Struggling to find my voice…

So I have this blog, yet I don't blog. I want to blog, at times I have really good ideas for blogs but still, I don't blog.

I've worked at two firms, a defense firm and my current firm, Burns, Cunningham and Mackey. The circumstances surrounding the practice of law for me have surpassed my expectations, I've worked with great people, in wonderful firms, I've met my wife and we've had three children during my first decade as a lawyer.

After "switching sides" from defense to plaintiff's work I found myself wondering how I could find a deep sense of purpose and satisfaction through the practice of law that I had heard others talk about. Make no mistake, I enjoyed my jobs, I loved the people I worked with, but I never truly enjoyed practicing law. It was my job, not my profession. This always frustrated me, and this blog more than anything epitomized this frustration. Here I have an opportunity to express my opinions to as many people that want to read my thoughts and yet I don't blog.

Approximately six months ago, this started to change. I started to notice how much more I enjoyed my cases, how much more I enjoyed the actual day to day work. I didn't have that eureka moment that some lawyers talk about, instead it was a slow metamorphosis wherein I eventually realized that I enjoyed representing people and more importantly I really enjoyed practicing law. Coming to this realization coincided with me wanting to blog, which truth be told was the first time I actually had a desire to blog, as opposed to merely feeling obligated to blog. Despite the desire to blog, I haven't.

A blank screen is one of the most daunting backdrops for me. When I'm addressing the court the simple intro of "Your honor" makes the words that follow roll off my tongue and I've realized I needed some sort of foundational opening to get this blog rolling as well. I'm getting rid of the blank screen by introducing myself as a lawyer with a newfound desire to really find my professional voice. I have no idea who will read it, but more and more Im finding it harder and harder to stay quiet on issues that don't just involve college football. I've noticed that I don't find the lawyer jokes funny anymore, instead of laughing them off I find myself getting ticked off and wanting to ask the person who makes the jokes who they will call if an eighteen wheeler crashes into their family's car? In the past I used to laugh off these jokes, not anymore. I've discovered that my passion and my pride go hand in hand and they are both growing within me as a lawyer. People ask me almost every day, "What type of law do you practice?" a simple enough question, and one that I have struggled to answer for years, but now I have a fairly simple answer "I represent people".

I’m going to do my best to blog about things that interest me, this could range from sports, politics, entertainment, to legal issues facing every day people. I’ve been struggling to find my voice for several years, but at least now I know where I want to speak.