It is amazing, and scary, to think that I have already passed the one month mark of owning my own practice.  I wish I had been able to update my blog more often, but honestly having your own company takes a lot more time than I expected.  Finally during this last trip I had some time on the airplane to write an update!

When I first stared on this journey, I had expected that it would take me at least a year to find a solid first client or two.  I had no idea that things would start off as well as they have.  I am truly blessed to already have many clients, from across the globe, that have me already thinking about expanding my initial expectations of what I want to do.  I must thank everyone I know for not only being supportive, but for going above and beyond in helping me get off the ground.  At 27 I already have a successful law practice, with a global reach, and I can only expect that things will continue to grow from here.  With the legal market in flux, and firms closing their doors, it is a blessing to be able to say that I can barely keep up with the demand thus far.  The rent is paid and the lights are on, who can complain about that only a month after opening?

Even more exciting, it looks like I will be an adjunct professor at Columbia University starting in the summer of 2012.  To think that less than ten years ago I only began as a student there I cannot believe that I have come full circle.  From student, to Senator, to Chairman, to still-Chairman, and now Adjunct Professor... the journey of life is one of unexpected turns.

I have noticed that people constantly ask what a "Higher Education" lawyer does.  I still have not come up with the perfect answer.  Looking at the work we are doing for clients, we are basically covering everything that happens at a College.  From endowment strategy, external marketing campaigns, and presidential legacy planning if it happens at a school we basically help do it better.  In a way, we are a mix between a traditional law firm and a consulting practice.  It is a hybrid that allows us to offer more for less to our clients.

There was a time when I questioned my decision to forgo the offer for my dream job and instead set off on this path, and many people said it was the wrong decision for me to turn down big-law jobs in this market.  Honestly, I cannot think of things unfolding any other way than they have.

It has been an amazing first five days at the helm of my own practice.  From Virginia, to DC, and now NYC I am quickly using all of the blood, sweat, and tears I have put into myself in order to make a difference.  I was reminded this past week how even very disparate fields of my work actually have much more in common than I expected.  The seeming lack of commonality between the world of fashion and the world of higher education has yielded to the reality that they have much more in common than I thought. I am thrilled to explore these new opportunities.

I am looking forward to my first speaking engagement since starting my firm, which will be this weekend at Columbia University.  As the Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the University Senate's Student Affairs Committee, I make it a priority to guide and mentor our next generation of leaders at Columbia.  I cherish my position above almost all others that I hold, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to speak with old and new Senators alike.  Furthermore, I could not be more thrilled to move back home to New York City.  While a long process, I truly feel that by starting my practice in both DC and NYC I will be able to have an even greater impact with the work I am doing.

In the first five days I have found myself signing clients, booking speaking engagements, getting the business organized, and already I am thinking about expanding.

The last time I moved to NY was on an Amtrak with a suitcase to "pound the pavement" and find my dream as a model.  This time, I am moving back as an Attorney who has found his dream of being someone who can make a global impact in today's society.

Welcome to my first blog entry here on our corporate website.  I am looking forward to sharing commentary and insight on current events within higher education.  I expect these musings to be a mix of thoughts on current events, legal decisions, and my experiences as I transition from being a law clerk to being an attorney who is blessed to have the opportunity to follow his dream.

I believe that while people across the globe attend various types of post-secondary institutions, few understand the truly complex nature of a college or university.  I hope to be able to take the time to explain what I hear and see as I travel and assist various institutions follow their individual education missions.  I am pleased you have chosen to join me on this adventure.

I have been at the helm of my own practice for less than a week now, and I am already reminded of how interesting, and important, higher education is.  As I type this entry from the lobby of my law school, I remember that institutions are hardly as stoic or as static as they seem.  I was privileged to have spent today speaking with friends and colleagues on my old stomping grounds.  I sit here reminded of how human institutions are.  In turn, I remember how important it is that institutions remain committed to the innate human character of their service.

There is no longer an average university student.  Nor is there an average path to a successful career.  I am confident that my own “non-traditional” path will prove to be an asset as I venture out over these next few weeks.