Amy Goodusky

Legal Ease

Tough Talk Spices Up Mundane Objections

Monday, March 8, 2010 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

I object! In fact, I do this all the time: in court, in person, in writing, to interrogatories, to requests for production, to deposition questions. The questions are stultifyingly familiar. The objections themselves are drearily rehashed and warmed over versions of other objections, to which the words "cut and paste" apply more readily than "draft and edit." If I had a buck for every time I inserted the phrase "impermissible fishing expedition," I could actually own a large tropical fish tank with exotic and alarming-looking multi-colored fish to entertain me with their smooth machinations.

Legal Ease

Taking A Chance On The Big Dance

Monday, February 22, 2010 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

Over the stretch between Christmas and New Year's, I received an invitation to the Barrister's Ball. I was honored, of course, but having taken a few days off to recuperate from the holiday deluge of exorbitant expectations, closely followed by disheartening disappointments, to say nothing of indigestion brought on by the lobster, lemon bars and other breakfast confections on offer in the refrigerator, I had time to contemplate it thoroughly.

Legal Ease

Fit To Practice

Monday, January 25, 2010 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

As I walked across the park to court last week, I noticed that my arms were aching. I was carrying a file with me to a status conference, which was nothing unusual, as I have not yet made the obligatory leap to microchip mania and am piling up paper at a furious rate. The case in which the status conference was scheduled had only been pending since 2004, so there were a mere three pleadings folders, about four inches of correspondence, and several legal pads, just in case I had an idea for a column while sitting on the bench in front of caseflow.

Legal Ease

Behind That Briefcase Lurks A Superhero

Monday, January 4, 2010 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

Every so often a periodical makes the belated rounds of our offices, bearing the airbrushed likeness of a member of our profession. It is entitled Super Lawyers. When it last reached me, in a coffee stained, dog-eared condition, I started thinking. As always, this was a dangerous proposition, especially in light of the fact that I had not had much chocolate. But I digress. I began to imagine the qualities of such noteworthy overachievers. I could hear the radio broadcast in my mind: "Look! On the sidewalk! It's a nerd! It's a brain! It's SUPERLAWYER!"

• Trusts and Estates

Legal Ease

Bugged By The Lack Of Legal Versatility

Monday, November 9, 2009 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

When I moved into my house 23 years ago, this quote was written on the bathroom wall. I should have paid attention. With the exception of a few things - yes, the manure part for all of you who leap to conclusions - I have discovered that I am a cockroach in the world of law.

Legal Ease

Malapropisms And Misnomers

Monday, November 2, 2009 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

I got the idea for this column by reading the deposition transcript of an expert witness. In the transcript was a most interesting rendition of a legal term. It was entertaining. Here are a few of my favorite things, to quote Rodgers, Hart and my childhood idol, Julie Andrews, from the malapropism and misnomer catalogue. This first shining example came from an attorney. He may have misspoken; I would more readily blame the lawyer than the court reporter, who was undoubtedly faithfully taking everything down verbatim and, more to the point, accurately. In any event, this is what it was: "Approximate cause."

Legal Ease

This Type Of Warning Doesn't Really Stick

Monday, October 26, 2009 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

A television show I watched as a child was called "Lost in Space." Those old enough to remember it will know that it featured a wise robot who was my favorite character. The family wandering the galaxy was accompanied by a devious, morally-challenged individual who was apparently the technical advisor to the original space mission. His dubious motives, nefarious actions and malevolent leanings prompted the robot to caution periodically in its mechanical, inflectionless voice: "Warning, warning, Dr. Smith! Dr. Smith!" "Danger, Will Robinson, danger!"

Legal Ease

Thrill Of Victory, Agony Of Lost Case

Monday, October 19, 2009 | by Amy Goodusky | The Connecticut Law Tribune

My past two columns have featured ever-so-slightly fictionalized excerpts from a lawyer's diary, with the names changed (actually, redacted) to protect the not-so-innocent. The first installment examined law school and the bar exam. Part two focused on not-so-glamorous early years at a law firm. Here we go again with part three: