Brew Ha-Ha: How a Cup of Joe Became a Close Encounter with a Canine Catastrophe

By Chere B. Estrin As I strolled towards the cafe, I couldn't shake the feeling of excitement. Finally, I was about to meet Joseph, one of my elusive students, from Boston U's Paralegal Program. Despite the geographical gymnastics, he was now gracing my city with his presence. Our meeting promised to be a symphony of caffeine and career aspirations, with a sprinkle of wisdom on top. Little did I...

Chaos Chronicles: The Real-life Saga of a Day Gone Haywire(True story)

By Chere B. Estrin At the ungodly hour of 3:30 a.m., I am jolted awake to pitch-black darkness. Panicking, I fumbled around, desperately trying to figure out why my world had turned into a sightless abyss. No lights, no window, no door, no lights in the backyard, just me, groping for my phone like a blindfolded contestant on a reality show. I get it in my hand but I can’t see it. Put it right...

All I wanted for Christmas was my two front seats.

By Chere B. Estrin Flightmare. If you got caught up in it, my sympathies! With thousands and thousands of weary travelers serious victims of the blizzard, ice or even Southwest, the holidays were dreadful. Can I vent for just a moment? For those of you still stuck at airports, in cities you know nothing about, sleeping in the airport, staying in hotels you can’t afford, or trying to take a...

7 Steps for Turning Uncertainty into Transformative Opportunity

Welcome Mark Gorkin, "The Stress Doc"!  Our guest blogger this month. 7 Steps for Turning Uncertainty into Transformative Opportunity Doing Your Head Work, Heart Work and Homework   A good friend recently sent me a clever cartoon.  A Buddhist-like character, wearing a loosely hanging white garment, shoulder exposed, is driving a car, seemingly in the dark.  His car is filled with message...

It’s My Birthday and I’ll Cry If I Want To…..Staying positive in the age of Coronaville

Today is my birthday. It’s one of those Big-O numbers. It's the kind where AARP tracks you down. I don’t mind, really. I feel more confident than ever – nothing much shakes me up too much anymore. With things the way they are in this upside- down world, the day has caused me to review my current situation: My business, legal staffing, is the third largest industry to be hit next to...

Are you doing all you can taking a witness statement?

One of our favorite guest bloggers is back!Barbara Haubrich-Hass, ACP/CAS on: WITNESS STATEMENTS  It is important to memorialize the sequence of events in any given incident.  One way to accomplish this is to obtain statements from the percipient witnesses.  Nailing down a witness’ version of how an incident occurred early in a case can be one of the most important components...

He’s Still Stupid, According to Obama

We all get those annoying e-mails.  You know, the ones that purport to know our name, recognize that we're "friends" with the sender when in fact, we haven't a clue who they are.  Well, Ken Magill is proud to report that he is the first private citizen to have been officially called stupid in an e-mail from America's first African-American president. ...