An overdue public thanks to a lifelong mentor.
Professor David Gregory introduced me to Tom Bohan while I was a student at Maine Law. I ended up working for Tom all through law school, including both summers. Had the Internet not happened while I was in law school, I might have stayed in Maine working for Tom after graduation. And I use the word “for” loosely because while working at Tom’s office, I was made to feel part of a team, a family, so it was more of a working “with” experience. To this date, I still refer to my Clock Tower Law Group family as people who work “with” me.
In fact, I have modeled my law firm after Tom’s and learned many valuable lessons from Tom about how to run a small law firm. Including how to deal with collection issues, how to hire people, how to handle lease negotiations, and the importance of newsletters and marketing.
Tom also helped me to think and write more rigorously. In 1994, Tom and I co-authored an article on the Supreme Court’s Daubert case (regarding scientific evidence):
“The Case Against Daubert: The New Scientific Evidence ‘Standard’ and the Standards of the Several States,” Journal of Forensic Sciences, American Academy of Forensic Sciences; with Thomas L. Bohan, Ph.D., J.D., 1995.
We concluded, more or less, that the Supremes blew it. Recalling our thorough analysis, I reached the same conclusion in 2010 regarding the Bilski case.
When I decided to start my own law practice a decade ago – after chasing the Internet (more or less successfully) for six years – I again turned to my mentor, Tom, for advice. Could I successfully launch a law practice after being “out of the law” for six years? Tom’s reply, which I have quoted many times since, was simply, “Just be yourself, and you’ll be fine.”
I was fortunate to have two great mentors while in law school. Professor Gregory inside the walls (I would say “four corners” but for the law school being cylindrical) of the law school, Tom Bohan outside the walls of the law school.
Here are a handful of articles in which Tom is mentioned directly or indirectly:
- Patent Law 101
An introduction to patent law in plain English. - Professor David D. Gregory
Teacher, Mentor, Friend. - TrademarksForStartups.com: $17 Trademarks For Startups
Considering filing your trademark without a lawyer? Spend $17 to have a lawyer file it instead. - @22Twts Interview With @ErikJHeels
Today, we’re tweeting with @erikjheels: lawyer, electrical engineer, columnist, Red Sox fan, former Air Force Captain and more. - How To Be A Millionaire On #Twitter
In two easy steps! - FreeTrademarksForStartups.com: Free Trademarks For Startups
The best time for entrepreneurs to start a new business is during a recession. - Goodbye Zappos, Hello Heels.com
Strive for excellence, the PR will follow. - Erik J. Heels
- LawLawLaw 2007-10-17
Technology, Law, Baseball, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Etc. - LawLawLaw 2007-01-17
Technology, Law, Baseball, and Rock ‘n’ Roll. - A Smattering Of Things That I’ve Learned In Life
This article explains, in a way that a resume cannot, what life experiences I have had and how these experiences have contributed to the unique perspective that I bring to everything that I do. - Free Historic Legal Internet Books
While supplies last, I am giving away old copies of books that I’ve written, including ‘The Legal List,’ which documents early legal Internet pioneers. - Litigation Resources On The Internet
Congratulations to the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association on releasing a redesigned Web site that is interesting, informative, and engaging. - Website Review: American Academy Of Forensic Sciences
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) is a scholarly organization whose flagship publication is the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
Thanks, Tom, for your guidance, wisdom, and friendship over the years. As I begin teaching at Maine Law, I will continue to try to live up to the high standards that you have set for me.
