The Law offices of Barney Fife

Plaintiff Fred Jones (Jones) arrives at the law offices of Barney Fife where you work as a paralegal Jones says he slipped and fell on a sidewalk in front of his Los Angeles City apartment house
• Jones hurt his right knee which was bleeding profusely.
He went to the hospital where they did an X-ray and MRI
scan and determined the kneecap to have a slight fracture
on the patella (the bone covering the knee joint). Jones
paid for his medical care using his own health insurance
• Jones is in a cast and still exhibiting scrapes on his hands
and face from his impact with the sidewalk

Jones wants to hire attorney Barney Fife to represent him
• You talk the case over with your boss Barney, who tells you to sign up Jones as a client and to draft two letters for Barney’s signature. In the first letter, Barney will demand money, an agreement to fix the sidewalk, and a public apology from the City of the Los Angeles

• In the second letter, Barney will demand that the apartment house owner also pay for Jones injuries
• Lastly, Barney tells you to state in the two letters that if the City or apartment house owner do not agree to Barney’s demands, he will hold a press conference at which he will denounce both the City and the apartment house owner for almost killing Jones through their actions.

Question 1: What additional things should you have asked client Jones about during your first interview with him, prior to his being signed up as a client? Why?
• Question 2: What additional steps might you take to prepare the case now that Jones is a client? Why?
• Question 3: What concerns if any would you express to Barney over his demand letters before they go out? Why?
• Question 4: If the defendant tries to stop the press conference by trying to get an injunction as part of its defamation cross-complaint, what Motion can you file to stop this cross-complaint and why might it succeed?