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.
