I can barely remember the first day I opened my law practice. I remember the early days of practicing law like last night’s dream. It’s a little unclear, but it leaves me with a warm feeling. What I do remember is the fear I felt every day sitting there waiting for the phone to ring. While I was terrified that the phone would not ring, I was even more afraid it would ring and someone would ask me a question. The world was a lot bigger back then, and the opportunities were endless. There was so much to choose from, yet I had no idea what I’d end up doing with my law license. The only thing I did know was that, for the time being, I’d do whatever anyone would pay me to do so I could pay the bills.
I rented an 8 feet by 10 feet office in the Pyramid Building next door to Bill Sherman and Jeff Pence. Patti had clerked for them in law school, and they agreed to help me start my career. The truth might be that Mrs. Sherman was concerned about young William, who’d been born right before I graduated. I think she wanted to make sure dad made enough to feed him. When people walked into my office, they would always say “I thought there was going to be a receptionist.” I would always respond, “Me, too.”
The smartest thing I did early on was seek out people that were successful in the practice of law and ask a lot of questions. Lawyers love to talk, and many are happy to bestow the lessons of their career upon you. The trick is finding those that like to talk and know what they’re talking about. In addition to the access I had to years of legal experience being next door to Sherman and Pence, I was lucky to be in a building with Ed Montgomery and Joel Taylor. Both love to talk and know what they’re talking about. They were instrumental in getting me throughout the ups and downs of early practice. Hugh Finklestein was also a big source of information and a great mentor in my early days. No man is an island, and I was building as many bridges as I could to help ensure the survival of the James Law Firm.
I’ve been through a lot of employees over the last 20 years; I know there are many I can’t even remember. “They” say everyone should be responsible for making a payroll at least once in their life. I can tell you it makes you look at the world a lot different. There’s also some satisfaction to knowing that you’re a “job creator,” even when it’s on a relatively small scale.
Looking back at my career, I can’t omit giving thanks to the three attorneys that did more than anyone else to give me my start. Phil Kapln, Joann Maxey, and Si Brewer were kind enough to hire me in law school and allow me to stay until graduation. They provided me an example of the proper way to run a law firm, how to treat people, and, ultimately, how to be a lawyer. I only wish I could be half the attorneys or people they are. I guess I need to also thank Todd Ferguson over at Stephens, who was kind enough to turn down the clerking job so there was a vacancy for me.
As disjointed as this diatribe is, it’s nothing more than an attempt to thank all those that have helped me in the practice of law, and to help me remember that no one does it on their own. It seems like I’ve traveled a million miles since I opened the James Law Firm 20 years ago. It’s been a good ride so far, and I’m looking forward to the next 20 years. There’s not a lot of value in reminiscing, but remembering those that help you get to where you are is always a good idea, especially for those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway and Fayetteville, Ark. His primary area of practice is criminal defense. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com