James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach, April 30 – NEW

James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach, April 30 – NEW

The information provided on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. ICLEF assumes no liability for the content of this blog.

James J. Bell, ICLEF's Amateur Life Coach

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Bell:

I am a famous actress, who would like to keep my identity confidential. Over the past week, my husband was arrested for DUI in Atlanta. While he was being arrested, I was angry and I hung my head out of the car window and told the police officer some things I am ashamed of. Specifically, I told the officer that he was going to be on national news, that I didn’t believe he was a real police officer and that he was about to “find out who I am.” He told me to “sit on (my) butt and be quiet.”  I should have listened.

Is there anything you can say to make me feel better?

Sincerely,

Anonymous Actress in Atlanta

 

Dear Ms. Witherspoon:

Don’t be ashamed. Judges across the country do this all the time.

For example, in In re Richardson, 760 So.2d 932 (Fla. 2000), a Florida judge, after his arrest for attempting to solicit an undercover police officer for sexual favors, repeatedly told the officer that he was a judge and that his campaign had been run by the president of the local police association. In the Matter of Collester, 599 A.2d 1275 (N.J. 1992), a New Jersey judge, during his arrest for DUI, lied to the police officer and told him he was on his way to the courthouse for an emergency. In yet another traffic stop of a judge, the Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice avoided a speeding ticket by producing judicial identification credentials instead of a driver’s license. Similar to you, the Chief Justice asked the police officer “Don’t you know who I am?” In re Heiple, No. 97-CC-1 (Cts. Commn of Illinois, Apr. 30, 1997).

In re Cofield, is a case that should make you feel better. In that case, a Connecticut judge, while driving under the influence, struck a parked state police cruiser, while the state trooper was in the vehicle. The judge had a blood alcohol level of .16%. During her arrest processing, the judge called the arresting officer an “a**hole” and threatened to “kick [his] ass.” She called a female police officer “little girl” and referred to the arresting officer and the female officer as “Ken and Barbie.” All the while, she insisted on being addressed as “Judge.” See In re Cofield, Memorandum of Decision (Connecticut Judicial Review Council February 27, 2009)

So at least you didn’t crash into the cop, threaten to physically harm him or mock him by giving him the name of a fluffy, preppy, soulless kid’s doll.  Feel better yet? These judges all got disciplined and their livelihoods were affected. You, on the other hand, will still make millions of dollars making movies. If they haven’t kicked Robert Downing, Jr. out of the club yet, you will be fine. Now do you feel better?

So here is what we can take from all of this:

1. Police officers don’t care who celebrities are, who judges are and they really won’t care who life coaches are.  In Indianapolis, we unfortunately had to learn again this weekend that they don’t care who police officers are either.

2. If you are ever in this situation again, sit on your butt and be quiet – even if it is your spouse on the receiving end of handcuffs.

3. But if you have an uncontrollable urge to speak, simply state “Mr. (or Ms.) Officer, I won’t bother to tell you who I am because you are all powerful and in charge. I will just sit on my butt and be quiet.” And then whisper to yourself very quietly: “And I may have my lawyer complain about your conduct sometime down the road.  Thank you for time and consideration.”

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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Dear Bell:

That’s it. I am out of here. They can take this job and shove it. I have worked at this firm for 5 years and I still can’t get any R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 

Now that I have made reference to the music of both Johnny Paycheck and Aretha Franklin in one paragraph, can you tell me which clients I can take with me?

Sincerely,

Resigning in Roachdale

 

Dear Ms. Resigning:

A client has the ultimate right to select the counsel of his or her choice. Therefore, the real question isn’t which clients you can take, but which clients can you solicit before you leave.

Under Rule 7.3, you can solicit professional employment from a prospective client if you have a prior professional relationship with the client. In most cases, this will mean that you can solicit the clients with whom you have had direct contact. If you did not have direct contact with the client, but worked on the case, you will likely not have had sufficient contact to allow you to directly solicit the client.

