The Ethical Barometer

Wikileaks has filed suit against the British newspaper, “The Guardian” for alleged gross negligence of its reporters in publishing the passwords to the unarchived and uncensored diplomatic cables that Wikileaks had obtained via unauthorized means. This move reminds the Barometer of the time Shawn Fanning sought to stop a t-shirt vendor from selling t-shirts with the Napster logo on them because, well, the Napster logo belonged to him and could not be used without his permissions, licensing, and/or authorization. The nerve of these folks who do the same thing the litigants have been doing. A classic ethical analysis asks, “How would you feel if you were on the other side?” When our ox is gored, our own conduct seen in others somehow gets the blood boiling.

In between the editorials and reports on Steve Jobs walking away from Apple on water, there was another story that caught the Barometer’s eye, a story that shares a common thread with the all-Apple, all-the-time coverage. Only Irene has enjoyed more coverage than Steve.

The second story dealt with some controversy at the UCLA Law School over its acceptance of a $10-million gift from Lowell Milken, younger brother of Michael Milken Continue reading →

The American Lawyer publishes its annual “profits per partner” on the top 100 law firms in the United States. Because law firms are privately held, the disclosure of the revenues and financial health is not required. However, the firms do provide the information for the publication because, well, looking robust is good for business. The problem is that “profits per partner” can vary, depending upon Continue reading →

“Use your time wisely.” So went the counsel from Navy officers to submariners who were on breaks during their exams. Translation according to crew members: Go look up the answers you don’t know. Other submariners were e-mailed answer keys and still others were permitted to ask their officers for help during the exams. The fleet of 70 Navy nuclear subs requires high levels of knowledge and analytical skills from the crew. The training is long, the terms are technical, and the exams are challenging. Following an investigation of cheating Continue reading →

Oh, the insurrection of hungry, unemployed, and restless youth. What they won’t do for food. Except that the youth riots in Great Britain didn’t find the huddled and hungry masses with a powerful yearning for gruel, but rather for designer duds and bath accessories. Storming a Starbucks for scones would have had some meaning. Such was not the case. An 11-year-old boy entered a guilty plea to stealing a waste bin from a store –value of £50. That’s some waste bin. An 18-year-old was charged with stealing jewelry worth Continue reading →