Since today is Cinco de Mayo I’m recalling the oral argument I listened to in a case from California involving a student disruption that blew up on the 5th of May when the school was honoring its rich Hispanic heritage. One of the lawyers repeatedly referred to “Cinco de Mayo” as if it was about an alternative to mustard. May-O, he called it until one of the judges on the panel gently informed him that the correct pronunciation is My-O. The guy sounded like he was from New Jersey, so I don’t know what he was doing representing someone in California.
We all make mistakes. I’ve made more than a few. I recently had the wonderful opportunity of participating in TASB’s Boot Camp—an annual event for lawyers new to the practice of school law. I shared with the group some practical suggestions about special education law, but I concluded by encouraging them not to make the same mistake I once made. I summed it up thusly:
NEVER LET YOUR CLIENT SEE YOU READING A BOOK ENTITLED “THE EASY WAY TO WIN SPECIAL EDUCATION HEARINGS” ON THE NIGHT BEFORE THE HEARING.
I was just trying to pick up a few last minute tips. I thought my client would be impressed with my diligent preparation right up to the last minute. Nope. His view was that this was akin to seeing the pilot studying HOW TO FLY AN AIRPLANE right before takeoff.
I’ve made plenty of other mistakes since then, but not that one. Now I keep my reading practices to myself.
DAWG BONE: IT WAS A HELPFUL BOOK!
Tomorrow: is a mandatory mask-wearing rule an “aversive technique”?