Listen. “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” (That was a reference to the music of Neil Sedaka.) For more info about lawyer breakups, please refer to the ABA’s Formal Opinion 99-414 entitled “Ethical Obligations When a Lawyer Changes Firms.” 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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James focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense, attorneys discipline defense and health care law. As a Marion County Public Defender, he represented clients in numerous jury and bench trials. James also represents clients in juvenile delinquency, appeals and post-conviction proceedings. James is a frequent ICLEF speaker on ethics, trial practice and criminal procedure. As of January 2013, he began serving as an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he teaches a course on professional responsibility. To date, no student has yet stood on their desk and shouted “Oh captain, my captain!” Follow James on Twitter @jamesjbell

Questions for the Amateur Life Coach?  Email them to scottking@iclef.org.

ICLEF • Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Indianapolis, IN

Posted in Amateur Life Coach, Law Blogs0 Comments

James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach – April 16

James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach – April 16

The information provided on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. ICLEF assumes no liability for the content of this blog.

James J. Bell, ICLEF's Amateur Life Coach

 

Dear Bell:

I am the writer of a blog regarding life and law. The other day, a lawyer said to me “no offense, but no one reads your blog.” Amazingly, even though the lawyer said “no offense,” I was still offended. What’s wrong with me?

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

Dear Amateur Life Coach:

Shhhhhh. Be quiet a second.

I am listening to the sound of crickets chirping as you type your useless words and send them into a cyber-void where they will never be read again.

Just kidding. (Sort of.) Let’s do a little investigation to see if anyone is really reading your blog. Reader(s), I will give $20 each to the first 3 people who email me at jbell@bgdlegal.com with the phrase “I read it” in the subject line. The first three emails must be received by 5 P.M. EST. on Tuesday April 16, 2013 to collect the money.  (ICLEF employees and their families do not qualify for this offer.)

OK. Back to your question. No nothing is wrong with you. The term “no offense” was invented to make the insulter feel better about his or her comment. It was not invented to help the insultee. In fact, I think that saying “no offense” actually pours salt on the wound and makes the comment more painful.  For one thing, it shows that the insulter knows that what he or she is about to say is possibly insulting, but said “to Hell with it” and said it anyway.

Also, saying “no offense” highlights the insult to the insultee prior to receiving the insult. Have you ever gone to the doctor and received a shot where the medical tech gives you a countdown before giving the shot?  When the tech says “3, 2, 1,” I am always in more pain by the count of 2 than I am after the shot. If you are going to put a needle in my arm, don’t warn me. Just sneak up on me and give me the shot.

Same for insults. Don’t tell me to “brace” myself for the insult by saying “no offense.” Just insult me. It will hurt less. In fact, I am so dense, if you don’t say  “no offense,” I may not know you have insulted me.

Jeff Foxworthy once commented that people think that they can say the meanest things provided they follow up their comment with “bless his/her heart.”  For example, “She is so fat. Bless her heart.”  Seinfeld and Larry David once did a bit on Curb Your Enthusiasm in which they argued that people can’t avoid insulting a person by giving an insult and then saying “having said that” and then giving a compliment.

So, Amateur Life Coach, let’s face it. No one reads your blog. Bless your heart. But no offense should be taken. At least the lawyer didn’t say “No offense, no one is reading your blog AND you are ugly.”  Having said that, I am sure that you have some redeeming qualities somewhere and I happen to know that your mother loves you.

Hope this helps,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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Dear Bell

Over the weekend, at the Masters, Tiger Woods received a two shot penalty instead of being disqualified after he signed an incorrect scorecard for an illegal drop. Do you agree with that penalty? What if this was a criminal case?

Just wondering.

Sincerely,

Golfing in Griffith

Dear Golfing:

First of all, can we just give Tiger a break? It seems like all we have been talking about lately is Tiger’s personal life, his game and his negative strokes. Regardless, I agree with the assessed penalty. There was no need for disqualification.

If this had been a criminal case, what Tiger Woods suffered through would have been considered total and complete entrapment. After being alerted to the illegal drop, the Masters’ Rules Committee determined and then informed Mr. Woods that the drop was legal. Only then did Tiger sign his scorecard.

