Jonny Hawkins Collection Now Available in the Billable Hour Card Store
With the new year comes the exciting news that another clever cartoonist has joined The Billable Hour Company. Jonny Hawkins (who's not a lawyer) describes himself as a "street legal" cartoonist. His work has appeared in over 400 publications over the last 23 years, including Reader’s Digest, Barron’s, Forbes, Business Law Today, Chicago Law Bulletin, Harvard Business Review and many other publications. He also creates the annual Medical Cartoon-A-Day and Fishing Cartoon-A-Day calendars (Andrews McMeel Publishing) and has several books on the market.
Jonny lives in Sherwood, Michigan with his law abiding wife and family and practices and studies the law of averages, the law of gravity and watches Law and Order.
Like this cartoon? Send it to friends, clients or colleagues on greeting cards. To order, visit The Billable Hour Card Store.
Questions about ordering greeting cards from The Billable Hour Card Store? Check out our greeting card FAQs.
Did you know that Jonny licenses his artwork for use in newsletters, presentations, print publications and on websites? He even offers special rates for student and teacher use.
You can also purchase original artwork and custom prints (framed or unframed) from Jonny.
Feature Article: Back to the Real World: How do You Return from Vacation? by Julie A. Fleming
Many Timesheet readers took some time off to spend the holidays with family and friends, or just to get away from it all. As you return from your vacation, here are some tips to help you hit the ground running while maintaining (at least to some degree) your relaxed state of mind:
Set a time to plan your "return to work" activities, and don’t anticipate that time. One of the quickest vacation mood-killers is thinking and planning what you’ll do when you get back, which has the effect of accelerating your return.
Plan a "vacation recall" signal. Have you ever felt that the relaxation from vacation fades all too quickly? Choosing something that reminds you of a pleasant time on vacation can let you hit a reset button and recall that pleasure. For example, you could set up a screensaver that will show some of your vacation photos, selected specifically to bring me back to one of your favorite vacation moments.
Arrange your first few days back so you hit the most important, hardest tasks first. This is a practice I recommend following on a regular basis, but it's even more important when returning from vacation. This lets you reap the full benefit of your energy on being back in the office, and you'll likely get quick rewards.
Plan something to look forward to in the first few days back. It’s easy to get sucked back into the flurry of work, to start feeling stressed, and to see the next few weeks or months as a long, grey tunnel with no escape until it’s vacation time again—or, worse yet, to think that taking time off was a mistake because of the necessary catching up that follows. To counteract that, plan something to look forward to no later than the first weekend back.
Set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-based) goals. The to-do list that you generate as a part of tip #1 above will set out precisely what you can realistically expect to accomplish, based on the urgent/important method of prioritization. This level of specificity and realism gives you a concrete and feasible goal, and that will keep you on target; making sure that you're attending to the important tasks first guarantees that your time will be well-spent.
Julie A. Fleming, J.D., A.C.C. provides attorney development coaching and consulting to law firm associates and partners, focusing on topics such as leadership, client, and professional development; career strategy; and work/life integration. A certified leadership coach (Georgetown University), Julie publishes the weekly email newsletter Leadership Matters for Lawyers and posts often on the Life at the Bar Blog. Learn more at www.LifeAtTheBar.com or by contacting Julie by telephone at 800.758.6214 or by email to jfb@lifeatthebar.com.
Like this cartoon? Send it to friends, clients or colleagues on greeting cards. To order, visit The Billable Hour Card Store.
Questions about ordering greeting cards from The Billable Hour Card Store? Check out our greeting card FAQs.
Did you know that Stu licenses his artwork for use in newsletters, presentations, print publications and on websites? He even offers special rates for student and teacher use.
You can also purchase original artwork and custom prints (framed or unframed) from Stu.
Timesheet readers get 15% off all licensing orders, original artwork and custom prints (use coupon code BILLHOUR). Click here for information on licensing or purchasing Win-Win, other divorce law cartoons, or any of the hundreds of images Stu offers. For more information on original artwork and custom prints, click here.
Cartoon: Courtoons
by David Mills
Courtoons are the creation of David Mills, an Ohio appellate lawyer who works with litigants and law firms involved in civil and criminal cases in federal courts across the country. Visit David's law firm website at www.MillsFederalAppeals.com
Greetings from TBH: How Florida Estate Planning Lawyer David Shulman Reached 600 Clients, Potential Clients and Colleagues With a Card from the Billable Hour Card Store
Our Greetings From TBH guest this month is David Shulman, a South Florida lawyer who focuses his practice on wills, trusts and estates, and tax planning. You can read David's blog on those subjects at www.sofloridaestateplanning.com.
