Peter Orlowicz
@peterorlowicz.bsky.social
Admin law atty, IL native, Navy veteran, sometimes appellate lawyer, board game aficionado, ethics enthusiast, railroad law-talkin' guy (he/him). Personal account, as always.
Pinned
Peter Orlowicz
@peterorlowicz.bsky.social
· Jul 14
Well, new platform means new people, so I may as well introduce myself. I'm a lawyer in Chicago, though I live in the western suburbs, and I'm just over 10 years into practice. This is a personal account, but my day job is Senior Counsel for the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, a federal agency.
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
Clear-eyed, fact-based, and written to explain to normies. No “both sidesing.” No “Trump officials disagree.”
No gaslighting that what we can see with our own eyes might not be true.
This is journalism. Well done, @people.com
No gaslighting that what we can see with our own eyes might not be true.
This is journalism. Well done, @people.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Clear-eyed, fact-based, and written to explain to normies. No “both sidesing.” No “Trump officials disagree.”
No gaslighting that what we can see with our own eyes might not be true.
This is journalism. Well done, @people.com
No gaslighting that what we can see with our own eyes might not be true.
This is journalism. Well done, @people.com
Oh, for sure, run hard on that branding in Illinois, that'll work out great for you. @nomads.bsky.social @mattenloe.bsky.social
Bailey proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican governor’s race focuses on spending
Bailey proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican governor’s race focuses on spending
Article Summary Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey is proposing a Department of Government Efficiency for Illinois modeled after the
capitolnewsillinois.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Oh, for sure, run hard on that branding in Illinois, that'll work out great for you. @nomads.bsky.social @mattenloe.bsky.social
Hell yes @snipy.bsky.social .
"It would be hard, but not impossible, to try the ICE shooter on state charges and obtain a state-law conviction that Trump couldn’t wipe away. It might seem like the longest shot in the world, but honestly, we have to try something, anything, to stop this — not just in Minnesota, but everywhere."
Renee Good's killer can and must be prosecuted
Doing nothing is not an option.
www.publicnotice.co
January 8, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Hell yes @snipy.bsky.social .
Ooh, this is a great idea, and also eliminates the entire question of the binding authority of the Comptroller General to decide appropriations questions, which is in statute but long disputed by DOJ OLC on constitutional grounds.
The treasury department should be a congressional agency, not an executive one. @joshchafetz.bsky.social makes a really convincing case that this was the textual intent of the origination acts establishing the departments of war, state, and treasury
January 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Ooh, this is a great idea, and also eliminates the entire question of the binding authority of the Comptroller General to decide appropriations questions, which is in statute but long disputed by DOJ OLC on constitutional grounds.
So, to help illustrate why this thread is so horrifying, Stanford did a study on Lexis+ AI, Westlaw AI-Assisted Research, and Thomson-Reuters Ask Practical Law AI, and found between 17% and 33% hallucinations even though these are supposed to be the retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) tools.
January 8, 2026 at 8:29 PM
So, to help illustrate why this thread is so horrifying, Stanford did a study on Lexis+ AI, Westlaw AI-Assisted Research, and Thomson-Reuters Ask Practical Law AI, and found between 17% and 33% hallucinations even though these are supposed to be the retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) tools.
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
pour one out for the therapists. mine just said, “thank you for the empathy. it’s definitely hard having my fears reflected back at me forty hours a week.”
January 8, 2026 at 6:37 PM
pour one out for the therapists. mine just said, “thank you for the empathy. it’s definitely hard having my fears reflected back at me forty hours a week.”
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
This is bullshit. They absolutely have jurisdiction.
Noem on Minnesota officials: "They have not been cut out. They don't have any jurisdiction in this investigation."
January 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
This is bullshit. They absolutely have jurisdiction.
Hey, that's my representative!
Every single Democrat could be asked whether they will support this
ramirez.house.gov/media/press-...
ramirez.house.gov/media/press-...
Congresswoman Ramirez Takes First Step Towards Impeachment of DHS Secretary Noem
Washington, DC— Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) requested that the House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin conduct a complete investigation into the Departmen...
ramirez.house.gov
January 8, 2026 at 11:58 AM
Hey, that's my representative!
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
i will vote for any asshole who promises to make us party to the rome statute. you could be like "my entire platform is recognizing the authority of the icc and persecuting asian women with blue hair" and i'd be like thank you good sir, you'll always be my president and god bless america
January 8, 2026 at 8:53 AM
i will vote for any asshole who promises to make us party to the rome statute. you could be like "my entire platform is recognizing the authority of the icc and persecuting asian women with blue hair" and i'd be like thank you good sir, you'll always be my president and god bless america
We got lots of wind the first trash pickup day after Christmas, so lots of bins blew over or spilled garbage that then blew away and got stuck in snowbanks. Then the snow melted. So, I'm going to get some tools & invite my neighbors to help me clean our common spaces on Saturday.
I am a lifelong yapper, but lately, I find I’m less interested in talking and more interested in just doing things to help people who need it. Today seems like an extra good day to lend a helping hand to neighbors who may be cold, hungry, scared, or sick.
January 8, 2026 at 12:34 AM
We got lots of wind the first trash pickup day after Christmas, so lots of bins blew over or spilled garbage that then blew away and got stuck in snowbanks. Then the snow melted. So, I'm going to get some tools & invite my neighbors to help me clean our common spaces on Saturday.
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
THIS
The "A2J" tech folks have never dealt with some fundamental flaws in their approach
it follows from trying to solve problems without first engaging in meaningful structure and power analysis
The "A2J" tech folks have never dealt with some fundamental flaws in their approach
it follows from trying to solve problems without first engaging in meaningful structure and power analysis
Every time somebody says "AI tools can improve access to justice," a thorough reporter might want to note the piles of federal court orders where pro se plaintiffs have been dismissed (and sanctioned) for using AI to write slop briefs.
