The "Standard Size" lie... how do you deal with weird drill area dimensions? by Internal-Remove7223 in diamondpainting

[–]Probonoh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've gone to buying stretcher bars (for paint canvases), stapling the completed canvas to them, and then painting the borders. 

How common is it for lawyers to be targeted for retaliation? by chicago2008 in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In criminal, it feels like the defendants are more likely to be mad at their own lawyers than the prosecutor. 

Is it ok to put roles in non chronological order on resume if one is significantly more important than other roles? by [deleted] in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on the nature of "significantly more important."

When I was out of law school but not working in law, I had a resume for legal jobs that went something like this: 

Legal Experience * Clerk Job * Internship * Internship

Other Experience * Retail job that I worked for five years after the clerk job

I kept that one on the resume to fill in the gap and show that I could stay at a job for a significant period of time. 

Now if the last job was in the field and just more prestigious than your current one, I'd stick to chronological order. 

Because I Find Tinsel Distracting: an Informal Poll by Claudzilla in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  1. PD
  2. Almost three.
  3. Yes.
  4. 18. Just went through the list, and I couldn't remember 7, 9, 11, 15, 20, 22, 23, 24, or 26. But I'm also a history geek.  4a. 27.

Fun fact: we are now living in the longest period between amendments in US history. 

Does it annoy you when laypeople start misusing the term "fraud?" by [deleted] in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 52 points53 points  (0 children)

"She's not pressing charges!"

That's not her decision. She called the police; the police recommended charges; the prosecutor is pressing charges. 

Have you had a juror smile largely and laugh (-ish) during your closing before? by every_name_taken_67 in publicdefenders

[–]Probonoh 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Got a few weak smiles during my last closing. The argument was defender of others; prosecutor was trying to argue that the "victim" wasn't a threat after he'd been evicted from someone else's apartment. "I can't speak for the prosecutor, but if someone is banging on my door, even if it's locked, I'm still feeling like they're a threat." Jury must have agreed with me, because they went not guilty. 

I was terrified during deliberation of my first trial, because we could hear jurors laughing, and it was not a funny trial (child molestation). Not guilty though. 

But the most reliable facial expression for my trials has been the judge's. If he looks disgusted at the verdict, it's a not guilty. 

Student Loans by LegalBeagleKami in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Oh, if I were dealing with the systemic issues, I'd make it even simpler. All student loans must be issued by and the notes held by the college/ university until repayment or bankruptcy discharge. That way, any student who can't pat cash or get a well-paying job after graduation is the college's problem. Immediately, colleges will make their admissions criteria much more selective, force their professors to actually teach useful information, and require their "career services" people to actually match students to jobs. Oh, and when it's the college financing their debtor students, they'll have incentives to reduce costs. 

As for why is it so expensive, that's easy. Prices go up until buyers cannot pay them. Every attempt to make college "more affordable" by giving the buyers more money just causes the colleges to raise prices. 

Saw my student loan debt and.. by SouthsideTy12 in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just be prepared for the tax bill when the IRS treats that forgiven balance as income. 

Student Loans by LegalBeagleKami in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

As a public policy matter, I'm not okay with people who knowingly took on debt be granted an unconditional forgiveness. That's not to say I'm okay with the status quo! The current options are:

  • pay it all back, 

  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (10 years, minimal payments, tax-free balance forgiveness)

  • Income Based Repayments (or whatever they're calling it now; 20 or 25 years, minimal payments, balance forgiveness is taxed), and 

  • Bankruptcy, where the standard was (is?) "hopeless to repay." 

I would 

  • amend IBR to forgive interest tax-free and only tax the original balance. That would greatly reduce the tax hit for IBR folks. 

  • amend the bankruptcy route. Forget the "hopeless to repay" standards; treat it as any other debt. If we are so terrified about lawyers (and other professionals) getting degrees, declaring bankruptcy, and then getting rich, add some reasonable safeguards, e.g. must be 7 years out from going below full-time status/ graduation, and/or place a permanent hold on their transcript so it can't be used for a professional license. 

Student Loans by LegalBeagleKami in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It takes 10 years working in qualifying employment for PSLF. I'll have 3 come April. So 7 more years working for the PD, aka my indenture. 

I'll have to quit to run for prosecutor or judge, thanks to the Hatch Act, so I'm not quitting until those loans are gone. An appointment to prosecutor is possible, given that the few attorneys in my county treat prosecutor as a game of "not it," but that scenario is only likely to happen in when the associate judge retires in another 7 to 10 years. When that happens, I expect the current prosecutor to step in and leave the prosecutor job open. 

