The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law - Mark Herrmann - Foreword

Aug 2, 2026

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A legal practice guide framed through humor and “curmudgeonly” insight, introducing the realities of law work in America beyond abstract classroom logic. The material emphasizes practical writing and professional conduct, including drafting memoranda, succeeding (and failing) as an associate, and managing client relationships and time for billing. It also explains the meaning and origins of “curmudgeon,” setting the tone for a candid, experience-driven approach to building a sustainable practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages106

Reading Time2 h 43 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

How to Write: A Memorandum from a Curmudgeon

How to Fail as an Associate

What They Didn’t Tell You in Law School

The Curmudgeonly Secretary

The Curmudgeon’s Law Dictionary

Seven Hours Locked in a Room

The Curmudgeon Argues

Dress for Success

How to Enter Time So That Clients Will Pay for It

The Curmudgeon on Couth

The Curmudgeon on Clients

The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Building a Practice

More praise for The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law “Part primer. Part comedy. And part keen insight into the practice of law in America today.” —Stephen Phillips, Defense Liaison Counsel, In re Orthopedic Bone Screw Product Liability Litigation “Required reading for anyone who is a lawyer, knows a lawyer, or has ever laughed at a lawyer joke.” —David Gulley, Ph.D., Navigant Consulting “I’ve had Mark Herrmann’s ‘Memorandum From A Curmudgeon’tacked tomy office door for years. Now I’ll have to find a bigger tack.” —Professor Sue Liemer, Director of Lawyering Skills, School of Law, Southern Illinois University “Mark Herrmann’s book is the perfect graduation gift for new lawyers. Don’t let the humor fool you into thinking that this book isn’t serious; it’sthe most practical introduction to life as a lawyer you can find.” —Ian Gallacher, Director, Legal Research and Writing, Syracuse University College of Law “Mark Herrmann has written a fun—and incredibly useful—book…It could fairly be called ‘Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Law Practice But Were Afraid to Ask.’Now, at last, we can find out the tricks of the trade without the risk of appearing stupid. And we can do so with a book so humorous that at times I found myself laughing out loud.” —Professor Robert H. Klonoff, Douglas Stripp/Missouri Professor of Law University of Missouri/Kansas City School of Law“The Curmudgeon cuts to the chase about how to practice law successfully …Instructive, insightful,…and just plain fun!” —Gary Garfield, General Counsel, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC. “This is the only book I’ve ever read that I wish had been longer.” —Robert C. Weber, Senior Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, IBM “I’m already drafting papers to get Mark Herrmann drummed out of the lawyer corps for spilling the beans.” —Ron Coleman, Coleman Law Firm PC, author of The Princeton Review Pre-Law Companion and the Likelihood of Confusion blog“I loved this book! No, really—I mean it.” —Tracy Stratford, Jones Day litigation associate, who knew that there’d be hell to pay unless she said something awfully nice about this book [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) THE CURMUDGEON’S GUIDE TO PRACTICING LAW MARK HERRMANN [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Portions of the text of this book were published in some form in the following publications, reprinted here with permission: “Alternate Meanings for Commonly Used Phrases,” The National Law Journal (July 21, 1997) (co-authored with John W. Edwards II); “Trial Balloon: How To Write: A Memorandum From A Curmudgeon,” Litigation (Fall 1997); “This is What I’m Thinking: A Dialogue Between Partner And Associate …From The Partner,” Litigation (Fall 1998); and “On SelfJustifying Bills,” For The Defense (Nov. 2003) . Cover design by ABA Publishing. The materials contained herein represent the opinions and views of the authors and/or the editors, and should not be construed to be the views or opinions of the law firms or companies with whom such persons are in partnership with, associated with, or employed by, nor of the American Bar Association or the Section of Litigation unless adopted pursuant to the bylaws of the Association. Nothing contained in this book is to be considered as the rendering of legal advice for specific cases, and readers are responsible for obtaining such advice from their own legal counsel. This book and any forms and agreements herein are intended for educational and informational purposes only. © 2006 American Bar Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission contact the ABA Copyrights & Contracts Department, copyright@americanbar.org or via fax at (312) 988-6030. Library of Congress Catalog

FAQs

What is the book’s overall approach to practicing law?

It combines part primer and part comedy with keen, experience-based insight into real law practice in America.

Which skills does the table of contents highlight for new lawyers?

It emphasizes practical legal writing (such as memoranda), learning how to succeed as an associate, and effectively handling billing time so clients will pay.

How does the foreword define a “curmudgeon”?

It describes “curmudgeon” as a cantankerous, disagreeable person, usually elderly, and discusses speculations about the word’s origins.

Aug 2, 2026

Upload by Miles