LAWTECH GURU BLOG by Jeff Beard

Happy Holidays!

Among other things, the holidays are naturally an opportunity for reflection and spending more time with family and friends. It's also a time to be thankful for what one has, and wishing others well.

In this context, I'm truly thankful to be a member of the blawging community. Through the generosity of others, I've received many great ideas in putting this blog together. While there are too many to list individually, I'm particularly indebted to Dennis Kennedy, Jerry Lawson, and Larry Bodine for their endless supply of ideas and patience in being solid sounding boards.

I've also greatly appreciated numerous blawgers participating in and supporting this blog by their comments, trackbacks, links, and other recognition (you know who you are ;^). In the professional and competitive world, the blogosphere is conversely a most generous and rewarding place to be. I think most blawgers will say that they've gotten more out of it than they put into it. That certainly has been my experience. Considering the vast amount of time required to design and keep a blog constantly updated, this is truly saying something.

I'm also thankful for having a family which has supported this substantial time investment in blogging and in being a legal technology consultant. Nearly ten years ago, I made the decision to evolve my career from praticing law into helping lawyers understand and use technology smartly so they in turn could better serve their clients.

There wasn't a lot of attorneys doing this, so at first the idea seemed a little crazy, especially in a city the size of Milwaukee (it wasn't exactly NY or L.A.). But I had the fortune to meet up with a good mentor, Ross Kodner at MicroLaw. He helped the transition go a lot easier, and encouraged me to get involved in great organizations like the ABA Law Practice Management section. Thanks Ross.

Along the way, I've worked with great folks on the ABA Techshow, Glasser LegalWorks, and LegalTech planning boards, numerous legal publications, and met up with many legal technology pioneers and luminaries. Again, I was pleasantly surprised at the high level of congeniality and collaboration among this incredible group of people. It's been a rewarding ride and I look forward to the rest of the journey. How many attorneys can truly say that on a personal level?

What I'm trying to say is that I have a lot to be thankful for, and I'm not referring to material things. It has been these many individuals who have made the difference.

So while I'm busy spending time with family and friends this week, I just wanted to take the time to thank the many people who have helped me along the way, and to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. God Bless.