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When law firm marketing goes too far

July 30, 2009

Legal Blog Watch brings us news of a Newark lawyer who allegedly solicited work from a rape victim by leaving a leaflet on her windscreen. The ethics, or absence of ethics, behind such an act are presently before New Jersey’s Committee on Attorney Advertising. Swordplay sincerely hopes that this dire variant on ambulance chasing does not catch on.

Is studying law worth the effort?

July 29, 2009

Blade receives an email from an old friend. It says: “I’ve been thinking about a change of career for ages and now seems as good a time as any.  I’ve got a place at The College of Law to do a GDL with a view to then going on to a BVC.  Am I insane?  If you have a spare five minutes I’ve got a few questions and would really appreciate a candid view on whether this is the right thing to do.”

How best to answer? Should Blade alert his friend to this story from The Lawyer, highlighting the fact that even the Law Society is telling people to think twice before embarking on a career in the law? After all, the statistics make for grim reading: 7,000 people completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) in 2008, but there are only 6,000 training contracts available this year.

Or should Blade counsel optimism and suggest that with the requisite degree of application, jobs in the law are still to be had?

Blade’s own experience might be useful. Over 15 years ago, in the lead up to the dread Law Society Finals (LSF), Blade fired off sundry missives seeking work with firms large, small and indeterminate. He was promptly rewarded with articles (as they were then known) with a leading libel firm. Blade’s good fortune was much envied by his colleagues on the LSF, but soon enough most of them had secured articles, too. Others were not so lucky, for Blade’s day was not a halcyon one. Back then the law was every bit as competitive as it is now and not every budding Rumpole would walk straight into a job. Indeed, two of the brightest stars on Blade’s course were the last to secure training contracts, and neither were with the creme de la creme.

All these years later the two stars demonstrated their ability and are now partners commanding substantial equity in household name law firms. Blade, meanwhile, left the law some time ago in favour of his first love, writing. The stars undoubtedly earn significantly more than Blade; all three of us would, Blade suspects, say that we’re happy with our respective fates.

The point is that there’s a long way to go in life, with or without the law. Studying it may not lead to an immediate legal career, or it might lead to a training contract with a City firm from the off. A few years later partnership may beckon or something else entirely.

It strikes Blade that in seeking to highlight the risks of undertaking study of the law, the Law Society has fallen prey to the kind of thinking that would seek to eliminate all risk from any venture that we ever take. Society is all too full of this absurd attitude. Blade’s advice to his old friend will be to go for it, with enthusiasm, diligence and commitment – and, of course, a weather eye on the risks.

Pictured courtesy of John McDonald: a putative lawyer realises that studying law isn’t always a bundle of laughs.

Lateral Born PR by Sunshine

July 29, 2009

What are the ingredients for a killer press release? We’ve previously noted that good spelling and grammar is a sine qua non, for the illiterate press release is destined only for discovery by Benji the Binman (and he’s retired). We hesitate to state the obvious – that a press release needs to be attention-grabbing, and yet not in an exclamatory, in-your-face fashion – and instead suggest that a little bit of lateral born PR goes a long way.

Take the press release below, which has just wended its way to Swordplay. It’s issued on behalf of  www.sunshine.co.uk – ‘the UK’s largest independent online travel agent’ – and despite one or two linguistic howlers, we think it’s rather clever, blending  the world’s strangest laws with travel advice. Decidedly left-field, creative and notable. Whoever thought of the combination deserves a pat on the back – or, perhaps, a trip to one of Sunshine’s destinations. Here’s the release in full (with thanks to Flickr user Kris Kros for the sunny image):

A BRITISH GUIDE TO NOT GETTING ARRESTED ON HOLIDAY

Going out without any pants on, not having their swim suit inspected by the police, carrying an ice cream cone in their back pocket on a Sunday, singing whilst wearing a cossie, peeing in the sea and flushing the loo after 10pm; laws from around the world that all British holiday-goers should be made aware of.

With recent cases of Brits getting arrested abroad, such as the mother who got arrested in Phuket for stealing a beer coaster and a couple being arrested in Malaysia for holding hands, it’s no wonder that sunshine.co.uk, the UK’s fastest growing independent online travel agent has seen an influx of enquires from worried holiday-goers about the rules and regulations of their chosen holiday destination.

www.sunshine.co.uk noticed that aside from the more serious rules, such as showing affection to a non-marital partner in public or walking around in swimwear in Dubai, there are many outdated rules around the world that people should be aware of.

Every Brits worst nightmare; stepping off the plane to rain. But be warned; in Milan, it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits, there are no exceptions made for depressed Brits armed with only their flip flops and straw hats.

If people choose to take a taxi ride from the airport to their hotel, they will be pleased to hear that in Massachusetts, taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of the car during their shifts. Or, if a hire car is the preferential means of travel be warned; when using a hire car in Denmark, people are legally obliged to honk the horn and check for small children underneath the car.

When people have settled into their hotel room, unpacked their belongings and are ready for some holiday fun, they must be cautious of the following laws:

Before getting carried away with the excitement of the sun, sand and sea be aware; In Thailand, it is illegal for anyone to leave a building without wearing their pants and in Michigan, anyone planning on bathing in public must have their swim suit inspected by a police officer.

With pants firmly on and swim suit inspection over, it’s time for some activities but in Florida, any unmarried woman who parachutes on a Sunday could be jailed and singing while wearing a cossie is strictly prohibited.

With the scorching sun and endless cocktails on the beach, an innocent swim can easily lead to an illegal offence in Portugal as it is unlawful to urinate in the sea; how they keep tabs on this is another matter altogether.

When the sun sets and the party frocks come out, Brits are quite well known around the world for their partying antics. However, if caught getting down and dirty with a married man in Hong Kong, the betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill the mistress in any manner desired; the cheating husband on the other hand gets off lightly, and may only be killed by the angry wives bare hands.

Fortunately however, according to an old Kentucky rule, anyone who has been drinking is sober until s/he cannot hold the ground but in Switzerland a strong bladder is required, as flushing the loo after 10pm is, of course, illegal.

If people should fail to abide by the above list of rules then they can only hope to be treated with the same compassion as in Canada, whereby if you are arrested and then released from prison, it is a legal requirement that the felon is given a handgun with bullets and a horse, so they can ride safely out of the town.

Chris Brown managing director of sunshine.co.uk said;

“We aren’t sure how serious these countries are when it comes to prosecuting on the above but it’s quite mind boggling trying to figure out why there was ever a need to have a law against carrying an ice cream cone in your back pocket on a Sunday or looking at a moose from an airplane!

“All jokes aside, we are very committed to reassuring our customers about the rules and regulations of their chosen destinations and we welcome the enquiries from Brits predominantly visiting locations like Dubai, Turkey and Egypt. Our customer service team is happy to assist with any concerns, but if you find yourself getting arrested in Thailand for not wearing your pants, don’t come running to us!”

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