War crimes are back, this time in living color. I take the anniversary of Germany’s surrender in WWII to highlight how far we have come to a well developed international justice system to deal timely these crimes. … More Judgment at Kyiv
There are just so may sound bytes from family law that stick with a guy after a few decades of practice. “Mr. Patterson, Control Your Client!” the guy says to me. Couldn’t see who it was but I think it was my clients ex-husband. The hearing had not gone well for us and his former … More Sound Bytes from Family Law
Friday night I cracked a beer and recorded some comments about conflict, of family law and of the demise of Western Civilization, and how no one is going to write a heroic poem about being a family law lawyer. I look ahead and see no Homer in my future. After a tough day in Superior … More Pete Pattersons Open Mike Night
I have seen this event on television courtroom dramas. The judge holds the lawyer responsible for the conduct of his client when he reacts badly to events in the chamber. In real life the lawyer can’t do anything about how the client reacts. Judges not on television know this, but people also not on television … More Mr Patterson, Control Your Client
A reading from the book of Genesis, 11:1-9 The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words. They said to one another, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the … More Why There Are Lawyers
JANUARY 2016 UPDATE: The Raccoon’s have occupied Ballard and have learned how to defeat the latch that is supposed to hold secure the food scraps we are instructed to save for some Green Reason. A neighbor has literally seen this happen, and all his extra effort to secure his bin has failed. Wednesday night as … More Garbage Cops: Seattle
800 years ago this month King John was cornered by his barons in a field at Runnymede and made to place his seal on this document, the Great Charter, that limited his power. It was likely the first of its kind. He and the other chief executives have been fighting the issue ever since. Ab initio this … More Magna Carta
I have maintained for a long time there is a flaw in the First Amendment. Anyone can start a church. One day in my practice, years ago now, a woman blew into my office to ask me to draft a settlement between her and her boyfriend about the custody of their 2 year old. Sort … More I’m A “Full” Christian
Among the self-help books the boomer generation found helpful, apparently, was titled Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. In 286 pages Dr. Grey explains the complex relationship of men and women in terms of planetary bodies, point systems and generalizing about how we react to stress. 7 million copies were sold including one … More Clients are Comets, Lawyers are Planets, Gravity is the Law
For generations at our family law firm a Christmas tradition has been scheduling hearings for divorced parents to fight over who had custody of the children for the holiday. Kind of leaves you with a warm, Yuletide cheer doesn’t it? And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack And you may find yourself … More Same as It Ever Was
Lawyers Road Review 