Hit and Miss
Your September cover story, “Midcareer Malaise,” hit me right between the eyes. I have been an attorney for almost 20 years and have found myself struggling to stay interested in my career. Last spring, in an effort to fight this condition, I studied for and took the Louisiana bar exam. I am glad I did so because I found myself returning to things I was once very interested in.
I am 50 and I know I want to work another 15 or so years. Since last year I have found myself “re-creating” my career and am a lot happier. I no longer spend time thinking about an early retirement or a career change. One of the most important factors in the midcareer shuffle is making sure one is in the financial shape to make changes. Otherwise, our careers become prisons.
Bill Goodwin
McComb, Miss.
I am one week shy of 40 and I was dismayed by the ABA Journal’s September cover. You depicted a 40-something woman as shrunken, shriveled and baggy-eyed—and apparently only capable of a half-smile. On behalf of myself and all my fresh, vibrant and beautiful 40-something colleagues, shame on you!
Kayden Howard
Kansas City, Mo.
NARY A MENTION OF MARKETS
Regarding “Gulp,” September: Kristin Choo’s report of how (as your cover proclaims) “global warming leads to water wars” has not a single mention of water markets. How unfortunate.
A great deal of research shows that water markets replace fighting over access to water with peaceful, mutually advantageous allocation of water. As the great environmental economist Terry Anderson explains, “Where water prices signal the true scarcity value of water, people find innovative ways to conserve and trade; where prices do not reflect scarcity value, water is wasted and political battles rage. … The more that we reform legal institutions to lower the cost of water transfers from one use to another, the more we can adapt to changing demands and supplies regardless of what is causing those changes.”
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chair, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax, Va.
ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY?
I just finished reading “ ‘Til death Do Us Pay?” September. I do not practice family law, but I do know there are two sides to most stories. This article only discussed one side—the apparent consensus among some that maintenance should terminate after some period of time.
There must be an opposing view that was not acknowledged, not even by the attorney representing the ex-wife on the J.S. case. For some nonworking spouses who divorce, entering the workforce is not a viable option due to health issues or lack of career skills. The article should have discussed what happens to them once their maintenance is terminated. Welfare? And, in addition, is that good policy?
Leslie M. Altman
Minneapolis
MORE INFO ON ‘NO-GO’
Regarding “Web 2.0 Still a No-Go,” September: I was interested to learn from the ABA’s Legal Technology Survey Report that 89 percent of lawyers were using free online research services.
However, I found this to be of little practical value. Instead, a list of these websites and a brief description of what research services each provides would have been highly useful. Is there any chance of a follow-up article providing such information?
Herbert A. Moss
Santa Ana, Calif.
CORRECTION
In “The Curious Case of Alex Latifi,” October, a quotation from a meeting attended by U.S. Attorney Alice Martin and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Estes was misattributed. “We don’t care if Latifi is innocent. Our goal is to put him out of business” should have been attributed to Estes rather than Martin, according to a complaint filed by defense attorneys to the U.S. Office of Professional Responsibility.
The Journal regrets the error.
