The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • It’s Official – I Have a Big Brain

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    Ruth Carter

    A few weeks ago I got a message from Jonathan McNamara of the Phoenix New Times informing me that I had been nominated and was a finalist for the 2011 Big Brain Awards.  The Big Brain Awards are annual awards give out by the New Times to exceptional and innovative people in the arts in the Phoenix community.  I never thought that I would be nominated, let alone a finalist.  The committee started with nearly 400 nominees and whittled the list down to 18 finalists, 3 in each of 6 categories.  I’m a finalist in the Performing Arts category.

    I was selected as a finalist because of my work with Improv AZ and because of Sponsor A Law Kid.  I am very excited and humbled to be nominated.  I have been blown away by the phenomenal people I’ve met in the Phoenix area in the last two years that to be singled out for my work is quite an honor.

    I will find out if I’m a Big Brain winner or just honored to be nominated this Saturday at Artopia.

    None of this could have happened without the love, support, and guidance from some special people in my life:

    There are two special people I need to single out and thank for their support and guidance.

    1. Jeff Moriarty – If it wasn’t for Jeff organizing the first No Pants Ride, none of this would have ever happened.  There wouldn’t be Improv AZ, and I wouldn’t have met most of the amazing people in my life today.  Jeff was also the person who encouraged me to become a blogger and helped make Undeniable Ruth possible.
    2. Evo Terra – Evo is one of the most outspoken and brilliant people that I know.  A few months ago I asked him how he he developed a thick skin against criticism.  He responded, “Figure out who’s opinions matter to you. Then genuinely do not give a shit what anyone else thinks.”  That is easier said than done, but those have become my guiding words when I’m against people who disagree with what I write or what I do.

    Thank you to everyone who has helped me get this far.  I’m up against some phenomenal people this Saturday: Tom Leveen and Joseph Perez.  While it would be nice to win, I will be pleased regardless of the outcome.

     

     

  • Why Lawyers Should Use Twitter

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    Ruth Carter

    I have a friend who has been a personal injury lawyer for decades.  He’s a solo practitioner with enough cases to keep him comfortably in business.  He was my lawyer after I was involved in a car accident and he did a wonderful job settling my case.  He has a great reputation and gets the majority of his business through word-of-mouth.  He has a website and occasionally writes a blog.  He recently asked me why he should be on Twitter if he doesn’t need it to drum up business.

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    I think my friend doesn’t see any value in sitting on Twitter all day reading and responding to others’ tweets.  I think he’s right on that point, but I don’t think he sees some of the other benefits of having a Twitter account.  I’ve been pondering his question for a few weeks and I’ve come up with the top three reasons why a lawyer in his position would want to have a Twitter presence.

    1. Promote Your Blog – I love that my friend writes a blog, but if no one knows when he has something new posted, who is going to read it?  I have a lawyer friend who mostly uses his Twitter account to announce when he has posted a new blog.  I love when he writes, but he doesn’t publish on a set schedule.  I appreciate the notice when he has something new for us to read.
    2. Stay On The Radar – By using a Twitter account, a solo practitioner remind others that they exist in a non-intrusive way.  It also makes it easier for people who promote you within the Twitterverse.   For example, I recently had a friend ask me for a recommendation for a real estate lawyer in Arizona.  I didn’t know any lawyers who practice in this area, so I put the question out on Twitter.  (Note – I only put the question out on Twitter.)  I received two recommendations within 24 hours.  I appreciated the response that provided a name, a Twitter handle, and a website more than the response that just gave me a name.  It gives people a way to get to know you before they initiate a conversation with you.  If you saw a tweet where someone mentioned you, you could post a thank-you tweet and continue to build goodwill for your firm.
    3. Stay Abreast of Legal News – I get multiple legal magazines every month and I don’t have time to flip through them all.  Instead, I follow various entities on Twitter who post links to articles and blogs on the latest legal news.  It’s a more efficient way to know what’s going on in the legal world.

    When it comes to social media like Facebook and Twitter, it’s important for lawyers (and any professional) to look at it as a tool, and evaluate it whether it can assist them in their business.  With Twitter, it’s about having public conversations in an online community and people can engage where they are comfortable.  In the big picture, I think it’s better to be partially involved and engage a little bit, than not to be involved at all.

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  • SALK Day 74: Pursuing Passions

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    Ruth Carter

    Let’s talk about passion.  It’s a powerful feeling.  It drives you to stay up until 3am, working on a project for fun.  It’s that gut feeling that you’re doing something that you were meant to do, and it’s so powerful that you can’t explain why you feel this way.  It just is.

    Ignite the moment...
    Image by ViaMoi via Flickr

    It can take time to figure out what you’re passionate about.  You have to try different things, encounter different people and situations.  I never know when I’ll find something that ignites my passion, but when it happens, I get a burst energy that can overcome the power of sleep deprivation or a bad day.

    This past year I’ve had to ask myself what ignites my professional passion.  I love it when I’m working on a legal project, determining a viable answer, and being frustrated that I can’t give legal advice yet.  That’s usually followed by the blaring thought, “Why aren’t I a lawyer yet?!”  When I feel that burst of passionate energy, I’ve tried to slow my brain down enough to identify what was driving that feeling.  It led me to learn that two things make me exceptionally happy – being a helpful reassuring source of knowledge and being a performer.   I am grateful that I have opportunities to be both of these things.

    I’m graduating in 60 days, and I don’t have a job lined up yet.  One of my reasons for going to law school was the fact that I didn’t like my job anymore.  I’m being somewhat selective about where I’m applying for jobs because I decided I’m going to pay over $60,000 for a career change that’s going make me miserable.

    It’s a joy to watch other people sharing or engaging in their passions.  Today’s sponsor and my friend, Stefi, is such a person who embraces her passions.  It’s not something she consciously thinks about; it’s just what she does.  Sometimes she gets so excited that she literally bounces up and down when she talks.  If you say something that she really likes, she might express her happiness by proposing marriage.  It’s very cute to turn around and see that she’s holding a ring out to me because of something I’ve said.  I love that she risks being seen as weird.  I’m so pleased to see that I’m not the only one who came to law school to find and follow a passion.

    Happy Birthday Stefi!

    Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Stephanie Green.  For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.

     

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