odds and ends (April 29, 2010)

The NYT has an editorial on the Charles Hood case.  Would Texas really execute a defendant when the judge and prosecutor had an undisclosed romantic relationship?  The penalty phase will be retried (but not because of the egregious conflict of interest).     .  .  .  .  .     Legal Transformation Blog reports on the University of Maryland conference on how the profession is changing.     .  .  .  .  .     IntLawGrrls notes the anniversary of the right of women in Quebec to practice law -- about 60 years ago.     .  .  .  .  .     Lawyers are being CEO's in increasing numbers.     .  .  .  .  .     Eric Holder had praise for the Street Law program, now forty years old.  I did the Street Law clinic when I attended Georgetown and taught at Anacostia High.  In our mock trial we competed against the performing arts high school -- and scored a big upset.  Our star trial lawyer was James McPherson.  I asked him for his "theory of the cross," and he said "give the witness the blues."     .  .  .  .  .     In Ireland, "Distrust of the legal profession rose from 18 per cent in 2001 to 31 per cent in 2004 and stood at 29 per cent this year."  Hey, only 29 percent distrust them?  Not too shabby.     .  .  .  .  .     Lawyers are getting involved in the "who really wrote Shakespeare's plays?" debate.     .  .  .  .  .     Video interview with the head of Eversheds, on the changing relationship between law firms and clients.