This train can't be stopped!

Things are happening!

In the past week or so since my last post a few things have happened that make it appear that things are moving along nicely (albeit crazily).

I bought some stuff! Like for my new office! Okay, it should become abundantly clear that I ADORE office supplies and buying stuff - combine the two and I am in near heaven.

BUT I have to admit that pulling the trigger and committing to things like a Multi-Function Printer is scaring the bajeezus out of me. I keep adding one to my "shopping cart" only to take it back out again. I have read every review there is to read and still am having a difficult time.

Living in Hawaii, especially on Kauai, makes this all the more complicated because I basically have to order everything online. Unless Costco carries it, it comes from overseas. So, shipping costs need to be factored in as well. Case in point - my favorite little tabs used for dividing my files are about $3.50/package. So I happily put 5 packages in my shopping cart on Amazon.. shipping was over $50!!! Apparently a gold plated pegasus delivers it directly to your door .. I can find no other explanation.

So, that said, I'm left to pore over websites, online reviews and word of mouth recommendations. So it was quite a momentus moment when I bit the bullet and bought a MONITOR! I plan to plug it into my laptop once I read about 50 more reviews of those do-hickies that connect a Mac to a PC monitor..*sigh*

I also got a few more office supplies - files etc that make me feel almost legit.

In addition to this excitement, it was finally decided who would fill my position upon my departure! It's a bittersweet moment. It is very difficult for me to give up the reigns to what I consider "my" office. I have been here for 10 years, serving Kauai's underrepresented population. I have helped this office to become a respected agency and secured grants for various programs. I'm proud of what I and this office have accomplished. My worst fear is that this office will begin to lose it's reputation and cease to be invited to the table for discussions in our community. Now, I don't think my successor will be awful by any means, it's just that relinquishing control that I find so difficult. But now that my job has been given to someone else - the reality of my leaving has sunk in even more. It's almost brought a sort of peace to my mind  - like it's okay for me to start the letting go process now.

Finally, I signed up my first client! I think the referrals will roll in as word gets out that I'm taking private cases, but it's nice to have that first one, with the retainer sitting safely in a client trust account! I'm shocked at how quickly the billing adds up! I am beginning to see the earning potential in my new venture compared to my current employment. It's daunting and exciting at the same time..

Transitions

I am in this weird place between winding down one job and trying to start a new one. Now I guess we've all been in this position as far as leaving one job for another. However, my situation is made more complicated by the fact that when I leave my current position I need to START my new job, as in, start my business! I'm not going to a job that exists already and just filling that position. I AM the job. I AM the position.

Obviously, this requires quite a bit of planning and preparation -which in and of itself is rather fun. However, while I'm trying to continue carrying out the duties of my current job, this is quite difficult. Either I don't get the planning done or my current job suffers. I clearly have not mastered time management.

I have two and half months to get this figured out. My goals are to leave my position in good standing and without leaving a mess for my successor to clean up WHILE AT THE SAME TIME putting myself in the position to hit the ground running come January 1, 2014. Well actually January 2, because on 1/1/14 I will be comatose on the couch watching bowl game after bowl game.. preferably with guacamole.

Getting closer

I'm getting closer to actually launching this hair brained scheme..

Let me retrace my steps to better explain how I got to this point:

I went to law school to be a public defender. I had no intention of doing Family Law. I took that class in law school and thought it was interesting in the way that reading the sordid details of someone else's life is interesting - and discomforting. I also took Public Interest law and it sort of appealed to my bleeding heart liberalism. I definitely felt attorneys who chose that path were altruistic and comparable to public defenders. I didn't view myself as going into that area of law. I was more attracted to the adversarial nature (that I perceived) of criminal law, plus I was intrigued at the notion of loss of "liberty.

My new Law Office Logo - courtesy of Andre Cotrim!

So fast forward three years to post graduation and bar exam...I come visit my mom in Hawaii. At the time she was married to a person I am was not fond of. She was clearly unhappy in paradise. I determined that I should move here and help her obtain a divorce. So this motivation, along with several personal motivations, prompted me to move to Hawaii before I even knew if I had passed the bar in my home state. I applied for one job in Hawaii. Actually, I applied for one job out of law school. With the local Legal Aid agency - as a paralegal. It was the ONLY legal related job available on this island of 60,000.

Now, fast forward another ten years. I have been with this office the entire time. I went from being a paralegal working on disability cases to an Americorps Attorney doing all areas of civil law, to my current position as the managing attorney of the office. One interview, one place of employment for my entire legal career.

In late August I was running with a friend (running may be a bit of an exaggeration.. more of a jaunty walk) and talking about my employment issues. I love my job and feel that there is a lot more I could do in my position. However the compensation in the non-profit sector is dismal. This dismalness is made even more stark when one compares the rate of compensation to the never-shrinking law school debt. Add to this life events like kids, a house, family on the mainland.. and one is faced with a tough decision. Choose between continuing to do good work for people who would otherwise not have access to an attorney OR support your family. It's taken me ten years to get where I never thought I would be. But in that discussion with my friend, it was like a switch flipped and the decision was no longer agonizing. It seemed clear what I should do. And then I got excited.

So once the decision was made I went into full steam ahead mode. Set up a domain, got a website (still under construction), got my business license (admittedly, when I decided to start a "firm" I didn't think of it as starting a business..) and other necessary documents. I have a phone number - which used to be the number of an animal feed store that closed a couple years ago..and those are the only calls I've gotten so far.. I have a case management system, bank accounts and an online fax service.. I am for all intents and purposes READY!!

I also have an office space starting 1/114.. and 2 chairs.  I have some ways to go furniture and supplies wise.. (but I also just got a Costco Business Membership..so that's cool!).

I'm excited at the progress being made and I'm excited for my next challenge. I'm also scared to death. Failure is not an option.

Oh snap..

Welcome to my new blog.. this is only about the 5th one I've started and very likely not the last one I'll start (more on this trend later).

The purpose of this blog is to focus on my impending career change. My brain is in constant motion on this topic and I'm hoping my puking my thoughts into my computer - and in turn the interwebs - that this will free up my brain for some actual productivity.

The title of this blog, "fLAWed" is sorta cheesy. I get that. And yet, it totally feels like it fits. I spent a few 20 minute periods wracking my brain for something clever and witty that would make my blawg stand out... and I was quite disappointed with how UNcreative I can be. At some point nearing midnight fLAWed came to mind.. and it just felt right.

So join me for a discussion (I'm guessing largely one-sided unless I tell my dad about this latest blog adventure) on moving from practicing public interest law at a non-profit to the blood sucking sharkdom of a solo practice. (clearly I'm having some inner turmoil about this transition). Along the way I will also be covering work/life balance as I juggle motherhood, running a household, and trying not to give in to obesity..  are you gaining more insight into why I chose to call this blog "fLAWed?"