Is There Something Hinky About Your Law Practice?

Hinky?

It is a word used to describe when something is indefinably wrong, out of place of just not quite right.

It does I think describe most law practices, does it not?  You report to work each day, do your best, and try to find that right balance between work and life.  But, for reasons you cannot really define, you just feel out of place.  You think what am I doing in this practice area, in this job, in this office building, with these cases, or working with these lawyers or staff.  You almost feel invisible in and amongst the office, the law and life zooming around you.  You tend to feel a little like Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe in the movie The Sixth Sense.

It is okay.  You are not going crazy, and you are not in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

It ought not be that way.

The problem, I think, is that all of us happen upon our life and our law practice serendipitously.  We come at it uncertainly, extemporaneously and sometimes erratically.  It depends a lot on our early image of ourselves as empire builders, the first job or lack of a job directly out of law school, and then what we can afford to do.  As such, the practice of law that we find ourselves, and the way in which we practice, and the cases we take, come less deliberately, less painstakingly, and with little premeditation.  The practice is unplanned, more offhand than not, and we come at it unforeseen.

This does not mean that we did not come at the practice of law purposefully, or that we are not adamant in our profession.  It just turned out that past all of this our direction was more wavering, more indefinite, less planned.

We came at the practice of law zealously and wholeheartedly.  But, who among us really knew anything about organizing a practice, or allocate our lives, or reconciling what we want to do with the realities of what we end up doing.  Then, as the practice moves on it is only natural that it all feels a little accidental or a little alien.

And then, after we find ourselves here, the fear of the unknown or letting others down, like our staff and family, cause us to feel stuck.

As stated, it ought not be this way. It does not have to continue this way.  The benefit of hindsight is that you can see better the solution that might for us now and in the future.

For me, I hated the lengthy commutes, not seeing my children grow up, and the monetary strain of running a large practice.  The first goal was to set out to correct this.  In doing so, I know the practice area in which I practiced was too large and it required a retail type of presence in order to meet with clients.  It was based upon volume and I was more concerned with dedication to a cause.

The point was that as I moved toward the new direction or objective I saw for myself, the fog started to lift and I could see how the other pieces needed to fit together.  I began to feel more attached, more in control, and more tuned in to the my practice and what I wanted to do.  Sure, at first, it was a little scary or confusing.  I mean, after all, I had not addressed or placed a stamp on my own envelopes in a long time.  But, I had faith that it would work out.

The point that I would like to make is that you can change.  Just start with a premise of what you want to change and then think yourself through how achieving that change might affect everything else.  Start in the direction of where you want to be in some category, and then figure out the rest as you go along.  Just plan to work around the obstacles and do not stop the journey to avoid the obstacles you encounter.  The objective needs to meet the objective.

And the other point to keep in mind is that you do not have to change all at once.  You just need thought and movement.  The transition is generally the hardest part, not because it is actually hard but because you have to fight to change your mindset.  After all, what I have found is that most barriers exist no place but between our own ears.

The beauty of the practice of law, at least for me, is that you are not stuck with your practice, your policy or your area or niche of law.  All of it can be retrofitted to represent you better, and to get you out of your hinky law practice.

Comments

[Julie A. Fleming]

I know that feeling well--I've seen it many times.

I think that half of the misery is in the procrastination--the idea of change and a new beginning, but coming up with reasons not to do it yet or just avoiding taking that first step. The best move is just to do something. If you're nervous about change, start organizing your things and making specific plans--lists, graphs, whatever you're comfortable with. The more you work through the idea, the more comfortable you'll be with it and the more ready to make the change.