Law And More

The Boss Gets Off Hook with $500 Fine

Bruce Springsteen, who collaporates with Barck Obama on a podcast, won't be going to jail.

In court today, reports The Wall Street Journal, the two charges associated with alleged drunk driving were tossed. When measured, the level of alcohol in his blood was under the legal limit.

However, he did plead guilty to consumption of alcohol in a closed area. For that he will pay a $500 fine. 

This plays out as removing any threat to the Sprinsteen wholesome's brand. There is no need for reputation restoration.

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The Beats, Then Hippies, Now The Wokes - Blame Ferlinghetti

"Poet, publisher and bookseller Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who helped launch and perpetuate the Beat movement, has died. He was 101. Mr. Ferlinghetti died at his San Francisco home Monday, his son Lorenzo Ferlinghetti told the Associated Press on Tuesday. The cause was lung disease." - The Wall Street Journal (originally published by AP), February 23, 2021.

Even many Baby Boomers don't remember the Beats.

But had not Ferlinghetti been a culture-changer, America wouldn't have been fully able to shake off the white-bread Eisenhower era.

That upheaval was the counterculture.

Deans in Ivy League universities shook in their boots. 

And later, the Wokes have made significant strides in cancelling Western Civilization. William Shakespeare might wind up not even a footnote in history. Hamlet who?

In the counterculture, as among the Wokes, higher education was questioned. Many ducked out of graduate school before finishing their dissertations. There was more important work to do. The only regret was not having gone to law school. Otherwise the best and brightest, as least labeled as such before they dropped out, could do more for consumer rights than just be a grassroots Nader Raider.

Then came the brutal economic downturn of the mid 1970s. That was that. The Eisenhower era circled back. Corporate America was organized on the military model.

And now here America is, fumbling for what to do about this Ferlinghetti guy. Should we come to praise him or bury him? After all, his medium was the book. Print. Current culture-shapers like Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen are podcasting. 

It's hard to resurrect the ethos of the Beat Age. Come to think of it, it's difficult to time travel to the counterculture. Were they really so free? Internally did they question their lack of proper attention to careers? After all, they missed out on years of earning and socking away funds in a retirement fund. 

And, will the Woke wake up to the brute necessity of being totally careerist in order to keep up with inflation? Most influence is unsustainable. Some could wind up marginal, just like members of the counterculture who couldn't or wouldn't grow up.

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Bruce Springsteen Appears Via Video Before Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone February 24th

Mr. America Clean has run into some static on that brand. How it will play out long term is an unknown. Also unknown is how Bruce Springsteen will fare before Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone via video on February 24th in New Jersey, reports USA Today.

Springsteen, represented by lawyer Mitchell Ansell, is charged with drunken driving, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area. They are Class B misdemeanors. If convicted, Springsteen could serve 30 days to 6 months behind bars and a fine up to $5,000. 

Sure, there are the legal challenges. But even more important are the possible reputational ones. 

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Prominent New Jersey Lawyer Mitchell Ansell Represents Bruce Springsteen

Predictably, Bruce Springsteen's November 2020 arrest for DWI and other related violations has gone high-profile.

After all, he is a giant presence in music and starred in the Super Bowl Jeep commercial. The latter blew up when information about the alleged DWI became public. The Wall Street Journal reports, "Just days after the commercial aired, the company removed it from YouTube and other platforms following reports that Mr. Springsteen had been charged with driving while intoxicated ..."

Also, predictably he is being represented by prominent New Jersey lawyer Mitchell Ansell, reports the New York Post. Among his clients had been Paul Canerio, arrested for multiple murders. Strange, though, his LinkedIn Profile is sparse and has only 3 followers.

Because the alleged DWI and other behavior occurred on federal land, Springsteen's case will be argued in federal court. 

The case is puzzling. Yes, Springsteen refused at the scene a breathalyzer test. Yes, he also failed the sobriety test. However, at the police station, his mandated alcohol test registered 0.02. That's below the legal limit. 

If Ansell knows how to manage the court of public opinion, an interesting narrative should emerge. Meanwhile, shade has been thrown on the Jeep brand.

The Future is already underway. Ghostwriting/Marketing Communications and coaching on those issues. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Phil Spector - Genius Didn't Get a Free Pass

Phil Spector, age 81, is dead. It is reported by AOL that he passed away in a hospital, away from the prison where he had been housed. The cause could have been COVID-19 complications. 

Spector is another of those examples of genius without apparent morality. He had been convicted of a murder for which he seemed to indicate no remorse. Many rejoiced that the legal system didn't let him off the hook because of his accomplishments in music.

