A Texas Case Shows How the Doctrine of Election Can Affect Property Rights  Mr. Smith’s wife, Lois, died, leaving behind Mr. Smith and their two sons, Blackstone and James.  Lois left a will giving Mr. Smith her personal property, all of her real property, and, specifically, her mineral interests in Pecos County, Texas. Mr. Smith immediately took possession of those items.  Lois also left a specific bequest of 170.89 acres in Kimble...

Shall we Chat?   AI, which has been around for more than 30 years, but changed significantly in 2025 when it began moving beyond giving answers to performing actions. Those actions often leave a trail of detritus behind.  How so? Let’s take a look at Anthropic’s warning about its’ AI product Claude Cowork.  Anthropic cautions that Cowork can overwrite and permanently delete local files. Imagine having the only draft of a book...

Can we talk?  By that, I mean that what I am about to say may hurt your feelings. It may also save your future.    The topic is student loans. You may be thinking about guaranteeing a student loan or taking out a loan in your own name to pay for college for your child or grandchild.   Don’t do it.    Student Loans Are Business Arrangements  A loan is a business arrangement. The lender gives you...