The Baby, Baby Boomers

Author (Guest Blogger): Matthew T. Smith

As this country comes ever closer to an economic tipping point, it is more critical now than it has ever been to be forward thinking.  That is why for baby boomers who have not yet reached retirement every aspect of their life in the near future will be paramount in how their later years unfold.  As the most important election of my life is about to take place in the next month, and the issues of what to do about the overburdened Social Security and Medicare programs will undoubtedly be drastically changed forever, it is time for the Baby Boomers who have some time before they reach their age of retirement to put several things under a microscope.  Without going into politics too much, as I personally believe that neither side is willing to offer legitimate answers to the tough problems, I will say that no matter who is elected the issue of self preservation of wealth, assets, and healthcare becomes ever more critical.  Cuts are going to be coming and there is no getting around that.  

That’s Where the Money Is

Author (Guest Blogger): Matthew T. Smith

In 20 years the population that will require nursing home care will have grown almost 300%.  What do you think the chances are that there will be enough attorneys who specialize in the area of elder law and special needs trusts to adequately deal with the health care leviathan that is the baby boomer generation?  With the legal job market being the most difficult it has been for new attorneys in the last 30 years, does it not makes sense that new attorneys should be looking into nontraditional areas that have a real potential for growth and development?  Personal injury will always be around, but there are more personal injury attorneys than are actually needed.  Public defender and state attorneys are always needed, but with the skyrocketing cost of student loans and inflation in our economy the 35-40,000 dollar a year salary may just not be feasible.  Why won’t new attorneys stop, take a look around, and ask themselves where there is the greatest need?   It’s as if the new attorneys are fireman who just got the call about an emergency that requires their help.  They hurry down the street to see a nursing home on fire on one side of the road, with only one or two fireman putting out the blaze, and on the other side of the road there is a kitten stuck in a tree with 100 firemen already attempting to pry the cat down.  The fireman already helping the cat also have TV commercials and their pictures painted on buses and billboards.  Which side of the road has the best chance of a new fireman getting some real life practical experience in their profession?  Which side allows the greatest possibility of getting personal satisfaction in helping someone?  Which side do you believe is going to be more grateful to you?

Are you tough enough for retirement? By Matthew T. Smith

Author (Guest Blogger): Matthew T. Smith

I recently came upon a podcast that I personally found compelling. I am always looking for new and interesting topics of discussion to listen to as I attempt to occupy my time driving between Columbus,
Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky, on a weekly basis. I have already exhausted the entire solo attorney field and what things to do in preparing to start your own law firm. I will discuss those functional topics as I approach my final year of law school. But for now, I wanted to discuss a topic that is personally fascinating to me.

Matthew Smith, Guest Blogger: A Promising 3L Law Student You Should Know

Introduction:

I am proud, and very excited, to introduce Matthew Smith, a guest blogger to this site and aspiring attorney. Mr. Smith is a 3L (third year) student attending law school in Kentucky. While I will leave it to his short bio below the details of his odyssey in life and in the law, I would like to herald his presence on The Solo Lawyer as my guest blogger. He will be writing on a host of topics ranging from challenges facing junior-starting attorneys and starting a new law practice out of law school to estate planning and veterans issues, helping veterans being one of his passions. So, I am overjoyed by having him submit what will be interesting and useful information. Today, please read his short bio, and we look forward to you returning to benefit from his posts yet to come.


P.S. For those who are also in law school and thinking about going solo, Mr. Smith's posts are a must read.


Matthew Smith Short Bio:


"A Little About Myself"

My name is Matthew Smith and I am currently a 3L part time law student at Salmon P Chase College of Law in Northern Kentucky. In two years I plan on taking, and passing, the Ohio, and then Kentucky bar exams. Immediately after passing the bar I will be starting my own law firm with my good friend, study partner, and law school savior.

The 'Dollars-to-Donuts' of Going to Law School

It was once a sound bet when comparing dollars to donuts. You could get several donuts for $1 (USD). Today the phrase has the connotation that betting dollars to donuts is a bad bet when donuts can cost more than one dollar. This "faux bet" notion is commonly tossed around in what may be matters of trivial exchanges. When it comes to investing in a law school - far from the trivial - some of the more pessimistic may eviscerate the longstanding value of a law school degree and call "dollars-to-donuts!"