#LoveYourLawyerDay
Are you filled with anticipation for “Love Your Lawyer Day” coming up at the end of the week?
I know it may be hard to believe that you can love your lawyer, but believe me, it is possible.
I remember a first year law school professor explaining, “when you go home, your family is not going to know what happened to you, you are no longer human, you think and act differently- you are a lawyer.” While I can agree that after learning certain things, it is difficult to go back to ignorant bliss, becoming a lawyer did not make me, or any others, less lovable.
So, what is there to love about lawyers? A lot:
1. Lawyers can help you avoid trouble. They are fortune tellers acting from experience and research rather than a crystal ball. They can help sniff out potential problems and think through plans to maneuver around them.
2. Lawyers keep your information private. Attorneys and clients have a confidential relationship much stronger than others. You can share information and have someone think through solutions without sharing your identity. Of course there are times when share with your permission to improve outcomes.
3. Lawyers are gluttons for punishment and learn a lot about areas you would hate to research yourself. An acquaintance once told me, “oh how boring!” when she heard I was a lawyer. While I do not find my job boring it made me realize, it would be for many people. A “lawyer” is actually a student of the law. This is a lifelong practice of learning to serve you better.
4. Lawyers think about a lot of things so you don’t have to. If you are alive today, you are busy with many obligations. You may know what you want to have happen generally for your business or your estate plan, but you do not need to figure out how to translate into “legalese” for it to work out legally, that is the job of an estate planning attorney.
5. Lawyers give back to their communities. Once you can think in this “different way” lawyers become good candidates for leadership positions. I have had the opportunity to serve as a board member for the New York Small Scale Food Processor’s Association, and soon for a new 501c3 called Beyond My Battle. I have also been fortunate to be asked to volunteer to speak about estate planning and business succession for numerous groups. I see this as an important way of sharing all of the learning that has gone in to being a lawyer and a business owner.