My life isn't all doom and gloom

Professionally, things are actually going pretty well. 

At the Schmoozy Breakfast I attended a couple of weeks ago I made what looks to be a solid business contact.  She is with an organization kind of like the SBA, but it targets minority-owned business that generate at least $1M/year. Most of her clients are involved in the industry that is my primary practice area.  And she needs an attorney to refer clients to.  Woot!  I had a meeting with her  and she said I was the trifecta--a woman, a minority, and the right kind of lawyer. (Although I did have to correct her on one point because  I'm only hispanic by marriage. But that didn't seem to bother her.)

She wants me to be part of a panel of speakers at an upcoming event, and I will have other opportunities to give presentations to her clients.  She also introduced me to the director of a related organization who would also love to have me come speak to her clients!

This is great news. My firm already has 3 canned presentations that we give regularly, and they have been encouraging me to start giving these.  It's also the perfect time to give a legislative update because several laws just went into effect that my firm helped draft that pertain directly to my industry.

And in semi-related news, the director of a brand new whistleblower program for a government agency has called me twice urging my client to apply for an award under the new program.  The client is an old friend who I represented pro bono after she was subpoenaed to testify for the government after she gave them a tip that brought down a ponzi scheme. (Yes this is the case where I had a smackdown with unethical defense counsel and where I got my first "no comment" in the press.)

I am stunned that the director of this program called me (twice!) and I think my client may be the very first person to receive an award under this new program! 

Finally, I am helping my firm start an industry-related blog.  It will be a lot of work (and I promise I will do a far better job editing my posts than I do here), but it will be one more way to get me name out there!