The defense of entrapment is defined in Indiana by IC 35-41-3-9. This statute states that it is a defense to a crime that the “the prohibited conduct of the person was the product of a law enforcement officer, or his agent, using persuasion or other means likely to cause the person to engage in the conduct” and “the person was not predisposed to commit the offense.”

In the case of Albaugh v. State, 721 N.E.2d 1233 (Ind. 1999), the defendant’s pickup truck broke down. The defendant abandoned the truck, walked home and started drinking. Five hours later, the police told him to move his truck. The defendant, drunk and confused, obeyed the police officer’s request and drove his truck into a cornfield. The defendant was then arrested for and convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Citing the entrapment statute, the Supreme Court of Indiana reversed and held that “the State failed to meet its burden of proving that the officer did not cause [the defendant] to drive his truck while intoxicated.Id.

Albaugh presents a clear case of entrapment. In that matter, the officer requested the defendant engage in illegal conduct. In Tiger’s case, Tiger was actually told by the governing body that his signing of the scorecard was okay. A police officer can’t tell someone to drive drunk and then yell “gotcha!” Same goes for the Masters’ Rules Committee. If this were a criminal case and I was on the jury, I would acquit Tiger on the basis of entrapment. But a jury trial was not an option for Tiger and he negotiated a fair plea bargain with the Rules Committee.

Some have called Tiger’s character into question over this incident. Are these people attempting to claim that Tiger was “predisposed” to this sort of conduct? I have heard a lot about Tiger in the last few years. I have heard everything from wild women to . . . . well . . . wild women. After doing some research, it turns out that Tiger’s problems actually start and stop with women. But I have never heard any accusations of illegally dropped balls — on the golf course. Therefore, I believe he was not pre-disposed to this sort of conduct, that the defense of entrapment was applicable and that the penalty was reasonable.

It should be noted that in a post-round interview, Tiger Woods made statements to the media that prompted Masters’ officials to take a closer look at the incident.  Whether an accused should speak or not is a whole other issue. In the February 5, 2013 Amateur Life Coach Blog entry, we discussed when and why an accused should testify. If interested, please take a look.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

 _________________________________________________________________________________

James focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense, attorneys discipline defense and health care law. As a Marion County Public Defender, he represented clients in numerous jury and bench trials. James also represents clients in juvenile delinquency, appeals and post-conviction proceedings. James is a frequent ICLEF speaker on ethics, trial practice and criminal procedure. As of January 2013, he began serving as an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he teaches a course on professional responsibility. To date, no student has yet stood on their desk and shouted “Oh captain, my captain!” Follow James on Twitter @jamesjbell

Questions for the Amateur Life Coach?  Email them to scottking@iclef.org.

ICLEF • Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Indianapolis, IN

Posted in Amateur Life Coach, Law Blogs0 Comments

James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach March 19

James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach March 19

The information provided on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. ICLEF assumes no liability for the content of this blog.

James J. Bell, ICLEF's Amateur Life Coach

 

Dear Bell,

There is a video floating around the internet of a female inmate giving the finger to a Florida judge. (Note: See Video Below).  While most inmates would have waited until they were off camera before giving the Judge the bird, and the inmate’s conduct cannot be condoned, did the Judge act appropriately in this hearing?  It seems like he doubles this woman’s bond simply because she got a little “smart” with him. 

What do you think?

Sincerely,

Fingers in Florida

Dear Fingers:

Let me start off by saying that “[l]awyers are completely free to criticize the decisions of judges. As licensed professionals, they are not free to make recklessly false claims about a judge’s integrity.” Matter of M.W., 782 N.E. 2d 985 (Ind. 2003) To be clear, my statements below are critical of the Judge’s decision, not the Judge. Whoever he may be.

In the video, the Judge set the bond at the standard amount of $5,000. At the conclusion of the hearing, the inmate then stated in a flippant tone, “Adios.” The Judge then called the inmate back to the bench and doubled her bond to the laughter and delight of the crowd in the courtroom’s gallery.  Only then does the inmate utilize her secret weapon, — her middle finger– to its fullest extent.  So did the Judge do anything wrong?  If this had happened in Indiana, the answer is “possibly.”

