Do Not Mind The Law Snobs

I have been getting attitude from other lawyers lately concerning my practice method.  (Well, I guess I have gotten all along in the way of looks and stares, but now it tends to be more snide).  For example, in telephone calls and in meetings, I get offhanded jokes and jabs about being a virtual lawyer or law firm.  And, you can tell from the tenor in their voice, that it is not meant in the best sense of the word.

I have always tended to rack this up as jealousy.  And, I do think that is partly the issue.  The truth of the matter is that times are getting tough out there because of the economy.  It just has to be harder on traditional lawyers up to their eyeballs in rent, salaries, benefits, commuting costs, appearances, memberships and the like to make the best of the financial situation.  After all, if the college my children attend goes up, let us say, $1,000.00 in tuition, I might have to come up with $1,400.00 in new earnings just to cover the taxes and the like on the money.  What do these traditional lawyers have to do?  Many more times this, I would bet.  More money, means more cases, which means more staff time, which requires more rent, which requires more in the way of fixtures, which requires more ... You get the point.

More often than not, there is just a nasty streak in some people that despise other situations, work conditions and things that they do not have.  They do not want someone to have a benefit that they themselves do not have.  You see this especially in our current political climate.

Whatever the reason for the snide comments, virtual, home office attorneys, connected attorneys, solos, Third Wavers, carpet commuters and the like are too often confronted by law snobs.

You know the type.  These are lawyers who believe that their vast and ultimately unnecessary trappings of law (offices, staff, commute, the power to hirer and fire) make them better attorneys than everyone else.  And, based upon this, they will often ridicule and speak condescendingly toward others lawyer that do not share their grandiose vision of how lawyers should practice.

Of course, we know, that these trappings have nothing to do any longer with the actual practice of law.  We know these trappings are much like the powdered wigs that lawyers have to wear in some parts.  We know these trappings, in this day and age, tend to be frivolous, aimless, imaginary, tenuous, capricious, and rather arbitrary to the practice of law.  In fact, these trappings can be cavalier, imprudent, wasteful, and really expendable, irrelevant and truly unnecessary.

I hate to be rude, but my solution for law snobs is to be rude.  Do so by ignoring these lawyers.  You do not need a pithy comment.  Just do not pay attention to them.  After all, they are making their snide remarks because they desire to talk.  So just smile and do not respond.

It is strange really.  These lawyers are ultimately curious.  Otherwise why would they be paying attention to you and your practice int he first place.  They have an interest of some sort.  I think they want to know more.  It is just that their kingly personality of everything I do it great and everything you do is wrong gets in the way.

The point is to be comfortable in your home office, or virtual or solo or Third Wave practice of law.  The only reason you might not is because of what others, like the law snobs, my think.  If that concerns you, then you will not be comfortable.

Whether these lawyers are highbrows, or smarty pants, or pretenders, or upstarts, or name-droppers, or puritans, or charlatans, or braggarts, or just plain old arrogant, it does not matter.  They can rob you of your goal, or your enthusiasm, or your comfort level in doing what you do.

Do not let this happen.  Just ignore the law snobs.  As I use to tell my young daughter, "I don't need your attitude young lady, I have one of my own."

Comments

[Andrew]

Biglaw serves the higher end of the market, and unless you're a real niche lawyer, brings in the largest pay. Their higher overhead on positing themselves (as sponsors of organizations, conferences, etc) help them get the cases and clients that will pay top dollar. Technology was supposed to equalize the playing field -- so a solo can be found more easily on the web then can a much larger law firm -- but technology also has hit the lower end of the market. The lower end of the market is hit by an increasing amount of available information (of dubious accuracy) and a race to the bottom as far as fees (you can bid your legal question for a few dollars). As much as we all serve a wide spectrum of the market (biglaw does too, they just don't publicize it), seems that we all need to aim for the top work. That doesn't mean the highest-paying clients, but the highest caliber work that can be done by one lawyer. The best comeback is when they realize your practice is as interesting, if not more than theirs. Not only is our practice area as interesting, but hopefully we've earned our way to be there independently of the trappings of biglaw. That gives us more security knowing that we don't need biglaw.

[fbc]

Charles -

Don't sweat the snobs. They envy your freedom. (In fact, I'm thinking right now of that cry from the movie Braveheart: "FRREEEEEE-DOM!")

And as an insider, I can tell you that BigLaw may be big, but you're absolutely right that that doesn't necessarily imply that it's good.

Because it's not. I've seen too much.

[Larry]

A classic case of people minding other people's business. You have something that works for you and seems to work for others too. I agree that the ability to practice law is individual, not dependent on an office, staff, etc.

I can see some of the benefits/drawbacks of both ways of practicing, but they have nothing to do with being a good lawyer.

[Carolyn Elefant]

Chuck,
Your post resonated with me (also brought back bad memories from my early days of practice) and inspired me to write this -

http://www.myshingle.com/2009/11/articles/biglaw-practice-and-issues/the-page-between-biglaw-and-solo-practice-between-life-and-death/

Though I do agree that we ought to ignore the law snobs, I can't write them off entirely. We represent a whole way of life unknown to them and for those willing to cross the great divide, my door is always open to talk in fealty to those lawyers who helped me out when I got my start.

[JDF]

You could be in charge of the largest practice, making the most money, but if your client's cannot relate to you, you are more poor than the poorest "first day out" solo. The reason is because the the law is bigger than you, but somewhere along the way, you forgot that and thought that you were bigger than the law. That kind of thinking will always bite you in the rear, it is just a matter of timing.

[Disability Insurance]

I agree with you to a certain extent. I would say to be outright rude to others, because you may need there help or professional opinion in the future and you don't want to burn your bridges. However, if these fellow attorneys aren't benefiting you or are bad-mouthing you, then you may as well ignore them and not let them affect your business.