A Note from Will About this Blog
Hello!
I am aware of the fact that there are a lot of internet people who write about “The Law,” but that generally refers to two things. Either it’s (1) Big Constitutional Issues, like how the Supreme Court will interpret election law; or (2) The Business of Law, like reporting on giant law firm mergers or which giant law firm made a bunch of money on a very big transaction.
Fewer internet people write about the day-to-day tasks involved in suing people (or getting sued). These include reviewing thousands of a witness’s emails, editing PDFs so that they can be e-filed, searching for cases on Westlaw, and writing formal letters.
I suspect that more people don’t write about these tasks is because they are tedious and not obviously relevant to the lives of the general public. But here are some reasons you may care:
You may one day need to sue someone, or get sued, and become curious what lawyers actually do that takes so much time and costs so much money.
You may be considering a career in law and mistakenly believe that the job involves debating the commerce clause of the constitution with Justice Alito all day.
You may meet a lawyer or paralegal and want to let them know that you understand a little about why they’re annoyed all the time.
So, for awhile, I will write about everyday aspects of commercial litigation, the type of law where people and businesses sue each other. I do this in New York, but I will try my best to get some perspectives from people who do this in other places.
I tried for awhile to come up with a catchy and clever name for the blog. I wanted a name that reflects the challenge of a demanding and technical job, that portrays me in a positive light, and that is funny enough to make people laugh and want to read more. But instead I went with “Unpredictable” because it is the word I use frequently to describe the job.
At the start of a lawsuit, many clients want to know what will happen during the case. It is natural to want to know how much will it cost, what will you need to do, and who will win. But the truth is that, although lawyers can provide guidance about what how cases will likely proceed, there are no guarantees and often unexpected developments. For example, the adversary may make an unexpected argument, a witness may say an unexpected thing, or the judge or jury may see the facts or law very differently than the parties do. Litigation is challenging in part because of this unpredictable nature.
To be clear, none of this website is legal advice and, unless you hire me, I am not your lawyer. Please don’t rely on anything on this website for your own legal issues. This is just me sharing some details about what I do.
Cheers!
Will
About the Author of this Blog
The author of this website is Will Newman, a partner at Oberheiden P.C., the proprietor of a solo practice, and the mailing address for his office is 33 Nassau Avenue, Second Floor, Brooklyn, New York 11222.
He can be reached at will@willnewmanlawyer.com.
Will is admitted to practice law in New York, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. He is also an associate editor of Litigation News and a member of the French-American Chamber of Commerce. The Wall Street Journal has quoted him in an article about the dispute between Elon Musk and Twitter and an article about the regulatory review of the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger. (And one other time). The New York Post quoted him in an article about the litigation between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. McSweeney’s published one of his humor pieces in 2008 and Will won a public speaking award in 2019.
Disclaimer
This website and its contents may be considered attorney advertising under the rules of certain jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The information and materials offered on this site are for general informational purposes only, do not constitute and should not be considered to be legal advice, and are presented without any representation or warranty whatsoever, including as to the accuracy or completeness of the information. No one should, or is entitled to, rely in any manner on any of the information at this site. Parties seeking advice should consult with legal counsel familiar with their particular circumstances. While every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of the information on this web site, the information is not guaranteed to be complete or to represent the latest legal developments.
Visiting this website or posting any comments on it does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and its author.
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And this website reflects the views and experiences of its author, Will Newman. It does not necessarily reflect the views and experiences of any firm at which he works or has worked.