We’re all currently in the thick of the Covid-19/Corona Crisis.
People are reacting in a variety of ways. Some good, some not so good. Not too unusual given that at the moment we are in a bit of a leadership vacum in both the private and public sectors.
For me, the most pertienet advice comes from the late, great Douglas Adams in header image of this post – don’t panic.
Contingency Plans and Business Continuity
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be concerned. But it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to act appropriately if you’re in a state of emotional turmoil. The first thing to do is step back, take a deep breath, and attempt to dispassionately assess the situation the best you can. Just because you’re isolated by means of social distancing, doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish things. For example:
– In 1666, Cambridge closed its doors to stop the spread of the black plague.
– 23 year-old student Issac Newton went back home during the #Quarantine
– Newton decided to work on a difficult series of mathematical questions
– He invented calculus. pic.twitter.com/HGxeQw39MP
— Keith Lee (@associatesmind) March 24, 2020
I’m not suggesting that any of us are going to be the next Issac Newton, but we can – and should – continue to do our best in both our professional and personal lives. That’s why I asked lawyers last week what they were doing for Contingency Plans and Business Continuity over at Associate’s Mind. Their answers were illuminating and worth your time to read if you’re looking for inspiration.
Community During Covid
But social distancing can be rather lonely. This isn’t a new realization on my part. I started LawyerSmack over two years ago because of few simple realizations:
- The majority of lawyers are by themselves. Solos, small firms, or in-house. Or a new associate who feels alone.
- We now have 1.5 generations of lawyers that have “grown up” socializing via the Internet.
- Most Bar Associations are functioning in the Stone Age
LawyerSmack (LS) is designed to help lawyers connect with other lawyers across the USA, and around the world. A place to commiserate and celebrate.
Last week we had our first LS WFH Happy Hour…which eventually turned into 2.5 hours of joking, sharing, and having fun with a rotating crowd of 30+ people.
It was so much fun, we’re going to expand and fomalize it to…
LawyerSmack Live
Starting this week, LawyerSmack is going to hold live events, both private and public. These will be Zoom hangouts, hosted and directed by me. We’ll have guests on to discuss various topics and have a Q&A with the crowd.
This week, exclusively for LawyerSmack members:
David Smith
Radiologist
David is a Yale/Columbia educated doctor, and is currently a professor of clinical radiology at LSU. He is dealing with the corona virus first hand, and is going to discuss what things look like from the front lines (New Orleans is one of the most impacted areas in the United States).
David is going to chat with us on 3/24/20, 8pm Eastern.
Joshua Holt
Lawyer / Personal Finance Sage
Josh is a Big Law private equity, mergers & acquisitions lawyer. But most folks probably know him from his popular personal finance site for lawyers, Big Law Investor (don’t be turned off by the “big law” part, it’s for all lawyers). Josh and I are going to discuss money and mindset during a crisis.
Josh is going to talk with us at 3/26/2020 at 5pm Eastern.
🍻 WFH Happy Hour 🍻 Sponsored by Case Status
Next week, on 4/1/2020 at 7 PM Eastern, we’ll be having the first public LawyerSmack Live event.
This is an informal hang out, hosted by me, to talk with you. We’re going to chat about how we’re adapting to the new normal – office setups, handling co-workers, and developing post-apocolyptic skills. Most importantly we’re going to toast to our week and have a bit of fun.
But wait! There’s more! This WFH Happy Hour is going to be sponsored by Case Stauts.
What does that mean? They’re going to buy you a drink.
Case Status gives your firm the ability to update all of your clients with a single click. Centralize your firm communication across multiple attorneys, case managers and clients. Eliminate unnecessary phone calls and emails from clients with a robust automation and notification system.
Case Status reduces your time managing clients, so you can focus on being a lawyer.
Whaaaaa? How is that going to work?
At legal industry conferences there is usually always a sponsored social/happy hour. Just because we’re all going virtual doesn’t mean we should change things.
The folks at Case Status and I looked into the logistics of drink delivery services, but those are still being figured out right now. So in the meantime, Case Status is going to “buy” you a drink via the magic of the interwebs. The details:
- You must be a lawyer to attend the happy hour.
- You must register for the happy hour using your law firm email address.
- After registering and attending the Happy Hour, send an email to [email protected] from the email address you used to register with your Paypal/Venmo details, and Case Status sends you $5. 💸
Not as much fun as physically sending you a drink, but this will have to work in the meantime. A few additional details:
- Space is limited to 95 people. So register quickly.
- You must have a drink for the Happy Hour, so we can all toast to our week together.
- But the drink doesn’t have to be alcoholic. No pressure to drink from us on that front, we want to be inclusive to everyone whether they drink alcohol or not.
- I’ll have a fun announcement during the Happy Hour as well.
That’s it. Easiest way to have someone buy you a drink while we’re all on lockdown.
Looking forward to raising a glass with all of you soon!
