@adriandayton

Adrian Dayton

Solo Attorney, PR Consultant, Writer seeking Publisher

Author of The Virtue Experiment – 12 Virtues in 12 Months

Today, we’re tweeting with @adriandayton: lawyer, blawger, author and a man who could be described as a serial entrepreneur

1. @adriandayton, thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is the person behind @adriandayton?
   30 yrs old, live in Buffalo, NY. I’m trying to get a book published start a consulting firm & support my young family.
    
2. Tell us about your law practice.
   My practice is starting out pretty small, I work with start-ups, a couple of not-for-profits, and a few lawyers.
    
3. Sounds like a good start. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   The biggest part, I want to help people succeed in there business. I ask people to be 100% honest with me, I do the same
    
4. I’m sure they appreciate that. How is the economic crisis affecting your clients?
   Its especially tough on the not-for profits, people think of donations as discretionary spending- so that makes it tough.
    
5. That must make for some difficult decisions. What’s the most significant client representation you’ve had?
   While I was still at Jaeckle Fleishmann and Mugel I was part of the team that handled a $450 million merger. That was big.
    
6. That IS a big deal. Why do your clients hire you?
   I get things done, and I help people connect with funding sources, expertise, and whatever they are missing to be successful
    
7. what’s it like becoming a lawyer in the midst of the worst economic crisis in 100 years?
   what economic crisis?JK- It’s not easy, but there is opportunity. I feel like I am onto something big with social media.
    
8. I’m sure many of today’s followers would agree. How do your non-lawyer ventures impact the way you practice law?
   People don’t want just a lawyer, and it keeps me sane to have other projects. Man is not meant to draft documents all day.
    
9. How do you market your practice?
   I market through Twitter of course. (: -Networking, online -offline. I’m engaged with my community in every way possible.
    
10. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    I am a new face/name in Buffalo and in the social media world. I spend on average 4-5 hr/day to work to change that.
     
11. Tell us about your blog (http://bit.ly/YugF7). Why should we read it?
    b/c its awesome- blog is about virtues. I think old world virtues will solve many of our modern probs. http://bit.ly/YugF7
    I also write about social media and the law about once a week. So there’s that.
    watch for my new website though, it will go live next Monday, April 20th.
     
12. You’re clearly convinced, but why should lawyers actively engage in social networking?
    Social media is not for ALL lawyers, but neither are computers.
    Seriously, social media is how the world is communicating. Lawyers need to be a major part of that.
     
13. All of them? Why might it NOT be good for some lawyers to get into social networking?
    Some lawyers punch in, sit down, and crank out the billable hours. Social media won’t help them. SM is for the rainmakers.
     
14. Indeed. What impact have your Web 2.0 activities had on your own workflow (referrals, client engagements, etc)?
    I brought my first corporate client in using Twitter, while at Jaeckle. I’ve also been interviewed LIVE on Twitter :)
     
15. As you said: SM is for the rainmakers…. Why did you become a lawyer?
    To be honest, I didn’t go to law school to become a lawyer. I was hoping it would make me a better businessman, we’ll see.
     
16. What’s the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    Survival, the old model isn’t working. Billable hours, partners, associates- not the best way, people are figuring it out.
     
17. So what do you think the legal landscape will look like in 10 years?
    Social media is here to stay, in 10 years there will be widespread convergence of all media- some type of super-feed
    information will be so much easier to access because people will be so much easier to connect with. All lawyers will use it.
     
18. Interesting idea. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer, or rather, if you weren’t pursuing your current path?
    Easy question, if I weren’t a lawyer I would be either an astronaut, delta force member, or a school teacher.
     
19. There’s a good joke in that juxtaposition, but I’m not clever enough to find it…. How do you want to be remembered?
    I would hope to be remembered like George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life. A good friend, someone who helped others.
     
20. What do you do when you’re not working?
    I love travel with family & reading more than anything else. & I love the outdoors: golf, sailing, swimming, wakeboarding.
     
21. What languages do you speak?
    I learned fluent Spanish while living in Chile, & I’m also learning some sign language with my son- I only know 20-30 signs.
     
22. Perhaps a 22 Tweets first… Your final question today: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    DONT DO IT jk- I loved law school, but if u don’t know if u want to be a lawyer- don’t go to an expensive law school.

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