Well, scuttlebutt is that Mike Randolph of Bryan Nelson Randolph P.A. is being appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court as we speak. Mike is very politically connected, and he beat out a number of qualified judges to get the nod, including Circuit Court Judge R. I. "Rip" Prichard III and Court of Appeals Judge Joe Lee, who has qualified to run for Ed Pittman's post on the Court. Now Mike is the incumbent, and Judge Lee is up for a tough run.

Everybody can draw their own conclusions, but anyway you slice it, I can't say that the governor made the best choice under the circumstances.

Chief Mac is retiring from the Court of Appeals effective April 30, 2004. Now, Barbour has to appoint a replacement in his district, which in Northern Mississippi. The Chief was an able administrator and a decent judge, with a very conservative bent.

Meanwhile, we still don't know who is going to take Ed Pittman's spot on the Supremes. Rumor indicates that Judge Prichard of the 15th Circuit will be nominated, although Mike Randolph's name has been heard as well. I'd like to see Judge Joe Lee of the Court of Appeals get nominated, because he's a good guy and he's already running for that seat.

Why oh why can I not access The Volokh Conspiracy anymore on any computer I have access to?

Three days I have been without access.

You are 51% geek

You are a geek. Good for you! Considering the endless complexity of the universe, as well as whatever discipline you happen to be most interested in, you'll never be bored as long as you have a good book store, a net connection, and thousands of dollars worth of expensive equipment. Assuming you're a technical geek, you'll be able to afford it, too. If you're not a technical geek, you're geek enough to mate with a technical geek and thereby get the needed dough. Dating tip: Don't date a geek of the same persuasion as you. You'll constantly try to out-geek the other.

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

My law firm and I have had a parting of the ways. My effective termination date is July 1, unless I find another job sooner.

Apparently, I am insufficiently detail-oriented enough to be a successful litigator, while simultaneously having done very well in arguing motions in court.

Luckily, I could in theory hang out my own shingle on my residential property. Maybe. I have to check my zoning. But I have an adjoining building that used to be a hairdresser's, and I believe that my zoning is residential 2, which would allow me to have an office on my property.

Holy cow.

Jim Smith and the Supremes have granted my interlocutory appeal!

By operation of law and judicial discretion, I am now appealing!

Too bad they can't make me handsome, as well.

This appeal is poised to craft new law on personal jurisdiction, and it involves a novel conflict of laws question regarding the estate of a decedent foreign to Mississippi. Kinky.

I'll keep everyone posted. Today I've been busily working on my hoop-jumping (I've got 14 days to do all of the appeal paperwork but the brief).