Lawyer Attaboy

I don't work as an attorney these days, but that doesn't mean that I'm not still a lawyer.  And, from time to time, I see a example of good lawyering in the press.  Not often, but enough to pay attention.

This is one of those times.  The difference between blowing smoke and a threat is that the intended audience knows smoke is annoying but mostly harmless while the facts behind a threat are real and very dangerous. The delivery of a threat by a lawyer is a fine art.

Donald T. Sterling's wife of 58 years, Rochelle Sterling, who co-owns the Los Angeles Clippers via a trust, gave an interview to the New York Times, along with her lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell. 

NYT: Have you spoken with any other N.B.A. owners since your husband’s suspension was announced? 

Mrs. Sterling: No, I haven’t. But I often wonder: If the wife of one of the owners had done this, and if the roles were reversed, would they take the team away from the man? Is it something sexist? Is it the man’s club? The owners are afraid of their own issues. Because I’m sure if anybody goes into all their records, they have skeletons in their closets. ...

O’DONNELL: The situation here from a legal perspective is unprecedented. No professional sports league has ever terminated an owner’s interest involuntarily. And what Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, means when he refers to a “slippery slope” is that if they can do it to Shelly Sterling, they can do it to any other owner. And that invokes a precedent that could then be cited. I’m sure other owners have said things in private. We’ve had owners who have taken anti-civil rights stands on certain issues over the years. So is there dirty laundry? When the owners think about this in the quiet of their thoughts, and they have to render a vote, they have to think about the implications of it. 

NYT: So if you sue the N.B.A., would you depose other owners and their team personnel?

O’DONNELL: I’d certainly be entitled to discovery. Any fair administrative process would allow us to get discovery. And I want to know a lot of different things about the records of the N.B.A. and what information they have about the conduct or misconduct of other owners that was not acted upon. The N.B.A. is as much at risk as Mr. Sterling to have this whole thing aired publicly. So it’s not risk-free for either side. To answer your question, of course I’ll ask for discovery. But it’s in everybody’s best interests to avoid Armageddon.

I'm finding the ridiculous over-the-top Two-Minute Hate amusing and confirmation of my judgment that the progressive project is on its last legs, but otherwise it's tiresome.

But this...this is pop the popcorn and watch the show fun.  Can't wait.