Month: January 2021

Put the Glass in Your Reader’s Hand

For those who are old enough (my fellow GenXrs), remember how exciting it was when your teacher rolled the projector into class? Especially if the reel was a big one. The big reel not only meant a longer film, but also increased the odds that the film would jam up in the machine, taking further time away from academic pursuits.  Today, let’s roll out the projector. Short reel. 

It is well known (or should be) that a good writer leads the reader to a conclusion by showing, not telling. As C.S. Lewis explained, “Don’t say it was ‘delightful’; make me say ‘delightful’ when we’ve read the description.”  The clip below, from the TV show The West Wing, is a great example of this.  In the scene, Leo McGarry (played brilliantly by the late great John Spencer) is an alcoholic who had a relapse.  He is about to endure questioning in front of a congressional subcommittee and is explaining his relapse to his attorney.  But instead of writing simple dialogue in which McGarry tells his lawyer, effectively, “I’m an alcoholic and couldn’t help myself,” the writers lead us there by putting the glass in our hands. This is how you show…

Stay Energized and Focused

If you are doing it right, the law can become an all-consuming drain on you: mentally and physically. Here’s a few tips for staying energized and focused. 

  1. Change the view.  Don’t be a slave to your desk.  Get out of the office.  Change the landscape.  I often find myself doing my best writing and editing while sitting at a downtown St. George park looking at the red rock hills as opposed to the wall in my office with the phone or others interrupting me every 10 minutes. 
  2. Exercise.  Take a break and do something else.  Go throw weights around the gym, go jogging, go biking, join a CrossFit box. Do something to rest the machine that is your mind and to exercise the other machine that is your body. 
  3. Find an outside passion. Find something that you enjoy doing outside the law and make the time to do it. Whether it’s coaching sports, fishing, cooking, painting, or traveling—find something that you are passionate about, put it on the calendar, and immerse yourself in it. That’s how you recharge the batteries.
  4. Remember why you do it.  Remember why you do it: Your family.  Make time for them because you never know how much you have. I have never heard of a lawyer on their deathbed regretting that they did not bill more hours.