Law Office of George Martin

Some of these fatal accidents are preventable. The City's staff, Councilman Bob Smith, John Pryor and many others are contributing to an effort to do just that within the City in the future. If the County isn't already taking the opportunity to look more closely at dangerous conditions, it should.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Beautiful photos!

Some quick thoughts on John Pryor's excellent CV about improving some of the more dangerous crosswalks and intersections around town. It's less expensive than ever given that solar technology allows some crosswalk lighting systems to be installed without being dependent on a connection to a dedicated power source.

Here are three very impressive student athletes who joined us for lunch in the Icardo center today. Our prediction: while we're enjoying the much-anticipated success of the men's team, we'll also enjoy being surprised by one of the best and most athletic women's teams in CSUB Bakersfield history. Coach Greg McCall has a new offense to compliment the new recruits, too. Good times for the Lady Roadrunners!

I love all the stories I'm hearing about the Comrades and Canopies team. Check out their adventures here:

This Supreme Court term promises to be one of the most closely-watched in recent history.

My son, Brandon, shared a link to a podcast in one of his newsletters about Jane Froman, the very first entertainer to answer the President's call to entertain troops abroad in World War II. The short podcast, which is excellent, tells the rest of the story that most Americans did not and do not know -- that she quietly lived in pain for the rest of her life following a terrible accident on her first trip with the USO overseas. This struggle is a real one for no small number of seriously injured people. Communicating their pain to people who cannot experience it except through the limited power of their imagination can be difficult, but rewarding.

The mass shooting at the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas is a tragedy. Loss and pain will ripple and rip through the lives of families and communities in a way that is truly heartbreaking.

We just started an account on Twitter. Our first tweet is an oldie, but goodie lawyer joke. https://twitter.com/georgemartinlaw

My friend Rick Reno Stevens has put together a mega-show of local talent for this year's fair. For those who are interested in learning about The Bakersfield Sound, this concert showcases some of the best talent around. No doubt this will be a very entertaining evening.

Most of us think of the law as an exercise in reason, but it is the often unreasonable compulsion to care for clients that distinguishes good lawyers from not-so-good ones. I've hired dozens of talented attorneys over the years -- some smarter than others and some more driven than others. In the end, even their most impressive talents don't mean much if they don't also have a kind of tenacious work ethic born not as much from ambition as from empathy, compassion, and loyalty.