Summer is in full swing, vacations abound but the Marin Lawyer keeps on going like the Energizer bunny. I hope that summertime might give you even more time to read us. You would be amply rewarded by Eileen Barker and Barbara Monty’s article on the role of forgiveness in litigation. As you may know, Barbara and Eileen are experts in this field and they dispel a number of myths about forgiveness and show how helpful it can be in certain cases. Their advice certainly resonates with me as a mediator. They are not making some new age case for universal forgiveness but make a compelling case for the dramatic difference forgiveness can make under the right circumstances in how a case proceeds, what the outcome can be and how your client—and you—feel about both of those things.

We also have some different and interesting criminal justice content this month. Thank you to our guest editor this month, criminal defense lawyer Charlie Dresow, who interviewed writer and journalist Vince Mancini on the effect of the numerous true crime podcasts and documentaries on the public perception of the criminal justice system. In addition to profiling the Executive Director of Alternate Defenders, Inc., Charlie also reviews a new book, Lincoln’s Last Trial: The Murder Case the Propelled Him to the Presidency. Just from reading Charlie’s review, you’ll learn something about how law was practiced in Abraham Lincoln’s time and you might pick up some trial technique tips still useful today. I would like to encourage our readers to consider writing more book reviews for the Marin Lawyer. Lawyers are readers and we like to read about lawyers in history and in fiction. And no doubt we could stand to read a few more practical books too, from cybersecurity to managing stress. Share your views and insights with the Marin Bar!

We also have an article from Kristi Edwards aimed especially at our legal professional members. Kristi has long been a leader in legal professional organizations, including the Marin County Legal Professionals Association. She reports on a recent conference and invites everyone to come hear bi-monthly speakers. Many of the CLE topics she mentions are fascinating, from privacy to fake news to the law of Uber and Lyft.

If you missed our popular June member luncheon with Rory Little’s excellent Supreme Court roundup, my report gives you a taste of what he talked about and a bit of insight into a few of the term’s major cases. You’ll also find a link to a short pdf of Professor Little’s outline for his talk, where you can read a few sentences about the cases he didn’t get to.

As always, I welcome your feedback on what you’d like to see in the Marin Lawyer or what you’d like to write for us. Come corner me at the July 18th MCBA-CalCPA mixer and tell me what book you’d like to review! And don’t forget that you can now print or create a pdf version of the Marin Lawyer with (almost) one click.