@liquidluncher
December 7th, 2010
Today we’re tweeting w/Massachusetts family, estate planning and real estate lawyer who enjoys running, food and beer @Liquidluncher
- @Liquidluncher, thank you for joining us on Twitter. Tell us, who is @Liquidluncher?
I am a western MA native. I love eating. I am a beer snob. I run a lot of charity races to burn the calories from both.
– - Tell us about your law practice.
I am in Holyoke, MA. I have a general civil practice. Mostly family, guardianship, estate planning, probate & real estate
– - What type of clients do you represent?
I have mostly private clients with divorce/custody cases. I represent a lot of guardians. I love solving probate disputes
– - What would you say is the single most important legal issue affecting your clients?
No one single issue but most have concerns for safety and well-being of loved ones. Many clients are in financial distress
– - What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
I tell them I will do the best I can. They make all the final decisions. I will fight hard for them to achieve fair and just
– - Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
There are two (1) Iranian woman with custody dispute. If lost her son would return to Iran and she would never see him (2)…
…(2) I worked on a MA Supreme Judicial Court case regarding child support with same sex couple who had child together
– - That sounds like challenging work. Why do your clients hire you?
I have a good reputation for honesty and integrity. I have been described as a diplomatic bulldog. I truly look for fair
– - What’s the most active area of your practice at the current time? Is that typical?
Guardianship, estate admins and real estate. kind of typical. New Probate Code in MA. I am a bit of an authority on it
– - How has the economic crisis affected your clients? Are you beginning to see signs of recovery?
It has. I do limited representation b/c people cannot afford me to handle their entire case. Not sure about recovery signs
– - Tell us about the Pro Bono Publico Award you received in 2009. What was it for?
I received award from Bar for commitment to providing access to justice to low income people. I volunteer a lot at the Court
– - Clearly you take pro bono very seriously. What types of pro bono do you do? How does it make you a better lawyer?
I volunteer to represent people. Provide free info seminars. I review Guardian reports for Court. I chair vol. lawyer group
– - That must be very satisfying…. How do you describe what you do to people you meet at a cocktail party?
I usually tell people I am a problem solver and that I take care of people who need help before I tell them I am a lawyer!
– - 🙂 How do you generally market your practice? Does social media play a big part in your marketing efforts?
most marketing is word of mouth. I use online marketing including social media to market. I do very little print advertising
– - How long have you been active on Twitter? Has your Twitter strategy changed over that time?
About 6 mths. It has changed. Less direct marketing. It is more about maintaining presence and building relationships
– - Makes sense. Have your Web 2.0 activities led to any referrals or client engagements?
I have had several clients inquire about hiring me through Facebook. At least 1 from twitter. It is hard to track sometimes.
– - That’s a great result for your efforts. What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
The intermingling of politics in election of Judges. No elections in MA. Can’t make tough decision when job is on the line
– - What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
Probably pretty similar to now, except more online legal filing like in Fed Court. Probably many issues with privacy rights
– - What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
I can’t imagine doing anything else. I would probably move to Maine and become a lobster fisherman or start a brewery
– - How do you want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as someone who was honest and always helped the less fortunate
– - What do you do when you’re not working?
I run longer distances working up to ½ marathon. Usually 6-10 miles. I like trying beer I have never had and new restaurants
– - What advice can you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
If you can afford to, keep working, even if you have to do more pro bono. There is a lot of Ct appointed work out there too
– - And our last question for you: What advice do you have for people going to law school today?
It is obvious that you need to work hard but equally important to learn how to market yourself and build relationships
That’s all very good advice. Thanks for tweeting with us today; was great to learn about you and your practice
No problem. This was a lot of fun! Thanks
Filed under Twitterviews | Tags: Estate Planning, Family Law, Holyoke MA, Real Estate | Comments Off on @liquidluncher
