Jim's Personal Stories

Its that time of the year to be thankful for your family and friends as we celebrate Christmas.

Many, many thanks to my friends, clients and extended family.  

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Cruise Law News!  And don’t forget, Its a Wonderful Life –   

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lxNXtjGY_Us%3Ffs%3D1%26hl%3Den_US%26rel%3D0

This Thanksgiving, my family is back in my hometown of El Dorado Arkansas visiting my parents and our cousins.  Thanksgiving at the family homestead in Arkansas is the perfect place to be this time of year.

My family has a lot to be thankful for this year.  My Dad, age 81, made it to another Thanksgiving despite a series of

I used to be a cruise line defense lawyer.

In 1996, I tried my last defense case, for Dolphin Cruise Lines.  The cruise line was sued by a crew member who slipped and fell on a wet floor of a photography room on the S/S Oceanbreeze.  He underwent back surgery and returned to his

Cruise Law News - Totem - Victoria - British ColumbiaThis morning the Walker – O’Neill family arrived back in Miami at 7:30 a.m. after taking the “red eye” from Seattle.  We spent two weeks enjoying British Columbia for a great vacation.

My family voted before our vacation that there would be no blogging.  Out voted 3-1, I didn’t even take my lap top with

From time to time, I’ll include a “personal story” in Cruise Law News, like this one.

This year my younger son, John, a 7th grader tried out for the 7th and 8th grade lacrosse teams at his school Gulliver Academy.  He had never played lacrosse before.  Quite frankly, I don ‘t think he had ever

It finally happened.  After 8 years, my Blackberry finally died.  Not a natural death mind you, but due to my negligence in leaving it on a lawn chair Friday evening after I enjoyed a glass of wine with my spouse. 

Our sprinkler timer kicked on Saturday morning and, after a 20 minute water cycle, my friend was soaked to

Good things happen in three’s.  That’s what my Mom told me a long time a long time ago.  And so today, I affirm that lesson I learned as a child with the following three stories which warm my heart:

Life’s a Cruise for Cancer Survivor, Lyn Burdon

Lyn Burdon - Life's A Cruise - Cancer SurvivorCancer is a bitch.  Anyone who has lost a family member, spouse, or friend knows what

I moved to New Orleans in 1980 to attend law school at Tulane.  I lived in an apartment 10 blocks from campus in the bottom of a two story shotgun house on Freret Street in Uptown.  A witch lived Dixie Beerabove me and insisted that she hang bird feathers over the transom of my front door.

Yes, New Orleans was a weird place, full of

Miami - Wake Forest - BasketballI receive a lot of emails to the effect that I should write fewer articles about the cruise industry’s latest shenanigans and more about “personal stuff.”

O.K. – always happy to oblige.

Tonight I went with the boys to the University of Miami to watch the UM play Wake Forest – ACC basketball big time. 

Park City - SnowFor those of you who read my blog, you know that I have  taken a sabbatical away from Cruise Law News since December 19th.

Ten days without a single blog. A record!

After 100 articles in a little over three months, I needed a break.  My readers probably did too.

My other excuse is that