Above, you’ll find the cover of Star Wars #1, published way, way back in 1977 (the year the first film was released). We’ve been thinking about Star Wars a good bit lately in light of the imminent release of The Force Awakens. Question: When the new Star Wars film is released on December 18, will that day considered to be a billing holiday? Surely law firms large and small will all be closed that day to allow their employees to trek to the cinemas? If not, how will employee morale be affected? By the way, you can revisit our favorite Star Wars post (in which we question the legitimacy of the prequels in an April Fool’s Day post) by going here.

If you appear in South Carolina Courts via pro hac vice (or sponsor those who do), you may need to know this news. On September 9, the South Carolina Supreme Court amended the Verified Application for Admission Pro Hac Vice. To read the amendments, click here.

Our favorite legal tweet of late concerns that most frightful of courtroom scenarios:

Trial tip: If your phone goes off in court, you can always whip around and glare disapprovingly at the person behind you as you silence it.

— Lawyer Thoughts (@lawyerthoughts) June 17, 2015

Today, of course, is the fourteenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In light of that somber anniversary, we here at Abnormal Use and Gallivan, White, & Boyd, P.A. pause to reflect on the day and the lives lost. We also direct your attention to a prior post in which we quoted the words of Baylor Law School professor Gerald Powell who, in a commencement speech in February 2002, offered these words:

You can no longer focus on just yourself, on your career, or even on just your own family.  More will be asked of you.  As Americans, and especially as lawyers, you will carry with you great responsibilities.  After September 11, each of you must be willing to stand guard over our liberty, to serve your country selflessly, and, if the need arises, be a hero.

…

Each of us must take our turn as sentinels.  And as lawyers we have our own post to man.  Our watch is over the Constitution.  Our perimeter is the outposts of liberty.  Our weapon is the law.  Our mission is to see that justice is done.

…

[W]e also hope that each of you will have inside of you that seed of heroism perhaps dormant until a moment of truth, when it will spring forth in the energizing light of adversity to give us the hero we need.  And until that time comes, or whether it ever comes, we hope and pray that you will act heroically in the conduct of your everyday lives, professional, public and personal.

You can read our post on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 here.

Forgive us, as it’s possible we’ve used this comic book cover before, but there aren’t too many referencing Labor Day. So, we feature Batman: The Long Halloween #12, published not so long ago in the halcyon days of 1997. We here at Abnormal Use and Gallivan, White, & Boyd, P.A. hope everyone has a fun and festive Labor Day.

Um, this is a curious Westlaw Next warning. Spoiler alert: We still miss Westlaw Classic. If you’re also feeling nostalgic, you can reread our Westlaw Classic obituary here.

Our favorite tweet of late is from June, but it’s a still good one:

Every good lawyer has had the experience of knowing you had the stronger argument on the law & losing anyway.

— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 25, 2015

So, above, you’ll find the cover of Marc Spector: Moon Knight #17, published way, way back in 1990. “No matter what the jury decides – the secret empire demands death!” That statement seems to suggest that the outcome of the trial is irrelevant. What kind of criminal justice system is Moon Knight facing, anyway? Here’s the rather confusing summary of the issue from Comicvine:

Marc’s trial begins. Meanwhile, Marlene and Frenchie are trying to escape the mercenaries they mistakenly thought would be able to help them free Marc. They bring out the innocent victims of Raposa’s rise to power, and force Marc to look upon them, much to his dismay. Back in New York, Jeff has decided to use Moon Knight’s costume and gadgets in his absence to follow in his father’s footsteps and perform some break and enters. He accidentally stumbles upon a Secret Empire meeting and is almost killed by their security patrol. He manages to escape but is caught on camera in the process. While Marc wonders what his father would think of him right now, Marlene and Frenchie are planning their rescue from a nearby hotel room. Meanwhile, Carmilla takes the stand and Marc notices that she hesitates when asked if her husband had a weapon when he was shot. This makes Marc realise there might be more to the story. The council finds Marc guilty and he is sentenced to hang in 3 days time. Marc’s cellmates are planning their escape, and even though he originally declined their offer to join them, he has now changed his mind.

You know, it’s not easy finding these legally themed comic book covers after doing this for five and a half years.

Don’t forget! You can register for the Halloween CLE planned by our editor, Jim Dedman, by going here!

Our favorite tweet of late is an older one, from June, but it is simply perfect in its sentiment:

Eternity (noun): The amount of time it takes to draft, negotiate, and sign a settlement agreement after the parties orally agree on terms.

— Lawyer Cat* (@LawyerCat_) June 17, 2015

Above, you’ll find the cover of Wonder Wonder #207, published way, way back in 1973. As you can see, Wonder Woman – and her mother! – are being sentenced by “The Jury of Death.” We are wondering why, if the jury was referred to as such, Wonder Woman didn’t request a bench trial. It seems like one might take one’s chances with a judge if the jurors are collectively known as “The Jury of Death.”

Our fearless leader Mills Gallivan has been named President-Elect of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) with his term ending in July of 2016. In case you didn’t know, Mills has already written a number of blog posts for us. You can revisit them here.

On another note, we are pleased to announce that 25 of our attorneys have been named to the 2016 edition of Best Lawyers in America, one of the most respected peer-reviewed publications in the legal profession. Read more about that here.

