3 of the Best Lessons I’ve Learned as a Lawyer

Posted on by Horman Nichols, LLC

Written By: Andrew Nichols

Every profession comes with learning moments and opportunities.  During my time as an attorney, I’ve had so many of these moments.  Here are three of the best lessons I’ve learned.

  1. Zealously representing your client does not mean you have to be a complete jerk.  As a general rule, throughout my career, I have had very good working relationships with my opposing counsel.  You often hear people say they want a “pit bull” who will fight for them and they seem to believe this is best demonstrated by screaming at the other attorney(s) and being difficult to work with.  In my nearly 20 years of practice, I have found the opposite to be true.  When I was in law school, one of the most important lessons I had a professor teach me, is that you get one crack at establishing your professional reputation.   By being courteous and professional, I have been able to establish good working relationships, and in many cases, friendships, with opposing counsel.  Without doubt, this has allowed me to get better results for my clients.

2. Having a job that allows you to have a happy balance with work and personal/family time really has a value to which you can’t assign money.  Prior to starting Horman Nichols, I was a partner, and prior to making partner, an associate attorney with a mid-sized firm in Baltimore.  When I interviewed at that firm, I had just found out my wife was pregnant with our first child.  The partner I interviewed with assured me that the firm believed in a balance of work and family.  At the time they offered me a position as an associate attorney, I had two other job offers on the table that were offering a higher salary.  I accepted the position with my old firm because I knew life was going to change (I didn’t know how much!) and I didn’t want to be chained to a desk.  I have never regretted that decision.  

3. Just be nice to people.  This ties back in with number 1 above, but it can’t be stressed enough.  I vividly remember after a 3-day jury trial in Cecil County, I had the courtroom bailiff (a retired law enforcement officer) stop me as I was leaving the courtroom.  He thanked me and said I’d shown him more courtesy over the last 3 days than some local attorneys he’d known for years.  The only thing I really recalled doing was simply saying good morning and good night every day, and thanking him for his assistance in the courtroom.  My parents taught me that your degree or your job doesn’t make you better than someone else and I try to keep that lesson with me.  I’ll say it again – just be nice.  

4 Strategies I’ve Learned as a Female Attorney

Posted on by Horman Nichols, LLC

Written By: Kelli Knight


Upon graduating from law school a semester early and passing two state bar exams, in June 2012, I was sworn in to the bars of New Jersey and Maryland. The first in my family to attend law school, I was unsure of what to expect from this particular career path, in large measure, because of the oft-told narrative espousing the many unique challenges inherent in being a woman in the legal field (i.e., being mistaken for non-lawyer support staff, enduring wage differentials with one’s male counterparts, or, worse yet, dealing with sexual abuse or harassment from senior partners).

Today, nearly nine years later, when asked to write about my experiences as a “female” attorney, I can happily and honestly say there has yet to be a situation in which my gender could be considered problematic or in a negative light. In fact, it’s been quite the contrary. It proves to be a source of great strength in my legal career.  Perhaps I have been uniquely blessed with employers and mentors who are gender blind, but I think there’s much more to it than that.

For the record, and for the sake of brevity, however, I do humbly submit that the things that have helped me navigate and succeed in this profession are the same skills that apply to both women and men:  

1) Be the most prepared person in the room.

2) Hold fast to the courage of your convictions.

3) Never play the victim.

4) Embrace the God-given differences that make both men and women great. 

I believe a female who is armed with a solid education, an ability to analyze issues and relate to others, can and certainly will succeed in this male-dominated arena.

National Coming Out Day

Posted on by Horman Nichols, LLC

An inspiring coming-out story from Trevor Addie-Carter, Associate Attorney at Horman Nichols. #nationalcomingoutday

On this #NationalComingOutDay we celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.  It is a day to celebrate those among us who have come out and to stand in solidarity with those who are not yet ready or who do not feel safe.  For those who identify as LGBTQ+, coming out of the closet can be terrifying.  Even those who find themselves in supportive company have likely felt anxiety or even fear at what will happen to their family, their friends, their jobs, and even their homes. 

My own coming out story began in college, starting first with myself and then, slowly, to family and friends.  At first, it was terrifying, but with each person I told, it slowly, surely became easier and I felt more comfortable with myself.  Professionally, I went from guarded, to comfortable, to unapologetic, eventually coming to the conclusion that I didn’t care what others thought:  any law firm that had an issue with me being gay was not a place I would work.  Fortunately, for as rooted in “tradition” as the legal field can be, I have not once had to follow through on that conviction.  Who I am has helped me connect and better understand LGBTQ+ clients whom I have been so fortunate to have represented, whether it be in family law, landlord-tenant, or any other civil legal matter.

Today, I can live as my true, authentic self, both personally and professionally, and with the support of my family, my friends, my church, and my colleagues at Horman Nichols.  I am who I am, I am proud, and I am proud to be able to help those who are “like me.”  And while my extended family may have ended a little smaller than it started, as Dr. Seuss once wrote, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” 

So, for those who are out,  congratulations!  And for those who aren’t ready or who feel unsafe or isolated, know that no matter what, you are never alone.  It gets better.  It gets so much better. 

Blue Belt Lawyer

Posted on by Horman Nichols, LLC

It’s not uncommon for adults to pick up new hobbies and activities as they get older – perhaps they join a book club, learn a musical instrument, or begin painting.  I decided at the age of 40 to take up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  BJJ practitioners sometimes refer to it as murder yoga, struggle snuggle, or tactical hugging.  I like to call it mat therapy.  If you’re not familiar with BJJ, here’s a very quick summary – it essentially involves trying to submit your opponent by almost snapping one of their limbs or choking them unconscious if they fail to tap out in time.  As the saying goes, “Tap, snap or nap.”    

My good friend Jason, who is a BJJ black belt, trains at Clinch Academy (www.clinchacademy.com) here in Frederick and had been trying to get me to come in for years.  So finally, in November of 2016, I started my BJJ journey.  I spent most of the first 6-12 months very sore, uncomfortable and/or in pain.  My wife was appropriately concerned with my numerous injuries, aches and pain, but not overly sympathetic.  It was not uncommon for her to come home and find me icing numerous areas of my body.  She would point out that I decided as an “old” person to get involved in a young person’s sport.  I recall that first December, a couple days before Christmas, I woke up with such terrible back spasms, all I could do was lay on my bedroom floor until the Flexeril took effect and allowed me to crawl around the house.  I learned that day that Flexeril also causes drowsiness, and I would wake up and find myself on the floor in random spots in my house.  

I recently earned my BJJ blue belt, which on average takes about 2-3 years.  I was about 6 months behind the average time frame for earning a blue belt.  Part of that is attributed to Clinch having to shut down for about 4 months during the pandemic, but most of it can be attributed to the fact that I hate studying, so I kept putting off my blue belt evaluation.    

During my time at Clinch, I’ve gotten to know some of the guys who have gone pro in their MMA careers.  Horman Nichols has had the opportunity to sponsor Matt “Semi the Jedi” Semelsberger in one of his pro fights and we cheered him on during his first UFC victory.  

We’ve also had the privilege to sponsor Luke Staley in his amateur career and now again as he goes pro.  Matt and Luke personify hard work and determination, but are two of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet outside of the cage.  At Horman Nichols we love to support our local community.  Matt and Luke are great ambassadors of combat sports as well as Frederick and they’re going to do amazing things.  

Training at Clinch has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.  Professor Luke Rhinehart runs a great academy and the people I’ve met there are fantastic.  I’ve made some wonderful new friends and I’ve learned that sweating and bleeding on the mat together creates a bond unlike anything else I’ve experienced.