We get it…
You drive an old paid off car.
You “totally could” drive whatever you want, but you don’t because you have super big brain energy.
I see at least 5 of these posts a day…
Deal attorneys:
E-mail: This is ridiculous! My client will never agree to these terms. We are drawing a line in the sand.
Phone: Ayyyy — what's up my guy?! Let's get this done.
“If you’re going to be a lawyer — you better learn to golf.”
I heard this a lot growing up…
It’s one of those things that people say with good intentions, but in reality — it’s just something they heard from someone else.
In a hotel gym…
There’s another lawyer in here.
I asked him where he went to law school and he said “Harvard.”
Said “I’ve never heard of it” and this guy’s jaw dropped through the floor…
Does Twitter have a not so toxic version of LawTwitter?
Thinking of a list or group of law students and lawyers who are genuinely trying to help, learn, and build.
Does this utopia exist?
@investing_law
Cut the fat and get to the point.
You're paid to know the history, court cases, etc. The client shouldn't have to pay to hear or read your ramblings unless they specifically ask for it.
Deal attorneys:
E-mail: This is ridiculous! My client will never agree to these terms. We are drawing a line in the sand.
Phone: Ayyyy — what's up my guy?! Let's get this done.
Throwback inspired by
@DietCoke_Esq
.
The stories I hear from colleagues at other firms are discouraging.
One of the worst is this:
Associates are burnt out with no vision for their future in 2, 5, or 10 years.
They have no drive or desire to build because nobody is there to listen or cast a vision for their place
The year is 2016…
I’m signing my first clients.
The partners: “Where are you meeting these clients?”
Me: Social media.
The partners: “Lawyers shouldn’t use social media.”
Me: 🫡
1/4 I enjoy practicing law.
I'm not saying that I bounce out of bed every morning itching to review a lengthy contract, peck some keys, and slam a cup of coffee...
That’s part of the gig, but if anyone says that they "live" for that, they're probably lying.
The best career move I made as a first-year attorney was spending non-billable time reading complex regulations and rewriting them in plain words.
Did you catch that?
** Non-billable time **
Before you cancel me, let me explain:
@ItsMattsLaw
This is, and will always be... hilarious.
Also reminds me of the bar exam...
Look... I know most of you will never touch some of these areas, but please know everything at this very moment. kthanksgoodluckbye.
If you've "never done this in [your] 30 years of practice," that just means you've been doing it wrong for 30 years.
Can't write it in an e-mail, so I'll write it here.
I'm a lawyer who believes that the power of relationships > the billable hour.
If you're interested in SBA lending, corporate law, finance, real estate, SMBs, M&A, or lifting heavy things — we can probably be friends.
A little more about me:
We met in 5th grade.
Started dating 6 years later…
This picture is from junior prom.
I convinced her to go again a year later.
We dated while at Purdue —
Continued dating during law school.
Married the summer after 1L!
Phew… and that’s the short version…
The comments on this are great 🙂
If y'all wouldn't mind dropping a comment/quote tweet of where you met your spouse & a pic - people seem interested 🤷🏻♂️
We met on hinge 🙏
People have a lot of great advice about practicing law.
People also have a lot of bad advice.
For instance, someone told me that I should "never use bullet points in e-mail" because "clients pay lawyers for their ability to write."
This makes sense in some situations:
If
I won't beat around the bush...
I'm obsessed with SBA lending, SMBs, M&A, and general business growth/strategy.
I tweet about all of the above, with a hint of family, humor, and the occasional random rant about improving the legal profession.
@heyitsalexsu
4 is critical. A prospective client called today and gave me a logic games problem - thankfully, with my solid LSAT performance, I submitted him my score and he hired me on the spot.
The partner laughed.
It wasn’t an insulting laugh.
It was an “I’ve been there laugh.”
She respected the initiative and told me all sorts of stories about her path towards partnership practicing law decades before.
A picture of the face you make when you come home to not only a
@strowhiro
original cow, but also a handwritten card and set of penfluencer pens!
In her words:
“This is a very rare cow that I’ll love forever! You have the best friends!”
What is your path in the legal profession?
Traditionally, most students are told that there is one route:
Law school → bar exam → associate → partner → retirement.
However, this is far from the truth. Now more than ever, law students are discovering non-traditional ways
@LizCGil
That’s a great perspective — never thought of that.
But, in the instances I see it, the signature block, website, etc., etc., etc. into infinity already state “lawyer” or “attorney.”
We get it, John/Jill… you law hard.
@Codie_Sanchez
What about a lawyer who knows accounting, represents banks, wants to invest in businesses, and is an owner of a law firm?
