Daring to be Different
When I started Law Jock PLLC, I wanted to be a lot like many of my clients: a little edgy, and yet very relevant — even to the point of surprise. Bearing that in mind, I adopted a name and a logo for my firm that is plainly different from all the other “law groups,” “law offices,” and “me, you & the other guys” that dot the legal landscape.
The name “Law Jock” conveys bluntly that this lawyer is simply not like any of the others. This one thinks outside the box, with a drive for the simple, the practical, and even the whimsical.
How’d I get to this point?
The Early Years
In the “training phase” of my career I finished at the top of my law school class while serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s law review. I have to say that in law school I worked hard, but I was not ridiculously obsessed. That easy-going manner — the ability not to panic in the face of an overwhelming work load — served me well then as it does now.
After law school I cut my teeth in the service of a federal appellate court judge. I toiled researching and drafting judicial opinions on esoteric questions of constitutional law, antitrust law, and securities law. I then went on to join one of the world’s largest and, in the eyes of many (especially those who practice there), prestigious law firms. That time of my career was well spent but, for me at least, lacked a balance that, long term, would be either personally or professionally satisfying. So I moved on.
Since then I’ve been affiliated with two different law firms, the latest as a partner of a well-regarded boutique firm in Seattle. I remain a huge fan and admirer of my former partners, but even the “boutique” wasn’t enough to capture the spirt of what I had in mind for my own law practice. I wanted to leverage technology so that I could be more efficient in performing routine tasks and yet more creative when facing novel ones. And I wanted to structure the business model of my practice so I would be rewarded for that approach. That’s a tall order for any firm with legacy systems and aversion to risk.
The Big Idea
And so I conceived Law Jock as a firm that would appeal to the more daring among us — that is, the best of the entrepreneurs who take calculated risks and reap the rewards. The downtown firms with plush offices, awe-inspring views, and glossy brochures will continue to appeal to many. There’s “safety” in following the hordes of others to the siren call of the big firms, even if that safety means paying the high cost of blue ribbon lawyers delegating work to others in training. But not all clients see that appeal, nor should they. There are scores of former big firm lawyers, like me, who continue to provide the same high quality lawyering using a business model that works better for our clients and for ourselves.
The secret to finding us is to part ways with the horde when the road forks and, as Robert Frost would urge, take the road less traveled instead.