Demand in US law departments for international lawyers. “In 2005, about 41% of the revenue of the S&P 500 companies came from operations outside the U.S., according to estimates produced by S&P Index Services.” That quote comes from the Wall St. J., April 28-29, 2007. Despite those levels of international revenue, companies have relatively few international lawyers in their US law departments (See my post of March 19, 2006 with lower figures but more on international lawyers.).
Harder to deal with people than with systems. Neuroscience research, summarized in the Economist, March 24, 2007 at 90, suggests that social emotions, including those associated with throwing an individual in front of a train, are handled in a specific part of the prefrontal cortex, known as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Emotions that arise from impersonal decisions, such as from afar throwing a switch, are handled elsewhere in the brain. Thus, the moral impasse many people confront with the classic choice comes about because of conflict between two parts of the brain (See my post of April 19, 2006 for implications of this divide.).
John Walbillich, the Wired GC, has formed Lexvista Partners. I am regrettably late in congratulating John on both disclosing himself as the thoughtful author of the Wired GC and establishing his consulting firm, Lexvista Partners.