The Artful Lawyer: Keep Working
By Cameron Rhudy • December 04, 2014 •Writers in Residence
As one more year winds down, it is natural to reflect on the experiences had over the past year. For me, writing for Ms. JD as a Writer in Residence has been one of the highlights. This blog has provided an opportunity for me to explore different ways of looking at creativity and the practice of law, and I am grateful for having been given the opportunity to share my thoughts, fears, and interests. I would also like to thank Juliana Siconolfi for her wonderful support as the coordinator of the program this year, as well as the other Ms.…
The Artful Lawyer: When Law and Creativity Collide (Help Change the Law)
By Cameron Rhudy • November 11, 2014 •Writers in Residence
Most of the year I have written about how pursuing creative activities can benefit the practice of law and about how the creative process has taught me many skills that I can apply to my practice. I have also highlighted how creativity is not just reserved for the artist-types; that it can be employed to solve all sorts of problems, that it can be used when crafting a lifestyle that is more in tune with your true self, and that there are ways to use your J.D. in creative and new ways. But even I have to admit; creativity and…
The Artful Lawyer: Remembering to Use My Creative Muscles
By Cameron Rhudy • October 12, 2014 •Writers in Residence
Editor's Note: Ms. JD is currently seeking pre-law and law school students, as well as legal professionals, to serve as its 2015 Writers in Residence! To apply for the Writers in Residence Program, please read this post and submit all of the necessary information and materials to wir@ms-jd.org by Saturday, November 1, 2014! As I mentioned last month, I am starting my own law practice. After almost five years practicing health law as a legislative attorney, I have decided to pursue my interest in small business transactional law to provide legal services to creative and social enterprises. Not only is changing practice areas an incredible…
The Artful Lawyer: What The Creative Process Has Taught Me About Starting My Own Law Practice
By Cameron Rhudy • September 05, 2014 •Writers in Residence
I am very excited to share that September marks the beginning of a new phase in my legal career. I have said goodbye to stable employment with state government, benefits, and an office full of great colleagues to start my own transactional law practice. Bananas, right!?! As you can probably imagine, I am feeling a good mix of emotions as I begin this adventure. I am excited, exhilarated, and hopeful, but at times I am also overwhelmed and a little nervous. But these emotions are not that much different than what it feels like to start a new creative project.…
The Artful Lawyer: Mary Wenzel of Write Law
By Cameron Rhudy • August 07, 2014 •Writers in Residence
This month I am very excited to introduce you to Mary Wenzel, J.D., founder of Write Law based in San Diego, California. Write Law helps law firms market their services through legal ghostwriting (legal website content and blogging) and DIY legal marketing courses. When I stumbled upon Write Law I was immediately interested in Mary’s story and how, through Write Law, she has creatively merged the areas of law, writing, marketing, technology, and teaching into a niche business. I am truly grateful that Mary took the time to participate in this interview and I hope you find her as inspiring…
The Artful Lawyer: It Pays to be Patient
By Cameron Rhudy • July 06, 2014 •Writers in Residence
Sometimes certain events or experiences in my life turn out to be buzzing oh so subtly with an underlying theme. These themes generally serve as reminders for a particular life or professional lesson. Does this ever happen to you? For me, lately that theme has been patience. Patience is probably most commonly thought of in the context of relationships, with our friends, family, coworkers, and even clients. For example, I try to be patient with my husband when we are running late for an event and he stops to turn on the television one last time to check the score…
The Artful Lawyer: Practicing Law Takes a Lot of Practice
By Cameron Rhudy • June 05, 2014 •Writers in Residence
While sitting at the piano the other day, my nervous fingers fumbled over the keys awkwardly as I tried to practice my scales and correct bad habits learned long ago. My Mom would be happy to know that she was right when she said that I would regret it if I stopped taking piano lessons when I was a kid. She warned me, just like so many other mothers and fathers have warned their children, that if I didn’t stick out the discomfort of learning to play the piano despite the pull of sunny afternoons after school or the glow…
The Artful Lawyer: Reshaping the Legal Profession
By Cameron Rhudy • May 05, 2014 •Writers in Residence
Historically, it would seem that innovation and the legal profession are not the best of friends. And even when innovation is employed in our profession, sometimes, despite the effort, it can still end up looking a little too much like business as usual. Take the treadmill desk for example. In July of last year, the ABA Journal reported that Taft Stettinius & Hollister provided two treadmill desks for communal use as part of its wellness initiative. Regardless of the good intentions of the firm, and the health benefits those treadmills may provide attorneys at that firm, this approach undeniably reinforces…
The Artful Lawyer: Sara E. Coppin
By Cameron Rhudy • April 05, 2014 •Writers in Residence
One of my goals when I started this column was to showcase attorneys who are practicing law in addition to pursuing some other passion. It is an accepted stereotype that attorneys are workaholics, and in truth, this is often the expectation in the profession. For many of the reasons I highlighted in February, however, I have learned that taking the time to pursue my other interests is a crucial part of my happiness, and I truly believe that it makes me a better lawyer as a result. In this regard, I wanted to meet other like-minded attorneys who had successfully…