Futurelawyer

Dumb Things People Say To Parrots.

My parrots are as intelligent as your 3 year old child. Get over it.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Have The Freedom To Call Out Articles Like This.

Irregular hours could be detrimental to solo lawyers’ mental health, new Clio report says. I have a one word reply to this spurious "report" that came from interviews with legal professionals and others. Balderdash. I have worked whatever hours I want for many years. I am a happy 75 year old semi-retired solo lawyer, and my mental health is just fine, thank you very much. "A majority of solo lawyers want the flexibility to set their own hours?" Are you kidding me? I suspect this majority is 99%. If you claim that clients can dictate what hours you work, that is only if the lawyer accepts the client. If you say you must accept a client, then money must be your only motivator. Some of the happiest days of my law practice come after I have fired a client for being bossy, or annoying, or unreasonable. I am one of the lawyers mentioned in the article who has adopted technology that has made my solo practice work better, and the "up to one-half" of respondents who claimed that irregular hours were a problem need to check out the many resources online these days that help lawyers with just about any problem. Nobody asked me these questions. The title of the article itself is misleading. "could be detrimental"? There are so many positives that come from solo practice that I have hundreds of blog posts over the past twenty years discussing them. Since when did the ability to choose what hours you work become "detrimental" to mental health? If a lawyer wants a better work-life balance, is she better off being able to decide for herself what hours she will work, or being told what hours to work by some BigLaw firm? And the kicker is the article chooses a photo of a lawyer, head in hands, looking like he is grieving a lost love. Give me a break. Come into my office every day, and watch me sit at my desk, happy as a clam, with a parrot on my shoulder. talking to my wife, and love, in a house turned into an office that I own because I bought it many years ago, and deciding whether I want to go watch an afternoon baseball game or go to a movie.  

#WhyIAmASolo - I Learned These Lessons Early In Life.

Fate, or luck, whatever you want to call it, when I graduated from Law School many years ago, I would have killed to get a good job paying a decent salary. Even after starting with two other graduates in a small practice, I chafed under the requirement to make decisions with two other people who didn't always share my goals or business sense. Then, when we mutually parted company 40 years ago, I was disappointed when large law firms seemed not to be interested in me. So, I was forced to go solo, and realized that I liked it. Even though I didn't make a lot of money, I relished going to work every day, secure in the knowledge that anything that happened, good or bad, was my choice. This list recognizes that many of us spend too much time in our lives and law practices, trying to please other people. Just stop. You may be surprised at what happens.

1. You'll lose 99% of your close friends if you start upgrading your life.
2. You'll be 10 times happier if you forgive your parents for their mistakes and start living life for yourself.
3. A salary is a drug your employer gives you to forget your dreams.
4. If you always wait for the ‘right time’ then you'll end up your whole life waiting.
5. Train your mind to let people win arguments to conserve your mental peace and energy.
6. The most prominent marker of maturity is when you stop taking things personally.
7. By age 30 you should be more focused on earning money and thinking about starting your own family.
8. You don't need to read another self help book, what you need to do is take action and be self disciplined.
9. You'll be ahead from people running after degrees and fancy colleges if you focus on building your skills and your financial education.
10. You will never get honesty and integrity from people who are lying even to themselves.
11. The easiest thing in the world is to complain and the hardest thing in the world is to go after your dreams and make them true.
12. People around you are trapped in toxic relationships because they are afraid to end up alone.
13. Others are never going to come to save you from your problems. Only you'll need to get yourself out of the mess.
14. You may love your friends and family a lot, but it's always wise to not tell them everything about yourself.

Meet Lou - The LexBlog AI Blogging Assistant.

LexBlog Lou. Kevin O'Keefe has never been one to let grass grow under his feet. He was the grandfather of blogging platforms for lawyers in the early 2000s, and now has the world's largest legal blog publishing platform, LexBlog. Now, leveraging the new AI phenomenon known as ChatGPT, he has created an intelligent assistant that will save blogging lawyers hours of time in creating compelling blog posts that showcase the legal knowledge of the brightest lawyers on the planet. I am very interested to see how Kevin and his crew create an enhanced blogging platform, and plan to follow the progress closely. Congratulations, Kevin. First again.

Make Your Windows Computer Work Like You Want It To.

Microsoft Power Toys. Power Toys is a Microsoft utility that contains many ways to customize your Windows computer. Want to make your machine yours? The Power Toys tools are the way. You can resize screens, make windows show always on top, quickly mute video conferences (avoids embarrassment), create keyboard shortcuts, launch apps instantaneously with a key combination, rename files in bulk, and a host of other cool functions. Install it. Play with it. Enjoy power and toys. What more could you want?

