do you actually realize how fucking dystopian it is that I'm donating plasma every week just to afford breakfast?
Or have we all become so desensitized to current displays of fascism that we've adopted the VERY naïve belief that "if there aren't bodies in the street then we're not in danger?"
A list of my favourite legal latin expressions + what they mean
(aka latin is cool in specific legal contexts and we should keep on using it because it commucates what we mean more efficiently that if we had to find a way to say it in modern languages, BUT ALSO latin should not be a barrier to understanding legal language, the law is SHOULD be understandable and non elitist)
Erga Omnes / Inter partes : " we are making this EVERYONE'S BUSINESS" vs "this is a you-problem, so you get a you-solution"
Ex tunc / Ex nunc : "let's all pretend this has always been the rule" vs "cant do shit about the past, this is only for the future"
Nulla poena sine legem / nulla poena sine culpa: "no punishment without a rule being broken" / "no punishment if there wasn't a fuckup of some kind on your part"
Pater is est.../mater siempre... : "let's ... assume the daddy is the wife's husband, for now" vs "we all SAW where/who that baby CAME FROM"
de lega lata / de lege ferranda : "I'm saying that's what the law IS, tough luck" vs "I'm saying that's what the law SHOULD BE though"
Obiter Dictum : Court decided it had an opinion, and it wasn't going to be stopped by the fact that this opinion had nothing to do with the case
Fraus omnia corrumpit: Fraud. Corrupts. All.
Ex officio: No one asked, but i'm gonna do it anyway
Nemo auditur...: No you can't benefit from your own fuckup
Clausula Rebus: we agreed during specific circumstances... unfortunately, circumstances have changed.
Usucapio: I've been calling dibs on this for so long, at this point it's legally mine.
Ad nutum: because I WANT to, no I don't need to explain or justify that.
Sui generis: it's... it's its own thing.
Intuitu personae: this is based on THAT person - if it's not THAT person, all bets are off
Pacta Sund Servanda : you fucking SIGNED THE THING so now yes you gotta DO THE THING
Federal contract my company might get: You need to comply with the ADA.
Me: Cool. No problem.
Asshole CFO: Have we reviewed that?
Me: The… the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Asshole CFO: Yes. It’s part of the contract. We should review it.
Me: It’s longstanding federal law. We’re totally compliant with it.
Asshole CFO: How do you know if you haven’t reviewed it?
Me: Because I am generally familiar with its provisions and we pay an HR company to make sure our handbook complies with federal and state law.
Asshole CFO: The HR company says lots of stuff. I just think if something is in a contract we should review it.
Me: I agree with you generally but are you saying that I need to review every single federal statute?
Asshole CFO: I just think if something is in a contract we should review it.
Me: See, just saying that makes it sound like a reasonable thing. Having me actually review the entire ADA and the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act on top of the Federal Acquisition Requirements (which I *am* reviewing) is not reasonable.
That’s the downside to being in-house. Outside counsel can just say, “We’ll do it if you really want us to, but be aware it’s gonna cost ya a shit-ton of money.”
I accidentally locked myself out of my house. I figured out I locked myself out when I tried to go back inside to get the recipe to make more hummingbird food (we’re out). Happily, I’m sitting on my lovely back patio with a book. Sadly, the Scotch is inside. It’s really pretty and relaxing out here, though, so I don’t mind.