Join The MSBA Young Lawyers Section
for
Networking and Happy Hour
at
AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar
6741 Columbia Gateway Dr.
Columbia, MD
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
5:00 – 7:00 PM
(Event is Free – Beer and Wine and light appetizers will be provided)
Please RSVP to Kelcie Longaker — [email protected] or Scott MacMullan — [email protected] space is limited
Co-Sponsored by:
LexisNexis
Gore Brothers
MSBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GzLZB0Eucw
“Come to me when you need a lawyer.” That is what Legal Marketing Guru Micauh Buchdahl suggested you tell people and friends when marketing yourself. This is against the conventional wisdom that a lawyer should tell someone that they specialize or have a “special emphasis” (ridiculous ethics rules) in a certain area of law. The idea being that when something happens to the person in that area of law they will immediately think of you.
Not everyone has a family law issue or gets injured or has a complex business transaction on a daily basis. Years might pass before anything happens to them or even someone they know. In this high-tech world, let’s be honest, people forget. And when they forget, they go to the internet. They want to remember that nice lawyer they met a few years back, but their problem is immediate and they need immediate answers.
A happy medium might exist between the general: “Come to me if you need legal help” and the specific: “I am a global climate change lawyer that focuses on the Chesapeake Bay” or “I help injured people and families going through tough times.” (*What I do.) Maybe the happy medium is that we tell other lawyers what we specifically work on and we tell clients a more general picture of us. But this seems to change when we are networking with attorneys that are not from our region. When that is the case, wouldn’t we rather be, for example, their “Maryland Lawyer” or their “Annapolis Lawyer”? It also might change if you are working with more sophisticated business clients who know their industry better than some newer lawyers who practice in that industry.
The idea being that if someone comes to you as their lawyer, you can refer them to a lawyer that you know specializes in their specific problems area of law. That lawyer you refer work to can then refer work that you do back to you.
I guess in the end it is all about finding information about the person you are networking with, connecting with that person, and, most importantly, making sure you are remembered by that person. (I like to mention sometimes in the conversation that I’m a Scottish guy named Scott or Scott (the Scot). You might laugh, but it works on a lot of levels.) I like telling people to come to me if they need a lawyer. I hope to have built trust with them that they will feel safe that I will either handle their matter or I will refer them to a lawyer who will deftly handle it. Continuous and respectful follow-up is vital.
The best kind of follow-up networking is becoming friends with the person you connected with. People seem to remember people who are going to benefit themselves as friends or colleagues on a long term basis. Clients that you help that become friends are the best kind of clients and the best kind of referral sources. Remember: “It can take a long time to make an old friend.”
What do you think? Do you like the general pitch or the specific pitch? Or does it depend on the situation and person?
We understand that most people have never been involved in a lawsuit. Some of the words and phrases you will hear are not familiar; therefore they are defined here for you, so you can have a better understanding of the legal process. If you hear any other words or phrases you do not understand, do not hesitate to ask your lawyer to explain them to you.
ALLEGE: To claim that something is true.
ANSWER: The paper filed in the court by the defendant’s lawyers stating their defense to your claims.
ATTORNEY: Another word for lawyer.
DAMAGES: The loss, in money, that the plaintiff claims he or she should be awarded. Only after we prove that the defendant is liable are we entitled to ask for money damages.
DEFENDANT: The person or company against whom a lawsuit is filed.
DEPOSITION: Sworn testimony given during the course of the lawsuit. Anyone, a plaintiff, a defendant or a witness, may be deposed. It allows one side to find out exactly what the other side intends to prove.
TO FILE/FILING: The physical act of taking or mailing the pleadings to the courthouse and depositing them with the clerk of courts.
INTERROGATORIES: Questions submitted by one side to the other, filed with the court, which must be answered under oath. Interrogatories usually ask specific questions on the facts of the case.
LIABILITY: Legal responsibility. What must be proved against a defendant before the plaintiff is entitled to an award of money damages.
MOTION: A paper, filed with the court, which asks the court to make an order during the lawsuit. The motion may ask for final judgment, a ruling on the admissibility in court of certain evidence, or many more things.
ORDER: Any ruling by the judge on any issue brought up by the parties. An order is signed and filed with the clerk of courts to be placed in the courts file.
PLAINTIFF: The person who asks the court to award him/her a remedy (e.g. money damages, an injunction, a declaration of rights or responsibilities, etc.)
PLEADINGS: All the papers filed with the clerk of courts during the lawsuit.
STATUTE OF
LIMITATIONS: The law which puts an absolute time limit on filing a Complaint. There are different statutes of limitations for different areas of law. For example, in a case involving bodily injury from negligence occurring in Maryland, this date is three years after the date of your injury. There are some exceptions to this law, which may allow the filing more than three years after the injury. Always consult an attorney immediately if you believe that you have a claim, and are uncertain as to the statute of limitations for your claim. You may have less than one year from the date of an injury for circumstances to bring your case in court for medical malpractice or other types of claims, so never delay.
The Maryland State Bar Association Young Lawyers had our orientation today. We went sailing in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. It was a great way to begin our bar year. Here is a video recapping the day:
http://youtu.be/2C0aHgDNA9g
Here is a funny sailing video from the classic movie “What About Bob” that really sums up the general enthusiasm for the day.
“What About Bob” Funny Movie Clip