The First Casualty of Solo Practice University
Simple Justice:
I was the first “professor” of Solo Practice University announced. Now I’m the first former professor. I am, if nothing else, full of firsts.
Following Mark Merenda’s resurgence to hype lawyer marketing, and my response, I realized that I had a problem. You see, Merenda, though not a lawyer, was also a “professor” at Susan Cartier Leibel’s Solo Practice University. In light of my feelings on the subject, it struck me that this might not be a good fit. I was not comfortable being in the middle of marketers, telling new solos to put on red lipstick and sell themselves, as if this was the sine qua non of being a solo practitioner.
I decided to contact Susan and tell her that I thought it best that I withdraw from SPU.
Upon receiving my email, Susan urged me to speak with her first. She implored me not to make a hasty decision, and to sleep on this for a while. I felt very badly about putting Susan in the position of losing someone in her newborn venture, not because I was indispensable but because it created controversy where there should be none. So I agreed to wait.
Apparently, a good night’s sleep can work wonders, as Susan emailed me the next day to tell me that she had received emails from the marketing “professors” at SPU, who feared that I might “tarnish their reputations” by a “vicious attack,” as I did Merenda. Because of this, Susan was pressured to toss me out on me ear. And so she did. Susan noted that it was not merely because they were pressuring her, but because my attack on Merenda was so vicious and personal. From Susan’s email:
But the fact is, I don’t agree with the personal and vicious attack (and it was vicious) even though it was your own blog and even if I…