In my last post, I described five significant changes in the practice of law that have developed since I got my license in 1991 (less conventional library research, paper replaced by e-documents, more emphasis on marketing, etc.). But in writing that piece, I couldn’t help but also think of the things that have not changed, […]
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Halloween is around the corner, and the October 2014 issue of NWLawyer is full of treats! Check out these thrilling articles in your issue or read the magazine online.
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Can you believe the WSBA is turning 125 years old? It doesn’t look a day over 30, even though it’s actually older than General Motors, IBM and the Boy Scouts of America. But as announced here, the Bar has a year’s worth of events to commemorate its founding and first century and a quarter of […]
Read More… I was sworn in to the practice of law in 1991. In those days, I had to get up early every morning to chop the day’s firewood, churn butter for the breakfast toast, slop the hogs, then take my mustang into town — not a Ford Mustang, but an actual horse, whose saddle was weighted […]
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In advertising on your law firm website, wouldn’t you love to feature praise like this from judges? [Your name here] is, I think, an exceptional lawyer, one of the most exceptional lawyers I’ve had the pleasure of appearing before me…
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A few decades ago, Hollywood was willing to make movies about more or less ordinary people — sometimes even lawyers. Some of the lawyer movies were not only good but popular: To Kill A Mockingbird, Inherit the Wind, The Verdict, A Few Good Men, Legally Blonde (hey, come on). Today, any movie hoping to see […]
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You know the old joke about having to write a long letter because you didn’t have time to write a short one? That’s the essence of good writing and editing. Shorter is almost always better, so long as meaning remains clear. Following are simple tips to tighten your writing, based on some of the most […]
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Summer is nearly upon us and many members of our profession look forward to this season of outdoor cooking in the beautiful Northwest. Well, I’m not one of them. Indoors or out, I cook about as well as I imagine Queen Elizabeth would play ice hockey. If a meal is going to take more preparation […]
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Although a word to the wise is sufficient, to be on the safe side, I am providing the following 775 words for your edification. This is not because I assume you are unwise, but because a little learning is a dangerous thing, and a job worth doing is worth doing well, or something like that. […]
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Psychological stress is one of the most destructive internal forces affecting your body and mind. Many in our profession struggle daily to keep stress at bay so we can perform at our best and maintain good health. Following are a few simple things you can do right now to help fight stress: Get a pet. […]
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I posted previously about how “thinking like a lawyer” — an appropriate mindset when serving as an advocate — can be a hindrance when acting in a different law-related role: that of a mediator. Here, I’ll share my thoughts on the mental adjustments a lawyer needs to make when serving in another dispute resolution capacity: […]
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Remember in law school how they taught you to “think like a lawyer?” You were conditioned to think analytically, strategically, some might say paranoically. After all, devoting your mental powers to protecting your client’s interests at all costs is your supreme duty as a lawyer. The problem is that thinking like a lawyer can be […]
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I’ve dealt with many lawyers in my two-decades-plus practicing law. For the past six years, I also have served as editor of Bar News/NWLawyer, the official WSBA publication that goes out to the bar’s membership. In that capacity, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with hundreds of bar members, most of whom I […]
Read More…Have a laugh with NWLawyer editor Michael Heatherly’s wonderfully fake gift list. Having trouble deciding on a holiday gift for that lawyer on your shopping list? Well, you’re still going to have trouble, because the following gifts don’t even exist (as far as I know). But I wish they did. CLE Credit Generator This device […]
Read More…Having a hard time starting that workout program you promised to follow in 2014? This should make it easier. Having a hard time starting that workout program you promised to follow in 2014? This should make it easier. The following is a five-step fitness routine you can do for free in the privacy of your […]
Read More…NWLawyer editor Michael Heatherly shares lessons from his 8 years as a mediator. Having been a civil litigator for 22 years and also a mediator for the past 8, I estimate I’ve been involved in settlement of more than 600 cases. I can’t say whether I’m better or worse at it than anyone else with similar […]
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