deadline | (601) 850-8000 –

In life, there are deadlines.

1. the latest time or date by which something should be completed.

“the deadline for submissions is February 5th”

historical

2. a line drawn around a prison beyond which prisoners were liable to be shot.

Deadlines induce stress, anxiety and even panic. Deadlines, or rather, meeting deadlines is critical to be successful in life. Projects, bills and responses have deadlines. Sometimes there may be false deadlines, sometimes deadlines may have dire consequences. Knowing the difference is key.

In law school I took Counseling & Negotiation. It was an upper level class taught by an Adjunct Professor, X.M. “Mike” Frascogna. About half way through the semester he made an offer, any student would be guaranteed a “C” if they attended the remaining classes. They did not have to take the final. I recall a student took that offer. I did not consider it.

The final required us to negotiate with the professor for our final grade. There was no set exam. Their were wild stories of students doing wild stunts to get an A. However, one of the lessons that stuck with me was either not allowing the other side to know your deadline or setting a deadline that you know would put pressure on the other side. He told the story of an international negotiation where one person let the other side know he was flying out in 4 days. They wined and dined him, showed him the sights and otherwise occupied his time for 3 1/2 days. On the last day, the traveler agreed to a worse deal because it had to be finalized that day.

Deadlines matter.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and negotiated his way to an A in Counseling & Negotiation.

Normally you do not get to pick your Judge. In fact, “judge shopping” wherein a suit is filed, you see who it’s assigned to, then dismiss and refile hoping to get a different Judge is unethical and illegal. However, November 4, 2014, is the date that you DO have a say in which Judge will hear your case. This is election day for the Judges that are required to run for their positions.

Most Judges in Mississippi take the bench via election. Judges run in a non-partisan capacity, meaning they are not required to pick a political party, though they can be endorsed by parties, individuals and entities. Judge qualifications differ depending on the seat sought, with age, residency requirements and most positions requiring a law degree and practice experience, but not all.

May 9, is the qualifying deadline for non-partisan Judicial elections. Registration is with the Secretary of State’s Office and a recent list of the those that have qualified thus far has been released.

Most Judges are running unopposed, at least for now, but a few races will be interesting.

On the Coast, Chancellor Neil Harris, who’s been in the news, has an opponent in local Jackson County Board Attorney, Paula Yancey.

The 13th Chancery District will have a contested election. Current Chancellor, Joe Dale Walker has some controversy surrounding a recent ruling, as noted here, and faces at least 2 opponents if he chooses to seek re-election. Gerald Martin and Deborah Kennedy have both qualified to run for this seat. The 13th District serves Covington, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Simpson and Smith counties.

Close to home, current Chancellor Janace Harvey-Goree has not yet qualified to run, though attorney Robert G. Clark, III, of Lexington, MS has. Judge Goree sits over Holmes, Yazoo, Madison and Leake counties.

Also, as of current, no Chancellors in Rankin or Hinds counties have opponents.

2014 Candidate Qualifying List

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney, with a statewide practice, reminding you that your vote counts.

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

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