New empty-nester. Lawyer in Boston. Private international law and business litigation. Publisher of Letters Blogatory (since 2011!)https://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3mbh7mq5vos25Mayor Mamdani has his autopen moment on Day 1. #antisemitism https://lettersblogatory.com/2026/01/02/mayor-mamdani-has-his-autopen-moment-on-day-1/02 Jan 2026 15:30 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbh7mq5vos25https://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3ma5mk6wvhs26I haven't posted much here, but I wanted to post this new article on AI arbitration. I argue that an AI-generated award, without human oversight or involvement, cannot be confirmed under the FAA, on ordinary statutory interpretation grounds. #arbitration #ai https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/12/13/the-robot-arbitrator-cant-issue-confirmable-awards/17 Dec 2025 02:30 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma5mk6wvhs26https://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lvds3ensu22wThere are well-meaning companies out there giving American lawyers bad advice about international discovery at scale. #lawfedi https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/08/01/oh-vendors/01 Aug 2025 13:48 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvds3ensu22whttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3luodcl2jp22aElephant habeas: a new case from the Nonhuman Rights Project, doomed, one hopes, to failure. https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/07/23/elephant-habeas-nhrp-tries-to-file-new-case/ #animalrights24 Jul 2025 00:57 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3luodcl2jp22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lui6g23ie22pDo better, @ezraklein.bsky.social. https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/07/21/ezra-klein-is-not-helping/ #Israel #Palestine21 Jul 2025 14:14 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lui6g23ie22phttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lr3yafomm22gAmid all our other emergencies, there is an antisemitism emergency in America. #antisemitism https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/06/07/the-antisemitism-emergency/08 Jun 2025 13:36 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr3yafomm22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lnd347hp5s26A look at William Dodge’s interesting post on serving US counsel. #lawfedi https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/04/21/bill-dodge-on-serving-us-counsel/21 Apr 2025 11:35 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnd347hp5s26https://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lmwjuuolnk2fCase of the Day: Tesla v. Balan. The Ninth Circuit has a fun procedural decision about subject-matter jurisdiction and domestic arbitration. #fedilaw #arbitration https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/04/16/case-of-the-day-tesla-v-balan/16 Apr 2025 11:55 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmwjuuolnk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3llf66pcblk2bSelf-governance. https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/03/27/self-governance/27 Mar 2025 20:45 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3llf66pcblk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lkkxy5amdk2vCase of the day: Application of Vestolit GmbH. A reminder about the importance of candor in ex parte 1782 applications. #lawfedi https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/03/16/case-of-the-day-application-of-vestolit-gmbh/17 Mar 2025 10:45 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkkxy5amdk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lkiqrpb72c2cIt irks me to have to say it, but the government should release Mahmoud Khalil. https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/03/13/the-government-should-free-mahmoud-khalil/16 Mar 2025 13:31 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkiqrpb72c2chttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3ljrxtaxdjc2qThis makes me happy. I am trying to learn French, which is not so easy in your fifties. The hardest thing is gender, because it has no rhyme or reason. It is hard for the French too! Here is Pres. Macron being a good sport with a comedian and going one for three. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAv09BXPkxr/?igsh=bGIxeXNycTh5ZDJv07 Mar 2025 12:06 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljrxtaxdjc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3ljhvhi65r22zThoughts on the “robot ump” (with the “robot arbitrator” as subtext): #lawfedi #baseball #ai https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/03/02/the-robot-umpire/03 Mar 2025 11:57 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljhvhi65r22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lid5tbuw5k2uThe Massachusetts Commission on Combating Antisemitism shines a light on the awful leadership of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. #mapoli #antisemitism https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/02/16/a-little-sunshine-at-the-mass-commission-on-combating-antisemitism/16 Feb 2025 21:18 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lid5tbuw5k2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3li2ooaqkk224Some recent AI announcements are a yellow alert for arbitration, and we need to start thinking through issues about how an “AI decisionmaker” would be treated under the FAA or the New York Connvention . #arbitration #ai #lawfedi https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/02/12/yellow-alert-for-arbitration/13 Feb 2025 12:25 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3li2ooaqkk224https://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lhvlivx6bc2hCase of the Day: Gartenberg v. Cooper Union. I’ll never apologize for focusing on the troubles facing this “smallest of peoples,” who really do need the support of people of good will from across the political divide. #lawfedi #antisemitism https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/02/10/case-of-the-day-gartenberg-v-cooper-union/11 Feb 2025 11:45 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhvlivx6bc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lh7ewvjnhs2rA quick reaction to arbitus.AI, a misguided proposal for an AI arbitrator. #lawfedi #arbitration https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/02/02/against-whatever-this-is/02 Feb 2025 15:49 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lh7ewvjnhs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lginjlulik2vCase of the Day: In re Genial Institucional. In a 1782 case, how meaningful is the "tag service" rule? https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/01/23/case-of-the-day-in-re-genial-institucional/24 Jan 2025 14:52 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lginjlulik2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lgdoht2lq22aI draw some connections between the latest "elephant habeas" case and the President's executive order trying to avoid the clear language of the Fourteenth Amendment on jus soli. The connection? Absurdity. The difference? The incentives lawyers and judges face. https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/01/22/elephant-habeas-and-birthright-citizenship/22 Jan 2025 15:25 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lgdoht2lq22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lg6cvrvtn22zSome good news yesterday: the first three hostages came home. Thank God! At Letters Blogatory, I reflect on the news and ask what comes next for Israel and the Palestinians. https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/01/20/the-first-hostages-come-home/20 Jan 2025 12:15 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lg6cvrvtn22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lfwum5b52k2lFrom the Lago Agrio desk: Amnesty publishes a “post-truth” piece on Steven Donziger, who is seeking a pardon in the last days of the Biden Administration. https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/01/16/donziger-and-post-truth-politics/17 Jan 2025 13:10 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfwum5b52k2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/tfolkman.bsky.social/post/3lfronudzwk2uAgainst the use of generative AI in legal drafting. (Mostly, anyway). #law #ai https://lettersblogatory.com/2025/01/14/against-generative-ai-in-legal-writing/15 Jan 2025 11:41 +0000at://did:plc:hr3e77slefvi7336kxjn2q5m/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfronudzwk2u