Vacation

As I have posted here before, I subscribe to the legendary Norm Pattis' view that being a lawyer is a punishing way to make a living. This is, in my view, especially true of worker's compensation claimant's attorneys. My clients are stressed. They are in pain. They need treatment and are being denied. They wait weeks for checks or for hearings or for settlements that are promised but are somehow elusive. And they call. A lot.

I like talking to my clients. I am empathetic by nature and have chosen this course to feed my family by helping those who are hurting.

But it takes it's toll on the lawyer too. It is not easy being on the front line day in and day out. I am ready for some well deserved time off. Life is about balance and right now I need some Yin to offset the Yan. I will of course call in and handle any true crises that errupt. I have a solo practice and that goes with the territory. But I need to unwind. Go out on the boat. Play the guitar. Talk to my wife and have ice cream with my kids. I need to recharge so I can do my best for you.

In the meantime, Maggie will mind the store.

Catch you in about a week.

19 traits of successful lawyers

These are taken, verbatim froma young lawyer's blog. I am in this place where I really want my firm to grow and be the best that we can be. I offer these up, as much for me as for you:


Never be satisfied with your level of development; always try to better than you were before.
Avoid comfortable situations. Do things even if you don’t like them, because you know they’re important.
Set goals. Don’t just feel you SHOULD do something, but rather that you MUST do it.
Don’t blame others. Resolve problems. Any setback is an obstacle that must be overcome.
Take risks. But take them with wisdom. Don’t take risks without planning. Evaluate and proceed with confidence and without fear.
Have vision. Develop the ability to foresee in your mind the results you want even before you start with your plan. Learn to see the beginning from the end.
Don’t be a slave to work. Make time to rejuvenate yourself, so you can be more productive.
Learn to handle yourself well under pressure. No one can have confidence in an individual who is always nervous and pressured.
Be objective. Don’t take failures personally.
Understand the nature of energy. If you apply sufficient force to a goal, progress will be made.
Learn to nurture. Build up and nurture others. Always leave things better than how you found them.
Become sociable. Enjoy being with others.
Become self disciplined. Don’t let habits, desires and failures control you, rather learn to control yourself.
Be courageous.
Have FAITH in yourself. Don’t doubt. Demonstrate your faith with actions and works.
Live in the present. Don’t live with yesterday’s laurels nor with tomorrow’s aspirations. Do your best NOW.
Forget about past errors. Don’t base today’s decisions on yesterday’s mistakes. Hope and live for today’s success and in the future.
Be quick to forgive, forget, and to keep going with on with life. This applies as much to yourself as with others.
Learn to stand on the shoulders of predecessors. Build on what others have done. Don’t destroy what others have done just advance your own agenda.

I've been a Bad, Bad Blogger

So Sorry to have been gone so long. I have been plagued over the past 45 days with unwanted health issues and a long overdue vacation. Between the two I have barely had enough time to keep myself above water never mind blog. Oh well. Back to it now!

This is Lawrence, Kansas. Is There Anybody There?

I picked up this little tid bit off of Amy Campbell's blog. Whodathunkit. Lawyers are slow to pick up on new marketing ideas such as...um...blogs.

Lawyers Slow To Embrace Blogs ABA Survey Says

Speak Now or Forever Hold your Peace

For all of you that are certain you know how to do the law thing better, well here is your chance. I don't ever want to hear a "No one ever asked me" again.

Consider yourself asked.

A Good Week

As many of you know, I now do a lot of Chapter 7 bankruptcy work. It is good for cash flow and I truly enjoy helping people out of their jams. But this week, it got to me. I saw so many good people who were losing their homes or who were in some awful financial straights it started to depress even me. But then came Thursday.

On Thursday I had 6 worker's comp hearing in different districts, all involving files that were new to me since opening this firm. 6 files, 3 districts, 6 great results. It was one of those days when everything went right. The Commissioner's actually agreed with my arguments and I was able to get some much needed relief and help for my Connecticut Worker's Compensation clients as well as make a few buck for myself in the process. Doing good by doing good.

In my line of work, that's as good as it gets.

And that is why I love being a Connecticut worker's compensation lawyer.

This Bears Rebroadcasting...

My friend in the solo trenches, Susan Cartier Liebel, has an article in her blog today that is worth a read. The Connecticut Statewide Greivance panel, that entity which oversees those of us lawyering on your behlaf, implemented strict regulations on lawyer advertising back in July 2007. The impact is just now beginning to shake out , but be aware that the words we convey to you are being watched, and in some cases altered, by those that think they know more than you do about making your own decsions....

No Such Thing As a Free Lunch?

This week's Connecticut Law Tribune is reporting that lawyers are coming under increasing scrutiny for answering questions on line in such venues as blogs, Linked In, Myspace and other social networking sites. The harm, it seems, is that in the even a member of the public reads something the lawyer has written, and then acts upon it, with unforseen adverse results, then the lawyer has opened him or herself up to a malpractice claim.

My opinion? This is freakin' nuts. Do we really need to tell people that they are not our client just because we answer their question on a blog or forum? I'm literally sitting here shaking my head in disbelief with how messed up things have gotten in this country.

Sad, sad, sad...