I read this article in the WSJ last weekend and I have been thinking about this article all week. Its Life on Severance and what is being referred to as the Severance Economy. I know alot of us are just one paycheck or illness away from losing it all but for whatever reason this article hits home on so many fronts. See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125780714976639687.html
I am looking forward to the remainder of November and December 2009. I am going to spruce up my blogs, twitter account, and law firm facebook account and start a virtual law practice complementary to my traditional law practice.
See this article. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/sfb/lawArticleSFB.jsp?id=1202431410700&_ValueAdded_Free_Services_to_Offer_Your_Clients
Do you think this is applicable to consumer-oriented law firms such as nurse license defense firms?
See this article.
I received my January 2009 Kentucky Bar Association Bench and Bar magazine which mentioned the limitation (this is first in the history of the KBA) of President Barbara Bonar's power as a president and then mentioned the resignation of the current Executive Director, Jim Deckard who hasn't been in the position very long. The last ED, Bruce Davis served in the position 24 years.
Bar Association ED are usually boomers and lifers, you stay in those position until you die or for twenty to thirty years and when you leave those positions you receive a blurb in the Bar Association magazine, a party with punch, cake and ice cream, a pension, small wood clock or cheap gold plated watch, and a plaque.
I don't follow bar associations as closely as I follow nursing associations, but maybe I should. What's up the Kentucky Bar Association? Things are on and popping it seems as the KBA.
See these links and make sure you read the comments. I thought it was interesting that one commenter mentioned Kentucky being a unitary bar as the problem. One blog speculated that Deckard being a Republican when the majority of Kentucky attorneys are Democrats was the issue:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090206/NEWS01/902060397/1008/ARCHIVES
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090206/NEWS0103/902060411/-1/TODAY
Call me something, but I didn't realize there were so many positions that paid six figures in this country until I started reading the online articles via USA Today, NY Times, and CNN about the people who have lost these positions and who are accepting positions earning alot less.
I guess I didn't realize it because in my two professions, you don't start off or hit six figures without alot of time, education, experience, and developed expertise in general. Now of course, this does not include those law firms in NYC paying 160k to first year associates.
I would dare say from what I am reading, the average attorney in the United States does not make 100k a year.
So let me ask again, what's up with all the six figure positions in this country and why has nursing and law been left behind?
In Ohio, starting this Spring, you can't call yourself a specialist in a particular area unless you are a certified specialist in a particular area. See http://www.ohiobar.org/pubs/insideosba/?articleid=1373.
Specialization and certification is tricky especially if you are licensed in more than one jurisdiction. I am licensed to practice law in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and only Ohio has a certified specialty in administrative law.
I don't plan to become a certified specialist in any state even if all three states where I practice offer the same specialization.
In my opinion, its not worth the confusion and the disclaimers I will have to make on my business cards, brochures, website, and other marketing materials to say I am certified by one state in a particular area and not in the other states. Specialists are also held to a higher standard of practice and care, not that I am planning to make mistakes....But that's just me.
I don't say I am a specialist now, it sounds funny and its discourged by the State Bars. You also have to be careful calling yourself an expert.
I say my law practice is limited to representing, counseling, and advising nurses or that I am a nursing licensure defense attorney. This accurately sums up and defines my law practice. My marketing and advertising notes I am a RN and that my law practice focuses on nurses.
I have a very distinct niche for my law practice as I focus exclusively on assisting LPNs, RNs, and APRNs (nurses) in professional practice and licensure matters. I have never referred to myself a specialist and I think its vain to refer to yourself as expert.
I never hard the urge to be a managing partner of my own law firm with a few associates working under me and working with other law partners. It could be done with a licensure defense practice in three states.
I worked and clerked in large law firms but at the end of the day, big law didn't fit my personality or my client base. I wanted to work with nurses and these types of cases are not big money by any means. A large law firm represents physicians, hospitals, health systems, dentists, etc. This is where the money is so I was told.
Last year I even pondered hiring a nurse to work for me. To assist me with reviewing cases and contacting clients. I changed my mind because I have alot of ideas and I incorporate these ideas into my law or consulting practice and I don't want anyone taking my ideas or concepts and starting their own business or offering similiar services.
My decision to keep it lean and mean over the years has paid off. I utilize Office Suites Plus for a virtual office and conference room and meeting space. This is also helpful because I meet with clients not only in Cinti, but also Columbus, Louisville, Lexington, and Indianapolis and I use the Office Suites Plus locations in those cities.
I am meeting a client in Canton, Ohio this weekend and I will utilize a conference room at a local hotel for this meeting. I do this when I meet with clients in Ashland, Kentucky and the Bowling Green, Kentucky. You talk about a drive, we lost our cell phone signals driving from Cinti to Bowling Green, Kentucky. But I have Verizon Wireless now, not T-Mobile. That's another post.
I have a home office however I don't meet with clients here at my home although I do have a business and professional association meetings at my home. I have my eyes on a building about a mile from home. I could walk to work. I would like to purchase this building and use it as an office. I need more space and would like to have a law and nursing library for my periodicals. Even with this building, I would keep my contract with Office Suites Plus and my home office.
If business continue to pick up, I can see having a part-time receptionist to answer the phone and assist with appt. scheduling maybe in 2011. I am funny about my mail and checks so I would continue to open all my own mail and deposit my checks.