21 Jun Lawyer Letter Accusing Adversary of Being “Big Meanie” Goes Viral

Thanks to website www.abovethelaw.com, we learn of a lawyer in New Jersey getting quite some attention. Apparently his client, Jack Frievald, a losing candidate for office in West Orange, NJ, operates a website called westorange.info, including information about the area. The town’s lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to the man, suggesting his site may imply some authorization by or affiliation with the town. Frievald’s lawyer, Stephen Kaplitt, fired off the semi-obnoxious response to the town’s lawyer, Richard Trenk.

He starts suggesting the letter must have been a joke. Kaplitt writes, “Obviously it was sent in jest, and the world can certainly use more legal satire. Bravo, Mr. Trenk! Not that we didn’t get the joke … but since Mr. Freivald has not previously encountered a humorous lawyer, he actually thought your letter may have been a serious effort by the Township to protect its legitimate interests. Rest assured, I’ve at least convinced him that it was certainly not some impulsive, ham-fisted attempt to bully a local resident solely because of his well-known political views. After all, as lawyers you and I both know that would be flagrantly unconstitutional and would also, in the words of my 4-year-old son, make you a big meanie.”

Kaplitt then makes some legal points about other similar named websites. He then points out the differences between his client’s and the town’s website. “As is evident from the attached home page snapshots, the Township’s website is a ‘virtual’ masterpiece developed by Icon Enterprises …. at a cost to West Orange taxpayers of $35,000 (plus $5,000 per annum for hosting and maintenance). By contrast, my client’s rudimentary website (cost: $3.17, free hosting), is so minimalist that it arguably qualifies as modern art.” To finish it off, Kaplitt
offers to donate $100 to the American Civil Liberties Union if he can produce “anything that even remotely passes the laugh test.”

No commentary necessary on this one!