Back in 1967, in a Master-degree program in literary criticism at the University of Michigan the professor introduced the question: Are geniuses in literature expected to be good human beings?

The sophisticated in the class smirked.

I, still Roman Catholic then believing in the potential salvation of every human being, answered "yes." If they hadn't been at the time of the creations, then they still had a good shot at evolving into moral creations.

Funny, when I presented an outstanding thesis at the end of the semester, many in the class were stunned. How intellectually dumb it had been to correlate genius with goodness.

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Law Firms with Tourist Practices - Probably 2 to 3 Years for Sector to Recover Fully

"With the virus still a significant risk, a feeling likely reinforced by President Trump’s diagnosis, it’s possible many tourist-dependent cities will see a second wave of economic damage this year, brought by the new rounds of job losses." Bloomberg BusinessWeek, October 7, 2020.

The tipping point in pessimism about the tourism sector has been Disney's 28,000 RIF. Along with that, of course, have been the massive layoffs conducted by tourism players ranging from casinos to transportation. 

There has been a confluence of 3 factors:

• Limits on the number of customers allowed into a tourist setting. Yes, social distancing.
• The public's fear of traveling by plane. There is a distrust of safety and health procedures for the close quarters of airplane interiors.
• Travel bans. They have halted the lucrative business of those from other nations touring the U.S.

At Moody's, economist Mark Zandi projects it will require 2 to 3 years for what is included under the umbrella of "tourism" to recover, fully. 

That means law firms with practices in that sector are being hit hard - with no light at the end of the tunnel. Optimism seems downright inappropriate.

Recently, a colleague in career coaching bluntly told students in hospitality degree programs to start redirecting their careers.

I call that "taking a skills/experience audit." Lawyers who depended on that sector might also have to engage in such a pivot.

The next step is this: After identifying what can be put out there to sell in the labor market, then do comprehensive research of what those specific jobs and gig assignments could be. An analysis of all the possible categories can be conducted on job-search platform Craigslist. Just key in "Craigslist - sites." See where there is a match. 

Then, create resumes and cover letters (yes, multiple) to apply for those opportunities. Custom-make each of those for each specific job or assignment. 

Role play the appropriate persona for the varieties of organizational cultures.

Soon, you will be doing your Next.

The work world has become unforgiving. You may be among those who have to reimagine your career. Affordable coaching.  Make an appointment for complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

Yes, Law Firms, You'll Be Hiring Chief Officer of Virtual Special Events (thanks to Democratic Convention)

Born: The Virtual Special Events Industry. 

The Democratic Convention is taking place virtually, without a hitch. At least so far. And to rave reviews, both from brandname media such as PBS and from newly uplifted folks on Main Street.

Yes, it's not only possible to stage a special event online. That might become the preferred mode. Created in that online space is the unique sense of me-to-you. Bernie Sanders got, held, and scaled my attention.

Obviously, law firms now have concrete evidence that this is the way they should go. To pitch to prospects, they can orchestrate a special event online. You bet, showcase the brilliance of experts in IP from across the U.S. And hire an engaging presenter to pull out that together. Back at the law firm, there will be the Chief Officer of Virtual Special Events.

Justice kinds of projects such as Fenwick's Voting Rights Initiative can kick off with the kind of cool virtual event that makes it a piece of pop culture. Do it exactly right and a new kind of award will be invented. Those awards can be given in a virtual special event. On that precious real estate of the BigLaw website will be posted "IP Practice head ________ Received 2022 Best Technology Time Travel Award for Virtual Special Event Beyond Antitrust."

Want to lobby legislators? You got it. A virtual special event with the magic pull of a celebrity music video. 

But virtual special events, like all kinds of presentations, are binary. Either they grab the mind and heart (as well as perhaps also the pocketbook). Or they fall flat. That's the extreme risk.

Even just one - yes, a single blooper - which lands the second category will position and package the firm as, well, a bore.

There is that line from the lyrics of "First We Take Manhattan" by late crooner Leonard Cohen: "They had sentenced me to 20 years of boredom ..."

Sure, there's the chance that's what they'll anoint the special events industry. That there had been 20 years of boredom.

Meanwhile, there are sizzling opportunities for legal marketers and public relations firms specializing in legal matters. 

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Will Katherine Make It as Solo Lawyer? - We Might Find That Out

How will Katherine's solo legal practice - and marriage - play out on "A Million Little Things."

We might just find that out. There could be a 2020 - 2021 network televisions season. 

Yes, television production will be starting up again in California on June 12th. In addition, the film and music industries will also resume operating. 

