Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners

There Are Puppies in SmallLaw

What do you do if you need puppies to handle stressful situations? Try SmallLaw.

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cute-spanielSince last week’s election, there’s been a lot of trauma on college campuses. The fact that the election didn’t turn out the way kids voting in their first election wanted it to go is roiling campuses across the country, making the students more sick to their stomach than I was back in ’04 when the hated Red Sox beat the Yankees and then my beloved St. Louis Cardinals.  (Led of course by World Series MVP and renowned cheater Manny Ramirez.)

Anyway, law schools are not immune to this phenomena of students incapacitated by the election.  Kids voting in their second presidential election — who presumably voted for the winning candidate in the last one — were dismayed that this time around their candidate came up short (in the electoral college, at least).  This dismay turned to anger, calls for a constitutional amendment, and much hyperventilating.

Colleges are doing what they can to provide comfort.  Midterms are being postponed (or at the very least, students are being excused).  Therapy is being offered.  Group hugs.  Coloring sheets.  And lastly, puppies.

I was in Biglaw from 2005 to 2013, minus a couple of years in government, and I never saw any puppies.  Perhaps there was a “puppy room” that I never found or was given access to, maybe next to the nursing room.  Doubtful, though.  Biglaw isn’t a particularly puppy-friendly environment.  In fact, I feel fairly confident in declaring there are no puppies in Biglaw.

So what do you do if you need puppies to handle stressful situations?  One option is to try to get yourself declared disabled.  If you can do this, you might be able to get a service dog, and then wherever you go — even Biglaw — you can bring your dog.  Are service dogs cute enough to soothe you when you’re down and troubled?  Probably, but there is another option.

The option to go Small.  Yep, in SmallLaw we have puppies.  Well, not all of us. My firm doesn’t, even though I like puppies as much as the next person (assuming the next person is too busy for a pet and can handle his candidate losing an election without resorting to puppies).  But some of us do.  See, here’s my friend Bill’s firm: W.R. Samuels Law.  Look under “staff” and click on the staff member that only has one name.  The firm mascot!  Bill’s not the only one whose firm has a puppy.  Here’s another story about dogs in law firms: Dogs in the Law Office.  There are even attorneys dedicated to representing dogs — surely these folks allow dogs in the office? — such as The Dog Lawyer and Boston Dog Lawyers (the latter located in the same city as steroid enthusiast Manny Ramirez).   If you’re at one of these firms, maybe you can play with the resident puppy if a client gives you a hard time or a negotiation doesn’t go your way (or someone like me makes fun of you for not being able to handle adversity without a puppy).

So for those of you reading this from a campus while comfortably embracing a puppy, it’s time to make the easy choice.  That Am Law 100 firm may be promising you prestige and a six-figure salary, but from now until Dec. 30, or whenever you need to make the decision, think about what your life would be like without puppies.  If this prospect frightens you, consider the small side of law.

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Come to SmallLaw.  We have puppies.

gary-rossGary J. Ross opened his own practice, Jackson Ross PLLC, in 2013 after several years in Biglaw and the federal government. Gary handles corporate and securities matters for startups, large and small businesses, private equity funds, and investors in each, and also has a number of non-profit clients. You can reach Gary by email at Gary.Ross@JacksonRossLaw.com.

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