I got back in from Key West last night an 9pm. I made three phone calls on the way home from the airport. One thing about leaving town for 5 days is the office tsunami that awaits upon return. I tried to not call anyone while in Florida and only sporadically checked my email. Law is a jealous mistress indeed, and right now she’s pissed.
Final Key West Thoughts
The NORML seminar is at the Pier House resort and spa. PH is located at the end of Duval street in a perfect location- close enough to the nightlife, secluded enough that you don’t realize it. PH also had some of the best food in Key West. It’s a little pricey, but we’ll probably go back next year. It’s good to stay with the NORMLers.
Nightlife- What’s a seminar without networking? Where better to network that Duval Street? Two places I recommend are Captain Tony’s and the Green Parrot.
CT”s is the bar that Hemingway allegedly spent some time at. I felt guilty that a) I have never read a Hemingway book and b) I didn’t even visit his house full of cats while in Key West. So, I spent some time at his bar.
CT’s has business cards, dollars, and old bras stapled to the ceiling. Not really sure why, but it seemed a tradition that defied explanation. Any person can create a personal monument to his/her time at CT’s. And from the looks of things they never remove this stuff. So if you donate your bra to the CT ceiling, it survives in perpetuity.
Green Parrot proved an excellent venue for live music. We saw the Honey Island Swamp Band and they were phenomenal. I used to play a little guitar back in the day and these guys had it. Excellent musicianship and like all excellent live bands they bring a lot of energy. There were an fun New Orleans/Delta blues/jazz band. Definetly worth seeing again.
Oh yeah, the law part.
I never leave a good CLE seminar without a few new ideas for my practice. NORML brought in some of the best lawyers in the country to speak. James Shellow was one such jurist. He literally wrote the book on attacking drug labratory tests. How does a defense lawyer go head to head with a government “scientist” on say, gas chromotography? Start with James’ book.
I’ll blog moer about what I learned later this week. Right now I’ve got to get back to work. In the meantime, here is one link worth checking out.
10 Signs The Failed Drug War Is Finally Ending– (Can you imagine a post with title even 5 years ago?)