A federal judge, miffed at the inability of opposing attorneys to agree on even the slightest details of a lawsuit, ordered them to settle their latest dispute with a game of "rock, paper, scissors."

So reports the Associated Press today.

The unusual ruling arose from the inability of opposing counsel to agree on where to take the sworn statement of a witness. The judge even set the time and place for the game to be played.

Even though the ruling came in an insurance litigation, it is instructive for purposes of this blog since many employment disputes end up in court.

While I don't know what reasons the lawyers in the case may have for contesting the logistics of a routine litigation event, I do know that judges hate this stuff. And clients shouldn't have to pay for it.