MARCH 2019 LOPEZ LAW
FROM THE DESK OF Marc Lopez
WHAT LAWYERS ARE FOR My daughter’s school recently hosted a Career Day, where parents are asked to come in and do a song and dance for the kids about life in the adult workforce. Before agreeing to attend, I expressed my concern to the school principal: How do I explain lawyering to a classroom full of four and five-year- olds?“They’re smarter than you think,”she replied with a chuckle.“Just keep it simple—and short.” It’s part of my job to simplify issues without sacrificing accuracy, so I started brainstorming about how I could communicate the essence of my day-to-day work to a group of rambunctious children. I spent more time and paper than I’d care to admit, but I finally settled on this unmistakable truth: Everyone makes mistakes. This broadly understandable concept also points to an intuitive corollary: Nobody wants to be defined by the mistakes they’ve made. I opened my Career Day presentation with a confession: I’d been in a rush that morning, and I’d forgotten to feed my dog. I followed this admission by asking the children if they ever made mistakes. Every kid raised their hand, and they proceeded to delight me with stories of personal blunders and embarrassing errors. We all agreed that mistakes can be scary when you’re worried about getting in trouble, and we went on to discuss the fact that some mistakes are more serious than others. Sometimes
THEWILDWORLDOF MARCHMADNESS A L ook at I conic T ournament M oments
Every spring, millions of Americans fill out March Madness brackets. According to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, about 20 percent of workers will fill out a bracket this year, and the drop in productivity during the first week of the NCAA Tournament will cost companies roughly $4 billion. Needless to say, March Madness is a nationwide phenomenon. The tournament’s status can be chalked up to the ease of filling out a bracket and good old-fashioned school pride, but March Madness has also become famous for having the highest occurrence of heart-stopping moments of any major American sporting event. Over the years, we’ve seen Cinderella stories, buzzer beaters, and otherworldly performances. Every year, the tournament serves something unexpected and wonderful. It’s those moments that make March Madness what it is. Here are a few of the most memorable. Author Chuck Klosterman described the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson as “a conflict that dwarfs Dante.”While their battle grew to legendary proportions during their respective NBA careers, Bird and Magic first faced off before either entered the NBA. During the 1978-79 season, Larry Bird led the lowly Indiana State Sycamores to an undefeated regular season record. They stormed through the tournament and met Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans in the final. BIRD VS. MAGIC 1 (1979)
people need help with their mistakes, and this is what lawyers are for. I can’t be sure, but I think I spotted some future attorneys in that group.
Bird managed a double-double in the game, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, but Magic was the stand-out performer and MVP. He finished with 24 points and a title. Over
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