Know When to Say “When”

This phrase is usually associated with too much merrymaking – particularly cutting off the intake of intoxicating spirits – but it can have real application to your law practice.  In essence, it means to think about what you’re doing and whether you should continue down that path or make some changes.

The beginning of a new year is a good time to take a hard look at your practice and your clients, and decide whether things are “in balance.”  If things are running smoothly and you are making money and happy with what you are doing, then they probably are.  But if things are out of balance it’s probably time to step back, assess your big picture, and determine what changes are needed to return you to a road that will take you to the destination you truly desire.

Often we start projects with genuine enthusiasm, only to find that circumstances change over time.  The law may change in a way that makes a certain practice area less enjoyable, or less lucrative, but we remain stuck in our rut.  It’s what we do, so we continue to do it.

This week we encourage you to review your practice’s mission statement, if you have one.  Is it pointing you in a direction that you really want to go?  If you don’t have a mission statement, it’s time you wrote one.  Think about why you are practicing law, who you want to help through your practice, and what you want to accomplish for yourself, and what changes you must make to make it happen.

And so, on that note, I want to say a big thank you to Dave Bilinsky and Simon Foden for asking me to participate in slaw Tips.  Since we began this project my duties here at the Alabama State Bar have changed and, as a result, I will now be turning my attention to new challenges.  Thanks for the fun and the feedback!