The Red Velvet Lawyer

Identifying Priorities and  Giving me Firm Grounds to Say "No" Several years ago, I read Cheryl Richardson's " Take Time for Your Life ."  One big take-a-way was her use of an Absolute Yes list.  She encouraged me to list my top five priorities.  If someone asks me to do something, I will say "no" to the request if it does not relate to my Absolute Yes list.  You can say "no" gently , but you now have a good reason in your own mind for saying "no."  You are standing in your power . Some of the many blog posts describing the use of this list are here , here , and here . I recently updated my list.  I have posted it on a whiteboard in my office (not on a 3-by-5 index card as some suggest). Here it is: Scholarship:  Edit a collection of essays for a book entitled: " The Arab Gulf Crisis: Legal Consequences and Solutions ." Finish the footnotes on an article about malpractice insurance for mediators.  ...

Planning the Transition  to the Third Stage of Life:  Retiring to Thailand For over half a decade, I have used a goal setting technique described by Christine Kane and Chris Brogan .  They advise selecting one to three words to define intentions for the coming year.  Christine's tool for discovering your word for the year is here . Last year , I picked "Expert" and "Support."  The first word acknowledged my desire to be seen as an expert in my field of dispute resolution.  The second word acknowledged my need to build and rely on friends and care-givers who could support my emotional and physical well-being.  My post from last year also describes the words I have picked since 2014. This year, the word I needed came to me easily.  It's "Transition." I learned in the spring semester that Qatar University is forcing me into retirement because I recently passed the retirement age mandated by law. At first I was angry....

I can't even remember my first day of law school. I hope that we made the first day far more memorable for our incoming 1Ls.  Our lovely and wonderful new Dean Lucy McGough  greeted them and introduced the faculty and staff. Then Virginia Supreme Court Justice Donald W.  Lemmons , having made the long drive from Richmond, gave a story-filled speech on professionalism that inspired the new students.   Then, students -- dressed in professional attire --stood to take the Oath of Professionalism.  Yes, we quickly begin to admit them to our "tribe." Students "acknowledge[d] the privileges granted by society to the legal profession" and "promise[d] to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty and ethical practice."  They also promised to "embrace civility and professionalism."   They promised to conduct themselves with dignity and respect the dignity of others in both their private and professional lives.  They agreed t...

12/16 An Analysis of Qatar’s Mediation Law No. 20 of 2021, Confidentiality in Mediation, Part 2: Many Unanswered Questions In my last post , I set out a framework for analyzing statutes or rules governing confidentiality in mediation.  I will use it to analyze the Qatar Mediation Law.   Articles 23, 24, 30, 31, and 32 of the Qatar Mediation Law govern confidentiality in mediation. I will consider: Who is the holder of the privilege who may prevent the disclosure of confidential information? In what subsequent proceedings will confidentiality prevail? What is confidential? What is exempted from confidentiality? Who can enforce confidentiality? Against whom can confidentiality be enforced? How absolute should the grant of confidentiality be? What is the penalty for wrongful disclosure?          Who holds the privilege? Article 1 defines "Parties" as: "The parties to the dispute who have agreed to settle it by mediation, whether natural or legal persons w...