With his funny and intelligent lyrics, Mike Melonakos confronts and overcomes the physical, mental and emotional demons of the law school experience. The band ventures beyond law school, too, in rockers like Litigation Explosion and What if You Make More Money than Me?.

Backed by the JDs' energetic playing, and displaying command of styles ranging from punk to country, this CD will surely stir the soul of any past, present, or future law student. You want evidence? Check out the samples. Res ipsa loquitor!

It’s so common to do this, and when we do, we generally think we’re making good use of the time by multitasking. And yet, most of us have also had the experience of getting "busted":the person who’s talking realizes we aren’t listening, or we make an error because we’re juggling two (or more) tasks simultaneously. At a minimum, our stress level goes up because the brain isn’t wired for multitasking.

Instead, try being fully present with what you’re doing. If you’re in conversation, close your email and put your phone on "do not disturb" so you can direct all of your attention to the discussion. Conversations tend to go more quickly when you’re fully present because you’re at full attention, and you’ll notice that you catch not only what’s said, but also what is going unsaid that should perhaps be explored.

For instance, imagine that a colleague is briefing you on an expert witness deposition prep session and the words say all is well. If you are fully present to your colleague, you might notice tension in his face that you would miss if you were looking at papers or email while he’s talking. Seeing the tension, you’d have an opportunity to inquire and learn that although he can’t put his finger on the issue, something isn’t right about the testimony or the way the expert is presenting it. That’s valuable information that could go undetected. (Should your colleague raise the concern without being asked? Absolutely. However, many of us are uncomfortable bringing up a concern without any evidence to back it up, and so he might well not mention it.)

How to become fully present? I recommend a quick centering exercise, which can be as simple as taking 3 or 4 slow, deep breaths. Bring all of your attention to the present activity, and if you find your attention wandering, breathe deeply again and bring it back. This level of focus will allow you to be more effective and less stressed.

As Malcolm Forbes said, "Presence is more than just being there." Being fully present focuses all of your senses on the task or person at hand. It’s a learned skill. Try an experiment: resolve to be fully present for a couple of hours a day and see what you notice. I’d love to hear your feedback!

Julie Fleming Brown, J.D., A.C.C. provides attorney development coaching and consulting to law firm associates and partners, focusing on topics such as leadership, client, and professional development; career strategy; and work/life integration. A certified leadership coach (Georgetown University), Julie publishes the weekly email newsletter Leadership Matters for Lawyers and posts often on the Life at the Bar Blog. Learn more at www.LifeAtTheBar.com or by contacting Julie by telephone at 800.758.6214 or by email to jfb@lifeatthebar.com. This article was originally published in the December 26, 2008 issue of the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

©Stu Rees. All rights reserved.

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Suggested inside text: Yesterday you really got on my nerves

Suggested inside text: Who says lawyers aren't romantic?

Suggested inside text: Then I don't want to be rightful

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Feeling sorry for yourself is ok. But, getting other people to feel sorry for you and then reluctantly joining in is so much more satisfying.

Although, some people display natural self pitying ability from an early age, for many of us it is a matter of practice, trial and error especially if we don’t just wish to do it alone.

Self pity should not be confused with misery however much some people seem to enjoy it. Misery usually requires a demonstration of hurt and pain, whereas competent self pityists aim for the bearing stoically and silently of one’s burdens in a dignified manner which can be done alone as a silent meditation but generally it is best if other people appreciate what you are going through.

But for the newcomer tired of going it alone how can this "Enhanced Self Pity" be achieved? There are two criteria to get right—audience and subject. Getting either wrong can lead to misery which is to be avoided (see above).

Audience

Audiences are best selected from people who have nothing better to do such as your co-workers.

Many people turn to a small but significant audience consisting of their own mother and work out from there.

Your lawyer or accountant can be an excellent audience but are likely to wish to charge you for it by the minute and therefore should be treated as a last resort.

Often, parents make the mistake of trying Enhanced Self Pity after they have repeatedly tried screaming, pleading, crying and bribing in their attempt to exercise control over their teenage children. However, sadly, teenagers, like some retirees, seem immune to any suffering other than their own.

Spouses can be excellent audiences provided the subject is life threatening and you have had the foresight to take out a substantial life insurance policy; otherwise they are not known for their bedside manner.

Subject

For Solitary Self Pity, the subject can be entirely selfish and range from imagining your own death (however distant) to not being invited to a party. However, in Enhanced Self Pity the subject is opened to public scrutiny and therefore needs to be gritty without the consequences being too serious for you. For this reason, a terminal illness or the loss of a leg has limited appeal. It is best to focus on other people letting you down. This is acknowledged to be emotionally painful without any physical suffering on your part.

