Federal Judiciary

Law Office Management: Lawyer v. Airline Seat

By Michael C. Smith

If your practice is like mine, you spend a fair amount of time in airline seats going to and from meetings, seminars, and various other events.  I don't mind flying at all - but being bent over in airline seats for hours at a time really tends to induce fatigue and headaches, and sleep is often pretty difficult. 
I ran across something in a travel magazine the other day called the "1st Class Sleeper" that I thought might be of some use, and after trying it out last week I thought readers would be interested in it.  The thing is an inflatable back rest (goes from head to seat) that you lay on the seat behind you then inflate only partially using a tube next to your head (just 10-11 breaths), then relax back into.  The diagram to the right pretty accurately explains what it does - it provides support around your back and a lot of support in your lower back, as well as support on either side of your head, eliminating the bizarre contortion that the seat normally puts on your back and neck.  You stick your legs under the seat in front (but bending at the knees and sitting like a normal person worked just as well). The diagram makes it look uncomfortable, but it was anything but.
I put it in place leaving Dallas Thursday, blew it up as as directed, buckled in, reclined my seat after we took off ... and then woke up an hour later.  I don't even remember falling asleep.  I bought a second for my wife immediately, as she has some trips coming up as well.
Again, the "LOM" header is always your indication that the upcoming post won't have anything to do with practice in Eastern District federal court - but if your practice involves traveling to our fair district - maybe this one will after all.  No promises whether courts will discount travel inconvenience for witnesses if plaintiffs offer to provide them with one of these, but I'd sure say it reduced my inconvenience!

Full post as published by Eastern District of Texas Federal Court Practice on April 26, 2009 (boomark / email).