Vulture reports that the state's governor Gavin Newsom is allowing that. Before that announcement, some assumed there would only be reruns for fall. The fate of the three good girls gone rogue, as the FBI zeroes in again, would have been in limbo. So would Dr. Charles' relationship with his long-estranged daughter. 

However, everything is contingent. If cases of coronavirus surge again, this plan could be derailed. Meanwhile, the Alliance of Motor Picture and Television Producers presented to Newsom a white paper on how to maintain health and safety protocols while in production. 

Of course, all the niches of the entertainment business are encountering a changed world. With shelter-in-place ending will we be doing so much screen time? Who's going to pop for a ticket to actually go to a movie theatre? Times are so hard. Music? How much are we willing to pay for it?

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JD Class of 2020 - Exactly the Right Tone for Job Search (and career)

Tone is everything.

Trial lawyers and transactional negotiators have that down cold.

Especially effective are all the communications, in all formats and in all mediums, by law firm Sanford Heisler Sharp. On LinkedIn, for example, those lawyers are always there but never off-key. 

Those in the JD Class of 2020 need that same intuitive grasp of the exactly the right tone in a job search - and then making the transition to practicing law. 

Obviously, the Pelton holiday commercial "The Gift That Gives Back" failed to have the right tone. So far, there have been 15,000 dislikes on YouTube. BusinessInsider reports that its stock lost $1.5 billion in a handful of days.

How can you prevent the wrong tone? Being tone-deaf can put the kibosh on everything from a cover letter for a job to how the lunch interview goes.

Here are 3 tips:

•  Grab hold of the mindset of Eminem's iconic song "Lose Yourself." It's all about being in the moment, totally tuned into the people, the context, and the mood. As Eminem hammers, you just have one shot. Depending on who the expert is, it's documented that judgments get made about what you're all out in anywhere from 60 seconds to the upper limit of four minutes. Usually there is no coming back from a bad impression. In a job search, it's all about the needs of the employer. No, it's not about you. 
• Mirror. The most successful salespeople observe everything about the prospect, ranging from where their building is located in Manhattan to the organizational culture. Then they custom-make their everything, ranging from what they wear to how they pace their pitch, to those key points of identity. The best don't overdo it. That is, they continue to maintain their unique sense of self.
•  Be open. Everything changes. The wildly optimistic tone of the WeWork and Uber used to attract investors. Now, given their failure to make a profit, the tone of that rhetoric scares investors. A major part of high social intelligence is never entering a context with a set "script." Instead there is a rapid scanning of what is before putting anything out there. BTW, intimate relationships often go kaput when the parties stop scanning.

What about general role models for tone?

Among the most useful currently is psychiatrist on "Chicago Med" Dr. Daniel Charles, played by Oliver Platt. His effectiveness during crisis is his mission of custom-making a solution for every whatever. There are no formulaic approaches. In short, he is "there" for the human beings who have lost their ways.

Earlier it had been the late Steve Jobs. His theatrical MO essentially was, yes, "Lose Yourself." That covered all aspects of marketing, be it designing products for real people or winning over wary security analysts. 

The takeaway: In a job search and later becoming an employee, make the mantra "This is not about me."

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Janis Joplin, Gordon Caplan, Kate Spade, and Others - The Arrogance of Interpreting Their Behavior

Published about a month ago, "Janis" is yet one more biography about this huge talent in music: Janis Joplin.

Obviously, she remains of great interest. Written by Holly George-Warren, it ranks high on Amazon: 1,506. 

But, some of us who have followed Joplin's life and times probably have to admit that we come away from this latest interpretation of who she was unsatisfied. George-Warren hands over a lot of the pieces. They range from resentments from high school she couldn't shake to an addictive personality.

But, I find I was unable to connect the dots. We can't wrap our heads around Janis.

Maybe the takeaway from "Janis" is the unknowability of all human beings.

It is mere speculation to posit they did this because of such-and-such. That kind of self-righteous pontification usually occurs when an extreme success like lawyer Gordon Caplan winds up in jail and disbarred  (CollegeAdmissionsGate) or a unique designer like Kate Spade takes her own life. 

The television series "Dateline" chronicles how clueless most spouses, who wind up murdered by their husbands or wives, were about their significant other. So were most members of their professional and social circles. 

After reading "Janis" we know more details about Joplin's life. But we probably have to admit we know even less about who she was and the undertow that carried her out. 

Meanwhile, let's back off doing a Sigmund Freud on what those who fall from grace, check out, or simply disappoint us are all about. 

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