Law Practice, Worst Practices

This is disappointing. ABA Drops Tech Columnist After 15 Years Without Even Saying Thanks

The nothing.but.net column in the ABA's Law Practice magazine has been dropped after 15 years. Erik J. Heels, the columnist, finally got the message -- by email.

@ErikJHeels says...

I didn't follow my own rule: don't write when you're upset, cool down for 24 hours first. I know. As I said above, I wrote my column with passion, I write this blog with passion.

So what I am really upset about? I'm upset that I found out - today - that a decision had been made, apparently months ago, to drop my column. And that nobody extended me the common courtesy of telling me about the decision.

I can handle the truth. Every column has a beginning, middle, and an end, and if mine had run its course, so be it. But somebody could have told me. Instead, I had to milk the information out of the ABA. I sent emails in February, May, and June, all of which went unanswered. It took two more emails from me this month (July) for the ABA to finally admit what had happened. I'm not upset that I didn't get a roast or that I wasn't paid for my work (it was a volunteer gig).

I'm upset that I nobody told me that it was over.

Who wouldn't feel slighted?

Just think of the cartoon above as a "cube grenade" and, as the artist Hugh MacLeod would say, "Rock on!"