The card I use: Since I concentrate exclusively in the areas of wills, trusts and estates, and tax planning, I chose Mr. Frosty.
Who I sent the card to: This is my first year in solo practice, and the first year sending out cards. I wanted to send out a card to, well, everyone. I wanted to spread the word that I have a new estate planning practice. I sent the card to clients, referral sources, family, friends, most of my "Facebook" friends, college classmates, people I met online, etc. I sent cards only to people who I already had some sort of past contact with in one way or another.
My message: As this was a "Holiday" card, I just wanted to wish everyone well, but at the same time let them know that I exist. Holiday cards are tricky because depending on your audience, you don't want to get too religious, and a "mushy" card isn't really in my personality either. I wanted to send something funny, clever, and memorable, and the Mr. Frosty card fit my needs perfectly.
Additional Features I Used: I uploaded my signature, which I placed between my greeting (above) and my printed name and contact information (below).
Lots of people have called or emailed telling me how much they enjoyed the card. I hope it keeps me in the front of their minds the next time someone is asking about an estate planning attorney.
If you have a story about how you use TBH greeting cards, we'd love to hear from you: send your story to us at info@TheBillableHour.com. Tell us what card you use; who you send it to; what message appears inside the card; whether you take advantage of our optional free personalization features (do you upload your signature/logo? Do you upload a photo to be printed on the inside left panel?); whether you have your cards sent directly to the recipients or shipped to you; whether you have uploaded your contacts directly into your cardstore account to make sending cards even easier; and the reaction you've received from recipients.
Video of the Month: Tort Liabilities in The Incredibles
To watch more hilarious law-related videos from around the web, join us at The Video Venue!
Like this cartoon? Send it to friends, clients or colleagues on greeting cards. To order, visit The Billable Hour Card Store.
Suzan Charlton is a professional cartoonist who is rumored to practice insurance coverage law as a hobby for a major Washington D.C. law firm. Her cartoons cover a wide range of law-related topics, from law school grades to law firm romance.
Song of the Month: Probation Polka
by Bob Noone & the Well Hung Jury
Hey hey hey
Well I got caught for the second time
And I begged the judge to change his mind
I’ve been doing the Probation Polka
Community service is alright
But I must be home by eight each night
When I do Probation Polka
If I went back to jail it would be the end
Unless I was Bubba’s special friend
So I do Probation Polka
It’s one step forward and two steps back
Can’t drink no beer or smoke no crack
Doing Probation Polka
My life is so tame that my mother would be proud
I only drink herbal tea I don’t play my music loud
I’d even get religion if it would reduce my time
But my life is now so boring I’m about to lose my mind
I can’t carry knives can’t carry guns
In other words my life’s no fun
Doing Probation Polka
I can’t go to honky tonks or bars
‘Cause each week I pee in a jar
Doing Probation Polka
I can’t smoke and I can’t drink
This is harder than you think
I hate it! Probation Polka
And how can I be a man of refinement
When I’m stuck on home confinement
I hate it! Probation Polka
I’m gonna call my old friends and go out and paint the town
I’m gonna get so high that I might never come down
But if I went back to jail for this it would all seem so insane
So should I smoke this little joint or flush it down the drain?
What should I do? Is everybody happy or just me?
Boy this herbal tea tastes swell
Sitting in my cozy cell
Curse you Probation Polka
Life is gone I’m bored to tears
Good-night Bubba (good-night dear)
Judge please! Really, really I didn’t inhale
OK it was secondhand smoke, it really was
Hey hey hey
Just one of the hilarious songs on
Cartoon: Law and Disorder
by Paul Brennan
Like this cartoon? Send it to friends, clients or colleagues on greeting cards. To order, visit The Billable Hour Card Store.
Juris Comic
Litination: Brick Breaker Score Overwhelms Associate During Recent Team Meeting
by Court Jester
Jack Wilkins, a third-year litigation associate in Baker Botts, LLP’s Washington, D.C. office likes to say his Blackberry had him at hello. Pretty much whenever he has a free minute, or if there’s a pause in conversation, Wilkins is heads down, thumb scrolling on his handheld. This addiction has led to some socially unacceptable behavior. For example, he’s seen his average time in the bathroom almost double as a result of his complete obsession with several of the free games that he’s downloaded. His Blackberry time has also become difficult to manage at work.
In meetings, Wilkins, like many of his colleagues, is constantly checking his Blackberry when the spotlight is focused elsewhere. Due to the fact that he almost always has a non-speaking role at meetings, he has even become accustomed to launching an all-consuming game of Brick Breaker—a classic video game that challenges you to clear stages by using a paddle to destroy bricks one by one—to pass the time. Sometimes this can cause him to miss almost everything that is covered.
