Tag Archive: Personal Thoughts

Second Photo Caption Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Phil A. Taylor of Taylor Law Office in Stoneham, MA! He submitted the winning caption, which you can see below. Anthony will receive a LawBiz® Media Pack and a free ½ hour consulting session with me.

Thanks again to everyone who participated. While fewer captions were submitted than before, they were all great nonetheless, and the decision was tough.

Remember, The Business of Law, 2nd ed., along with all of my other books and products, are available for sale at our website.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

When I think of the entrepreneurial spirit, I think of the hardy folks of the early 1900s, or earlier, but not the 1960s. Yet, in the Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California, I learned of just such a spirit in the body of Bill Keys.

We (my wife, Bandit, our Airstream, and I) have been spending the last few days in Twenty Nine Palms, home of the largest Marine training base in the U.S., adjacent to the National Park. We joined an Airstream rally.

Among other activities, we toured the ranch owned and operated by Bill Keys and now under the control of the Forest Service. His is a remarkable story. He survived off the land, gained control of water in the area (a rare commodity in this area), filed numerous gold mine claims and leased them to others to do the back-breaking work (perhaps an early franchisor), among other ventures. He sold his land to a friend, making money on the transaction. The friend wanted to create an recreational vehicle resort; this idea had to be abandoned, however, for lack of water. He swapped the land with the U.S. Forest Service for land in the San Diego area, later to be the location of the San Diego Chargers stadium … he parlayed a small investment into quite a fortune!

With a view to the future and persistent effort (and, of course, some luck!), even lawyers can grab the entrepreneurial spirit and thrive!

As you read this on the first working day of a new decade, it is clear that our profession has been buffeted with many challenges. There is considerable discussion about whether we will ever have "business as usual" again or whether change (however great that may turn out to be) will be permanent.. However, it is clear that lawyers who listen to their clients and adapt their approach to the delivery of legal services to their clients wants will thrive. Those who ignore their clients and focus only on their own needs will ultimately fail.

Which will you be? To help you analyze what you’re doing now and what you may want to do to become more effective with your clients, more efficient in delivering your legal services and more profitable, consider engaging a coach. A skilled, independent and objective person working with you can create a shortcut for your success.

Best wishes for a great new year!

Competency of lawyers – Solo and otherwise

It has been suggested that I was a bit harsh in asserting that sole practitioners are not competent.

Far from that! Many sole practitioners are the leading experts in their practice area. In fact, most lawyers are sole practitioners, even those that find themselves in BigLaw environments. There are few law firms that are truly collegial in nature.

Nor do I think that law school graduates leaving school to start their own practice immediately are necessarily incompetent. What is true, however, is that they are less competent than they will be a few years hence … and generally they have few, if any, colleagues to guide them through the murky competency waters of law practice. That being said, however, the nature of the cases “new” lawyers take on tend to be matters where they can learn the needed skills as they grow in their practice, without prejudice to clients. And everyone is benefited, the client who may receive service at a lower price and the lawyer who learns on the job … the point being that he/she learns and is better for the following client.

Because of the financial difficulties faced by law firms in the last couple of years, with declining client demand, declining revenue and declining profitability, the nature of the profession is changing … and private apprentice programs are being developed. If these are successful … and I have every reason to believe that programs like Howrey’s will be … law schools and bar associations may be motivated to participate in developing meaningful apprenticeship programs and perhaps even change the requirements for becoming a lawyer.

Something to watch on the landscape while others such as Richard Susskind actually challenge the very foundation of today’s law firm business model.

As an aside, but on the subject of the economic impact of being a sole practitioner, I encourage you to participate in an upcoming West LegalEdcenter tele-seminar on the issue of required disclosure to clients of the lack of malpractice insurance. This is a topic that impacts, almost exclusively, about 20% of the lawyer population, almost all solos, in approximately 23 states.   These State Bars have given only lip service to helping sole practitioners while at the same time adopting mandatory malpractice insurance disclosure with significant economic consequences, among many other similar increased cost programs.

I also encourage you to join our new community for lawyers at http://www.lawbizforum.com and invite your colleagues as well to express your legitimate opinions and concerns of the profession.

Happy Birthday, Coach Wooden

Happy 99!  … and many more.

He continues to lead Bruins all over the world by his inspired thinking … and example of an outstanding citizen of the world.

"Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow." 
"Failing to plan is planning to fail."

… and of course, his Pyramid of Success.

Happy birthday.

Bandit – New addition to our family

See the newest edition to our family. It’s been 10 years since our dog died and my wife refused to get another because of the emotional pain and suffering. But, suddenly, after we saw perhaps the most elegant Boxer I’ve ever seen during our maiden voyage in the Airstream, my wife suddenly changed course … and we now have our own majestic rescue Boxer, age 2 to 3 years.  The addition certainly will alter our lives in ways we can’t yet even imagine. He’s smart, good looking and very energetic.  <g>

Could the addition of the right staff person or attorney similarly revitalize your law practice?

SteSpot – Poised for travel

Ste Spot

My wife calls this our satellite office. We’ve taken delivery of our 1968 Vintage Airstream trailer … 1968 on the outside, 2009 on the inside. And I’m working on a new manuscript to be delivered to West Pub. next month.

Take time for R & R

The last month has been a bit rough.

We buried my sister-in-law in Oak Grove, MO, just outside of KC.

On returning home, my son-in-law went to the hospital with a heart attack. It was mild an he’s doing fine now. He’s eager to get back on his bike.

My brother-in-law had chest pains and went to the hospital with chest pains, announcing that he would die in the same hospital as his wife just did. He’s physcially fine but in deep depression over the loss of his wife of more than 50 years.

And last Friday, while I was out of town, flying to a conference, my wife went to the hospital with chest pains. She, too, is now fine; all the tests proved negative. Doctor’s prescription: R & R.

So, we’re taking a few days in our just delivered Airstream trailer, or as my wife calls it, her "cocoon." Thanks for your good wishes and support.

Funny, Paula changed our food regimen about 4, 5 weeks ago … we’re now vegan/vegetarian … no meat, chicken or dairy … seemed like that would have been impossible … but she’s cooking up a storm and I haven’t eaten so well, ever! My mother, who in her youth was vegetarian (my father was meat and potatoes, and occasional tomatoes as his only vegetable), would be turning over in her grave if she were able to see how well I’m eating now. Paula has lost weight already, probably about 10 pounds though we don’t know for sure because she doesn’t know her starting point … and I’ve lost about 6-7 pounds … without losing energy (and I’m faster on my bike) or strength …

I’ve asserted that there is no "balance" in life; at any given moment, we are focused on one activity or thought. But, we live one life and we must think holistically, taking time each day or each week, to rest and take care of ourselves. We are living in very stressful time with tremendous economic pressure. Without our health, we have little. Paraphrasing the commercial, please take care of yourself. I’d like you to come back here to read more.