{"id":136998,"date":"2025-11-17T15:09:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T23:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/11\/17\/15-years-of-above-the-law\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T15:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T23:09:10","slug":"15-years-of-above-the-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/11\/17\/15-years-of-above-the-law\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Years Of Above The Law"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
(Photo via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fifteen years ago<\/a>\u00a0this week,\u00a0David Lat<\/a>, who then ran Above the Law, asked me, a veteran big-firm partner who had recently gone in-house, if I\u2019d write a column for this online publication.<\/p>\n

I agreed.\u00a0This link<\/a>\u00a0to my first column shows how I started back in 2010.<\/p>\n

Originally, I wrote two columns every week.\u00a0And I wrote almost exclusively about life as an in-house lawyer or things I had learned in my previous life at a large firm.<\/p>\n

I wrote about \u201cHow to Drive Clients Nuts!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0Once you come up with an idea, you might as well fill a few Mondays with it.\u00a0So I also cranked out, \u201cWhat Drives Partners Nuts!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0And, fair being fair, \u201cHow to Drive Associates Nuts!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I used\u00a0myself as a case study<\/a>\u00a0in developing a legal practice at a large firm.\u00a0Since I was no longer in the game, I could afford to be mercilessly honest.<\/p>\n

I had started a blog when I was at a law firm.\u00a0I wrote about\u00a0blogging as a business development tool<\/a>.\u00a0Again, since I had nothing at stake, I could afford to be honest.\u00a0(After I moved in-house, my co-blogger kept the experiment alive.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0still at it now<\/a>, with help from others, 20 years after we started that puppy.)<\/p>\n

Very occasionally, I veered off topic onto other subjects.\u00a0In 15 years at Above the Law, I stand by\u00a0this as the cutest column<\/a>\u00a0I\u2019ve ever written, even though it touches on the law only tangentially.\u00a0Perhaps\u00a0this one<\/a>\u00a0is a close second, and it\u2019s more legally relevant.<\/p>\n

In 2012, the company that I worked for moved its headquarters (and me) overseas to London.\u00a0I reduced my writing schedule from two columns per week to one.\u00a0When you live in London, weekends are made for Paris, not cranking out columns for Above the Law.<\/p>\n

After my move to the U.K., I\u00a0poked fun at the Brits<\/a>.\u00a0I took a lot of grief for that one.<\/p>\n

At about the same time, I decided to collect some of my columns in a book.\u00a0(Here\u2019s\u00a0the link<\/a>\u00a0to the book at Amazon,\u00a0but the book is now out of print, so you couldn\u2019t buy a copy if you wanted to.\u00a0Happily, my other book, \u201cThe Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law,\u201d is a bigger seller, so you can still\u00a0grab a copy<\/a>\u00a0(affiliate link) if you\u2019re interested.)<\/p>\n

Long-time readers will remember that Above the Law originally permitted folks to click on an icon and post comments about every column.\u00a0 The comments ranged from vicious to insightful to vicious to intelligent to vicious to hysterically funny to vicious.\u00a0 My book reproduced both some my columns and some of my readers\u2019 comments, because I accept wisdom, humor, and insights from all sources, and even viciousness can be revealing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

When I started writing this column, I had to give it a name, which was included every week along with a subtitle hinting at the subject of that particular column.\u00a0Above the Law believed that naming a column was important for branding purposes.\u00a0(The branding exercise stopped many years ago.) My column was originally titled \u201cInside Straight.\u201d\u00a0When the time came to name my book, I wrote a column explaining that the title of my book would start with the name of the column, \u201cInside Straight,\u201d but would then have a colon and a short, snappy, subtitle.\u00a0I\u00a0asked readers to suggest subtitles<\/a>\u00a0in the comments.\u00a0As you might imagine, I received a variety of suggestions.\u00a0One of my favorites was from the commenter who proposed:\u00a0\u201cInside Straight:\u00a0The Annoying Ramblings of an Uber Douche.\u201d\u00a0I confess that I used a different title when the book was actually published.<\/p>\n