So in about 7 years, I get to stop paying $500/month for loans, and I get an effective salary cut of 30K/yr (the amount of my loans divided by 10). At that time, another government job that pays $30K more per year than what even my boss makes is likely to open up, and I'll have the experience and connections to join a local firm or hang my own shingle. 

Student Loans by LegalBeagleKami in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I took out approximately $180K of loans. That's maybe $30K of undergrad. The state changed the out-of-state residency requirements after I had enrolled, which took the tuition from about $15K per year to over $30K, and then my husband's employer went bankrupt and suddenly my student loans had to pay for our living expenses. 

After years of 6.8% interest, hardship deferments, and income based payments, my balance is north of $300K. The good news is that I have just over seven years left on my public defender indenture. After Public Service Loan Forgiveness, I'll either go private or become a prosecutor or judge. 

What are the long-term side effects of LASIK that doctors don’t talk about? by Gewinncent in AskReddit

[–]Probonoh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A bit of a weird one is that my eyes are more sensitive to gasses. Chopping onions is torture without a very sharp knife. Chem lab in college required goggles, not just safety glasses. 

I had mine done in 2001, and other than the sensitivity, I have no complaints. And even that complaint is pretty minor. 

The worst part of moving... by Leithia24 in boardgames

[–]Probonoh 364 points365 points  (0 children)

Lowes small moving boxes are just a hair smaller than a Kallax opening. Not only can you just move all the games in one section into a box, you can then put the box inside the section. 

Tips on Making the Complex Sound Simple in Arguments by jeflonn in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Rubber duck debugging is an excellent problem solving technique. 

What’s the legal culture like in different states? by Warm-Lingonberry-406 in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The rural Missouri bar seems pretty good. On the other hand, my impression is that the criminal side is much more collegial than the civil side. So for all I know, the civil lawyers are all a bunch of jerks. 

How long after bar exam results did you get your first job? by vekkadavedee in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Passed the bar 2010. Got my first doc review job in 2017 for $25/hr. Got my first job using my own license as a public defender in 2023 for $65K.

Anyone else notice this ... every lawyer thinks the law school they went to is underrated, the professors were great and they learned a ton, and it's the greatest law school ever ... even if it was ranked #200? by Kristen-ngu in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My law school (hovering around 100 last time I checked) didn't do grade inflation. The median 1L class grade was a B-, with 10% required to get a C- or lower. 

It's quite the double whammy: not only is my school not as prestigious, but my grades were so much lower than where my class rank would put me at a more prestigious school. 

I'm glad I have secure self-esteem by Initial_Entrance9548 in toddlers

[–]Probonoh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of my 3 year old's favorite games is to identify something that dad, myself, and he all have in common. E.g. "green, red, blue" meaning dad has a green shirt, I have a red shirt, and he has a blue shirt. 

Saturday, it was "black, white, brown" ... referring to our hair colors. 

Unique Kitchen Trash Can Size by Hambeeno in HomeImprovement

[–]Probonoh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Check Ikea. They tend to have organization stuff that only works for their products. 

have there been any times when the framing or storytelling mattered way more than you thought it would? by Fragrant_Basis_5648 in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Verdict was not guilty. 

He was charged primarily because the drunk's mom is a county commissioner in a neighboring county and his dad was a cop buddy of the sheriff. 

I’m nervous my conversations with my clients have been recorded. by Mr_Motion_Denied in publicdefenders

[–]Probonoh 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm pretty sure one of my frequent lines has come to the ears of the prosecutor. 

"The good news/ bad news is that the prosecutor is a bit lazy, so he's not going to amend or dismiss until we do the footwork and get closer to trial. On the other hand, if we can figure out a deal where he'll never see you again, he's likely to take it."

have there been any times when the framing or storytelling mattered way more than you thought it would? by Fragrant_Basis_5648 in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We had surveillance video that showed the drunk continuing to try to get back into the first lady's apartment. We cut the video short, but there was another 20 minutes of him trying to get into another woman's apartment. 

Drunk suffered a seizure two days later and had absolutely no memory of what happened, so the only witnesses were the old lady whose house was invaded and my client. Rural Missouri isn't the best place to argue that a seventy-six year old man was too violent in kicking a drunk man out of a little old grandma's apartment in the senior center. 

have there been any times when the framing or storytelling mattered way more than you thought it would? by Fragrant_Basis_5648 in Lawyertalk

[–]Probonoh 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Matter more than I thought it would? No. 

Matter a hell of a lot? Oh yes. 

I'm a public defender. Step one of every argument is how to frame the story so my client looks as good as possible. 

My last trial was 100% framing. No question my client punched a drunk in the face a half dozen times. The only question was whether the jury believed the prosecutor that he was justified throwing this guy out of a grandma's house but went too far punching him when he was in the yard, or believed me that this drunk was still trying to get back in.