For most of history, physical distance made it hard (but not impossible) to connect with others and build relationships.
History—as it comes to us in the form of written documentation—is replete with examples of relationships that grew out of, or were maintained by, the art of letter writing.
We see this in the letters of the apostle Paul, in Galileo’s letters to his daughter, in the correspondence of Benjamin Franklin, in the writings of C.S. Lewis.
Technology Extends Our Reach
Today, of course, technology makes it easy to connect with anyone, anytime, and almost anywhere. A connection, however, doesn’t automatically create a meaningful relationship.
Real relationships require trust.
The attorney-client relationship has trust as its core.
We tend to trust people we know and like and that can make it a bit more challenging to build a new relationship with someone when the communications are mediated.
Relationships that instill trust are just as important in a virtual law practice context as they are in the “real” world. Fifty years ago, most lawyers (might) bump into a client at the dinner, baseball practice, church or Rotary Club.
The upside of convenient real world interactions is that you can bump into someone and have a quick, casual conversation. But there are downsides to working and interacting only with those in your immediate physical sphere.
New ideas come from making connections between otherwise unrelated concepts. We often find these unrelated concepts through encounters with new people in new contexts.
If you rely too deeply on the familiar, your creativity and capacity for innovation will grow stagnant.
The beauty of communication technology is that it allows us to make connections with others around the world and to more easily bring a diversity of experiences and knowledge into our lives. This is true whether we’re in the design stage of a new business idea or in the arena and need help expanding our reach or solving a problem.
Trust is required, of course, to move these connections from casual acquaintances to the level where an attorney-client relationship is created and confidential information is shared.
We Tend to Trust People We Know….
That’s one reason I’ve chosen to offer some of my personal backstory on the blog and to go beyond simply listing my professional credentials and the types of legal and communication services I offer.
You’ll find more about my personal interests, values and non-legal experience on this website than you might typically find on a law firm website. That’s why my email newsletter will offer more than snippets about the latest legal news.
On a practice level, I use offer a range of communication technology to make it easier share information and to connect in the ways that you are comfortable. If you become a client, we will use the type of technology that you’re comfortable using and that you prefer to use. Face-to-face meetings at your office or other locations are options, when necessary.
My law practice is powered by technology.
The attorney – client relationship is real.
If you haven’t already, please make sure to review the attorney disclaimers applicable to your use of this law firm website.
I look forward to getting to know you.