tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41308232024-03-14T06:42:52.160-07:00Law is funThe daily adventures of starting your own law practicegreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-4920420995415683262010-06-08T14:42:00.000-07:002010-07-10T14:43:12.712-07:00Day 3 - Springfield to Oklahoma City, Part IAfter sucking down the rather minimal breakfast, I raced to re-load the back seat before the rain hit. It wasn't fun - the boxes were somewhat heavy - but it wasn't as bad as it could have been, because the car was literally right out the door (did I mention it was a one-story 'motel'? No? Hmm).
The 'Missouri curse' continued right up from where it'd left off the night before - again the road greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-12776524866976276172010-06-07T08:08:00.000-07:002010-07-10T14:23:20.853-07:00Day 2 - on to Springfield!Missouri, that is....
After last night's adventure, we were hoping for a clear, sunny day.
Route 66 is pretty well-marked in Illinois, even if you do spend some time simply hopping back and forth across I55.
Such is not the case in Missouri. It's so bad, my trusty navigator (a/k/a The Fiancee) wondered who'd written the Missouri map for the Route 66 guide we had. At one point, the map told greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-14947176968535454662010-06-06T19:41:00.000-07:002010-06-14T19:52:19.436-07:00The Long Drive Starts...Well, things have certainly been hectic the last month and a half - if change makes life interesting, I've had enough for a while, thanks.I flew back to Chicago, ostensibly to wrap a few things up, pack up the (second) car and bring the girlfriend back to LA. I flew in on the Friday before Memorial Day, and thought we'd be on the road by Wednesday. Turns out, we didn't leave until yesterday. Oopsgreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-49144244240327072952010-06-03T22:32:00.000-07:002010-06-03T22:36:31.928-07:00Now comes the hard part...When I had my firm in Chicago, I was downtown, close to the courts, but far from the clients. Now that I'm out in LA, I'm in the opposite position - far from the courts, but close to potential clients, and, ironically, the IRS field office in El Monte.The first step in creating this office was to create a website. I have one roughed in, but need to spend time creating content. More importantly, Igreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-10280790041220524042010-05-09T21:58:00.000-07:002010-05-10T00:15:56.273-07:00Starting overIf at first you don't succeed....I started this blog as a law student. It dropped off in year three, partially due to work requirements. I tried to revive it when, after two unsuccessful - and largely unmotivated - years of job search, I decided to formally open my own practice. One problem - location.Location, location, location. It's a mantra we hear often relative to a retail store, or a greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-65891047526197001182007-07-23T10:14:00.000-07:002007-07-23T10:20:13.643-07:00It's Monday, isn't it?Always nice to walk in after a week off to find your world has gone into the crapper.Three weeks ago, I deposited a rather large check in my account in order to cover expenses. I was told that, because the amount was 'unusual' (not surprising, since the account is new - any transaction would be 'unusual'), BankX would put a hold on the check.This concerned me, as I needed to pay rent. No problem,greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-33384096932619335422007-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:002007-07-23T10:10:27.430-07:00On my ownI've sent out resumes, made inquiries (or enquiries, if you're British), and tried networking, all to no avail. It's been two years since graduation, yet I do not have a full-time legal position as yet. So today I strike out on my own - I'm opening my own law office.I'll let you know how it goes.First up - signing a lease. I've managed to get a good deal, and for a short term. Included in the greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1149822633140040222006-06-08T20:02:00.000-07:002006-06-27T18:37:36.960-07:00All Killers have 3 namesSuch is the legend. Assassins and serial killers go by three names: John Wilkes Booth, James Earl Ray, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wayne Gacy.Of course, there's numerous counter-arguments: Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, Timothy McVeigh...But the perception is that psycho-killers have three names. And James Buck Inman added to that perception this week when he was arrested for the greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1141839837786845122006-03-08T09:25:00.000-08:002006-03-08T09:43:57.810-08:00Taking