Our favorite legal tweet of late addresses the changing legacy of famed fictional lawyer Atticus Finch:

SCOUT: What changed in you? Youre not the father I know ATTICUS: I love vaping. It’s good. My law firm is dedicated to protecting vaping now

— Ben Swanson (@CardboardGerald) July 18, 2015

We can’t bring ourselves to see the new Fantastic Four movie, but its release did inspire us to investigate old Fantastic Four comic book covers. Take a look at the cover of Fantastic Four #9, published way, way back in 1962. Okay, so it appears from the cover of this issue that the members of the team have been evicted. Who brought that proceeding against them? Which firm felt comfortable litigating against The Thing? Were they defendants in their individual capacities? Did they sign the lease as individuals? It appears that they are attempting to avoid publicity as they vacate the premises. If so, why are Reed Richards and Sue Storm in costume? Why has the human torch activated his powers to carry his suitcases from the building? Are those suitcases not flammable?

If Westlaw Next is truly akin to New Coke, won’t they be bringing back Westlaw Classic? We can only hope.

Here’s some news: Kyle White’s recent post on the memory issues of asbestos plaintiffs was linked on Overlawyered!

Our favorite tweet of late comes come related to the ABA Journal’s next hackathon, which is coming to North Carolina. Behold:

We are excited to announce that we are coming to North Carolina in October. Join us Oct. 24-25th and check back soon for more details.

— HackcesstoJustice (@Hack2Justice) August 6, 2015

Above, you’ll find the cover of Whiz Comics #64, published way, way back in 1945. We chanced across it this past week and felt compelled to share it here due to its reference to an attorney. “Attorney Killed In Home / Capt. Marvel Suspected of Murder !!,” the newspaper headline proclaims. We wonder how Captain Marvel found himself in this dilemma. Surely he was framed!

Goodbye, Jon Stewart.

Are you following Abnormal Use on Facebook? You can do so by clicking here!

Guess what? Our own Kyle White was linked this week by the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute. How about that? Click here for more.

Our favorite legal tweet of late is a couple of weeks old, but it’s a good one:

“The constitution? I’m really only into the early stuff.” – Antonin Scalia, hipster-originalist

— Jesse Thorn (@JesseThorn) June 26, 2015

We had hoped Kevin Underhill of the Lowering The Bar blog would comment upon the Morrissey/TSA debacle, and he did not disappoint. Since this is Friday Links, we’re obligated to find a comic book cover to post, and of course, we thought of the cover above, a mash-up of Action Comics and The Smiths, the famous band of which Morrissey was a part. The mash-up series – which features a number of covers with super heroes and college rock bands – was designed by a Butcher Billy, a Brazillian designer, a few years ago. For more information on that delightful project, please see here.

Yes, an appellate court has cited to the HBO television series, “The Wire.” Of course, you’d think they would have quoted Omar Little. (Hat Tip: Above The Law).

Our favorite legal tweet of the week:

bless all the little pre-law hearts who have big dreams of representing actors, singers, athletes, and politicians right out of law school

— Criminelle Law (@CriminelleLaw) July 29, 2015

Speaking of Twitter, are you following our writers Stuart Mauney, Kyle White, and Nick Farr?

Since we post a comic book cover most Fridays here at Abnormal Use, we’d be remiss if we did not at least mention the release of the new film, Ant-Man. We saw it, we enjoyed it, and we delighted in the reference to The Cure’s finest album, Disintegration. (You’ll need to see the film to understand that bit.). Above, you’ll find the cover of The Avengers #161, published way, way back in 1977. Of course, the Ant-Man depicted on the cover is Hank Pym (the character played by Michael Douglas in the new movie) and not Scott Lang (the protagonist portrayed by Paul Rudd). As Avengers purists, though, we’re content with that. If you’ve not yet seen the film, we recommend it (although we don’t plan to review it here).

Our friend Kevin Underhill at Lowering The Bar has alerted us to a lawyer advertisement featuring actor Danny Trejo. To see it, which you must do, click here.

If you’re in Asheville for the South Carolina Association of Defense Trial Attorneys Association conference, please say hello to the GWB lawyers there!

Guess what time of year it is again?

Nominate your favorite law blog for our annual #Blawg100! The form is open here: http://t.co/JgtQ7BYdy6

— ABA Journal (@ABAJournal) July 24, 2015

So, it call comes back to “The Simpsons” sometimes. Above, you’l find an image of the “I Can’t Believe It’s A Law Firm” location. That, of course, is the headquarters of lawyer Lionel Hutz, who first appeared on the television series way, way back in 1991. Hutz, who was voiced by the late, great Phil Hartman, was always a favorite character of ours, for obvious reasons. We’ve yet to find a Simpsons comic book cover featuring the Hutz character, and so we may spend some time this weekend attempting to do so.

By the way, who is excited about the return of “Bloom County”? Back in 2011, we featured a legally themed “Bloom County” strip right here on Friday Links. Don’t remember that? Well, click here to revisit that post, which was dedicated to “Steve’s Law Tips.”

Remember four years ago when we compiled our giant list of songs about lawyers, judges, and attorneys?

Come on! You know you want to follow us on Twitter here and Facebook here! Join us on the social media and say hello!

We can definitely relate to our favorite legal tweet of late:

I love jury trials but the down side is things at the office don’t stop–so here I am in the office catching up after a 10 hour day in court

— Criminelle Law (@CriminelleLaw) July 14, 2015