment has been the loss of employer-funded health insurance for 5.4 million.

It had been a leader with a legal background - Barack Obama - who gave America Obamacare. Currently, the current health insurance issues, triggered by COVID-19, could again become the focus of lawyer types. Lawyers understand not only legalities. They have deep experience in leveraging power, federal, state, and local. So much of that had been captured in Hedrick Smith's classic "The Power Game."

The problem which has been receiving more media attention than health insurance, of course, has been homelessness. After federal and state moratoriums on evictions are lifted, homelessness could become increasingly normal. Even before those deadlines, for example, courts in Tucson, Arizona, a coronavirus hotspot, there have been more than 50 daily evictions versus the previous 10 to 30 cases.

And homelessness is what "everyone" is talking about. That can make the lack of health insurance a sleeper. That doesn't have to happen if lawyers become the loudest (and most effective) voices in the room for social justice.

In history, lawyers could be celebrated, just like healthcare workers, for their selflessness during the time of COVID-19.

And those lawyers will not just be the big names.

The heroes could and should include the knocked-out-of-the-box lawyers.

As they (Hugh Simons predicts there will be plenty of layoffs) figure out The Next they can plow their expertise in law and power to make a difference for pandemic victims.

It is well known: Doing good leads directly to doing well.

Yes, that growing group of Lost Generation lawyers can be creating a fresh platform for success. Currently, on LinkedIn, displaced general counsel from  Salary.com Colin Levy is doing just that. He shares information and insight with the jobless, both from law and other sectors. From that have come contract assignments. But I have a hunch the longer-term payback will be career transition. 

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Criminal Prosecution of Amy Cooper - Not Everyone Aboard, Including Victim Christian Cooper

Major issues in criminal justice have emerged after Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. filed criminal charges against Amy Cooper - the Central Park "Karen."

Essentially, she is accused of a false police report. Her lawyer is Robert Barnes. Through him, she had indicated she is not guilty.

One obstacle for the prosecution is this: The victim - Christian Cooper - refuses to cooperate, reports The New York Times. He has made no assessment of the legalities involved. Instead his decision is based on values. He has decided that the woman who treated him with racial bias in Central Park has been punished enough. That has included losing a job and becoming a symbol of racial prejudice.

There are others who also perceive the criminal action as too much. What purpose would incarceration of this woman serve? Surely, since she has already suffered greatly for her behavior, the odds are that she has learned her lesson. In a sense, this further action is analogous to flocking a dead horse.

Also, there is the matter of deterrent. Will this high-profile legal move prevent others from similar acts of racial bias?

Meanwhile, the victim has become a hero of our times. He is a man of character. Let's lobby Congress for an official Christian Cooper Federal Holiday.

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BigLaw, Big Pro Bono Outreach - Now, the Reality that the Sheriff Doesn't Ring Twice

The needs for legal help range from enterprise requiring guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program to compassionate release of inmates at high risk for COVID-19. 

Reports, Law.com, lawyers in BigLaw have parachuted in to provide the legal guidance on a pro-bono basis. To get complex legal work done those lawyers are also working with lawyers at other firms. The collaboration is one of the most uplifting aspects of the outreach. 

Among those in the front lines since COVID-19 became a reality has been Paul, Weiss. Its chairman Brad Karp brought into the loop lawyers from myriad firms to establish the unique Paul, Weiss Coronavirus Relief Center. Essentially it simplifies the maze involved in how those negatively impacted by COVID-19 can find out what kind of aid is available and hot to get access to it. That was followed by financial support for the cause of racial justice. 

The hours devoted to pro-bono generosity will likely have to increase exponentially as the moratorium on evictions in many states for renters and homeowners expire. The media, including NBC, are forecasting a homeless crisis.

Sure, the lawsuit "Elmsford Apartment Association v. Andrew Cuomo" for lifting the extended moratorium on evictions was knocked out of the box in court. But that could prove to be an anomaly. What could be more common is that landlords and lenders get their way. They will evict those who can't pony up the rent or the mortgage payments. After all, the various moratoriums did not remove the debt. They only allowed them to be put on-hold. 

The brutal reality in capitalism is the providing roofs over people's heads is a business. That business has already been hit hard by the pause in receiving rents and mortgage payments. Likely, the sheriff won't ring twice on this one. Property owners and financial institutions have to pay their own bills.

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Murder of Officer Anthony Dia - Bringing All of Toledo, Ohio Together

Officer Anthony Dia died in the line of duty during this holiday weekend.

Of the Muslim faith, his murder is bringing all of the Toledo, Ohio Metro area together - in a way that COVID-19 hadn't. His last words as he was dying had been "Tell my family I love them." He is survived by a wife and two young children.

In the Home Depot parking lot on West Alexis and Lewis in West Toledo, Officer Dia was responding to call about a man who was acting erratically. Instead of confronting the man, Officer Dia offered him help, including suggesting that he call an ambulance. The miscreant, a white male in his 50s, shot Officer Dia in the armpit (Officer Dia was wearing a bulletproof vest) and ran. Officer Dia, despite being severely wounded, pursued him, shooting. 

The man disappeared into the woods. Backup officers, who arrived, searched for him, then heard a lone shot. The man apparently committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Later, law enforcement found he had a long list of run-ins with the authorities.

Meanwhile, Officer Dia was taken to the hospital, where he died. One issue has been: Why did he answer a call alone, that is, without a partner? The official response is that had been policy for decades. However, that policy has been put on-hold. Currently, police respond to calls with partners.

Across the Toledo Metro area support, including financial, has been showered on the Dia family. On local television, those representing all parts of society are expressing their gratitude to Officer Dia whose mission had been to protect the people.

In a bit over a week he would have celebrated his second anniversary on the Toledo police force.

At this time, OH is among the states experiencing a surge in cases of COVID-19. The City Council in Toledo will determine by tomorrow whether to mandate facemasks.

Officer Dia's selflessness is so uplifting in this difficult time in America.