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From San Diego Comic Con to Star Wars: Our 2015 Year in Review

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Our 2015 was awesome. We attended San Diego Comic Con, were nominated for a Geekie Award, and geeked out to Star Wars The Force Awakens.

Check out our 2015 Year in Review, where Jessica and I share our top 5 geek moments from a fantastic year.

2015 Big Wow Comicfest Recap

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Big Wow Comicfest was once again a great show. It was awesome to catch up with friends I have made over the past two shows. I was also thrilled to have my first panel at Big Wow on Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, and Captain America The Winter Soldier (with a footnote from Iron Man 3).

The Legendary Jim Steranko

BigWow_8820Jim Steranko gives a new definition to “Renaissance Man.” Jim Steranko is known for his amazing work on Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, Captain America, and numerous other comics.

Mr. Steranko also is an escape artist, magician, male model, and I would not be surprised if the “Most Interesting Man in the World” is based on him.

The “Steranko” panel was an interview where Jim shared many of his life adventures. After the panel, I waited in line for his autograph.

Jim Steranko really appreciates his fans. He spent a fair amount of time visiting people, which increased wait times to speak with him to an hour. However, I greatly enjoyed hearing the band Anadel play an acoustic set around their table.

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And yes, I picked up artwork by Steranko and had it autographed.

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Catching Up with the Boston Metaphysical Society

My friend Madeleine Holly-Rosing was at Big Wow with issue five of BMS, the latest in the six-part steampunk series. It was great to catch-up with Madeleine. If you have not read Boston Metaphysical Society, I strongly recommend checking it out.

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Lawyers of SHIELD

I was thrilled to have a packed room for my panel at Big Wow. I estimate we had around 50 people, with around 6 standing in the back of the room.

The attendees were a lot of fun with great energy. There was a teenage cosplayer dressed as a very impressive Batgirl with her mother in the front row. The level of detail was amazing and a skill I totally lack. Well done.

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I was impressed with the questions the attendees asked, such as whether Reed Richards was criminally negligent for Goliath’s death by the clone Thor in Civil War, details on treason, and criminal procedure.

One of the attendees came up afterward and said he was a police officer with the SFPD. The officer said they have many speakers come in to teach Constitutional Criminal Procedure. I was really flattered that he thought it would be fun for me to teach a class. And I would in a heartbeat.

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I was really honored that two of the attendees were friends dating back to the seventh grade, back when we had a comic book club at Sunnyvale Junior High. One I had not seen since the eighth grade, the other since high school. It was a great to catch up and see where their careers had taken them.

Stay Tuned…

Big Wow was an awesome show. The Legal Geeks will return at another show, perhaps to discuss Daredevil, Age of Ultron, or other geek issues in the law.

Big Wow, thanks for the memories.

Big Wow ComicFest Panel on Agents of SHIELD AND Agent Carter!

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big-wow-200x200-2015I am extremely excited to be speaking at Big Wow Comic Fest on April 18, 2015, at 3pm, room 231B.

I have attended Big Wow the last two years and am thrilled to have a panel this year. I am also looking forward to seeing Jim Steranko, other guests, exhibitors, and cosplayers at the show.

I will be speaking on the legal issues from Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, and Captain America The Winter Soldier. Here is the complete description:

Lawyers of SHIELD: The Level 7 Hornbook to Criminal & Constitutional Law

Agents of SHIELD and Captain America The Winter Soldier were Constitutional joyrides. Joshua Gilliland, one of the two attorney bloggers from The Legal Geeks, will break down the legal issues from both seasons of Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter and Captain America The Winter Soldier.

The presentation will address what is known about the legal structure of SHIELD, the lawfulness of resurrecting Agent Coulson, whether SHIELD violated the 4th Amendment with their computer searches, the legality of the SSR operating in the United States after World War 2, and whether the Winter Soldier could be convicted of treason. The material will also discuss how drones can be used in law enforcement and due process issues from Agents of SHIELD.