Asking for a friend.
2/4 What I do love is building teams, solving problems, and consistently learning.
That *is* the legal profession.
Your team consists of your friends, colleagues, and clients.
It’s your network.
College gym bros talking about wanting to become lawyers.
Me, telling them I’m a lawyer…
“No you’re not.”
Okay, you’re right, now stop texting and free-up the squat rack 😂
-
Follow-up:
We’re getting coffee tomorrow.
As younger generations continue to take control, it’s critical to keep some traditions and perceptions alive.
There are others that should be forgotten.
A lawyer is required to do only those things which he/she wants to do.
Trust me… business happens everywhere.
I need to learn to play a sport that I don’t enjoy while drinking a drink I don’t like so that I can check these two boxes and be a “real lawyer.”
Got it…
Please excuse me while I light these assumptions on fire while I walk out the door.
Just kidding… I’m not going anywhere.
I love this profession.
But, we’re kidding ourselves if we think that these statements are healthy or fully accurate.
You are not “required” to golf.
You are certainly not “required” to drink.
An effective lawyer:
1) shows you options;
2) navigates you in the right direction;
3) identifies potential issues; and
4) allows you to make informed decisions.
He/she might sometimes throw in some fancy words, but at the end of the day, your lawyer is your GPS.
I’m a closing attorney providing legal counsel for banks and non-bank lenders closing SBA transactions nationwide.
Over the last decade, I've closed 1,000+ deals and honed a process to get transactions closed quickly and in compliance with SBA regulations.
Motion to use my Game of Thrones title at signature:
Scott A. Oliver, Master of SBA Closings, Guardian of Lenders' Interests, and Sentinel of Acquisitions.
@shaunpmartin
I’m all for no vehicle debt, but these “influencers” snapping pics of their 1996 Hondas and writing cheesy lines are a little much…
The thought is a good one… a depreciating asset is a bad financial decision… but the rust doesn’t give you some sort of clout 😂
New year, new reintroduction:
I’m a partner at Lewis Kappes, a Midwest based law firm that provides comprehensive legal services to lenders closing SBA transactions nationwide.
Niche, right? You bet it is.
We wouldn’t have it any other way!
It has allowed us to work with
"I've been doing this for 35 years."
That's great, and I respect your expertise. However, faxed monthly updates from your staff and a massive bill aren't going to cut it in 2023.
Here are some quick and easy ways to stand out as a young lawyer:
I sometimes wonder if other lawyers feel strange when they're being all firm and professional during a call....
Only to think:
"Man... I woke up this morning and used my wife's Secret gel-stick deodorant and now smell like flowers."
Just me? Cool.
I write a lot about standing out in law.
While I’m not suggesting that you show up in court wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, I am urging you to blaze your own path.
The best lawyers I know are pleasant and reasonable, but also know when to be firm.
Some lawyers think being firm means "boiling the ocean" when in fact it means remaining calm and backing up your position with logic, reason, and experience.
Cooler heads typically prevail.
“Yeah, but the golf course is where lawyers network. That’s where business happens!”
There might be some truth to that, but why do we pretend that anyone “must” do something just because it’s a box that we think needs checked?
Let’s take it a step further…
@SMB_Attorney
Positivity is a superpower. Wait for it… you will probably get some haters on this one about how your friend is an outlier.
He’s not — I see it all the time. Positivity wins.
Motion to use my Game of Thrones title at signature:
Scott A. Oliver, Master of SBA Closings, Guardian of Lenders' Interests, and Sentinel of Acquisitions.
3/4 Your problems are those for which you are engaged to solve.
That’s what a lawyer is — a problem solver.
If you think that learning stops after you pass the bar, you’re living in a fantasy world.
It’s a bar…
You pass it.
@ItsMattsLaw
Me in class:
Here’s the assignment.
Here’s how it might look different in practice.
Here’s “why” you’re doing it and what it’s teaching you so that when you get into practice and I see you on a deal, I don’t spend time reading unnecessary powder words on dead trees.
@aledalton
I mean, my favorite deal attorneys are the ones I know I can call up and say "hey... let's be real and get this done." Saves everyone time and money! : )
I get a lot of Q's about who/what must guarantee an SBA deal. Perhaps more often, I am asked “why.” While the answer is sometimes complicated, there are clear and defined requirements set forth in SOP 50 10 6.
This thread is a snippet of relevant information:
For some reason, I decided to suit up before I left.
… this one is on me because it makes no sense.
1: You don’t need a suit to file something.
2: You don’t wear a suit jacket when you drive.
… rookie.