John G Browning

January 01, 2017 | Texas Lawyer

With over 1.7 billion people worldwide using Facebook, roughly a billion tweets processed every 48 hours, and folks Snapchatting, Instagramming, and YouTubing away, it's hardly surprising that law enforcement has found social media to be a rich treasure trove of people incriminating themselves.

By John G. Browning

9 minute read

December 01, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

Let's face it—lawyers don't get enough credit for their creativity. Sure, we're supposed to be zealous advocates, but when it comes to mounting a defense against a seemingly insurmountable mountain of evidence incriminating our clients, attorneys who come up with the most ridiculous (or ridiculous-sounding) defenses are all too often overlooked or ridiculed.

By John G. Browning

9 minute read

November 01, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

Fortunately for lawyers, the boredom of our professional lives is broken up by the myriad odd, and often amusing, "did that just happen" moments in the legal system.

By John G. Browning

8 minute read

October 01, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

My curiosity was piqued by the fact that one question was conspicuously unanswered: Who was the first African-American lawyer in Texas?

By John G. Browning

16 minute read

August 01, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

Forget about death and taxes being the only certainties in life. It's summertime, and you can count on two more sure things: stifling Texas heat, and enough oddities in the legal system to keep us entertained until the fall. If you don't believe me, just meander through the following examples.

By John G. Browning

8 minute read

April 04, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

We do things a little differently in the Lone Star State, and our judges are no exception. Sure, any jurist can grant or deny relief or direct parties how a case is going to be conducted, but Texas judges—particularly our federal judiciary—do it with a no-nonsense style, a bit of Texas swagger, and yes, even a healthy dose of humor.

By John G. Browning

11 minute read

March 28, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

Have you ever wondered why so many lawyer dramas on TV seem to borrow plots and characters that are "ripped from the headlines," as the "Law and Order" narrator might solemnly intone? That's because there are so many bizarre happenings in our actual legal system, that you practically don't need to make anything up anymore. Check out some instances that actually occurred recently in real life.

By John G. Browning

10 minute read

January 07, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

2015 will be remembered by those in the legal profession for many important reasons, but there are many other, lighter reasons to remember this past year, thanks to the bizarre and humorous episodes that dotted the legal landscape in 2015.

By John G. Browning

5 minute read

January 07, 2016 | Texas Lawyer

2015 will be remembered by those in the legal profession for many important reasons, but there are many other, lighter reasons to remember this past year, thanks to the bizarre and humorous episodes that dotted the legal landscape in 2015.

By John G. Browning

5 minute read

December 17, 2015 | Texas Lawyer

Despite a slew of ethics opinions and high-profile sanctions on everything from contacting represented parties via Facebook to instructing clients to delete damaging online content, attorneys are still getting into trouble resulting from their misuse of social media.

By John G. Browning

5 minute read