Category Archives: Miscellaneous

A Sad Personal Note

Written On November 19, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Since starting this blog in April of 2005 this is the longest I’ve gone between posts. My father has become suddenly and gravely ill. The family is still in shock, and most daily activities have been suspended. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers in his final days. Thank you.

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Best Halloween Costumes?

Written On October 31, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Happy Halloween everyone! These guys wearing flat-screen displays attached to their iPhones have my favorite costumes of the year.

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It Was 30 Years Ago Today…

Written On October 8, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Today is our law firm’s 30th anniversary. Over those years we’ve helped literally tens of thousands of people with their legal problems, and I am very proud of that. I’m also proud to have worked with some of the best lawyers and staff anywhere. Fortunately, many of those great people are still here at Kraft [...]

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Please Donate Your Used Eyeglasses and Cell Phones for Charity

Written On October 6, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Attorney Eugenia Ponce of our firm is collecting old eyeglasses and cell phones to benefit a shelter for battered women. Please help. Here are details on the collection efforts:
Eyes & Ears of Texas is an annual used eye glass and cell phone drive targeting two things lawyers should have [...]

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Happy Labor Day!

Written On September 7, 2009 By Bob Kraft

As we have picnics, play golf, or otherwise celebrate the holiday, let’s remember the original purpose — to honor trade and labor organizations. Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry on Labor Day:
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 7 in 2009).
The holiday originated in [...]

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Piloting Medical Helicopters Is One Of The Most Dangerous Jobs

Written On August 22, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Washington Post has a very interesting article about the medical transport helicopter business. Alarmingly, this “multibillion-dollar air-medical business” is “now one of the most dangerous jobs in America…with 113 deaths for every 100,000 employees.” Here are a few more excerpts from the article:
The number of fatal flights has risen sharply, closely tracking the rapid [...]

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Report: Counsel Without Malpractice Insurance Should Tell Clients

Written On June 22, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Texas Lawyer reports that the Grievance Oversight Committee, which is appointed by the Texas Supreme Court, recently recommended that the court adopt a rule requiring lawyers who do not carry legal malpractice insurance to disclose their lack of coverage to clients.
This has been a controversial issue for several years in Texas. Personally, I’ve had [...]

Posted in Miscellaneous, Practice Tips

Pilots Involved in Regional Crashes Failed Earlier Skills Tests

Written On June 9, 2009 By Bob Kraft

USA Today reported, “In nearly every serious regional airline accident during the past 10 years, at least one of the pilots had failed tests of his or her skills multiple times, according to an analysis of federal accident records.” In contrast, according to review of NTSB accident reports that were reviewed by USA Today, “Pilots [...]

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Major New York Law Firms Are Shrinking, Changing Due to Credit Crisis

Written On June 8, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The New York Times reported, “At the root of the law-firm crisis, legal experts say, is the credit crisis, which has pulverized the need for traditional practice areas like structured finance, mergers and acquisitions and private-equity transactions – the very things that have always kept a high gleam of polish on the city’s whitest shoes. [...]

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Naked X-Rays – Will They Stop Terrorism?

Written On May 20, 2009 By Bob Kraft

I recently had the pleasure of getting one of these “naked X-rays” at the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was irritated at having to go through the procedure, not because I think there’s anyone perverted enough to be interested in a naked photo of an old man, but because I had to take everything [...]

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Costco Sued for False Imprisonment of Employees

Written On May 18, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Bloomberg News reported, “Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest U.S. warehouse club, was sued by a California worker who accuses the retailer of false imprisonment for locking in employees against their will at closing time.” The complaint by “Mary Pytelewski, a cash register clerk at a Costco warehouse in San Marcos, California, alleges the company violates [...]

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Latest Recession Victims: Laid-Off Lawyers

Written On April 27, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Washington Times reports, "The number of unemployed lawyers surged from a nationwide average of 20,000 last year to 31,000 in the first quarter, the highest in at least 15 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics" and "three thousand lawyers lost their jobs in the first three months of the year." Jackie Finn [...]

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Recession Causing Lawyer Layoffs at Big Firms

Written On April 14, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The AP reports, "The recession is taking a steep toll on the legal profession, an industry long seen as immune from the ups and downs of the economy. Trying to weather the financial crisis, the nation's largest law firms are laying off attorneys and delaying hiring." According to the Labor Department, "the number of unemployed [...]

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New York Law Firm Offers Associates One-Third Pay to Take Year Off

Written On April 13, 2009 By Bob Kraft

In an article on its front page, the New York Times reports, "Looking to cut costs like everyone else, but not prepared to lay off employees," law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom "has chosen instead to offer all of its associates – about 1,300 worldwide – the option of accepting a third of [...]

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American Airlines Sued Over Lifetime Pass

Written On March 12, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The AP reported that Steve Rothsetin, "a man who paid about $400,000 to fly first-class anywhere in the world with a companion for the rest of his life is suing American Airlines for revoking that right." He "paid nearly $250,000 in 1987 for the lifetime pass, and an additional $150,000 two years later to take [...]

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New Law School Admissions Test Proposed

Written On March 11, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The New York Times reports, "In trying to answer" the question of what makes a good lawyer, "professors at the University of California, Berkeley, have come up with a test that they say is better at predicting success in the field than the widely used Law School Admission Test." Critics of the LSAT "contend that [...]

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Watching The Growth Of Wal-Mart Across The United States

Written On January 7, 2009 By Bob Kraft

This has nothing at all to do with personal injury clients and Social Security disability claimants, but it's fascinating to see how the growth of Wal-Mart has accelerated over the years.

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Merry Christmas!

Written On December 25, 2008 By Bob Kraft

Merry Christmas to each and all of you! My hope for you is that you spend a wonderful day today with family and friends, and that you remember the reason we celebrate this day.
For everything you would ever want to know about the history of Christmas, visit the Christmas page of the History Channel Web [...]

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Wal-Mart Settles Wage Claims With Workers

Written On December 24, 2008 By Bob Kraft

The New York Times (12/24, B1, Greenhouse, Rosenbloom) reports, "Wal-Mart said on Tuesday that it would pay at least $352 million, and possibly far more, to settle lawsuits across the country claiming that it forced employees to work off the clock" and some "lawyers described it as the largest settlement ever for lawsuits over wage [...]

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Wal-Mart Settles Wage Violations Lawsuit For $54.25 Million

Written On December 10, 2008 By Bob Kraft

From the American Association for Justice news release today:
The New York Times (12/10, B7, Greenhouse) reports, "Wal-Mart Stores announced a $54.25 million settlement on Tuesday of a lawsuit accusing it of wage violations in Minnesota — far less than the $2 billion in fines that it was threatened with when a judge ruled against it [...]

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