January 7, 2026 at 9:26 PM
THIS
The "A2J" tech folks have never dealt with some fundamental flaws in their approach
it follows from trying to solve problems without first engaging in meaningful structure and power analysis
The "A2J" tech folks have never dealt with some fundamental flaws in their approach
it follows from trying to solve problems without first engaging in meaningful structure and power analysis
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
Remarkable statement from an elected official.
Mayor Jacob Frey: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."
January 7, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Remarkable statement from an elected official.
Okay, but as a passenger experience this sounds miserable.
Revealed: how #aviation emissions could be halved without cutting journeys
Exclusive: Getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using the most efficient aircraft could slash CO2, analysis suggests
#climatecrisis
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Exclusive: Getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using the most efficient aircraft could slash CO2, analysis suggests
#climatecrisis
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Revealed: how aviation emissions could be halved without cutting journeys
Exclusive: Getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using efficient aircraft could slash CO2, analysis suggests
www.theguardian.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Okay, but as a passenger experience this sounds miserable.
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
So @tobymorton.bsky.social is a national treasure and Hilton is fucking up royally with this nonsense. www.hiltonice.com
cc: @kenwhite.bsky.social
cc: @kenwhite.bsky.social
January 7, 2026 at 1:48 AM
So @tobymorton.bsky.social is a national treasure and Hilton is fucking up royally with this nonsense. www.hiltonice.com
cc: @kenwhite.bsky.social
cc: @kenwhite.bsky.social
Dads in BigLaw, I want to talk to you! I have questions -- how did becoming a dad change your relationship to RTO/hybrid work? Were you "allowed" to take the allotted parental leave? Do you/can you leave early/come late to do pick up/drop off? How did becoming a dad impact importance of your comp?
January 7, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Re-upping for the evening folks.
In the interest of generating more fun if frivolous content and debate around these parts, and as a Lifetime Member of the Train Gamers Association, what are your favorite train-themed games or games that involve trains?
January 6, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Re-upping for the evening folks.
*gloomy sigh* yup.......
The FEDS drugged and shot Fred Hampton in bed.
Philly cops blew up a building in the 1980s and most people don't even know the MOVE bombing happened.
I think you're downplaying how normalized US death is.
Philly cops blew up a building in the 1980s and most people don't even know the MOVE bombing happened.
I think you're downplaying how normalized US death is.
If the DEA had killed 80 innocent Americans in the course of apprehending one drug dealer, there would be riots. But we are so ghoulishly indifferent to the lives and humanity of people abroad that it's barely even part of the conversation.
January 6, 2026 at 10:24 PM
*gloomy sigh* yup.......
The SYAC version: actual data shows no violent crime increase, no rise in failures-to-appear for court dates, and no significant increase in re-offending. But some sheriffs (hi @jesspish.bsky.social ) are mad they can't keep people in jail pretrial for stuff like drug possession now. Win-win?
What happened after the country’s 'most dangerous law' went into effect? Here are the numbers
Crime rates have declined statewide since Illinois ended cash bail with the SAFE-T Act, but some rural law enforcement leaders warn that complicated efforts to address addiction and public safety.
www.foxnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:22 PM
The SYAC version: actual data shows no violent crime increase, no rise in failures-to-appear for court dates, and no significant increase in re-offending. But some sheriffs (hi @jesspish.bsky.social ) are mad they can't keep people in jail pretrial for stuff like drug possession now. Win-win?
In the interest of generating more fun if frivolous content and debate around these parts, and as a Lifetime Member of the Train Gamers Association, what are your favorite train-themed games or games that involve trains?
January 6, 2026 at 1:10 PM
In the interest of generating more fun if frivolous content and debate around these parts, and as a Lifetime Member of the Train Gamers Association, what are your favorite train-themed games or games that involve trains?
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
Can we get the old #AppellateTwitter band back together & get everyone to post how they pack for oral argument?
January 6, 2026 at 6:08 AM
Can we get the old #AppellateTwitter band back together & get everyone to post how they pack for oral argument?
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
Maybe it's because I've never had this kind of power over other people, but I can't really even comprehend how inflicting this kind of casual cruelty makes the people who do it feel good.
Actual exchange from court today:
Me: I can't do January 20 for the hearing, your honor, because I'm having surgery, but I can do [dates in February]
Judge: Ordinarily I'd accommodate medical issues, but not for people like you. Attend from the hospital if you have to.
Me: I can't do January 20 for the hearing, your honor, because I'm having surgery, but I can do [dates in February]
Judge: Ordinarily I'd accommodate medical issues, but not for people like you. Attend from the hospital if you have to.
January 6, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Maybe it's because I've never had this kind of power over other people, but I can't really even comprehend how inflicting this kind of casual cruelty makes the people who do it feel good.
Yay
trains
trains
PSA
on the new Acelas
the power outlets
are between the seats
on the new Acelas
the power outlets
are between the seats
January 5, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Yay
trains
trains
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
I'm sorry I am at my most masculine when I am flinging my youngest into the air while she laughs and my wife disapproves.
I am more and more convinced that right-wingers are like this because they surround themselves with sociopaths to the point they don't know when they're broken inside because they're the same as the people they are regularly around.
Traumatized people traumatizing their kids.
Traumatized people traumatizing their kids.
January 5, 2026 at 9:27 PM
I'm sorry I am at my most masculine when I am flinging my youngest into the air while she laughs and my wife disapproves.
Reposted by Peter Orlowicz
Here's Jim's original memo from 1986:
January 5, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Here's Jim's original memo from 1986: