Tag: articlingstudents

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Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Mental Health:  Marketing or Operations?

Womanmeditating.
Photo by Natalie at Pexels

I like to bake bread. In my opinion, and in the opinion of a family member named Aidan, the crust is the best part of my bread.  When he was younger, Aidan would sometimes help himself to both end pieces. I did not like that.

Once, Aidan asked if it was okay for him to take a slice of my freshly baked bread as it was cooling on the counter. I told him to take just one slice.  The next thing I knew he had sliced the entire top of the bread off and was happily munching way.

When I confronted him, Aidan was not particularly remorseful. He said, “you said that I could have a slice. You didn’t say anything about how I had to slice it.”

read more about law firms and mental health initiatives “Mental Health:  Marketing or Operations?”
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Murray The Wannabe Feminist

Ode To Dan and Mara

Young girl and boy jumping on a bed.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko at Pexels.

This is a story about a boy named Dan who never cleaned his room. Dan’s mom tried the three ways that she knew to get Dan to clean his room. She threatened him. She bribed him. She tried child psychology. Nothing worked. Finally, she ordered Dan’s little sister Trish to clean Dan’s room.

Trish was unhappy and accused her mother of gender bias, but being socialized to be somewhat more compliant than Dan, she did what she was told. Trish’s friend Mara had a similar experience and also ended up doing her brother’s chores.

read more about Who does the non-billable stuff in law firms “Ode To Dan and Mara”
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Law Students and Young Lawyers

The View From the Bottom of the Pyramid

Ancient Pyramids
Photo by David McEachan at Pexels.

Throughout my years as a partner, managing partner, practice group leader and supervising lawyer, I used to speak to young lawyers who told me what they thought that I wanted to hear. Things like how much they loved their jobs, how supportive the firm was, and how they loved working evenings and weekends. They were quite right. That is exactly what I wanted to hear.

read more about what young lawyers don’t know “The View From the Bottom of the Pyramid”
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The Practice of Law

The Difference Between a Rut and A Grave

Old grave stones.
Photo by Mike B at Pexels.

When asked about my complaints about the legal profession, I am forced to admit that back before I escaped the profession and became happy, I did in fact have some good days.  Three of them. (Okay, I am kidding about that last bit. There were more good days than that.)

read more about being in a rut in the legal profession “The Difference Between a Rut and A Grave”
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Legal Fees

Paperwork, Practitioners and Panties

Woman looking at two pieces of paper.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov at Pexels.

Some years ago I went off on a cruise and took the opportunity to have some renovations done at my house while I was away. George did a great job on the drywall, but when he sent me the invoice, he made one tiny little mistake. Instead of giving me the invoice for the construction work, he sent me an invoice for his “other business” which, unbeknownst  to me, was producing racy videos. He was quite embarrassed when I asked him what a “panty teaser” was and what it had to do with my ceiling. I never did find out whether my house was the setting for his cinematographic masterpiece.

read more about being smart about how you bill “Paperwork, Practitioners and Panties”
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Client Development

If You’re So Smart, Why Ain’t You Rich?

Female Professor with complicated scribbles on the blackboard.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.

My father used to ask, “If you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?” 

There are probably a million things that are wrong with that question, but his basic point is worth considering. He was asking why it is that some people believe that they know better concerning just about everything, but they do not generate any results from their supposed brilliance.

read more about why some intelligent lawyers are not good at bringing in clients “If You’re So Smart, Why Ain’t You Rich?”
Categories
The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Things I Used to Think Were True

Scrabble pieces spelling the words "Speak Truth."
Photo by Brett Jordan at Pexels.

I said and thought a lot of stuff while I was practicing law. I believed every single bit of it. Over time I figured out that some of it was kind of dumb. Here are some of those gems:

read more about what i used to think was true “Things I Used to Think Were True”
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Legal Fees

Let’s play Jeopardy: I’ll take ‘Expert in Ottawa’ for $300

Game board for the television program ''Jeopardy!''

When I practised law in Mississauga, Ont., our fees were cheap compared to the Toronto firms, and kind of expensive compared to firms in places like Guelph, Belleville and Kingston. I occasionally wondered whether my clients might prefer to deal with firms in smaller cities at lower rates. Then I would reassure myself that doing so would be terribly inconvenient for them and that they would rather pay more to deal with me.

Now I am not so sure.

read more about whether it makes sense to hire law firms in smaller cities “Let’s play Jeopardy: I’ll take ‘Expert in Ottawa’ for 0”
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Legal Fees

Evolution of the Billing Committee (Sounds Dull, But it Isn’t)

Finnish State Home Economics Development Committee 1908-1914

read more about how lawyers bill “Evolution of the Billing Committee (Sounds Dull, But it Isn’t)”
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The Practice of Law

Who You Gonna Call?

Ghost_Buster_and_Ecto_at_Thy_Geekdom_Con_
Photo by Game Infirmary. License at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode

My father told me about a dad who told his son to jump from a roof top, and that he would catch him. The son jumped. The dad stepped aside and let him fall. When the injured boy demanded an explanation, the dad replied, “I have just taught you a valuable lesson. Never trust anyone, not even your own father.”

As you may imagine, I had trust issues growing up, which is a bad thing. As it turns out, having a few trust issues may be helpful in the business world.

read more about figuring out who to trust “Who You Gonna Call?”