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January 11, 2011
McElhaney: Write and Practice to the Ear.
In several of its decades, in my view, Jim McElhaney was the only person or thing that saved the ABA from being 24/7 the shamefully uncreative Robot-Suit Wankfest that it still generally is. The Reason? It followed--never led. The Good News? The best lawyers in America were--and often still are--members. The Irony? Those lawyers were employed by the very same firms that were turning the legal profession into a cynical ruse and dodge--even for to-die-for corporate clients we all sought and still seek to service.
No one had learned to reconcile the two hard facts that law was morphing into both (a) a profitable business and (b) a profession. No one even tried. These two facts still collide for clients. The simple question was begged for two decades or more: how do we now align client interests with our own? "Value" to customers was never discussed. Real "class" was never a goal.
McElhaney, a teacher of trial skills, and an ABA star and stalwart, had loads of both. He was the only reason I stayed a member for 15 years or so. Remember him and others in the great "Litigation" quarterly? I still have them all. But I am not an ABA member now; I am a member of four state bars, one international lawyer group I am very proud of, two non-lawyer groups I am also proud of, and the IBA, which makes more sense for me and mine.
See in this month's ABA Journal "Listen to What You Write: Your Ears Will Tell You If You’re Communicating Ideas Effectively. It concludes:
Polish the piece again and again. Keep asking yourself, “If I were reading this for the first time, would I understand everything it says?”
Then read it out loud to as many people as you can make listen—one at a time. Your ear will catch the little mistakes and omissions your eye skipped over. And if anything sounds awkward or strange, even if it looks OK, fix it so it sounds right.
Write to the ear so your readers will hear what you have to say.
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Posted by JD Hull at January 11, 2011 04:26 AM
Comments
I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz reply back as I'm looking to create my own blog and would like to know wheere u got this from. thanks
Posted by: "Backlinks" at January 10, 2011 10:01 AM
Thanks.
1. Colors by Dan Hull's Mom Penny in Collier County, Florida--she majored in design and fashion in college--with help from some out-of-work gay guys.
2. The theme was by Dan Hull, Julie McGuire--and Tom Welshonce, a gifted young corporate lawyer who got all sensitive on us and now represents dirt-poor kids, street urchins and abused hamsters.
3. The website idea was all Chris Abraham of DC and Berlin. http://marketingconversation.com Man's an artist.
Posted by: Holden Oliver at January 10, 2011 10:56 AM
Good to know :) and hey....i wanne say thanks for the usefull knowledge.I just love it!.lol
Posted by: Michael Calizzi at February 5, 2011 05:33 AM
To both Commenters: Sue your grade schools. Learn English. Read the Great Books. Live in a civilized place for a while. Come back here in 20 years.
Posted by: Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at February 5, 2011 06:23 AM