Futurelawyer

#WhyIAmASolo - I Can Quit; But, I Can't Be Fired

Untethered. I feel for this 61 year old attorney, who took a job with a big lawfirm in order to mentor the young lawyers at the firm, and then was terminated. I understand the reticence to file an age discrimination complaint. Long term litigation would eat up much of his remaining time and money. This is why I will never take a job in BigLaw or corporate America. No one has the power to tell me I can't be a lawyer anymore, and that I have to start over. I have sacrificed much over the years to maintain my independence. I make less money than BigLaw lawyers make. Hell, I probably make less money than some new lawyers at the big firms. But, I have something far more important to me. Freedom. I decide whether I want to practice law today. I will decide it tomorrow, if I am still alive. Until I am dead, I get to decide each day. If fate chooses to give me another 9 years, I will probably still be coming to work at 80. If not, I will have spent each day of my life choosing what makes me happy. If you are considering taking a job in BigLaw, spend some time figuring out if that is what you really want.

#ThrowbackThursday #PoetryFriday - Cowboys And Indians

Cowboys and Indians.

He played cowboys and indians
in the dirt
smiling a peanut butter smile
and fearing nothing.

He was indestructible
and young
and thought that pain
was for other people.

Death and dying
had no meaning for him
as he navigated a world
filled with little green plastic soldiers
marching to a beat
only he knew.

The old man
remembered the little boy.
He knew that the wisdom of youth
was lost in the knowledge of pain
and the forest filled with dying leaves
that deteriorated on the ground
like ancient animals
littering a landscape that became
more desolate over time.

Would the new growth of the forest
find a place in the world?
Would his bones become a part of it?
Old men think of things
that young boys never do.
Old men wonder whether their young souls
will come back as old souls.
Old men die
and no one knows if they return.

Books - They're For Reading

.I give my good friend, Michael Wade, the Execupundit a lot of grief over his love of paper books. However, there are some benefits to eschewing the digital age, and collecting and reading books in print. Michael, this is for you.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Get To Write My Own ToDo List

Execupundit.com: Today's To Do List. Good advice from Execupundit today. Stack the deck in your favor when you are deciding what to do today. If you are a solo, you have the power to do this every day. Remember that time is limited. A corollary to Memento Mori, remember that you will die. Often, my ToDo list gets smaller when I remember that today may be my last day on earth. However, we all have to do what we have to do. Don't ever get trapped in a law firm or big corporation where someone else decides what you have to do. Happiness is making up your own ToDo list.

FutureLawyer Bites The Bullet And Buys A Galaxy Note 9

Amazon.com: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Factory Unlocked Phone with 6.4" Screen and 128GB (U.S. Warranty), Ocean Blue: Cell Phones & Accessories. Okay, I know that I said I would never pay $1,000 for a smartphone. I loved my Note 8, which had special meaning since it was the last phone that I bought for SWMBO. But, then I dropped it; and, while it just took a chunk out of the corner of the phone, I was worried that it would break the next time. I want to keep it forever. So, when T-Mobile had one in the store the other day, I looked at the Note 9, and it is amazing. Faster than the Note 8, 128GB of memory, with a Micro SD card slot for my 128 GB card. Long battery life, gorgeous screen, bluetooth enable stylys, and I bought it American style: $20 a month added to my phone bill. So, call me a hypocrite, if you must. I am stylin' the best phone on the planet, and loving it.

Smart Glasses - Dumb Idea

Focals by North Review: They'll Make You Rethink Smart Glasses | WIRED. Building a heads up display into a pair of glasses has been a dream of many for some time now. From the failed Google Glass to today's better looking devices, I think we are missing the point. Having notifications and news items pop up in front of your eyes while you are living your life doesn't sound like freedom to me. Don't get me wrong. I like my Smartwatches and Smartphones; but, a gentle vibration or notification sound that tells me something is seeking my attention is like a knock on the door. I don't have to answer it, if I don't want to. That said, these new glasses don't look too dorky, and are getting smaller. And, they might be valuable in industrial or manufacturing or medical applications, where the computer view augments the human work, or helps a patient keep their mind off of whatever the Doctor or Nurse is doing. That said, of course, I won't be spending a thousand dollars on a pair. In fact, I doubt that I will be buying a pair of these ever.  

Optical Zoom Lens In A Smartphone? Wow.

Samsung Could Finally Beat Google with This Camera Breakthrough. I have been a serious amateur photographer for many years. I have a home darkroom, that became obsolete when film gave way to digital imaging. However, I have spent many hours processing negative and slide film, although positive slide processing and printing was my specialty. I love the new digital SLR's, which have become less bulky. Zoom lenses, however, are big and unwieldy; but, you need an optical zoom for the best images. I have compromised, and use an 18 mm to 400 mm zoom on my Canon body, which allows me to get just about any image I want. Smartphones, however, are making great strides, and someday in the not too distant future, Samsung's acquisition of a small Israeli startup might change the game forever. The company is Corephotonics, which has developed a zoom lens that fits inside the smartphone, by using prisms to direct light to the phone sensor. This would make the digital zoom obsolete, and bring true zoom capability to the average smartphone. Someday you might be able to put the heavy camera gear away with your darkroom equipment. Now, get out there and shoot some images with the camera you already have. It is the best one.

The Lawyer as Stoic - Rule Your Emotions...Don't Be Controlled By Them

The Lawyer as Stoic %u2013 On Lawyering. This is a really good blog post about lawyering and Stoicism. I really like the "...see the truth, and do what is right" description of the Stoic world view. I also like the fact that this lawyer explains that Stoics are not emotionless automatons; but, in fact, feel emotions strongly. The true Stoic merely recognizes that strong emotion impedes the rational productive life; and needs to be controlled. Many of us lawyers are control freaks. SWMBO used to chide me about my need to control situations. When she got sick and I couldn't affect the outcome, I realized that I needed to surrender control of the external situation, and seek to control what I could; which was my reaction to the events. Is there anyone who would argue that a rational, cool, logic based approach to a situation has much more likelihood of achieving a good result than an approach that relies on strong emotion? I also appreciate the reference of this author to Horace Rumpole retiring on a beach to Florida. You can live in Florida and not spend all of your time baking in the sun on a beach. You don't even have to retire. I stole the She Who Must Be Obeyed moniker from the Rumpole character. He described his Hilda in the same fashion. So, fellow lawyers, accept your strong feelings. Use them to advance your client's cause. But, never forget that the best lawyer is one who can dispassionately, and objectively, assess risk and give calm advice. If the client won't accept the advice, always remember the Polish proverb: "Not my Circus, Not my Monkeys".

Rolling The Dice - Wearable Computers Can Save Your Life

7 Reasons You May Be at Risk for Atrial Fibrillation | Everyday Health. Lately, all the talk about wearable computing has been directed at Smartwatches, and Smartjewelry, and Smart devices sewn into clothing. But, the real future of wearable computing is in the health care and health monitoring arena. If you are between 60 and 80, and have High Blood Pressure, you are at risk for Atrial Fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, which can be a life and death event. For $99, I have a little Kardia device that does a basic EKG first lead measurement that can catch Afib even when you aren't showing obvious symptoms like fatigue or light-headedness. Basic, sure; but, if smartcomputing devices can save my life, count me in. We roll the dice every day we are alive. Why not increase the odds?

#ParrotSunday - Anhinga

This guy lives on Bay Lake, 4 blocks from the house. The island in the middle of the lake (more like a pond) serves as a rookery for dozens of seabirds and Florida native birds. Sunset is a glorious time; but, I got this photo 5 years ago in the early morning. Life is full of beauty. You just have to look for it.