The session will cover the numerous legal issues from Agent Carter and season two of Agents of SHIELD. If you are going to Big Wow, I hope you can join me on April 18th at 3pm. Tickets can be purchased online at Big Wow Comic Fest.

More Fun at Big Wow Comicfest (Day 2)

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Big Wow Comicfest Day 2 continued the fun from Day 1. I found it highly entertaining that as I walked in on Sunday morning, the group at Rock Band was singing No Doubt’s Sunday Morning. Well played.

I had a ton of fun sitting in the Back to the Future Delorean replica by Team TimeCar. I did NOT get to see if she could do 88 MPH, but it was super cool to check it out.

BigWow_2799I attended the “Drawing Who” panel with Doctor Who comic book artists Blair D. Shedd and Josh Adams. Very talented artists who were fun and creative first thing Sunday morning.

Blair D. Shedd sang his original song “From Skaro With Hate,” a parody of From Russian With Love, as a result of getting more than 500 fans on his Facebook page. Check out his awesome performance.

There were also a ton of great cosplayers in action. I greatly admire their creativity and attention to detail in sharing their love for comics and science fiction.

Part of my admiration of cosplayers is seeing their ability to make imagination reality. It is a talent I lack, despite the fact both my father and grandfather were aeronautical engineers who had that skill, whether it was building B-17 or the Space Shuttle. While cosplayers are not building Orion to go to Mars, they are demonstrating engineering, creativity and bringing fantasy to life. You got to respect that.

BigWow_KitQuinn_2762I was especially impressed in seeing Kit Quinn become a green skinned witch. I checked in a little after 1000am and saw body paint/make-up being mixed to be sprayed on her. I went to a session and returned later to see her adding the finishing touches to her costume. The attention to detail was impressive. I hope her project the Sweethearts of the Galaxy earns a nomination for The Geekie Awards. Good luck.

Job well done on another fun day at Big Wow. I look forward to 2015.

Big Wow ComicFest 2014 (Day 1)

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The 2014 Big Wow ComicFest kicked off on May 17 in San Jose. Day 1 was fantastic, giving me a chance to catch up with people I met last year, enjoy sessions, and pick up material for future blog posts. I was extremely impressed by all of the cosplayers, from the GI Joes, to Cobra, to Ghostbusters, to Star Wars, and the other many different aspects of geek culture being celebrated at Big Wow.

The show has the Batman Museum, celebrating the Cape Crusader’s 75th Anniversary. I enjoyed catching out the original Batmobile (which probably would be awesome at a future Geekie Awards). Batmobile_2739 I had a serious geek moment going to the panel discussion with William Katt, whom I enjoyed greatly as a child on The Greatest American Hero.

WilliamKatt_2747The showed first aired after my parents divorced and my mother went to paramedic school in Los Angeles. I lived with my grandparents during that time.

Ralph’s adventures as the hero without the instruction book for his alien suit were a bright part of each week.

A few years ago, I gave the collectors edition DVD set to both my brother and cousin for Christmas, who hold the show in the same regard as I. My brother might still have his cape.

Katt discussed many cool stories from his childhood to present day. He discussed one of his recent projects called A Man from Earth, which was a very intellectual science fiction show about a man who had lived for 10,000 years. The story focuses on scientists who are questioning the 10,000 year old man in an attempt to verify his claims. I look forward to checking it.

Josh_WilliamKatt_2756I had the chance to visit with the extremely creative cosplayer Vegas PG. I met her last year and yes, I have one of her autographed photos on the wall. She has a fun Facebook Fan Page, where she posts about comic conventions, gaming, and whether it is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.

Vegas_PG_2758I picked up a lot of great independent comics and look forward to blogging about them in the near future, including Boston Metaphysical Society Issue 3 and Oh, Hell.

Until then, let’s get ready for Day 2.

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The Legal Geeks: Year One

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JoshToast_0852Thank you everyone for a very successful first year of The Legal Geeks.

