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Friday, October 24, 2014

LAST CALL TOBACCO ROAD

Tobacco Road, Miami's oldest bar, closes its doors for the last time this Saturday. It's had a good great run.

In simpler times, lawyers and judges met after court and had a few cold ones, and maybe ate a cheeseburger before heading home.  It was a place of good food, good drinks, good live music, and after tomorrow it will be gone. More than a few criminal and civil cases were settled there, and more than a few assignations were consummated. 

Goodbye old friend. 


Here's the thing about winning a trial. It's a great feeling (we should know). But most of the time, despite what we as attorneys think, the case was ripe to be won.  The frustrating thing about trials is that  usually your best work goes unrecognized. As you are crossing the cop and s/he is crumbling on the witness stand,  a bored judge, an overworked prosecutor, and an unappreciative client are the only spectators. But that comes with the territory. And we find it unseemly when a lawyer touts their own victories, much less sending out emails with summaries of supposedly amazing cross. War stories years later are one thing, the "look how great I am" emails are something else. 

Back in our high school glory days, an errant football was thrown and landed in our hands  for an interception, and we galloped into the end zone before a few thousand cheering fans during a championship game. Days later we were still recounting the event for bored teammates when our crusty old coach who in fact did wear a houndstooth hat pulled us aside and growled: "Act like you've been there before son". 

It's good advice. 

EBOLA IN NYC
It's not a new play on Broadway. A doctor who went to Africa to treat patients has tested positive for Ebola. And here's the problem: he was riding the subways for three days before his fever hit. 

That's one of many reasons why we aren't sleeping well these days. 

The weekend is almost here. 


14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great advice that is called professionalism

Anonymous said...

It's one thing to self-aggrandize to potential clients. We are selling used cars here, after all.

But it is a little unseemly to do it among colleagues.

That's the difference between a blog and a listsere.

Anonymous said...



"Chief U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore on Thursday lambasted the Miccosukee Tribe's push to recuse a judge weighing sanctions against the tribe for fabricating complaints against its former attorneys.

Gunster attorney William Hill, defending the tribe and its attorneys against sanctions, asked in September that U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke in Miami remove herself because of statements she made in an eight-day sanctions hearing in July, often questioning the truthfulness of tribe's current attorney, Bernardo Roman III.

Cooke referred the recusal question to Moore. In denying the motion, he ruled Hill's motion "divorces the court's comments from their context and mischaracterizes Judge Cooke's statements."

Moore supported Cooke's position in the sanctions matter.

"If the court determines that one side is pulling our leg or misstating the law or facts of the case, we express that opinion," he wrote."

Read more: http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/id=1202674439644/Chief-Judge-Rejects-Miccosukee-Recusal-Request#ixzz3H4gwLwNA

Just Another Intern said...

Tobacco Road's kickstarter campaign should have been on the ballot instead of the courthouse

Anonymous said...

So there's a kickstarter campaign trying to raise $50 grand to move the bar to the new location possibly across the parking lot.
Really?
The property, although not all of it owned by Tobacco Road owners, was sold for 12.5 MILLION.
Can't Gleber chip in to move the bar??
And all the press conferences where he looked so sad the bar is closing... gimme a break. MILLIONS. It's all about the Benjamins.

Anonymous said...

I am great I am grea I am great I am g I am I am greatgreatreaI am greattI I am greatam greatI am great


M.E.

Anonymous said...

I went to Tobacco Road yesterday. The place is a mess and filthy (zero quality control going on there). It's not worth having a last burger and beer for old times sake because it's too gross. Have great memories but time to move on.

Anonymous said...

There is one last great show going on at 'Tobacco Road' and it's tonight. Popular local band and 'Nice Records' recording artists "FRESH AIR" take the stage at the outside patio bar at precisely 9:00pm. This final show is not one to miss and you might recognize the lead singer from his many years at the REGMJB.

Anonymous said...

The history is not lost on me, but in truth, Tobacco Road was yucky and smelled.

I'm just sayin...

Anonymous said...

I'll miss you Road Burger. You were unhealthy but you brought together the Gen Xers for a while there. RIP.

Anonymous said...



I have a few thoughts about your post.

" .... And we find it unseemly when a lawyer touts their own victories, much less sending out emails with summaries of supposedly amazing cross. War stories years later are one thing, the "look how great I am" emails are something else."

I will agree that the email was a bit on the, hey look at my amazing cross, side. But, the person who sent that email was responding to requests that he explain with detail what happened in the trial and why he was able to achieve the result he did.

Anyone who has ever practiced in federal court knows how incredibly difficult it is to achieve an acquittal in that venue.

He also simply copied and pasted from his personal blog and put it in the email. So, the exact wording of the email was already out there.

Finally, with over 750 lawyers having access to that email, many of them are young attorneys, those out less than five years experience. Many of them will benefit from the details of the trial. They will learn from it.

I know that you have been at this for around thirty years. You don't need the primer like many of the other readers who will benefit from hearing the details of the victory. Especially a victory in federal court.

So, to that extent, I respectfully disagree with you.

And boy would I like to see video of that pick six.

old guy said...

Nothing like a Death Burger at Tobacco Road. Loads of peppers and onions.
But, never while in trial. Cannot have jurors recoil from the aroma.

Anonymous said...

Motion to DQ = Bernie's Hail Mary

pass incomplete

no more time outs

Anonymous said...

Tobacco Road called the Shumie.