the California Bar Exam - Part 1I first got the desire (can one actually call it that?) to take the California Bar Exam over a year ago. It was the middle of March, and cold as usual in Chicago when I headed west to visit some blog friends. The sunny, warm weather really worked to lift my spirits, and I realized that perhaps the best thing I could do long-term was to head west to SoCal.But that's the funny thing about law greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1141700214123687642006-03-06T18:44:00.000-08:002006-03-11T12:49:57.780-08:00Kirby Puckett, 1961-2006I'm not going to pretend that I'm some great Minnesota Twin fan (which as a White Sox fan, would be akin to blasphemy), but I did respect Kirby Puckett's talent.What made it easier, though, was the fact that Kirby was a native Chicagoan, and even though he played for a hated rival, people here still admired him. It's a Chicago, thing, actually. Since we're a 'flyover' city, and generally ignored greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1141699483148872432006-03-06T18:43:00.000-08:002006-03-06T18:44:43.160-08:00Pardon the Interruption...Well the plan was to spend last week talking about my trip to California to take the bar exam.That was the plan.The reality was that I brought home a nice souvenir from California - one hell of a nasty cold. Or some cold-and-flu-like illness, which kicked me up one side and down another. Tuesday, I was feeling a little under the weather & stuffy. By Wednesday morning, I had a nice, hoarse voice greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1141152890785285552006-02-28T10:47:00.000-08:002006-02-28T10:54:50.800-08:00Back, finally"So I hear you're taking the California Bar Exam. What, one bar exam wasn't good enough for you?"The scene was Loyola's Law School Library, and the speaker was my classmate Andrew. He was there studying for the Illinois Bar Exam, having graduated in December. Along with him were a few of my former classmates, the ones who hadn't made the switch to full-time after first year, but who had graduatedgreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1136906796376368302006-01-10T07:23:00.000-08:002006-02-10T19:06:25.306-08:00Michael Vick's younger brother deludes himself...2006’s early nominee for Over-inflated Ego of the Year has to be Marcus Vick. Apparently, having a famous brother who plays in the NFL means you can do whatever you want and still get drafted – or so Vick believes. Check out Vick’s off-field ‘achievements’, which he hopes NFL teams will turn a blind eye to:Vick's first brushes with the law came in 2004 (from Fox Sports ): on May 14, 2004 he was greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1136352022116558262006-01-03T21:19:00.000-08:002006-01-03T21:20:22.126-08:00Resolutions, what resolutions?So the holidays have come and gone. Again. And once again, I have made lots of resolutions for the New Year. And pretty much broken them in record time.First there was the ‘don’t procrastinate’ resolution. Done by 10:00am on January 1.The next to go was the ‘be more assertive’ resolution. It made it all the way until noon.Finally, the ‘work out more’ resolution died sometime today. I don’t know greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1136353254302944882006-01-02T21:38:00.000-08:002006-01-11T11:43:37.116-08:00In court - Greg v. MicrosoftAll rise!Hear ye! Hear ye! The court is now in session. The Honorable Roy Bean presiding. All those with business before this court come forward and make yourselves known.Our first case today is Greg v. Microsoft.“You honor, I am Greg appearing pro se. I am here today on a complaint containing numerous items in controversy, first and foremost the claim for Intentional Infliction of Emotional greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1136080945128447062005-12-31T18:01:00.000-08:002006-01-03T06:51:56.666-08:00The late-night call...It was late when my phone rang.“Hello?” I mumbled.“You up?” the voice asked. “I am now. What’s up?”“You’d better get over here.”“Why?”