Whereas your teenage children make a lousy audience they are an excellent subject and elicit immediate sympathy even from the most cynical audience as will your boss, your spouse or aging parents.

After age 45, feeling sorry for yourself is up there with sex and getting your son to mow the lawn, but only if it is done right.

Paul Brennan is a legal cartoonist, author and speaker. He is the author of We Have the Time if You Have the Money: How to Promote Your Legal Practice, A Legal Guide to Dying: Baby Boomer Edition, The 10 Greatest Legal Mistakes in Business . . . and How to Avoid Them, and The Law is an Ass—Make Sure it Doesn’t Bite Yours, which are intended for a worldwide audience. He blogs at www.101reasonstokillallthelawyers.com. In his day job, he is the principal of Brennans Solicitors, a law firm located in Mooloolaba, a Queensland, Australia seaside town, where he practices in the areas of business law (including franchising), intellectual property, trusts and estates, immigration and real estate. For more information on booking Paul as a speaker, visit www.lawanddisorder.com.au.

©Dan Rosandich. All rights reserved.

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©Suzan Charlton. All rights reserved.

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Suzan Charlton is a professional cartoonist who is rumored to practice insurance coverage law as a hobby for a major Washington D.C. law firm. Her cartoons cover a wide range of law-related topics, from law school grades to law firm romance.

Law school second semester,
and we just got our grades delivered,
and after that it was time to celebrate.
So she and her roommate, they threw a shindig,
keg barbeque someone even wore a wig,
and after a few, she came up to me.
She said, "You look happy, was it your grades?"
I wouldn’t answer, so she took another way.
She said, "We should study together."
She looked kinda cute so I thought I’d let her,
and she was making this coy little smile that seemed to say more.

(she said) "Hey just send me your outlines,
we’ll get together and then I’ll send you mine," and with a wink and a kiss,
she said, "we’ll take it from there."
So I sent her my outlines, toot swee'.
But I didn’t see hers for weeks and weeks,
and that was when I knew that

Chorus:
She just used me for my outlines
I thought it was because of me eyes.
Or my smile. Or my physique.
But no, she just used me for my outlines
She was plotting my demise,
And now she’s got everything, and I've got nothing.

Well I don’t know what got into me,
to be quite honest, she wasn’t that pretty.
I’d like to tell myself I was a little bit drunk.
But in no way was I inebriated,
I just let myself get degraded,
'cuz for a second or two, she made me feel smart.
And that’s what we need in law school, to feel smart.
Well she sure knew how to play her part

Well, now and again, I see her in the hallway,
I look at her but she won’t look my way,
'cuz she knows she’s done something wrong.
But in the end, justice was done
I found out my outlines sucked,
and I changed ‘em, a week before the final.
And then the final grades came out,
and when I look at the rankings now I can shout:

[Chorus] She tried to use me for my outlines
I thought it was because of me eyes.
Or my smile. Or my physique.
But no, she tried to use me for my outlines
She was plotting my demise,
And now, she’s got nothing.

Well I guess I wasn’t the only one,
'cuz when I see her nowadays she always looks shunned,
and for that, Jesus, I thank you.
And I might sound bitter but I don’t care,
'cuz the grades she got won’t take her anywhere.
I could follow and give her hell, if I only wanted to.
And hell, maybe I want to.

She just used me for my outlines
I thought it was because of my eyes.
Or my smile. Or my physique.
But no, she just used me for my outlines,
She was plotting my demise,
And now, she’s got nothing.

Law school, second semester,
we just got our first grades delivered,
and then it was time to celebrate.

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Fight to keep each fork and knife—
Fight as if it meant your life—
Fight to keep each brush and comb,
Fight until the cows come home
And when at last they finally do,
Fight to keep the damned cows, too!

Each thing your ex-spouse would most prize
Soars in value in your eyes—
It doesn’t matter that you may
Wish to throw the thing away;
Keep the kitten in your grasp,
Though allergies will make you gasp;
The rule by which you must abide:
Keep it from the other side;
To the other side, you may rely,
The selfsame doctrine will apply.

During marriage, a wise person ought
To hide the nature of their thought:
If there’s an object you despise,
Praise it to the very skies,
But you should toss a verbal dart
At those things dearest to your heart;
Then, when problems comes around,
The other side you will confound,
As they will push into your hands
The very things your heart demands.

If children weep, you’re not the louse—
It’s all the fault of your ex-spouse;
And after all, at end of day,
The kids will likely be okay;
If they should seem to need a lift,
Get them an expensive gift.

There’s a reason why, in affairs of the heart,
"Marital" and "martial" are just one typo apart.

Fred C. Russcol, Esq. is Of Counsel to Castro & Remer, P.C. in Ossining, New York. This poem was originally printed in the Westchester Bar Journal and is reprinted with the permission of the Westchester County Bar Association.