Galaxy Watch 5 For $250?

This Deal Brings Galaxy Watch 5 Price Down To $250 I have been a Smartwatch evangelist since the first one was introduced some years ago. Having a small computer on the wrist that vibrates for texts, phone calls, emails, and other notifications means that a practicing lawyer need not be holding a Smartphone everywhere and can get essential notices wherever he is. In addition, the state of the art sensors can be a complete health care and fitness aid, measuring heart rates, ECGs., blood pressure, and sleep patterns. Now, the price point has come down on the best Smartwatch out there, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. One can be purchased on Amazon now for $249. I prefer the pricier version, with an LTE phone chip, which serves as a tiny smartphone on my wrist, for the times when I don't want to, or forget to, carry my phone. No more excuses, fellow lawyers. You need one of these.

Law And Technology Take A Back Seat To Life's Special Moments.

Everyone has unforgettable moments in life. Our lives are short; but they have some special moments that last a lifetime. Your first kiss. Your first love. Your first foul ball. What, you say? Yes, Virginia, I remember the first foul ball I caught at a pro baseball game. I was a teenager, and it was a AAA game in Jacksonville where I grew up. Baseball has always been a big part of my life; perhaps more so now that I can't play it anymore. Last night, Diane caught her first foul ball in the ninth inning of the Rays' major league record 14th straight home game victory, and we have been present for them all. So, today, kudos to my lovely wife, who had one of life's special moments last night. 

Baseball Is A Young Man's Game Enjoyed More By Old Men.

Old men play baseball in their heads. Young men play on a field. It is tough to say who enjoys the game more.

Where are the little green plastic Army men?

Where are the minnows in the creek?

Where are the baseballs and bats and gloves?

Where are the nuns in black habits?

Where are the rulers and pencils?

Where are the wooden desks?

Where are the baseball diamonds in the park?

Where are the playgrounds made of asphalt?

Where are the tiny black and white TVs?

Where are the libraries filled with books?

Where are the buses belching gas?

Where are the Churches with tolling bells?

Where are the parents and teachers dispensing discipline

with paddles?

Where are the clean streets?

Where are the families with two parents and two children?

Where are the Department stores?

Where are the book covers made from garbage bags?

Where are the bagboys and girls?

Where are the Christmas bell ringers?

Where are the kids mowing lawns on weekends?

Where are the paper carriers throwing newspapers on the ground?

Where are the crystal radios under the pillow?

Where are the Lone Ranger lunch boxes?

Where is my youth?

#PoetryFriday - Age Is A State Of Mind.

As I have been appointed to the Senior Lawyer Committee of the Florida Bar, I have been conscious of an identity bias against older professionals, and have been thinking about stereotypes and judgments about older Americans, and lawyers in particular. It brought to mind a poem I wrote a few years ago. Subconsciously, I want to avoid the fate of this "Old Man". Are you doing anything about avoiding his fate in your own life? Today, and all season, I am enjoying the Rays, a very special team. I am preparing for more RV trips. I refuse to quit life because I am old.
OLD MAN.
He pattered slowly to the chair,
cloth rubbed raw and chafing,
slippers worn and in their place,
pipe and ashtray next to the lighter
his wife had given him on Memorial Day.
His frail body bent forward
and his gaze fell on the carpet,
threadbare from walking and pacing
during illness, crisis and death.
He was alone now,
slowly dying
and living slowly.
He watched the flickering television
looking for meaning,
but not looking at all.
Did he remember the President?
Did he remember the year?
Did he remember her kiss in ‘47?
Or, was it ‘48?
He felt his chest tighten
and knew the end was coming.
He closed his eyes,
remembering the past,
remembering her caresses,
remembering a young man
excited about the future,
and prayed to whatever God
was up there.
When he died,
they removed the body,
boxed his belongings,
threw them in the trash,
emptied his bank accounts,
and went on living. 

Other People.

He bought a house in the right neighborhood.

He married the girl his parents suggested.

He bought an appropriate car,

and sent his kids to the right school.

He went to the Church

that everyone else did.

He got the job that everyone expected.

He worked hard,

in order to impress the bosses.

He hoped that his hard work

would earn more money.

He sought increased responsibility.

He had only two children,

because more children would cause gossip

He kept his political views to himself;

but, he joined the right party,

and said the right things to his neighbors.

He was always worried

that he would appear normal

to his friends and neighbors.

He spent a lot of time

saying and doing things

that others thought virtuous.

He was a pious man,

when others were looking.

He never complained out loud,

and never showed

the emotion  and desperation

he felt always.

He wanted to impress all the other people,

and he did.

 

When he died,

everyone commented

on the exemplary life

he had lived.