What to Do When It Is Too Cold to Practice Law?
What is a lawyer to do when it is too cold outside?
This is not a lawyer joke. The polar vortex has closed courthouses across the Midwest, where temperatures have plunged below freezing.
It was so cold outside that people saw one lawyer putting his hands in his own pockets. OK, so that is a joke.
Polar Vortex
But seriously, the arctic blast is not funny. People have died as nearly half the United States reported below-zero temperatures.
In the meantime, state and federal courts are closing their doors. Federal courts shutdown in the:
- U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
- Northern and Central Districts of Illinois
- Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
- Northern District of Indiana
- Western District of Pennsylvania
According to reports, state courts also announced closings in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio.
Legal Alternatives
The courts may be closed, but many law firms expect their legions to carry on at the office. There are legal alternatives, however, such as:
- Working by internet
- Taking sick days
- Taking work home
If you have to make the drive to the office, make sure your car is up to the task. The cold can kill batteries, lower tire pressure, and freeze roads.
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