“He’s taken a turn for the worse. I don’t think it’ll be long now.”I struggled with what I should do. Sure, there’d been good times, but there’d also been the bad times. And in thinking things over, I was beginning to believe that the bad outweighed the good. But greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1133499755174995842005-12-01T20:55:00.000-08:002005-12-29T08:12:22.436-08:00Dave v. OprahEver since the 'Uma-Oprah' comment at the Acdemy Awards ten years or so ago, they've been intertwined in TV history.For the last few years, she's famously refused to come on his show, no matter how he's begged. It's become a running joke, and among the most talked about celebrity feuds in memory.The feud is over. Oprah, as I write this, is talking to David Letterman!!!I'm wondering: is anyone greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1133506693804937442005-11-30T22:15:00.000-08:002005-12-20T22:47:14.216-08:00I'm signed up for the California Bar. No, I'm not. Yes, I am...Right before I left for SoCal, I got a letter from the State Bar of California, indicating that 1) I hadn't paid the proper fee (I paid the 'general' fee of $464, not the 'attorney' fee of $674), and 2) I should call the eligibility department.When I called the eligibility department, they informed me that they hadn't gotten my certificate of good standing. You're right, I said, because when I'd greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1132955284269696342005-11-25T09:42:00.000-08:002005-12-01T22:14:56.510-08:00Doctor, doctor, give me the news...."I know that I'd never have given it back to you with it running like this," my friend Joe admonishes me from a chair three feet behind me. He's attempting to fix my laptop, which not only has been running slow, but doesn't like showing video lately. Which made for a fun plane ride as I attempted to watch The American President and Ronin. So here I am, at the 'computer doctor's' home, hoping he greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1132804712376965992005-11-23T19:44:00.000-08:002005-12-01T10:31:10.363-08:00Back home....well, sort of....The flight back to Chicago touched down at 3:57, two minutes ahead of schedule. But like everywhere else in Chicago, there was traffic. So we didn't arrive at the gate for another 15 minutes.I'd planned on having my parents (who picked me up at the airport, and saved me $40 in cab fare) just drive me to their house, where I could spend the weekend. I'd even told the secretary at BigLaw that I'd greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1132642516520888522005-11-21T22:33:00.000-08:002005-11-23T09:42:19.703-08:00Last night blues...I hate when fun trips end. Even with the interview, the past week has been pretty enjoyable. Today was no exception.I woke up and headed out for a run, th third since I've been here. Unfortunately, I'm in no better shape than I was a week ago, and my legs felt like butter after just 15 minutes of running. I plodded through a full 30-minute run, still following the 15-3-15 strategy. But the crux greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1132563970663688962005-11-21T01:05:00.000-08:002005-11-21T01:51:57.493-08:00Suddenly there's a lot more stuff here....Yes, there is. I've been writing in my laptop for a few days (having brought it with to watch movies) and I've copied over the loose thoughts into coherent posts. Of course, the plan was to watch movies on the flight here and back, but the drivers don't want to cooperate, so that wasn't much fun. Unless, of course, you like watching a movie where the dialogue and the film aren't in sync.Today, greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1132563227728949892005-11-20T00:29:00.000-08:002005-11-21T01:44:15.030-08:00Another busy day...Joanie is a member of BLUESD, San Diego's blues society, and this weekend was the regional finals of the International Blues Competition. The winner of the best group and best solo/duo categories would head to Memphis in January for the final competition.Since Joanie is a board member, we headed down to spend the day at the House of Blues (who had generously donated the venue) to watch. I saw greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1132561752997543822005-11-18T23:18:00.000-08:002005-11-21T00:29:13.006-08:00Striking out on my ownJoanie wasn't feeling very festive today, and Little Dude wasn't feeling very good. He'd first complained last night, before he had to go to Scouts. But it was the annual Turkey Day skit, and Joanie thought he was just feeling a little nervous.By this morning, he wasn't feeling any better, and Joanie decided he should stay home. So I was on my own for the day. Fortunately, I'd decided to keep thegreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130823.post-1132561077767757882005-11-18T16:11:00.000-08:002005-11-21T00:17:57.766-08:00Running on emptyWith Joanie sleeping in (according to her, she sleeps fitfully at night, and never all the way through) I decided to put the running shoes and clothes to good use and go for a jog first thing Thursday morning.Bad idea.You have no idea how out of shape you are until you try to run the hills around San Diego. I started on a downhill, so it seemed easy. But then came the uphill. And the burn. And greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15581904750221224055noreply@blogger.com0