Category: The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Being Smart is Not What it is Cracked Up to Be

Man with glasses in a formal pose.
Photo by Elsimage at Pexels.

You, who are on the road; must have a code you try to live by; and so become yourself; because the past is just a goodbye; teach your children well.

~ Graham Nash

Parents teach their children about success by reference to how things were during their productive years. To my grandparents, success was a job in the front office at the factory, rather than on the production floor. My parents hoped that their children would become professionals. I wanted my children to achieve some work/life balance.

read more about whether being smart is the key to success “Being Smart is Not What it is Cracked Up to Be”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Shit Rolls Downhill

legs on a bobsled going downhill
Phto by minan at Pexels.

Out here in the country where I now live, it is a good thing if your septic tank is located on a lower elevation than your house. If it is not, you need something called a macerator to grind up the poop so that it can be pumped up to your septic tank, because as we all know, shit rolls downhill.

To put this in the context of a law firm, one might note that the most senior partners are usually on the highest floor of the office building.

read more about hierarchy, delgation, and teamwork in a lawfirm “Shit Rolls Downhill”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Citiots in Suburbia

Woman sitting in a gilded chair in a library with a chess set, looking rich and intelligent.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichen at Pexels.

Dictionary[dot]com defines a “Citiot” as follows:

“a city dweller who, when visiting or vacationing in the country, is perceived as being condescending to the locals and generally ill-equipped to be in a suburban or rural setting: applied especially in upstate New York to a tourist from New York City.”

read more about big law lawyers going down market “Citiots in Suburbia”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Ill Winds That Blow No Good

Sail boat battling the wind.
Photo by Mike Bird at Pexels.

“It is an ill wind that blows no good.”

~ John Heywood

 I recently wrote what I thought was a rather nifty article about the ills in the legal profession, and concluded, as I often do, that many of them  can be traced to a culture of greed in Big Law. I got that part past my editors without a problem.

read more about Murray’s Solution to the ills that beset the legal profession “Ill Winds That Blow No Good”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

A Plaque from the Author's law firm which thanks him for setting the firm's path to levels of success that they hardly thought possible.

“Lead, follow, or get out of the way” is an expression which some attribute to Thomas Payne.  Tommy died in 1809, so this is hardly a new turn of speech.

And yet, back in my law firm (and I suspect in many others), there were partners who never came to terms with it.

read more about those who lead, those who follow, and those who should get out of the way “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Living Paycheque to Paycheque on $6,574,000

A chest full of American Dollars.
Photo by Pixabay at Pexels.

It’s Not a Principle Until it Costs You Money 

~  Bill Bernbach

We have all been reading about the law firm of Paul Weiss having settled with the Trump Administration to get out from under an Executive Order, the legality of which is to say the least, questionable.

Some say that Paul Weiss buckled under instead of defending the rule of law. Their Managing Partner said that they were facing an existential crisis and that they took reasonable steps to survive and protect their clients. He also mentioned that their peers in the legal industry offered little support, and in fact targeted their clients.

read more about money and principles “Living Paycheque to Paycheque on ,574,000”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Law Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry

A couple arguing.
Photo by Alex Green at Pexels.

The old timers among us will remember the 1970 movie Love Story, which featured what may be the stupidest line of dialogue ever. I refer to the statement that “love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

It would take a lawyer to build upon that bit of nonsense and make it into something even worse. And we are up to the challenge!

read more about relating to clients “Law Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Sharing Tips

Bus on coastal road.
Photo by Mads Donald at Pexels.


I am spending this winter on cruise ships, trying to escape the cold, the snow, and everything back home that reminds me of working in a law firm.

With a cruise ship comes shore excursions, and with shore excursions come busses, and with busses come bus drivers and tour guides. With tour guides and bus drivers come tips. For those of you who may not be aware, tour guides and bus drivers share their tips, much like partners in law firms split up the year’s profits. Which brings me to my story.

Read more about the difference between tour guides and law partners “Sharing Tips”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

To Everything There is A Season

Trees changing colour on a long country road.

I was the managing partner of a law firm for a while. At that time I saw myself as being something like Cassandra, who the Gods punished by giving her the ability to foresee the future while dooming her to never be believed. I used to try my best to convince my partners to see things my way. After all, I knew how things were going to turn out if they did not listen to me.  Not only did some of them not listen, but they actively tried to subvert the things that I was doing for their benefit. 

read more about getting over yourself “To Everything There is A Season”
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The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Enough Already, You Greedy Billionaire Wannabe!

Woman standing in an office with her hand in the "stop" position.
Photo by Shvets at :Pexels.

“Work hard, earn a great living, get whatever you want out of life, have all the stuff you want. But there should be a ceiling on it-enough is enough!”

~ Sandy Duncan

I used to think that I was a fairly sophisticated guy. I got me an education. I was a partner in a law firm. I advised some successful clients. But since I retired, moved to the country, and bought a pick-up truck, I have been rethinking some things and I realize that perhaps I am, and have always been, more of an Okie from Muskogee, or in Canadian terms, a hick from Temiskaming. And I am happy to be one.

Continue reading “Enough Already, You Greedy Billionaire Wannabe!”