A tree branch scratched the lower part of my left upper arm last summer when I capsized a kayak. The wound stung. Swelled into a welt. But didn't bleed. Almost a year later there is definitely a scar still there. My real skin is getting thinner with age. My mental skin is not.
Read MoreAfter Thanksgiving, my brother sisters and I decide to sort through the few remaining boxes of mom's things. The contents of two storage units and a condo have been reduced to a pile of certificates, photos, and little treasures. We are at Greg and Laurie's craftsman house. Sitting around the living room. Creating our respective piles.
Read MoreA few days before Thanksgiving a defendant corporation sends me the report of its expert accountant. This person's job is to place a value on the life of a two and a half year old child who has died as the result of the negligence of others.
In our state the way we decide the "value" of loss of life under such circumstances is to project what the child would have grown up and earned during her life time. Less what the child would have consumed. The amount that is left over is called "net accumulations" and this cold calculation = value of the life lost.
Read MoreI believe that lawyers take too much credit when a trial is won and too much responsibility when a trial is lost.
Of course this is our j.o.b. We are in it to win it. Our client's well being is our number one top absolute priority. And regardless of the reasons why sometimes we cannot convince the judge or jury of our position - it totally bites when we lose.
Read MoreThough irritated, I did not lose a lot of sleep over John Henry Browne's filing of a lawsuit against me and my law firm for defamation over our handling of the civil wrongful murder action we filed against his client.
First, I believe in the power and righteousness of the First Amendment.
Read MorePrologue: This case involves a third trimester pregnant woman who was a passenger in a car. The car was t-boned by someone else. The mother was injured and the baby died.
Read More4:30 Slide sideways out of bed. Do everything necessary to get out of house.
5:15 Drop Nala off at downtown dog lounge.
5:45 Arrive at SeaTac. Park. Walk. Get thru security. Wait. Board.
7:00 Lift off. Eat lemon luna bar. Pull up P case on ipad. Exhibits have been loaded into Trialpad. Scroll through them. Nod off. Child kicks seat. Get back to work. Eat too many grapes.
Here is the backstory of how I ended up on Crimewatch Daily. After defense lawyer John Henry Browne accused me of soliciting the media on behalf of my clients.
EB: We will be sitting down to interview Tracy and I wanted to see if your clients would be interested in speaking with us as well?
Read MoreOne year ago, Seattle experienced its worst traffic disaster. A converted amphibious military vehicle built for World War II went across the center line of our most notorious bridge into the side of a school bus. Five international students were killed and over 50 more students, tourists, and others were injured. Firefighters who performed the rescue operations still become emotional when thinking about the disaster.
Read MoreTechnology is changing the way we are able to visualize everything. This 3D imaging study shows a picture that makes more sense to us than would a simple xray.
In this case, a worker was killed on the job when he was installing a defective device. The electrical system in the piece of equipment had been negligently manufactured. When he started to install it, the device shorted and launched like a rocket into his face. He survived the impact but died in the hospital about a month later.
Read MoreSetting: We are in a downtown Seattle conference room. The sky is deep blue. The sun is shining. Its rays bounce like mirrors off the skyscrapers and rippling waterways below us. Eric the videographer is at the far end of the table. Jane the court reporter is her usual excellent self. Cheryl our medical negligence paralegal is by my side. Across the table are the defense lawyers. In front of a gray screen sits the witness. The defense side is somber. I am feisty. We are about an hour an a half into the deposition.
Read MoreLast evening a senior defense attorney, sent out an email to a large group of about 50 or so attorneys (all on the same case) that announced I was "a forceful and vociferous advocate" for my clients.
She didn't mean this as a compliment.
Read MoreI have a job that is part of my soul. This means I fight for my clients with every ounce of my being. Sometimes people (typically those I sue) don't like that.
The owner of Ride the Ducks Seattle is Brian Tracey. He has been investigating me by reading my Twitter feed, watching tv and reading the news. After completing his studies he filed a declaration to support a motion to prevent dissemination of discovery materials in the 20 cases we have filed against his business for the death and injury of victims of the Ride the Duck Aurora Bridge crash.
Read MoreDo you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
I leave Nala at home. Today is a half day mediation. At my office. We will be done by 1:00. I can then come home and let her out. She will be fine for four hours.
The mediation drags a bit. Colleen Barrett is the mediator. First time I've used her. She was a defense attorney. Had several cases against her. Always liked her.
Read MoreSpeak in Sun Valley at Idaho Trial Lawyer Convention in the morning. Then on a panel in the afternoon. Leave at 3:30. This means I cannot fly direct to LAX because that plane is gone. Instead have to fly back to Seattle to then fly to LAX. Arrive at 10:45 p.m. Taxi to The Line Hotel. Arrive at 11:30 p.m.
Read MoreJune 1, 2016 3:31 PM
Hi Karen, I recently came across your post on "The Velvet Hammer" blog describing purported excerpts from John Henry Browne's emails to you during communications over the lawsuit involving Tracy McNamara. I am interested in speaking with you about this when you have some free time. Please give me a call. Thanks,
Lewis Kamb, Reporter The Seattle Times
Read MoreOn Monday I called an attorney an A_S.
Now you may be thinking Karen Karen Karen. But I didn't lose my temper. I stated a fact.
One day when I came home from work many years ago, the nanny smiled and said - your daughters told me that yesterday you said the S word. Cristina, Alysha and Noelle started giggling. Raised their little eyebrows. Waited for Marlenee Beenee (actual name Marlene) to scold me. Or better yet - as she had done to Alysha - wash my mouth out with soap.
Read MoreI haven't answered phone calls. Or returned emails or texts. I've just stayed in the cocoon of our close family. My sisters and brother, our children and in laws have been grieving together and working together in preparation for mom's celebration of life this weekend. It has all been quite hideous and wonderful all at the same time.
Read MoreThis week we celebrated Clare's 30 years of service to the Washington State Association for Justice. I met Clare when it was named WSTLA - the trial lawyer's association. The entire time I've known her she's run the legal education department.
Of all the committees I've worked on over the years, WSTLA/WSAJ CLE was my favorite.
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