Kathryn — The press release for Biden’s no doubt richly deserved award doesn’t explain what a Legal Momentum Hero is. It sounds fitting though. Because what I hear in the phrase “Legal Momentum” is a social-sciencey bit of jargon for the inexorable tide of petty legalisms invading daily life. The onrush of Legal Momentum — or, if you prefer, Shyster Inertia — is flooding every nook and cranny of civil society, from little-league baseball to playground monkey bars. Pretty soon we’ll need bright orange warning stickers, of the type permanently splattered on new car sun visors, tattooed on babies’ heads thanks to Legal Momentum. “Caution May Leak Bio-Hazards from Posterior; Hold No less than 18 Inches from Food Preparation Sites . . .”
So, it seems only fitting that Mr. Biden, a lifelong patron of trial lawyers who frequently flunks high school knowledge of the Constitution, should be designated a Legal Momentum Hero.