Tuesday, July 10, 2007

I Guess There ARE Frivolous Lawsuits

The first one is from the also-a-lawyer Baseball Crank:
BOSTON -- [link] A man who claims he failed the Massachusetts bar exam because he refused to answer a question about gay marriage has filed a federal lawsuit, saying the test violated his rights and that his religious beliefs were targeted.

Stephen Dunne, 30, of Boston, is seeking $9.75 million in the suit against the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He was denied a license to practice law in May after scoring 268.866 on the exam, just shy of the 270 passing grade.

Dunne, who is representing himself in the case, refused to answer an exam question addressing the rights of two married lesbians, their children and their property, and claims in the suit that it cost him a passing score.

In the suit, Dunne called the question "morally repugnant and patently offensive," and said he refused to answer it because he believed it legitimized same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting, which is contrary to his moral beliefs.

He probably should have been sure he was scoring well enough to pass before he climbed on his high horse. Sorry, counselor, a failing grade is a failing grade. You lose. And you're a douche.

And $9.75 million? Something tells me when you barely pass (or fail) the bar, perhaps you are slightly overestimating your earning potential.

Consolation Prize: Dunne displayed all the important qualifications for a job in the Bush DOJ!

UPDATE: Great analysis and mocking by a Law Prof here.

--

The second one regards the verdict in a case you may have heard about—the asshole who sued his drycleaner for $54 million...
"The D.C. administrative law judge who sued his neighborhood dry cleaner for $54 million over a pair of lost pants found out this morning what he's going to get for all his troubles.

Nothing.

h/t: Hilzoy, who has a nicewrap-up.

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