Recently, Brick Breaker became a deal breaker for Wilkins. At a team meeting on pre-trial strategy, Wilkins reached his highest level on Brick Breaker to date just as the lead partner, on the case, Calvin Cambridge, was laying out a key weakness. Unable to contain his emotions, Wilkins audibly let out a "Yes!" right as Cambridge stated that there’s a chance that the client’s lead corporate witness could have his credibility seriously damaged on cross-examination.
As everyone in the conference room turned to in shock, Cambridge asked Wilkins what could possibly be positive about such a situation. Crushed by the fact that his outburst had cost him an even higher Brick Breaker score, Wilkins responded with "what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger" and then quickly excused himself to use the restroom to avoid the deafening silence that followed. The repercussions for Wilkins have been immediate. He has been dropped from his rightful place as the third person copied on case-related emails. Some of Wilkins’ colleagues think that his position as head of the document review team is also in jeopardy. Sounds like someone is in need of treatment for his crackberry addiction.
Court Jester is a member of the Litination who believes that the practice of law requires a sense of humor. His goal is to provide an entertaining diversion from the regularly scheduled billable hour or law school seminar. He provides fake legal news and links to real headlines at www.Litination.com. His hope is that one or the other will provide you with a laugh in an often unnecessarily stressful day.
Special Guest Feature: The Paper Office
by Marcel Strigberger
I have a great idea to enhance the practice of law. This idea puts to use centuries of human knowledge and experience. It was used by the Chinese thousands of years ago. I am talking about having a "paper office."
Why go paper? Simple. Say a letter comes in from opposing counsel. You have the other lawyer’s document there in your hands in black and white. You see in it in front of your eyes, as palpable as Lady Macbeth’s knife. Unlike scanned information, you can hold it in your hands. It is real.
And if you do a responding letter to said opposing counsel, just put some paper into your printer and off you go. The printer will spit out your letter in seconds and Bob’s your uncle. You then put the letter into another paper wonder, the envelope. Add a 44 cent stamp and you’re flying. Unlike emails, there is no risk of your letter not arriving because you wrote gordonSmith@Jenkinssmith.com instead of gordon.smith@jenkinssmith.com. Electronic communication is anal. Leave out that one stupid dot and your chances of successfully sending your message are about as great as Dr. Kevorkian being nominated for the Nobel Prize for medicine.
And now you might ask, what do you do to store it? Easy. Put it into a 15 cent folder you can buy at Staples. And the folders come in an assortment of eye pleasing colors. I especially like yellow or green. And if there is a power blackout in your office, big deal. You can wave your 15 cent file folder at those techie geeks who are running around pulling out their hair searching for the backup disk.
Where do you put your file? The same place lawyers have been putting files for generations. In a spiffy metallic filing cabinet. They drawers come with handles. Pull and they open, push and they close. And of course you can file your file folders alphabetically. It really works. You put the Adams file first, then the Benson file, then the Carter file and so on. And if you mix up a filing or two the filing cabinet will never complain or give you a message such as "you have performed an illegal operation."
You can even lock the filing cabinet using guess what? A key. No fuss, no user names, no passwords necessary. Just put that little brass sucker into the keyhole and turn clockwise and the drawers shut. Counterclockwise and they open.
And when your filing cabinet fills up what do you do? No problem. Just transfer your closed files into another super proven invention. The cardboard box. It’s amazing how these boxes can hold a stack of files. And if you ever have to access any of them, just go to the box in question and open it and—tah dah—there it is, in a spiffy green or yellow folder.
No blackberry for me. Give me paper and cardboard anytime.
Many lawyers are starting to appreciate simplicity and are looking for ways to add meaning to their practices. It will not be too long until we start seeing continuing education courses on technology with outlines as follows:
9:30 a.m.: 7 amazing things you can do with a pencil
10:30 a.m.: Wallpaper belongs on the wall, not a computer
11:30 a.m.: Everything you always wanted to know about paperclips
I’m ready to sign up. Let me just put some ink into my Mont Blanc.
Marcel Strigberger is a whimsical humourist trapped inside the body of a litigator. His humour articles have appeared in a variety of general interest, legal and medical publications in Canada, the United States, and internationally.
Marcel also operates (with his son, Daniel) www.LegalHumour.com, which features many kinds of legal humour. He is a frequent speaker on the topic of humour who can provide entertaining talks on a broad range of legal subjects and issues from civility, to mediation, to trials and more.
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