Banking Law

It's been over six months since I last ran this type of post, and another installment is long overdue. I suppose I could run it daily as part of every post and still expect deadbeats to besiege me. Yet, hope springs eternal that being as plainly and repetitively offensive as possible might deter at least a few freeloaders. As I said over four years ago:

It also states in my Disclaimer that "[n]othing on this blog is intended to be a solicitation of, or the provision of, legal advice, nor to create an attorney-client relationship with me or my law firm. You should seek professional legal counsel authorized to practice law in your jurisdiction before acting on any information contained on this blog." When I say that, I mean it.

Attorneys are knowledge sellers. That's what we do. You need legal advice? Don't ask me as the author of this blog to give it to you unless you and my law firm have an attorney-client relationship. If we do, and you're a client, expect me to charge you for it. If you're a reader who's not a client, don't send me an e-mail with a question such as, "Do you know a good free source where I can find the laws of these 23 states on the topic of whether or a not a bank chartered under the laws of Y state needs to be licensed in those states to do Z"? No, I don't. Hire an attorney to render that advice and pay him or her to render it. Also, if you're a bank's employee, I won't give you a "sample form" of an agreement so you don't have to pay your bank's regular attorney to draft it. You'll pay a garage mechanic to fix your car, or a restaurant to cook and serve you a burger, but paying for legal advice somehow sticks in your craw? Amazing.

After blogging for over six years, it's no longer "amazing." Depressing, occasionally, but not amazing.

While I have trained myself to push the "delete" button at the first whiff of humorlessness, insanity, leftardedness, moonbattery, politically correct zealotry, or moochery, nevertheless, I sometimes have taken pity on a professional who asks nicely for assistance or a consumer who seems sufficiently sincere that at least I can offer referrals to other sources who may be able to assist them. No longer. In every case, without exception, the recipients of the assistance lack even the most minimal courtesy to utter a simple "thank you." Apparently, the late blogger at Calculated Risk, Tanta, was correct when she once told me in an e-mail that because we're prostitutes, people confuse us with whores. They think that we give it away and that they have a right to it.

From now on, I will continue my policy of offering pro bono assistance to two types of people, one of whom wears a combat infantryman's badge and the other a clerical collar. Oh, yes, and also to Catherine Zeta-Jones. As to the rest of the world (and most especially to members of Generation Y), unless you're a client, an immediate family member, or a close personal friend, the free education ends with the period at the end of each blog post. If that offends you and makes you huff and puff "Who does he think he is," I can tell you who I'm not: I'm not the server of your free lunch.