NerdLife Archives - The Thompson Law Firm

Today’s Word

Bill Thompson — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 16:52:12 +0000

Retroject

[reh-trə-JEKT]

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, mid-19th century

Project backwards.

The post Today’s Word appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

Gloryland

Bill Thompson — Tue, 09 May 2023 13:51:49 +0000

If you have friends in Gloryland
Who left because of pain
Thank God up there, they’ll die no more
They’ll suffer not again
Then weep not friends
I’m going home

Gloryland, Ralph Stanley, and The Clinch Mountain Boys

Trial lawyers become experts in the circumstances just before and after the end of life. Some deaths come with early warning, and others come suddenly. They all leave behind a trail of evidence: weights and measurements duly noted by the medical examiner’s office; microscopic slides of tissue magnified by pathologists; vials of blood sent for testing; black boxes containing recorded information and conversations; skid marks, yaw marks, and highway debris.

Photos, letters, marriage licenses, news stories, diplomas, awards, service medals … the accumulated physical evidence of lives well-lived.

Families. Loved ones. Children.

For wrongful death, put these lives and this evidence in the hands of someone you can trust.

The post Gloryland appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

Today’s Word: Eucatastrophe

Bill Thompson — Mon, 08 May 2023 13:28:38 +0000

A sudden and favorable resolution of events in a story.

The post Today’s Word: Eucatastrophe appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

Chest Fever

Bill Thompson — Mon, 01 May 2023 16:44:33 +0000

And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down on my knees.

Chest Fever was Garth Hudson’s moment to shine in The Band’s live performances. He was allowed to stretch out on the organ, often introducing the song with a proggy solo they called “The Genetic Method”.

Peter Viney called the lyrics “dummy words”, maybe thinking of the nonsense poetry used by Lewis Carroll in Jabberwocky.

I gave an opening argument once in the throes of an illness that left me dizzy. I’d tried to make myself look well by going into a tanning booth for the first time in my life. I can’t remember if I looked right as I stood, but I do remember sweat pouring off me as I struggled to make it through my presentation.

The responsibility of caring for clients is a privilege and burden. You don’t put down the weight just because you have a cold.

The post Chest Fever appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

Celebrate National Poetry Month!

Bill Thompson — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 16:05:57 +0000

Initiated in April 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month is currently the largest world-wide literary celebration. It encourages booksellers, libraries, poets, publishers, and schools to promote the importance of poetry and its significance to society and culture.

The post Celebrate National Poetry Month! appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

When Your Lawyer Walks Into The Courthouse and You’re Going To Jail

Bill Thompson — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:09:06 +0000

Sure, its superficial but there’s a reason things become a meme. In every endeavor, the most effective participants are often the best prepared. That preparation often includes taking care to protect a routine of putting your best professional foot forward – regardless of the situation. Make it real – every time – and expect nothing less than your best when you step on the field.

The post When Your Lawyer Walks Into The Courthouse and You’re Going To Jail appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

Today’s Quote

Bill Thompson — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:18:02 +0000

Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The post Today’s Quote appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

New Day Rising

Bill Thompson — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:16:58 +0000

We still have our songs
Let us sing them all day long
The hour of need is here indeed
This is how we’ll carry on

How We’ll Carry On, William Elliott Whitmore

Every day presents new challenges and we all have talismans that get us through. I’ve spent a long time working on patience, dignity, and honor. They are helping me draw the lines necessary to lead a good life.

The post New Day Rising appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

Dance

Bill Thompson — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 14:43:56 +0000

“Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.”

Rumi

The post Dance appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.

Coal

Bill Thompson — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:12:21 +0000

And we’ll keep on digging ’til the coming of the Lord Gabriel’s trumpet sounds

‘Cause if you ain’t mining for the company, boy

There ain’t much in this town

Tyler Childers, Coal

When my Father was in school at West Virginia University, he made extra cash working mines operated by his family in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. I was born when he was 19. There’s a photo of him – a kid, really – grinning like a future trial lawyer covered in soot outside of his apartment. I need to find that photo.

Each and every one of us is handed nothing. Dignity and respect are cobbled together with hard work and perseverance. But we don’t do it alone. Sometimes, we rely on family and friends. For the big, scary things – we rely on professionals to help navigate the way. That’s the kind of lawyer my Dad was – and the kind I try to be.

The post Coal appeared first on The Thompson Law Firm.