Rule 1.1 of the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct Code states that “[a] judge shall comply with the law.”  The considerations for setting bond in most jurisdictions are 1. Whether or not the inmate is a danger to herself or others; and 2. Whether or not the defendant is a flight risk.  The only evidence elicited in this hearing that would be relevant to these two factors is the defendant’s admission that she knows who Rick Ro$$ is. In spite of this, the Judge still sets the standard bond. The Judge only makes the decision to deviate from the standard bond, when the “adios” comment is made. I am not a Florida lawyer, but I am sure that a defendant’s smart alec tone is not one of the statutory considerations for a Florida bond. So arguably, there is a violation of Rule 1.1.

In addition, there might be a violation of the rules involving judicial decorum. Rule 2.8(B) of the Code states that “[a] judge shall be patient . . . and courteous to litigants.” More importantly, writer Dave Berry once said a “person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.” If Dave Berry can judge people by how polite they are to a waiter, can we judge the integrity of our criminal justice system by how polite we are to inmates? Couldn’t the Judge in the video have decided to simply laugh off the “adios” comment?  Instead, he made his own “adios” comment to the inmate and made a ruling that could be viewed as vindictive.   In fairness to the Judge, there are reports that he later lowered the bond.

I don’t have the toughest skin, but I am not a judge. And I would like to think that Indiana judges have tough enough skin to withstand an inmate taking a flippant tone with them. The Judge in the video may have been having a bad day, but I will bet the inmate’s day was off to a worse start than his. This is a long way of saying that I see problems with the Judge’s decision in this case.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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Dear Bell,

As a follow up to your February 5, 2013 blog discussing March Madness, what are the realistic expectations of firm management that any work will be accomplished later this week?

March Madness equals long days of cutting out of work early and watching hoops from noon until midnight. This clearly means we are in for a very non-productive week. Is honesty the best policy when talking to the boss about my plans for later this week?

            Sincerely,

            Basketball Binging in Broad Ripple

Dear Basketball Binging:

I have some words of advice for you. First of all, be careful. I know your bosses, I know their habits and I know that they have spies in every watering hole in this city. They may even have the “find my associate’s iPhone” app with full GPS capability loaded and ready for later this week.

Secondly, beware of the “true, but deceptive” excuses that you use to get out of work on Thursday. Friends of mine have eaten Mexican food the Wednesday night before the tournament just so they could “truthfully” tell their employer the next day “I had Mexican last night and without going into detail, I don’t think it’s a good idea to come into work today.” I have also heard some lawyers call in with the old “my family is in town” excuse. The only problem is that those lawyers’ families live in town. My advice is for you is to get your work done early and simply tell your employer in advance that you are taking a “personal day” away from work.

Be safe.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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Dear Bell,

About a month ago, I did a legal research project for a client. It took me 21 billable hours. This month, I have a new client who is faced with the same legal question. I am billing this second client hourly. Can I just bill 21 hours to the second client for the work that is already done? It simply would not be fair to the first client for the second client to get a smaller bill for work the first client paid for. 

            Sincerely,

            Double Dipping in Delphi

Dear Double-Dipping:

First of all, I must say that it is very admirable for you to want to bill the hell out of both of your clients equally. However, before you check out of work for the week on a Tuesday afternoon because you have already “billed” (but not worked) the amount of hours required by your firm for the next few days, please read ABA Formal Opinion 93-379.

In that Opinion, the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility stated that “A lawyer who is able to reuse old work product has not re-earned the hours previously billed and compensated when the work product was first generated.  Rather than looking to profit from . . . the luck of being asked the identical question twice, the lawyer who has agreed to bill solely on the basis of time spent is obliged to pass the benefits of these economies on to the client.”  The Opinion then goes on to say that billing for re-cycled work product can amount to an unreasonable, unethical fee under Rule 1.5 of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

So sorry. Looks like are going to have to forgo that round of golf and look for 21 other hours to bill. I know your timesheet looks sad and empty. It sort of reminds me of your soul. But look on the bright-side. An empty timesheet is much better than a sharp stick in the eye

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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Dear Bell,

My son wants to join the Army because his paternal grandfather and uncle were Army men. I want him to join the Navy because my dad, his maternal grandfather, was a Navy man. What do I need to do to get this kid into the Navy instead of the Army?