Our adventure began last year when Jessica Mederson and I met over Tweeting my Bow Tie Law post Cowboys & Lawyers: Spaghetti Western eDiscovery.

Since that time, we have had a wonderful adventure across the legal issues in science fiction, comic books and pop culture.

Needless to say, I also have had a blast in going action figure and t-shirt shopping for “research.”

Rise of the Geek Lawyers

I have learned there are a substantial number of geek attorneys and in the United States. I was first alerted to this when a partner at a Big Law firm asked over lunch, “Hey, do you have the lightsaber app for your iPhone?”

How did the number of “geek” lawyers come to be?

Today, we have a substantial number of attorneys and judges from Generation X and Generation Y. We grew up with Gene Roddenberry/George Lucas/Steven Spielberg enriched childhoods. The stories from our youth that made a significant impact, from “I have been and always will be your friend” to “Throw me the idol, I’ll throw you the whip,” were truly important to many of us. We spent countless hours in the backyard with space ships and action figures. These were defining happy moments. Those memories without question would echo throughout our lives and practice of law.

So for every attorney who has considered making a Battlestar Galactica or X Files references in a points and authority, you are not alone.

Geek Discovery

The Legal Geeks has allowed me to go boldly beyond blogging about eDiscovery. In the past year, I have been able to research prenuptial agreements and the 6th Amendment right to counsel. Some of my favorite posts this year have included:

Han’s Legal Justification for Shooting Greedo First

Doctor Who & The Effect of Regenerations on the Validity of a Will

Assumption of Risk & Red Shirts on Star Trek

Jabba the Hutt & Employee Safety

Firefly & Lessons in Contract Law

I especially want to thank io9 for picking up my Firefly post and Above the Law for sharing multiple posts. I appreciate all of the Tweets and Facebook shares.

No, There is Another

JessicaMederson_9018Jessica Mederson is a wonderful blogging partner. A smart lawyer who has read the classic science fiction books for the last century, she was also into vampires before they were sparkling moody teenagers. Her post on judges who quoted Star Trek in opinions was brilliant and picked up by io9.

Jess has been a very good sport about podcasting in Sci Fi t-shirts and debating the finer points of legal geekdom.

We had an excellent adventure at the Paraben Forensic Innovation Conference and got to work with many other talented attorneys.

You Be The Judge

One of the greatest highlights this year has been getting to know Judge Matthew Sciarrino. He is a true civil servant who puts in long hours for the people of New York. People know of the newsworthy criminal cases he has presided over.

Gavel-on-White-SepiaWhat the Judge does not get credit for was checking on his courthouse after the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy and performing a marriage ceremony for a couple.

No power, people struggling to get back to normal after the storm and Judge Sciarrino took the time to do something kind: performed a wedding ceremony for two people trying to get married.

Judges across the country do similar quiet good works. I have seen many local judges volunteer for the county high school mock trial tournament. There are many other examples as well.  Their contributions to society are usually done without fanfare, but are not be forgotten by those they help.

In the past year, I also had the good fortune to spend time with Magistrate Judge John Facciola, moderated a panel with District Judge David Nuffer and had a blast with our anniversary podcast with Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal this year. I really cannot state how much I respect our judges. They work hard to uphold the Constitution and their service to country is very appreciated.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go

I attended the Alternative Press Expo and Big Wow! Comics Convention this year. In my opinion, attorneys attend legal conferences because they have to; people attend comic/geek conventions because they want to. I would like to find how we can make legal conferences events lawyers want to attend.

Presenting on Assumption of Risk & Red Shirts at PFIC
Presenting on Assumption of Risk & Red Shirts at PFIC

Part of the answer lies in the type of panel discussions that are held at conferences. The “geek” shows offer big names on topics and “how to” panels. While a Clarance Darrow cosplay panel would not likely be useful, focusing on how to conduct expert depositions, how to propound discovery requests for social media, or even how to balance billable hours to raising a family might be good starting points for conference organizers.

