Dear 1L: Who is this legal writing coach?
Dear 1L,
I’ve never been good at promoting myself publicly.
I know it’s a shortcoming. It holds me back professionally. But there’s an internal struggle.
On one hand, I don’t feel comfortable talking about myself in big groups. And when on LinkedIn, I feel that talking about myself resembles entering a new conversation while saying unsolicited stuff about oneself. And that is not me.
There are so many people potentially in this conversation, too. It is scary to post on any topic, much less one on me.
On the other hand, you are starting to become someone I know. And your increasing number has urged me for an introduction.
As I enjoy reading connections’ posts that come from the heart and reveal something about who they are, inside more than out, I aspire to make this post like that.
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All right, thus far, you’ve seen the following:
🔸 I’m shy in big groups;
🔸 Despite my accomplished resume, lagging behind is comparable confidence in the business and LinkedIn worlds; and
🔸 I’m eager, albeit slow, to push myself beyond my comfort zone.
There’s also a receptiveness to more human kinship. That is really what leads me to LinkedIn. I find it a special place. I’ll add, for “professional” posting purposes, that I’m passionate about what I do—both the helping people part and the writing part.
🔹 The former is most rewarding for me. As I crossed the mid-century mark, I’ve come to realize this:
Rather than making something of myself in life as a lawyer, (while teaching writing and mentoring in the family and law-firm realms), my role in life IS to teach and mentor. It’s been an extraordinary pivot in perspective that’s led to a broader, more interesting, world.
🔹 The writing part of what I do also fulfills, in a different way:
I love words and language: I love how syllables sound, how they sit in a sentence, how they conjure connotations. I aspire to write purposefully and to teach that.
🔹 Finally, and more by way of LinkedIn, “introductory” post, I’d be remiss in omitting the most important part: my family.
I’d love to talk about Matt and our three daughters here, rather than me, but I’ll stay on point. Some facts about my family are in my About section, for anyone interested.
There’s also my mom, whom I’ve posted about before, here and there, and I’ll surely say more about later. Anything on my Dad, who is no longer with us, will be too raw right now. I’ll just say I miss him beyond what words can express.
Lastly, I have a brother—he’s a trained, professional wrestler—and I have 32 first cousins, who I know well from growing up together in a big, Irish Catholic family. We celebrated together for holiday parties, multiple times a year. Oh, I love my cousins.
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Thank you for reading. Normally, I write letters to law students. My letters are about legal writing, law school, and practicing in the legal field. If you’d like future letters in your feed, follow me or #Dear1L (1,039 followers).
Fondly,
Amanda
May 14, 2022
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