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.  

Dog Bite Cases in Maryland

Posted on by Horman Nichols, LLC

We all love dogs. Well, most of us. Occasionally, dogs can be aggressive and that aggression can turn into a bite. When looking at Duncan the thought seems impossible, but it does happen. Here are the important facts you need to know if you are involved in an incident where a dog has been aggressive.

  1. In Maryland, dog bite cases are fact specific.
  2. Maryland also has a rebuttable presumption that the owner of the dog should know their dog’s disposition.
  3. Has the dog bitten someone in the past? An owner should know about previous bites, however, in the state of Maryland there does not need to be evidence of a previous bite to prove aggression.
  4. Did the individual who was bitten provoke the dog in any way? Dog can bite as a result of being scared or startled.
  5. What is the status of the individual on the property? Is this someone who was invited or are they trespassing?

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.