I am not sure the exact answers, but hope to have a better idea how to improve educational events for attorneys for the future.

Perhaps lawyers would like bow tie tying panel.

Your Honor, Your Honor

With due regard for Caddyshack, we were very honored to have an honorable mention by The Geekie Awards for our “fireside chat” podcast with Judge Matthew Sciarrino. I will attend the awards show on August 18 and look forward to meeting the extremely talented geek nominees and judges.

Which brings us to the ABA Journal Blawg 100. Nominations are now open and close on August 9 at 700pm EST.  If you enjoy our blog, please nominate us for the ABA Journal Blawg 100.

Again, thank you for a great Year One. I look forward to Year Two.

A Lawyer Goes to Big Wow! ComicFest

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Josh with Vegas PG. She might have been a Star Fleet Jag Officer.

Big Wow! ComicFest was May 18 & 19, 2013.

It was the first purely comic convention I had attended in years (My first “geek” convention was Time Con 1985).

I can say no legal conference I have attended has had any attendees in cosplay.

Granted, the “document review attorney” or “certified computer forensic expert” costumes might not be as entertaining as Power Girl or Conan the Barbarian.

Boston Metaphysical Society

I picked up the first two issues of Boston Metaphysical Society and talked with the author Madelene Holly-Rosing. It is a 19th Century steampunk detective story involving paranormal activity in 1895. The story is a six-part mini-series with fictionalized historic figures of Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Nikola Telsa and Harry Houdini (founders of B.E.T.H.). Think Steampunk Ghostbusters & The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen rolled into a well-written detective story. Truly a good read.

BostonMetaphysicalSocietyThe legal issues that came to me while reading the story, would be how to limit the personal liability for the founders of B.E.T.H. Granted, the 1890s was a relatively safe era to engage in clandestine operations of intellectual titans with a low threat of lawsuits. However, any competent attorney would want to form a corporation to limit personal liability of the founders. Moreover, they would want adequate insurance, if metaphysical insurance can be purchased.

It also goes without saying having Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Nikola Telsa all have intellectual property they would want to protect. All should consider Non-Disclosure and Non-Competitive Agreements. An attorney would also want to look at the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 to ensure Edison and Telsa do not create a monopoly on electrical power.

Around the Exhibit Hall

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The Exhibit Hall had many talented artists, writers and dedicated cosplayers. The Exhibitors also were markedly different from the legal technology shows I have attended, because it is easier to sell collectables on an exhibit hall floor over six-figure software.   BigWowExhibitHall_9774

I was very impressed with the Exhibitors. They had the art of commerce down, with credit card transactions on iPads and Blackberrys.

They were also a lot of fun to talk to.

BigWowExhibitHall_9744Panel Discussions 

The panel discussions included everything from the History of TV Horror Hosting to Drawing Without Paper, to making cosplay costumes and a tribute to Bob Wilkins.

I had proposed my Legal Geeks seminar on Han’s Legal Justification for shooting first, Firefly & Contract Law, Red Shirts & Assumption of Risk, plus other topics, but never heard back from the organizers. Next time.

There’s Only One Way to Rock

RockBand_9752I was very impressed that the attendees really knew how to rock out. There were some amazing singers who took the mic in Rock Band, gathering a crowd while they played. Two of them were truly awesome as they sung Don’t Stop Believing and Under Pressure.

RockBand_9755Until Next Time

I enjoyed attending Big Wow! ComicFest to see what makes a show outside of the legal/eDiscovery world successful. Both have a lot in common with having an exhibit hall and panel discussions. However, the “geek” conferences have far more creative ability to “think outside the jury box” when it comes to innovation.

Legal conferences will always have a serious tone, because that is the nature of the practice of law. Clients come to lawyers because they need real help. With that said, those in the legal world should look at ways to capture the creative energy of a comic book convention in planning a conference.