Sincerely,

Loving Mother in La Porte

Dear Loving Mother:

Both the Army and Navy have been so important to the preservation of freedom in this country and both institutions have produced so many fine Americans that I don’t really know how to help you.

On the one hand, former P.T. Boat commander and President John F. Kennedy once said “And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: ‘I served in the United States Navy.’”  Other great Americans who served in the Navy include Neil Armstrong, Hoosier John Wooden, President George H.W. Bush and Indiana lawyers John McCauley and Doug Gallagher. On the other hand, baseball player Jackie Robinson, daredevil Evil Kinevil, President/General Eisenhower and Indiana lawyers Kevin McGoff, Karl Mulvaney, Bryan Babb and Mark Kamish all served in the Army.

Considering all of the above, I am going to have to go to my standard tie-breaker and ask myself WWED(What would Elvis do?) Having researched this question, it appears that the King/Sgt Presley was in the Army. Sorry mom. In a close call, I have to go with Elvis and with what your son wishes to do and support his decision to join the Army.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

 _________________________________________________________________________________

James focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense, attorneys discipline defense and health care law. As a Marion County Public Defender, he represented clients in numerous jury and bench trials. James also represents clients in juvenile delinquency, appeals and post-conviction proceedings. James is a frequent ICLEF speaker on ethics, trial practice and criminal procedure. As of January 2013, he began serving as an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he teaches a course on professional responsibility. To date, no student has yet stood on their desk and shouted “Oh captain, my captain!” Follow James on Twitter @jamesjbell

Questions for the Amateur Life Coach?  Email them to scottking@iclef.org.

ICLEF • Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Indianapolis, IN

Posted in Amateur Life Coach0 Comments

James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach – March 5

James J. Bell, Amateur Life Coach – March 5

The information provided on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. ICLEF assumes no liability for the content of this blog.

James J. Bell, ICLEF's Amateur Life Coach

Dear Bell:

Although becoming a criminal defense lawyer over 12 years ago has been one of the true blessings in my life, I am now 52 and growing ever-more weary dealing with other people’s crises day in and day out.  And even though I believe there is truth to the suggestion that “the only real joy in this world is helping other people,” how do I put this . . . ?  I’m tired.

Was Rumi right when he proclaimed:  “Your legs will get heavy and tired.  Then comes a moment of feeling the wings you’ve grown, lifting”?  Or is this all just horse-puckey?

Sincerely,

Bedraggled in Bloomfield

Dear Bedraggled:

Buck up. I am not big on quoting theologians like you, but I do know that Big Daddy Kane once said “pimpin’ ain’t easy.” Well guess what? Lawyer’n’ ain’t easy either. We should expect this job to be a challenge.

Nevertheless, please know that I can relate to what you are going through. As an Amateur Life Coach, I carry the imagined burdens of all my imagined readers and I know how you feel.

In order to give you some real advice, I consulted with a licensed therapist who gave you a preliminary diagnosis of “burnout.” Lucky for all of us, she also gave you the following “Top 10 Ways to Take Good Care of Yourself/Avoid Burnout.” Here they are:

  1. Sleep a minimum of 7 ½ hours per night;
  2. Eat your fruits and vegetables and avoid junk food and soda;
  3. Spend time with your family having fun;
  4. Work fewer hours but be more productive when you are at work;
  5. Read the book “Co-Dependent No More” (to make sure your client problems don’t become yours);
  6. Spend time talking with other attorneys about how they avoid taking on their client’s problems;
  7. Join a book club;
  8. Find a hobby you enjoy and do it;
  9. Buy a relaxation CD and use it once a day; and
  10. Don’t keep clients who don’t pay you.

Good thing I consulted with a licensed therapist.  My advice would have been to drink 12 Pabst Blue Ribbons and call me in the morning.  I like her Top 10 better.

So take the afternoon off, go home, eat well, get a good night of sleep and come in re-charged to take on the world tomorrow.  And don’t forget that people love you and think you are a great lawyer.  (At least, that’s what your mom said after she told me you were whining too much and getting on her nerves.)

