You think it doesn’t happen? It does, unfortunately, and usually to more inexperienced attorneys. This is a seldom discussed subject because lawyers don’t really like to talk about this very important part of their business, referrals. And they certainly don’t like to talk about referral fees because somehow it seems “dirty.” But it isn’t. Referral rules … Read more
Gary J. Ross I’ve heard you either worked in restaurants, retail, or you were born rich. I worked in restaurants. For years, even after college. And waiting tables after college was completely different than waiting tables during college. In college, there were other priorities and often the only bill I was responsible for was my … Read more
As stressful as it can be to represent a client in court, one mantra has calmed many a heart standing before the judge: I’ll be able to breathe once this is over with. The promise of a future after this — a future after you raise your hands in victory or solemnly lick your wounds … Read more
Brian Cuban I am often asked if the stress of being a lawyer “caused” me to become an “addicted lawyer.” Here is my answer. Fall, 1983. I’m officially a first-year law student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. I am shy and self-conscious. I bring with me the baggage of a drinking problem, … Read more
(Image via Getty) I recently accompanied my spouse to one of her physician’s appointments at a physician’s office located in one of the hospitals for which I serve as in-house counsel. As we walked to the counter, she was handed a clipboard with the obligatory dozen or so forms which needed to be reviewed, signed, … Read more
Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire. Welcome Lindsay Kennedy to our pages. Yesterday, after getting my kids on the buses for kindergarten and preschool, I went to a Korean tea house for my once-a-month self-care outdoor yoga … Read more
(Image via Getty) “So, you’re a recovering lawyer, too? Congratulations on getting out!” I hear it all the time from well-meaning friends and strangers. It’s a familiar greeting for us former lawyers, whether in our past lives we were Biglaw associates, Fortune 500 lawyers, or a pre-IPO hot startup general counsel who now leads a … Read more
Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire. Welcome Sam Sliney back to our pages. Click here if you’d like to donate to MothersEsquire. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I look back … Read more
Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about two more cases of AI-hallucinated citations in court filings leading to sanctions, and now comes the case of a Florida lawyer suspended from practice after filing cases that were “completely fabricated.” On March 8, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida suspended attorney Thomas … Read more
The Ibekwe Family (Photo by Mel Cole) At the end of year two as a solo attorney, I was building consistency in my practice. Just when I started seeing positive results and more clients, I found out I was pregnant with my fourth child! I was in a heightened state of anxiety, especially as I … Read more