The name Lance Goddard came up in conversation about a week ago, when  Dan Hull told me that he thought Lance was a smart guy, well-traveled, and wasting his time with trivial pursuits, like 22 Tweets, his twitter “interview” of lawyers desperately seeking attention. 

I hadn’t given any thought to 22 Tweets since Lance used it to do Blawg Review, Before that, I was disgusted by the odor of desperation and deceit that permeated prior interviews, it being a platform for lawyers to engage in complete self-aggrandizement, feigning self-importance tinged with unadulterated fabrication.  Who can ever forget this line, by a criminal defense lawyer who is a perpetual Avvo paid advertiser (because we all know that all the really good cases come via Avvo):

Tell us about your law practice.

I take the cases other lawyers throw their hands up at. We want the cases no one else can handle. The“Bet the Farm”work.

Translation:  I desperately need work. I’ll take anything. If you’ve got a twenty in your pocket, I’m your lawyer. 

Did Lance think there was any credibility in this claim, that there are cases that criminal defense lawyers “throw their hands up at”?  It kinda sounded good, but, upon the slightest reflection, it’s one of the goofiest elevator pitches ever heard.  It makes no sense at all.  22 Tweets was the back of the milk carton for lost lawyers.

This changed yesterday.  Why I stumbled on it isn’t clear, but there was  Mirriam Seddiq being interviewed on 22 Tweets.  She blew me away, being the same unassuming, foul-mouthed, funny Mirriam that she always is.  Finally, someone who was standing on the top of the garbage can with the chance to make up lies about herself, and she took a pass.  She was just Mirriam.

Wow. That’s powerful. Why do your clients hire you?

not bc of my website! Maybe bc I’m honest? I’m trying to figure that out so I can add it to my website. : )

How do you want to be remembered?

as someone who doesn’t suck, who did good work and who gave a shit. That’s not a lot to ask, right?

As Lance later noted, that was likely the first time anyone ever cursed during an interview.  Lord knows cursing in the midst of self-promotion is unacceptable.  You have to stand upright, speak in somber and serious tones and say the things that will impress the dickens out of potential clients. If nothing else, you have to sound official.

Mirriam had the chance to play shameless, hungry lawyer.  At the very least, she could have been Official Woman.  Instead, she was Mirriam, the same criminal defense lawyer as she’s been on her blog, in her emails, on twitter and, from what I’m told, in person.  How can you not be incredibly impressed with someone whose goal is to be remembered as someone who “doesn’t suck” and “gave a shit”?  

Maybe there’s some broken bone in my head that makes me want to send a case to Mirriam when I would never refer a client to some self-promoting scoundrel.  After all, the scoundrels are busy telling us how wonderful, miraculous, “bet the farm-y” they are.  Mirriam is just solid and honest.  What could I be thinking?

Whether or not Hull is right about Lance Goddard being as sharp as he says, I can’t say.  As for 22 Tweets, however, it’s an interesting test.  It gives the scoundrel lawyer the chance to out himself.  And it gives the honest lawyer, like Mirriam Seddiq, the chance to be herself.  She’s a piece of work, Mirriam, and I, for one, think she used 22 Tweets to prove she’s the real thing.