Many subjects are static; they just don\u2019t advance quickly, and you eventually exhaust what you have to say.\u00a0Life as an in-house lawyer is that way.\u00a0But two subjects change all the time:\u00a0Sports (with a game every night) and politics (basically the same).\u00a0I bet that\u2019s why you see so many columns about sports and politics.\u00a0After Donald Trump was elected president and I returned to the United States, I shifted the subject of my column from \u201clife as an in-house lawyer\u201d to \u201chow could we have elected that clown?\u201d (although I occasionally\u00a0gave Trump his due<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 eliminating the penny, for example, was a good idea).\u00a0By then, I had no more to say about in-house life and, with Trump as president, the lure was irresistible.<\/p>\n

My columns became more widely read when I started writing political opinion.\u00a0My single most widely read column ruminated on how\u00a0Trump might react<\/a>\u00a0to being indicted.\u00a0But I thought this column was OK, too, posing a\u00a0few questions to my<\/a>\u00a0Trump-supporting friends.\u00a0Judging from the reaction to that column, my Trump-supporting friends don\u2019t like being questioned.<\/p>\n

Years ago, I published annual columns celebrating each anniversary of my time at Above the Law.\u00a0I titled most of those columns, \u201cHappy Birthday to Me!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0But the statistics showed that nobody read those columns.\u00a0One year, I tried to\u00a0sucker people into reading<\/a>\u00a0my anniversary celebration.\u00a0That didn\u2019t work either.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I gave up the tradition.<\/p>\n

But today, on my 15th anniversary at Above the Law, I\u2019m reverting to form and noting the occasion out loud.\u00a0I guarantee you that I\u2019ll no longer be writing these columns in 2040, so you won\u2019t be seeing any 30th anniversary post from me.\u00a0Once in a lifetime is enough.<\/p>\n

For a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, let\u2019s celebrate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Break out the cake.\u00a0Light the candles.\u00a0Cut yourself a slice.<\/p>\n

Happy birthday to me!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

And thanks for having come along for the ride.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post 15 Years Of Above The Law<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Photo via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fifteen years ago<\/a>\u00a0this week,\u00a0David Lat<\/a>, who then ran Above the Law, asked me, a veteran big-firm partner who had recently gone in-house, if I\u2019d write a column for this online publication.<\/p>\n

I agreed.\u00a0This link<\/a>\u00a0to my first column shows how I started back in 2010.<\/p>\n

Originally, I wrote two columns every week.\u00a0And I wrote almost exclusively about life as an in-house lawyer or things I had learned in my previous life at a large firm.<\/p>\n

I wrote about \u201cHow to Drive Clients Nuts!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0Once you come up with an idea, you might as well fill a few Mondays with it.\u00a0So I also cranked out, \u201cWhat Drives Partners Nuts!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0And, fair being fair, \u201cHow to Drive Associates Nuts!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I used\u00a0myself as a case study<\/a>\u00a0in developing a legal practice at a large firm.\u00a0Since I was no longer in the game, I could afford to be mercilessly honest.<\/p>\n

I had started a blog when I was at a law firm.\u00a0I wrote about\u00a0blogging as a business development tool<\/a>.\u00a0Again, since I had nothing at stake, I could afford to be honest.\u00a0(After I moved in-house, my co-blogger kept the experiment alive.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0still at it now<\/a>, with help from others, 20 years after we started that puppy.)<\/p>\n

Very occasionally, I veered off topic onto other subjects.\u00a0In 15 years at Above the Law, I stand by\u00a0this as the cutest column<\/a>\u00a0I\u2019ve ever written, even though it touches on the law only tangentially.\u00a0Perhaps\u00a0this one<\/a>\u00a0is a close second, and it\u2019s more legally relevant.<\/p>\n

In 2012, the company that I worked for moved its headquarters (and me) overseas to London.\u00a0I reduced my writing schedule from two columns per week to one.\u00a0When you live in London, weekends are made for Paris, not cranking out columns for Above the Law.<\/p>\n

After my move to the U.K., I\u00a0poked fun at the Brits<\/a>.\u00a0I took a lot of grief for that one.<\/p>\n

At about the same time, I decided to collect some of my columns in a book.\u00a0(Here\u2019s\u00a0the link<\/a>\u00a0to the book at Amazon,\u00a0but the book is now out of print, so you couldn\u2019t buy a copy if you wanted to.\u00a0Happily, my other book, \u201cThe Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law,\u201d is a bigger seller, so you can still\u00a0grab a copy<\/a>\u00a0(affiliate link) if you\u2019re interested.)<\/p>\n

Long-time readers will remember that Above the Law originally permitted folks to click on an icon and post comments about every column.\u00a0 The comments ranged from vicious to insightful to vicious to intelligent to vicious to hysterically funny to vicious.\u00a0 My book reproduced both some my columns and some of my readers\u2019 comments, because I accept wisdom, humor, and insights from all sources, and even viciousness can be revealing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

When I started writing this column, I had to give it a name, which was included every week along with a subtitle hinting at the subject of that particular column.\u00a0Above the Law believed that naming a column was important for branding purposes.\u00a0(The branding exercise stopped many years ago.) My column was originally titled \u201cInside Straight.\u201d\u00a0When the time came to name my book, I wrote a column explaining that the title of my book would start with the name of the column, \u201cInside Straight,\u201d but would then have a colon and a short, snappy, subtitle.\u00a0I\u00a0asked readers to suggest subtitles<\/a>\u00a0in the comments.\u00a0As you might imagine, I received a variety of suggestions.\u00a0One of my favorites was from the commenter who proposed:\u00a0\u201cInside Straight:\u00a0The Annoying Ramblings of an Uber Douche.\u201d\u00a0I confess that I used a different title when the book was actually published.<\/p>\n

Many subjects are static; they just don\u2019t advance quickly, and you eventually exhaust what you have to say.\u00a0Life as an in-house lawyer is that way.\u00a0But two subjects change all the time:\u00a0Sports (with a game every night) and politics (basically the same).\u00a0I bet that\u2019s why you see so many columns about sports and politics.\u00a0After Donald Trump was elected president and I returned to the United States, I shifted the subject of my column from \u201clife as an in-house lawyer\u201d to \u201chow could we have elected that clown?\u201d (although I occasionally\u00a0gave Trump his due<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 eliminating the penny, for example, was a good idea).\u00a0By then, I had no more to say about in-house life and, with Trump as president, the lure was irresistible.<\/p>\n

My columns became more widely read when I started writing political opinion.\u00a0My single most widely read column ruminated on how\u00a0Trump might react<\/a>\u00a0to being indicted.\u00a0But I thought this column was OK, too, posing a\u00a0few questions to my<\/a>\u00a0Trump-supporting friends.\u00a0Judging from the reaction to that column, my Trump-supporting friends don\u2019t like being questioned.<\/p>\n

Years ago, I published annual columns celebrating each anniversary of my time at Above the Law.\u00a0I titled most of those columns, \u201cHappy Birthday to Me!<\/a>\u201d\u00a0But the statistics showed that nobody read those columns.\u00a0One year, I tried to\u00a0sucker people into reading<\/a>\u00a0my anniversary celebration.\u00a0That didn\u2019t work either.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I gave up the tradition.<\/p>\n

But today, on my 15th anniversary at Above the Law, I\u2019m reverting to form and noting the occasion out loud.\u00a0I guarantee you that I\u2019ll no longer be writing these columns in 2040, so you won\u2019t be seeing any 30th anniversary post from me.\u00a0Once in a lifetime is enough.<\/p>\n

For a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, let\u2019s celebrate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Break out the cake.\u00a0Light the candles.\u00a0Cut yourself a slice.<\/p>\n

Happy birthday to me!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

And thanks for having come along for the ride.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post 15 Years Of Above The Law<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Photo via Getty Images) Fifteen years ago\u00a0this week,\u00a0David Lat, who then ran Above the Law, asked me, a veteran big-firm partner who had recently gone in-house, if I\u2019d write a column for this online publication. I agreed.\u00a0This link\u00a0to my first column shows how I started back in 2010. Originally, I wrote two columns every week.\u00a0And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":136999,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gavel-cupcake-birthday-GettyImages-171110343-XpViaP-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1809&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}