In the realm of legal decorum, there exists an unspoken rule: do not boast about your litigation tactics on social media, especially not in the guise of a "petty-ass bitch" lawyer. Unfortunately, Attorney Katie Panzer disregarded this rule, a decision that spiraled into a courtroom spectacle involving a federal magistrate.

Panzer's controversial moment began shortly after she dispatched a set of discovery requests in a discrimination lawsuit. Her Instagram video revealed her taking pride in delivering these legal documents late on a Friday, much to the chagrin of the opposing counsel. The defense lawyers, savvy in the ways of social media themselves, quickly caught wind of the post and demanded the withdrawal of the discovery requests, citing an "improper purpose" under Rule 26(g).

The legal back-and-forth escalated as the defendant sought sanctions against Panzer for her supposed misconduct, which she countered by accusing the defense of trying to dodge their discovery obligations and harass her. This led to Magistrate Judge Daphne Oberg stepping in to mediate the escalating pettiness, ultimately penning a 20-page decision that essentially told both parties to "chill out."

Judge Oberg addressed the core issue: whether Panzer's self-proclaimed "bullshit" discovery requests were indeed improper. She concluded that while Panzer's Instagram commentary was undoubtedly unprofessional, it did not render the discovery requests themselves invalid. The judge highlighted that the label "bullshit" could merely denote a large or annoying quantity of requests but not necessarily irrelevant or unimportant ones.

Moreover, the timing of Panzer's filings—late on a Friday—was dismissed by the court as irrelevant, given that the opposing party had a full thirty days to respond. This detail underscored a significant point: the real issue was less about the burden of the requests and more about the inability of the lawyers to leave work at the office over the weekend.

Despite the court ruling the discovery requests valid, the Instagram post still landed Panzer in hot water. The judge considered imposing sanctions on her for unprofessional conduct, underscoring the gravity of maintaining professionalism, especially on public platforms like social media.

As this case vividly illustrates, while the legal field might tolerate a degree of sharp tactics, flaunting them on social media crosses a line that can lead to serious professional repercussions. It's a modern-day lesson that the first rule of being a "petty-ass bitch" lawyer is indeed not to talk about being a "petty-ass bitch" lawyer.