Category Archives: Power Dressing

Creative Lawyering

Being a lawyer allows you extensive use of your mental capabilities which are often reflected in your pleadings. The problem lies however if you don’t write as well you talk. You see, legal problems are solved more than half of the time through writing; from a simple demand letter to a well researched, well written petition for certiorari.

What  now if you don’t write well? In my case, I have a continuing struggle with my writing style. Different senior lawyers/reviewers call for different styles. Well, if half of the time a case is solved through creative writing, 40 to 49 percent of the time, I win cases because of my acting. Yes, you heard it right, acting.  You see, lawyers  know how to act too. We are almost theatrical. We memorize our lines well once  we are inside the court. Good for you if you are pretty and you dress well. Judges cannot help it if they listen to lawyers who are very articulate and well, charming.  So if you ask me how does a lawyer become charming? I have a handful of suggestions below:

  1. In our department, we love to dress up and trade ideas.

Colors of the Rainbow

Purple Day. We never intended to come to the office wearing the same  shade. But hey, great minds think alike.

2. We even throw costume parties just to be able to pick an idea or two. Parties are a perfect avenue for observing the most successful lawyers.

Pardon the grimacing faces of my sons. My boys were eating  corn dogs when the camera  snapped.

3. Of course preparation is always the key. In my case, I have a secret folder where I list down all the objections I could possibly think of. Further, to impress my audience, I include the actual citations i.e, OBJECTION! Leading based on Section 10 Rule 132.

4. lastly, we PLAY.

In the series of pictures below, the author of the crime (clue: he is wearing stripes) surreptitiously and  obviously without notice to the owner, snatched a jar of candies. The lady lawyer who refused to be identified, witnessed the unlawful gain but did not want to be involved. The victim, likewise a lady lawyer with a sweet tooth, desperately cried for justice. The white outline, well, that is supposed to represent the body of the crime.

Lawyers should know how to imagine. Most successful persons tend to be extremely creative thinkers and imagination plays a huge part of that thinking process.  First we should imagine, then next, we engineer. Imagineering is actually a term coined by Walt Disney, the great pioneer of American animation.

In my fifteen years of legal practice, the best lawyers are those who  come to Court not only prepared, but  also know how to play around by applying some of the wackier possibilities to see what might actually work for their case. Surprisingly, those wacky things solve the case.

The Essence of Lawyering

A perusal of my previous articles would reveal that this is one aspect of my personality which is less discussed.  You see, I am not a top notcher and my present job is not as challenging as my previous work -defending street criminals and habitual delinquents pro bono. Despite the lackluster quality of my current position, I am elevated to the status of a corporate lawyer.  What is a corporate lawyer?  A corporate lawyer, as the terms imply, is one who specializes in corporations law. Although I must say that this does not define what I do, one of my roles is to ensure the legality of transactions, advising the officers on their legal rights and duties, including their responsibilities. Corporate lawyers provide legal guidance for employers and clients. However, the ugly side of corporate lawyering is that I am usually hated by the rank and file employees who run afoul with the company’s rules and regulations. Let’s face it, to err is human and lawyers have their own transgressions. It’s just that, because of my legal position I am less vulnerable to attacks, or am I? Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. Why shouldn’t  I? I get to practice the course that I finished in and I get to practice my two favorite sports. The job pays well and further, we get to power dress. See?

Atty. Marianne Aningat is seated at the left front row followed by Atty. Jennifer Rosales and Atty. Arvin Pajaron. From left to right at the second row are Mary Ann Lee, Atty. Julie Marie Rivera and Atty Samina Macabando Usman

So much for power dressing. The cool aspect of lawyering is that I get to visit different places and indulge in food trip. I am sooo easy to please. Just give me  a tasty meal. Talk about travel and food, the down side is that as I visit the different branches of my office to conduct administrative hearings, people fear me or avoid me for a lot of reasons. Sometimes, the food served, if at all, are less than sumptuous-crackers and menthol and coffee candies. (Come on, I come from miles away and I look forward to a hearty meal.)

So what really is the essence of a lawyer?  A lawyer must possess a little knowledge in taxation, criminal law and people skills. Expect a lot of counseling and giving of advices the moment the audience finds out you are a practicing lawyer.   Last but definitely not the least, a lawyer must have good people skills. Not all information come from the net and books. You get a lot of it also by interacting with people.  Well, as gleaned from my previous articles, I would like to think that I am fairly good in that department.