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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Dear Bell:

Matthew McConaughey is pretty cool and looks great without a shirt on, but has he ever played a lawyer as good as Atticus Finch?

Sincerely,

Wondering in Wawasee

Dear Wondering:

I haven’t seen all of McConaughey’s movies, but he was pretty smooth as “The Lincoln Lawyer” and he pulled a rabbit out of his hat in “A Time to Kill.” I can’t remember “Amistad” well enough to grade his performance, but it doesn’t matter.

Everyone knows that Atticus Finch is the greatest lawyer that never lived. He defended Tom Robinson with a sense of optimism and thirst for justice that even the best lawyers lose sight of.  Even though he lost the only case we ever saw him try, we can’t hold that against Atticus. That would be like saying Eli is better than Peyton because Eli was on a team that won two Super Bowls, when Peyton carried his whole team for years only to get one Super Bowl ring. Everyone knows Peyton is the better quarterback and everyone knows Atticus tops any lawyer played by Matthew McConaughey – with or without a shirt.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

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Dear Bell:

I heard there is a guy in Florida who bills $1600 an hour. Can an attorney do that? Would you do that?

Sincerely,

Envious in Ellettsville

Dear Envious:

Whether an attorney can do this depends on who, what, where and (maybe even) why. Look at the factors laid out in Rule 1.5(a) of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct to determine whether the fee is reasonable. The Rule takes into account the attorney’s “reputation” and “experience,” “the fee customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services” and the “time and labor required.” So even this fee could potentially be reasonable if this is how lawyers roll in Florida and this guy has an excellent reputation for handling complex cases.

Would I ever charge $1600 an hour?  No way. First of all, if I did, I wouldn’t have any clients. But even if I did have clients, I would still not charge that much. Why? Because I am afraid that if I charged $1600 an hour that I could only force myself to work one hour a day. Then what would happen to me?

Lots of things. My blood pressure and my cholesterol level would decrease to medically acceptable parameters. I would have time to exercise, hang out with my family and do things around the house that I have been putting off. When I envision the “me” who only works one hour a day, I picture a much younger looking version of myself. It is a picture of a man standing in his front yard on a sunny day, with his two young daughters standing next to him. The man is wearing a backpack. I don’t know where he is going, but I am sure it is somewhere fun.

The “me” I envision is in shape and has a slight, natural, non-spray, non-John Boehner looking tan. As I look more closely at myself, I notice that my forehead looks smaller because I have somehow regenerated the hair that I have been busy losing during my legal career. It is a happy, healthy, hairy, handsome, relaxed and otherwise completely unrecognizable version of “me.”

The way I see it, billing $1600 an hour could make me a complete and balanced person who thinks he is perfect.  And who wants to get advice from an Amateur Life Coach who thinks he is so damn perfect?  No one. (Actually, no one seems to want to get any advice from an Amateur Life Coach who knows he is not perfect. But I digress.) If we got advice from people who thought they were perfect, we would all get our advice from Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise and Donald Trump. Forget that.

So no thanks. Rather than get paid $1600 an hour, I will stick to the healthy and reasonable sum that ICLEF pays me to do this blog and conduct seminars throughout the year. This sum takes into account my “reputation” and “experience,” and “the fee customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services”, so that sum is zero.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Bell
Amateur Life Coach

_________________________________________________________________________________

James focuses his practice in the areas of criminal defense, attorneys discipline defense and health care law. As a Marion County Public Defender, he represented clients in numerous jury and bench trials. James also represents clients in juvenile delinquency, appeals and post-conviction proceedings. James is a frequent ICLEF speaker on ethics, trial practice and criminal procedure. As of January 2013, he began serving as an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he teaches a course on professional responsibility. To date, no student has yet stood on their desk and shouted “Oh captain, my captain!” Follow James on Twitter @jamesjbell

Questions for the Amateur Life Coach?  Email them to scottking@iclef.org.

ICLEF • Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Indianapolis, IN

Posted in Amateur Life Coach0 Comments