5 Things to Be Thankful for in the Eleventh Circuit

By Mark Wilson, Esq. on November 26, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

As we give thanks this year, we wondered, what is there to be thankful for in the Eleventh Circuit? It runs the gamut from the rural Alabama, north to the cosmopolitan Florida coast, with a heavy dose of swamp in between, so there are a lot of things to be thankful for.

Here are some of our favorites.

1. Florida

Why is it that Florida seems to be the center of the universe for people doing crazy things? Maybe it's the proximity to the Bermuda triangle. Maybe it's the humidity. Floridians are naked, they try to steal chainsaws, and they'll kill to defend a turtle. Whatever's in the water, it makes for great stories any blogger would appreciate.

2. Wyeth v. Weeks

Is the world going to end if we hold brand name drug makers liable for labeling errors on generic drugs? That's been the law in Alabama since August, and the world is still here. Critics predict the worst for tort law, but the Alabama Supreme Court's reasoning is sound: Generics can't change the label from whatever's on the prescription version, so even if there's an error on the latter, it must appear on the former. Why hold generic makers liable for that?

3. Docs v. Glocks

This contentious litigation has all that trappings of a huge problem: Combine Second Amendment advocates with physicians, lobbyists, and legislators, and you've got a prescription for disaster (see what I did there?). The dispute over a Florida law that prevents physicians from asking about a patient's gun ownership (is it a restriction on speech or a permissible regulation of professional conduct?) is probably going to an en banc panel of the Eleventh Circuit.

4. Cuban sandwiches

You had me at pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles. It's so simple, and yet such a cavalcade of flavor. Of all the food to come out of the Eleventh, this might be the best -- although Waffle House, headquartered in Georgia, can make you a Cuban sandwich and smother your hash browns.

5. Disney World

It really is the happiest place on earth. With four Disneyland-sized parks, Disney World is pretty slick. There's Magic Kingdom, which is basically Disneyland; MGM Studios for film buffs; Animal Kingdom is more or less a zoo; and Epcot is ... well, people aren't quite sure what it is, whatever it is, it's pretty cool.

There are plenty of other things that didn't make the cut, like pecan pie and the Key West museum that contains a haunted doll. Plus, you can't beat the weather.

Happy Thanksgiving 11th!

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard