Law Cats and Cats practicing law

February 10, 2021

The twitterverse was afire yesterday of the attorney who appeared in a Texas Court as a cat. He had to assure the Court he was not a cat. The hearing was on Zoom and highlighted how an older attorney was very uncomfortable being on a computer and could not respond to a simple problem. If you have not seen it, here it is.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/i-m-not-cat-video-shows-lawyer-can-t-turn-n1257168

 

I find it ironic, because at the time, I was training LawCat, my CatBot. LawCat can get your information and pass it to me. LawCat, being a cat, is barely trainable, so I feel pretty happy that she can get your name and some information before the need to nap sets in.

 

But really it also spotlights a different issue: technology. I am finding that many attorneys who are older than I really struggle to incorporate technology into their practice. For example, a few years back, Illinois decided that allowing for email service was a good idea and made it mandatory that all attorneys have an email address. I know of a few attorney who retired, rather than make the jump to using email. I know of other attorneys who would not have the slightest clue how to open an email. They may be great lawyers, but I doubt they can meet the demands of a modern pratice.

 

I am from the bridge generation of attorneys. I still took some exams in pen or pencil. I took others on the computer. I make notes on paper and prefer to edit with a pen. But I have three screens, have been video conferencing for a few years and am perfectly comfortable appearing in Zoom Court. I even know how to make myself a cat. Or to make myself a lawyer.

 

When the pandemic hit, it was not a problem for me to pivot to a virtual practice. Its one I run from my office, otherwise I am too often joined by one of my real life cats. One has even helped me appear in Court and she is the inspiration for LawCat. Go say hi to her. Let us know if the team of a real attorney and a couple of real cats can help you peacefully get divorced.