Alan Bennett

I’ve never thought much about writing on a blog, or being a blogger, or tossing bottles stuffed with notes into the ocean, just to see where they might end up.

Although I appreciate the idea, tossing a bottle into the ocean does not have the romance of going out of your way to interact with fate, and that can always be interesting. Regardless, I’ve never given it much thought until now.

Our firm website has a “blog,” or a link to a blog, or something like that. I’m not really sure because I was born in 1961, growing up right in that sweet spot in between slide rules and personal computers.

Anyway, we have a blog on our website, and it occurred to me the other day that I might make use of it (By the way, that’s my wife and I renewing our vows after 15 years of marriage).

Unlike every other blog I’ve seen on a lawyer’s website, I have no desire to discuss case law, statutes, legal theories or arguments, or recent developments in the law. Nor do I have a desire to discuss cases I’ve handled, trials I’ve had, or dole out unsolicited legal advice.

I’m happy to do all these things, of course, but I’d rather do them person to person. I think someone who has bestowed upon us their trust and the privilege of representing them deserves that sort of face-to-face interaction. All of these things are important, and I’ll discuss them all day long, day or night, weekday or weekend, if someone wants to.

My entries on our blog are a bit different and with a different purpose. They may not even be “entries” per se, but something that I’ve written at some other point, for some other reason. Something I’ve posted on Facebook, my HOA’s list serve, etc…; generally, just something I’ve written somewhere for something.

My purpose in posting them on our blog is for entertainment, but more importantly, for someone to have an insight as to who I am. Being a lawyer is what I do, but it’s not who I am.

Someone who puts their faith, trust, and hard-earned money into a lawyer (or doctor, or plumber, or mechanic, for that matter) should, I think, be comfortable in knowing a little bit about them as a person. I think lawyers sometimes lose sight of the fact that their “client” is also a person; someone with friends and family, someone who loves and is loved. The people we represent should know that we’re people too.

–Alan