Tag: lawyers

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Client Development

Would You Rather Die or Give a Speech?

Officiant standing over coffin and holding a book.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk at Pexels.

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”                   Jerry Seinfeld

Early in my career I spoke to a group of lawyers about opinion letters. I was awful. I read the entire presentation, which was chock full of technical details, and bored the audience to tears. To this day, if I close my eyes, I can still hear them snoring and crying at the same time.

read more about Tips for giving presentations “Would You Rather Die or Give a Speech?”
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Firm Culture

Real Friends and Friends Light

A group of young people eating pizza.
Photo by Cottonbro Studios at Pexels.

Most of us consider ourselves to be lucky if we have a handful of real friends. Usually these are people who we know from way back. They know who we really are, and they want nothing from us. If we need them, they will be there for us.  When we get busy with our careers, we sometimes do not speak to them very frequently, but when we see them again it is like no time has passed.

read more about situational friendships “Real Friends and Friends Light”
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Work/Life Balance

They Care… in Their Spare Time

Woman looking pensive in the back seat of a car.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

The other day my wife, Maureen, told me about a friend who was complaining that his busy adult children do not call him very often.  Her friend asked Maureen, “Don’t they care about their dad?”  To which Maureen replied, “they care… in their spare time.”

Maureen had it exactly right. Busy people tend to focus on the issues in their life that require their immediate attention. They put the things that they can take for granted aside to worry about when they can find the time.

read more about creating a law firm that is about more than money “They Care… in Their Spare Time”
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Law Students and Young Lawyers

Bad and Worse Advice for Law Firm Associates

An older professional woman speaking to a younger woman who appears to be frustrated with what she is being told.
Photo by Cottonbro Studio at Pexels.

“Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.” Chinese proverb

The Chinese were on to something. We all make the mistake of teaching things to younger generations based on our own experience. Here is some of the bad advice that I gave to my Associates:

read more about the bad advice that i gave associates “Bad and Worse Advice for Law Firm Associates”
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Murray The Wannabe Feminist

Men Talking About Moms at the Partnership Table

Leipzip-Dresdem Railway Company's Board of Directors (1852)

Those of you who do not attend partners meetings may not know that a common agenda item is why the associates are not working hard enough.

And those of you who follow the statistics are aware that only 25% of partners in Canadian law firms are female. This means that the problem is primarily defined by men, who identify the mothers of young children as part of the problem.  Which indeed they are since they often undertake a disproportionate share of the childcare responsibilities and have less time to bill hours.

read more about believing what you want to believe “Men Talking About Moms at the Partnership Table”
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Law Students and Young Lawyers

Talking to Partners about Problems

Two women sitting across from each other on brown chairs talking to each other.
Photo by Cottonbro Studio at Pexels.

Since I retired, I do not speak to law firm partners very often, which is just fine with me. For one thing, I cannot afford to speak to them about professional matters. For another, I have had quite my fill of speaking to partners about topics that they know precious little about, such as how to run a law firm profitably while maintaining a positive and welcoming culture.

read more about how to talk to partners about problems “Talking to Partners about Problems”
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Client Development

I Give this Post a Five Star Review

Frustrated man in front of a laptop.
Photo by Nicola Barts at Pexels.

I was a super-fantastic lawyer. Really, almost everyone says so.  And yet, there were a few clients who did not appreciate what I did for them or what it cost to have me do it.  Luckily for me, during most of my career Google Reviews were not much of a thing. And until they were, those few and far between ignorant and unappreciative ingrates who did not like me did not have much of a public forum for spreading their lies.

read more about dealing with Bad Reviews “I Give this Post a Five Star Review”
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Work/Life Balance

There is More to Life than Hard Work

Man holding box marked "Aid" and wearing a tee shirt which says "Volunteer."
Photo by Rdne Stock Project at Pexels.

I was a socialist at age twenty. I went to law school because I wanted to help the poor and the oppressed. By the time that I was thirty I was a business lawyer. Stuff like that happens to people.

read more about doing more “There is More to Life than Hard Work”
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The Practice of Law

There Seems to be Some Confusion – I Loved Practicing Law!

Older man smiling and giving thumbs up sign.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.

This morning someone remarked that much of my writing about the legal profession  is a tad negative. She said, “you practiced law for a long time; you were good at what you did; you made enough money to retire and travel the world. Surely you must have liked something about being a lawyer, didn’t you?”

read more about the good and the bad about practicing law “There Seems to be Some Confusion – I Loved Practicing Law!”
Categories
The Practice of Law

On the Outside Looking In

Woman staring into window.
Photo by Leonardo Cardozo Galves at Pexels.

Susan and Bob are unhappy spouses who own and operate a business. Sue enacts some resolutions to remove her husband as a director and officer of the corporation. Then she goes to the office before business hours, changes the locks, tells Bob that he is fired, and hires a security guard.

Bob shows up for work and is refused entry. He calls the police. The cops come and tell him that they are just there to keep the peace, which they will do by preserving the status quo.  Since Sue is on the inside, she gets to stay there. As Bob is on the outside, he has to stay there.  

read more about possession being 9/10 of the law “On the Outside Looking In”