I’m posting this on a Saturday, and if you’re working today, especially in a cubicle, this post is dedicated to you.
I work for a big bank and I am a lawyer. And I work in a cubicle. My boss manages 5 lawyers, and he works in a cubicle. That’s just how it is. There are, I believe, quite a few people at the bank who earn double what I earn that work in cubicles too. So I’m not saying I’m being singled out.
Our firm hosted an open house last week. At the party, I had a chance to catch up with old friends, chat with acquaintances, and even meet some new people. The party flew by, and it was fun. I left completely energized by the event. I did not, however, always feel this way about networking events. Only a few years ago, my party plan involved attending legal events while clutching a trusty friend and rarely leaving his or her side. What changed?
It was a late night for me. I was putting the finishing touches on some pleadings when Jordan stormed into the office. It was nearly 9.30pm and he had just finished up a four-hour deposition. He was not pleased.
“Can you believe that they didn’t even have coffee in their office!”
“Who?” I asked.
“Opposing counsel! They spend all that money to get a big office on an upper floor of a downtown office building, and didn’t even offer us coffee!”
I laughed a bit — “Really, you get out of a four-hour deposition that ended close to bedtime, and your complaint is that opposing counsel didn’t have refreshments?”
“I had to go get my own! And in fact, I got some for opposing counsel and the deponent too. They needed it. It’s just rude.”
I thought about it for moment. “You know what, Jordan, you’re right. You shouldn’t have to read Emily Post to know that. Mark the day that I said you were right about anything.”
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Why “Top 5 iOs Apps I Can’t Live Without” and not “Top 10 iOS Apps I Can’t Live Without”? 5 reasons.
So here are the five iOS apps that I use day in, day out, multiple times a day. Keep Reading ⇒
I’m 30 weeks pregnant. There were no classes in law school (or even chapters in new lawyer books) detailing how to be pregnant at work. Pregnancy websites and books universally recommend “taking it easy,” and that’s about the long and short of the advice. This pregnancy has: (1) made me infinitely grateful that I do not have a job that requires me to be on my feet all day; and (2) given me a crash course in how to be pregnant (but engaged) at work. I thought I might share my experiences.
It’s the nature of litigation—sometimes I find myself insanely busy and other times, after a big case settles or a brief is filed, I find myself with a momentary lull. During my first year in practice, I did not appreciate that this ebb and flow was normal. Experiencing my first ebb, I panicked. Wiser, more experienced folks at my firm have since taught me that you need to relax, enjoy the ebb, and use it productively. But this approach takes practice . . .
This week, in light of the #ABATechShow, I’m taking a break from my standard ranting about clothing.
This week’s rant is about technology and the future of law. Technology is useless unless your foundations are solid.
I want to make something clear at the outset — I’m a young lawyer. And while my bona fides are about what you could expect for my professional experience, I’m not at a level of practice where I have the right to tell attorneys who’ve been practicing longer than I’ve been alive what to do when it comes to the nuts and bolts of law practice.
Instead, I’m directing this post to those colleagues of mine who are similarly situated with five of fewer years of practice. And even to you fellow baby lawyers, take this advice for what it’s worth, as YMMV. Keep Reading ⇒
Despite the still-freezing temperatures and the snowflakes that fell the other day, the vernal equinox has come and gone, which means Spring is here. You know, flowers blooming, birds tweeting, days getting longer, and all that other nonsense.
If you live in an area of the county that has to deal with seasons, this means that it’s time to prepare for weather a bit nicer than what we’ve been dealing with the past several months. Which likely means changing out your wardrobe, and maybe picking up a few new items to replace some pieces you have to retire.
Professional dress should be changed out seasonally as well. So let’s discuss how you can prepare yourself for spring.
Every lawyer should have a pet. It should probably be a rule.
Lawyers are very likely to suffer from burnout. While there’s a ton of advice out there about how to avoid it, taking one simple step will help protect you. Get a pet—a cat or a dog (or maybe both) or some other furry, warm critter. This is a real measure that can help you keep work from taking over your life.
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Chances are, if you’re like most guys I know, you have a handful of ties — probably anywhere between 5 and 10 hanging on some rack in your closet. But you’re not really sure where most of them came from. You probably didn’t buy most of them. More likely, they were a gift from mom, you kids, or a well-meaning lady friend trying to make you look good.
When you get dressed in the morning, you likely don’t think a lot about which tie you’re going to wear. It’s more than likely fair to say that you haven’t given them much thought other than: “this is blue, this is red, this is yellow, this has Mickey Mouse on it.”
Well, this series is all about thinking about what you wear to look more professional and to make your life easier. So it’s time to grow up.
Let’s discuss the basics. I’ve included pictures along the way for those of you who don’t like reading.
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