Can A Lawyer Challenge The Thinking?

Two weeks ago I had no idea who Jason Falls was, but he really got me to thinking.

I was killing time on Twitter and ran across a post on 10 Twitter Users Who Deserve Attention. I Read through the post, found the writing on the site interesting, and scrolled down.

Big mistake.

The post below the one I read was titled Challenge the Thinking. It was about a Tweet put up by Jason Falls indicating that he was cleaning out his newsfeeds and deleting the ones that didn’t “challenge the thinking.”

What the hell was THAT about? As the post summed up:

“Challenge the thinking.” Challenge the thinking! In a way, isn’t that exactly what social media asks of us — find a way to do it better, whatever it is? We are the vanguards of our professions, the innovators who are shaping the future of business. If we’re not daring to think in new ways, who will?

So I go through the rest of the post, intrigued about the topic. And I start to wonder whether it’s wise for a lawyer to challenge the thinking – to do something bold, to innovate, to do something better than everyone else?

Of course it is!

We lawyers are trained to do things the same way as or predecessors. Look at issues the same way, process cases the same way, operate our businesses the same way.

And we get all bent out of shape when we don’t attain a level of success or happiness that is above our colleagues.

Kind of like banging your head on the floor and wondering why it hurts all the time. DUmb to the nth the degree, huh?

Look around you, at lawyers who have challenged the thinking and done things differently.

Susan Cartier-Liebel, consultant and coach to solo attorneys and creator of Solo Practice University;

Chuck Newton, a bankruptcy lawyer in Texas who ditched his fancy office in favor of a carpet commute and a niche practice handling violations of the automatic stay;

The folks at Traverse Legal, a law firm that “gets it” – big time;

Peter Barry, a consumer protection lawyer who challenged the debt collection system and ended up revolutionizing the field;

April Charney, an attorney at Jacksonville Legal Aid who developed the most effective way to combat foreclosures – period;

Stephanie Kimbro, the attorney who is turning the world upside down with her virtual law office technology;

and . . .

You?

Sure, why not? Why not challenge the way that law is practiced? Why not ask the question, “What can I do better?” Then, why not answer it?

Can you challenge the thinking? Yes, you can – and you must. Because if you don’t, someone else will. And when they do, you’ll find that one morning you wake up to the unmistakable scent of exhaust fumes as your competition tears past you on the highway of business.

Scared? You should be. Because if you’re not scared about the prospect of being left behind instead of leading the pack, you’re burying your head in the sand.

Just something to think about. And to act on.