New Year’s is not typically considered to be a time of Thanksgiving. But I say: one should give thanks at every opportunity. I am sympathetic to the notion of self-improvement, and having a day to remember to form better habits. But one of the best habits one can form is to remember to be grateful for what you have.

And I want to ask you a favor. It’s really important to me that you take a moment to help me out. It won’t require you to contribute any money. Just a moment of your time.

I have spoken to you before about Ron Coleman, one of my pro bono attorneys on the absurd and censorious Kimberlin v. Frey case. I have also mentioned to you before that I am also represented pro bono by the amazing Bruce Godfrey of Jezic & Moyse LLC. (For previous mentions of Bruce, see here, here, and here). But I want to take this opportunity — and it will likely not be the last — to especially thank Bruce Godfrey for all the time he has spent defending me in this case.

My lawyers don’t want me to talk a lot about the case, but it is in a discovery phase — in which we have to be careful to protect people’s privacy, given that the plaintiff has a history of criminal violence and frivolous litigation.

Bruce has put in a ton of time towards that effort. Would you like to know how much time? Today, on New Year’s Day — a day most people take off entirely to nurse a hangover, watch football, and be with loved ones — Bruce Godfrey has been working on discovery matters in my case. He’s not doing this for pay. Bruce is doing this out of principle: the principle of helping someone he doesn’t even know, so I can fight a case brought by a convicted bomber and perjurer.

So here’s the thing. Pro bono sucks. Working pro bono over the holidays — and believe me, today is not the first day Bruce has worked over these Christmas holidays for free, not by a long shot — that really, really sucks.

This is where you come in.

I have readers in and around Washington, D.C. I have many more readers with friends, relatives, and business colleagues in and around Washington D.C., including Virginia and Maryland. If you personally have a need for the services of a lawyer in the greater D.C. area, I ask you to consider contacting Bruce Godfrey. If you know someone who has a need for the services of a lawyer in the greater D.C. area, I ask you to talk to them, right now, and tell them to consider calling Bruce Godfrey. And even if you just know someone in the greater D.C. area, who has no need for the services of a lawyer — just send them an email with a link to this post. And tell them: hey. I know you don’t need anyone now. But if you’re ever interested in hiring the kind of lawyer who works during the holidays and on New Year’s Day, out of principle, keep this guy in mind.

And tell them Patterico sent them.

At the very least, send one of his partners an email and tell them that you appreciate Bruce doing this, and that you will keep the firm in mind if you ever learn of legal work in or around D.C.

Bruce, and his firm linked above, handle criminal defense cases, traffic defense cases, car accident cases, and especially employment law for matters in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

(It goes without saying that the same applies to Ron Coleman of Archer & Greiner and the Likelihood of Confusion blog. If you have intellectual property issues, he’s your guy. If you have any other issues in New Jersey or New York, consider his firm, which handles pretty much everything.)

Look: if there is any fairness in this world, I will win this case, a judge will sanction Brett Kimberlin to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, he will crawl back in a hole and leave me and my friends alone — and actress Jennifer Lawrence will be so impressed that she will throw a party in honor of my attorneys Bruce Godfrey and Ron Coleman.

But while that stuff might not happen (except for me winning the case), it really would be nice if Ron and Bruce ended up benefitting from all the hours they have put in.

Think of it this way. This is a fight that benefits each and every one of you — anyone who wants to speak freely on the Internet. If Brett Kimberlin can make people pull down their truthful speech about his past simply by filing frivolous lawsuits — and take a look around to see all the people and Web sites that have already caved and pulled down their posts about him; you might be surprised! — then free speech means nothing. As long as someone is willing to abuse the system. Here. In the United States of America.

I haven’t asked for much while fighting this fight. But I am asking you to do this. Not just to leave an appreciative comment or think warm thoughts, but to act: to talk to people you know in D.C. and spread the word.

Think of it as your own personal contribution to this effort on behalf of free speech.

Thanks in advance.

UPDATE: Thanks to Instapundit for the link!

[guest post by Dana]

Happy New Year to Patterico readers! I don’t know about you, but I have no resolutions lined up for this new year because resolutions at the beginning of a new year are little more than willfully setting myself up for failure. And what a dumb and depressing way to start the year. It’s like waiting for that inevitable other shoe of self-disappointment to fall (and from past experience, it usually happens pretty quickly, so great, there goes what could have been a terrific year…). It’s better I let myself off the hook from the get-go and make no official resolutions, thus giving myself a fighting chance in the new year. Of course with this mindset, losing those 20 extra pounds and bringing world peace will likely not happen, but you know what? I’m okay with that.

With the new year and all its endless possibilities, I went back and re-read these two articles that were written last year about campaign frontrunners, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. (Note to Patterico: Surely this doesn’t count as an official Trump post?) They made me laugh, then they made me cry. All I can say is, boy howdy, do we have our work cut out for us in 2016:

In an effort to help the presidential hopeful make her best possible impression during tonight’s Democratic primary debate, Hillary Clinton’s aides gently reminded her Tuesday not to refer to her opponents as “obstacles to greatness.” “When you’re addressing the other candidates, just make sure not to call any of them ‘impediments to glory’ or ‘the only things standing between me and my rightful place in history’ or anything like that; it’s probably best to just stick to using their names,” said chief strategist Joel Benenson, who has reportedly stopped Clinton several times over the course of her practice debates to recommend that she use the phrase “the senator” when referring to Bernie Sanders instead of “a minor blip on my path to ascendancy.” “You’re really nailing all the policy details, which is great, but if you can, remember to stay away from likening your opponents to ‘temporary obstructions,’ ‘pins to be knocked down,’ or ‘mere speed bumps.’ I’d also suggest trying the phrase ‘When I’m in the White House’ instead of ‘When the throne is mine’—just a thought.” Benenson added that Clinton should also be cautious about how many times she referred to herself as “The One” throughout the debate

and…

Appearing at a campaign event in the early primary state, real estate mogul and presidential candidate Donald Trump told an assembled group of dairy farmers Monday that his cows were 500 times bigger than theirs. “Your cows are small and scrawny, and you should be embarrassed to milk them,” said Trump, adding that each of his cows was the size of “at least” a dozen Cadillacs and had “udders that’ll make your head spin.” “No one raises dairy cows as gigantic or successful as I do; everyone knows that. My cattle are winners, and you people would be lucky to have them graze here.” Chatting with patrons at a diner later in the day, Trump reportedly said the apple pie was a disgrace and that his pies were a mile wide, with a perfect crust that made all the losers jealous.

I know, right??! It’s enough to get you working on yet another brain-biting hangover ASAP!

Welcome, 2016, we can take you.

–Dana