de Minimis: Law, Humor, Aging and Other Little Things

Who should have your power of attorney? What should you do if you get picked for jury duty? How does force majeure void a contract? From simple questions to complicated legal terms, hometown lawyer extraordinaire Tom Brown is here to scratch his head along with you.

De Minimis was first conceived as a column in the Seniors Sunset Times, a monthly newspaper popular on the Olympic Peninsula and geared toward those in their golden years. Brown’s pithy advice has been a staple of the publication for seven years. He has compiled the helpful articles in this book to simplify the complexities of the law and share his legal view of this crazy world.

For example, you shouldn’t give your favorite cocktail waitress power of attorney, you shouldn’t play Sudoku while serving on a jury, and you shouldn’t use force majeure unless an act of God is in play and you know how to spell in Latin!

In addition to offering basic advice useful to anyone, Brown focuses on specific information targeting senior citizens. The American legal system is difficult for anyone to navigate, but the elderly especially can get lost in the minutia. For clear legal advice delivered in clever anecdotes, use this book to navigate the rough waters of courthouses everywhere. (And watch out for the sharks in the three-piece suits!)

Thomas Avery Brown has spent most of his career in Washington State. He received his law degree at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduation, he worked for several years in the Legal Services Program, providing critical legal assistance to people who struggle to cope with the system.

Brown has worked for the same Aberdeen, Washington law firm-Brown Lewis Janhunen & Spencer-for forty-four years. He has specialized in business and personal litigation. Brown received the highest rating possible (A-V) from Martindale-Hubbell, the best-known attorney rating system in the United States.

Brown also served on the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid Oversight Committee and has volunteered for many years at the Youth and Government Mock Trial Program in Olympia, Washington. He is a member of the Washington State Bar, Nebraska State Bar, the Federal District Courts of Nebraska and Washington, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of the United States, and the bar of the Quinault Indian Tribal Court.