The best part about working in a busy mountain law firm this December is the annual office holiday party. Of course, everyone adheres to reasonably appropriate standards of behavior, given that attorneys are regulated by the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. The partners award bonuses to the associates. Partners roast turkey, duck, chicken, chestnuts, hors … Continue reading Santa’s Perfect Present →

What do you get when you combine an energetic young lawyer, the Socratic method of constantly asking questions, and 23 communications students? In the University of Denver’s Department of Media, Film, and Journalism Studies, you get the Media Law class that I was hired to teach this winter quarter. I’d never before served as an … Continue reading Memoirs of an Adjunct →

What is the first step a lawyer should take to win? Consult with co-counsel, of course. Why should learning a new skill be any different? Is the process of learning how to cook any different from winning a case? I took it upon myself to find out. My initial move was to consult a college … Continue reading Cooking with Counsel →

Linguistics for lawyers

Mixing business and pleasure means learning forever. I flew to Toronto for an academic conference for media law professors and other educators of journalism and mass communication. But I booked a flight a few days before the beginning of the convention. I diligently researched tourist attractions and wasted no time teaching myself about the culture … Continue reading The Classrooms of Canada →

Lawyers are highly educated researchers who sell their services. They want to show clients that they’re working efficiently. That means using every second to the max. Not wasting time means engaging in a constant flurry of activity. Tourists want to see as much of a new place as possible. They settle into hostels or Airbnb’s … Continue reading Barristers as Backpackers →

This is the full text of this morning’s eulogy at my father’s funeral Mass at St. Gabriel’s Parish.

The tale of the tortoise and the hare teaches us that slow and steady wins the race. This adage applied to me today as I walked the Bolder Boulder 10k, finishing in 2 hours 20 minutes.

“You don’t ask for a job on a date; you build a relationship.” That’s what the career services adviser at Cardozo School of Law advises law students and recent grads when it comes to taking senior lawyers for “coffee dates” that could lead to business relationships. I network informally all the time, not just during … Continue reading Networking and the Compelling Narrative →

“Sharks are unpredictable. If you’re in the water and you see one coming towards you, you don’t know what will happen. Will it swim past you? Will it take a bite? Maybe it will take a bite out of another Shark,” says Shark Tank executive producer Clay Newbill in Michael Parrish Dudell’s book Shark Tank … Continue reading Swimming with the Sharks →

“I haven’t heard of her. She’s not that famous. She’s not a pop star,” I said to two friends. “Yes, she is, in her field,” replied one of them. The other one sent me a list of the top 100 famous women who’ve ever lived, on which Jane Goodall ranked 67th. Apparently she’s the premier … Continue reading Dame Jane Goodall →