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Tuesday, September 3, 2024
By Michael Nichols
Categories: Michael J. Nichols
Every Labor Day weekend since 2006, I thought to myself, sometimes out loud “this time a year ago; this time two years ago … this time 5 years ago …” You get the picture. Basically, back in 2006 we opened the Nichols Law Firm at its current location on the Monday after the Labor Day Holiday (so – September 11th). Really, Wendy was practicing out of the attic of our first (small) house in East Lansing for at least 9 months prior so we are truly going on 19 years, but this will be 18 years together at 3452 E. Lake Lansing Road in East Lansing.
It was September 11, 2006. America was, of course, observing the 5th year of the 9-11 tragedy. My dad had died the month previously. Oh, yeah – on 9-11, 2006 I started what would be an 8-week trial as co-counsel with Andrew Abood in a little case called “People v Holland.” At the time, this was one of Michigan’s most notorious murders and garnered international attention. Of course, I was going to be in on that case when Andrew asked: there was just one problem – I was not getting paid.
I had been retained by Andrew because it was just that much work. Then the family ran out of money sometime that summer. I agreed to stay on the case as court appointed counsel since I was on the “A” list for the roster of attorneys in private practice who would be eligible to take life offenses.
I did finally get a check from Ingham County, but it reflected about 1/16th of the time that I actually put in, as you can imagine: working every day for about 9 weeks and then a whole bunch before then. I never got sleep.
The trial ended with a guilty verdict on the same night that my beloved Detroit Tigers lost the 2006 world series to the St. Louis Cardinals. I had no time to celebrate the end of the trial and mourn the loss of the world series – it was time to finally get to the business of helping to build a law firm.
On occasion one has a chance to reflect on a lot when one thinks back to a time in life like that time that I am describing for you, and you try to think about “the secret.” I see all these ads on social media about “create a 7-figure law firm but take lots of vacations” – “make your law firm work for you, not the other way around.” There is just no way – no flippin’ way – that will EVER be the reality: believe me. It is a grind; it is a commitment it is a labor of love.
There is no secret beyond survival. Survival, grind it out and stay committed to your principles. I also see continuing legal education themes and I see the “client-centric” discussions. For example “learn a client-centric practice of plea negotiations.” First of all, is that not the whole point of representing someone, especially in a criminal case? You want the best possible outcome AFTER you ruled out that either a dismissal or a not guilty are not possible. I mean, trying to do the best thing possible for the client is supposed to be job one above all others “I will put my client’s interests before my own … “ is part of the lawyer’s oath. What does that mean if not “client first” in any situation. It is SUPPOSED to be a client-centric world.
I think of all the weekends and nights that I would, and sometimes with Wendy’s help, be up working on a brief, witness outlines, closing arguments or – things like this – writing for a local bar publication, a blog for an organization of which I am a member or the Mens Rea article that I did for many years for the Ingham County Bar Association’s BRIEFS.
Survive; grind; commit – as Christian, my son starts law school at Cooley on September 3, 2024, I think that is what I would tell myself are the “secrets” to success. I suspect those secrets translate to other areas of life apart from the practice of law. No matter what you do, you have to embrace the absolute value of the 3 words: survive; grind; commit.
Happy Anniversary, NLF.