I, Adolph J. Levy, "A.J." am a solo practitioner who started at least as far back as 1983 speaking to attorneys on computer topics and demonstrating the old online Dialog computer databases. In those prehistoric days, I used a 300 baud acoustic coupler and a Radio Shack Color Computer (affectionately known as a CoCo) that was about the size of a Palm Pilot. The "monitor" I used was a regular TV set and the ASCII display was, I think, all of 16 lines down and 40 characters across. However, that easily displayed Dialog's databases such as Medline and other medical, scientific, engineering and other databases including a large variety of newspaper archives. All of this was, of course, B.W. (before Windows), but, even at 300 baud, it displayed as fast as DSL because everything was sent in ASCII text mode.
My interest in computers has now melded with my interest in creativity and in showing attorneys how they can use their creativity to solve their legal problems. I began giving talks at a local law school around 1987 and I have been giving workshops for attorneys on such topics as "Creative Legal Problem Solving Techniques" and "Winning the Unwinnable Case: What to Do When the Law Looks Like It Is Against You."
I wrote Solving Statute of Limitations Problems, a book that details methods of saving personal injury cases from statute of limitations defenses. The book is sort of a microcosm of the general ways to potentially solve what are apparently unsolvable problems, and the first chapter is an outline of some of the general techniques for thinking "outside of the box" to solve those problems. I last updated the book in 1992. Many libraries have the book, but it is also available through LexisNexis Matthew Bender 1-800-223-1940.
I also publish Levy's Cites, a newsletter for Louisiana attorneys who represent plaintiffs in personal injury cases. I compiled many of the squibs from the newsletter into Levy's Louisiana Personal Injury Desk Reference, which was published in 1994 and which many Louisiana attorneys use for legal research and for drafting jury charges in personal injury cases.
Articles that reflect my interest in law, computers, and legal creativity include "Solving Statute of Limitations Problems," Trial, November 1989; "16 More Ways to Use Shepard's Citations," Trial, February 1992; "16 Uses of Shepard's Citations for the Louisiana Trial Lawyer," Louisiana Bar Journal, October 1984; and "Electronic Research: Instantaneous Information," Trial, January 1990. (You wouldn't believe it, but Shepard's can be a tremendous tool for helping attorneys. Its use is not limited to just Shepardizing a case to see if it is still good law.)
In case anyone is interested in this, I am a member of the Bars of the State of Louisiana, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. I am also a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, the New Orleans Bar Association and the Academy of New Orleans Trial Lawyers, and I was Inner Barrister (President) of the Academy in 1995. I have been listed in Who's Who in American Law.
Also, in case you are still interested, I received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1957 and a law degree from Tulane University School of Law in 1960. (Damn, that's a long time ago. Some say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But remember, there's nothing some old dogs like more than learning new tricks.)
I hope that this gives you some idea of why I am doing this blawg. I think it will be fun and I hope that you and others will get something out of it for your clients and for yourselves.
Posted by ajlevy at May 31, 2003 6:32 PM