Will Graebe

Red Flags and Tips for Avoiding the Scam Seller impersonation fraud is the hottest new real estate scam being perpetrated throughout the nation. CertifID, a fraud detection and protection company, says that almost three out of four real estate firms have seen an increase in this kind of fraud since the beginni… Read More

In the hope that I might improve myself and help another lawyer suffering from my same affliction, I want to confess a character defect. I am not a good listener. For as long as I can remember, I have been a poor listener. I don’t think that I’m an inconsiderate or unkind person. I want to be a good listener, but it’s really hard. I have so many things I want to tell people. I have solutions to their problems. I have nuggets of wisdom to impart to them. I need to save them from their misguided beliefs. And I am passionate about certain things and want them to feel that same sense of passion.   Read More

On April 23, 2024, the FTC voted to ban most non-compete clauses in employment agreements. The new rule will take effect 120 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The rule rescinds most existing non-competes and bans non-competes going forward. Employees who are under existing non-competes must be… Read More

  On April 8, 2024, the moon passed between the sun and the earth. For many in the middle of the country, it was a total eclipse of the sun. Day became night for about 4 minutes. Millions of Americans donned special sunglasses and stared into the sky in an almost trance-like state. There were “oohs&… Read More

When we think of physical exercise to improve our health, we often think of going to the gym, heading out for a run, attending a cardio class, or taking a long bike ride. All these activities are great ways to get beneficial exercise. But did you know that walking also offers enormous physical and mental health… Read More

I have never been a big celebrator of my own birthdays. It is just another day of the year—another trip around the sun. I suppose that when I turned 16, it seemed like a big deal. I was able to drive. It gave me a new sense of freedom. Since then, I have not given much attention to turning a certain age. That changed this past year when I turned 60. There was something different about 60. I don’t think I can describe myself as middle-aged anymore. I might even qualify for free or discounted coffee at some restaurants. I can legitimately wear a shirt that says, “Old Guys Rule.”   Read More

In his book Buddha’s Brain, best-selling author and neuroscientist Rick Hanson suggests that physical and mental pain and suffering is inevitable in life. People die. They lose their jobs and suffer illnesses and injuries. Marriages dissolve. Hanson calls these things first darts. They are events or cir… Read More

The Institute for Well-Being In Law (“IWIL”) held its annual conference on January 23-25, 2024. The conference opened with a keynote address from Yale psychology professor Dr. Laurie Santos. Dr. Santos is the host of the popular Happiness Lab Podcast. The conference included three days of additional… Read More

I love the feeling of receiving a genuine thank you note or email. When I am having a particularly stressful day or feeling a little down about something, a sincere expression of gratitude from a lawyer who I have helped in dealing with a malpractice claim can lift me up and out of my funk. But I have also foun… Read More

We all have moments in our practice that we would rather forget. What follows is mine. I was an eager young associate who wanted to impress my client and the partners in the firm. We were handling a tax case that had something to do with inventory tax and the valuation of baby chicks. I had researched the IRS Tax Code, regulations, tax treaties, and IRS rulings and was confident that the IRS agent’s position was untenable. I wanted to display my legal prowess to my client, so I prepared a letter to the client explaining our superior position and the IRS agent’s incompetence.   Read More

Jay Reeves has left the building. There will likely be no encores from Jay—at least for North Carolina lawyers. He has followed his personal legend and moved to South Carolina to write the baseball novel that has been stirring in him for years. The good citizens of Newberry will be lucky to have Jay. But we at Lawyers Mutual, as well as Jay’s followers, will sorely miss him. He has been an inspiration to so many of us over the years.   Read More

We spend an enormous amount of time thinking about something other than what we are doing in the present moment. It is called mind-wandering and can be detrimental to our happiness and well-being.  A 2010 study by Harvard psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert, discovered that the average person’s mind wanders 47% of the time (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1192439). The study also found that, when people think about something other than what they are doing in the present moment, they tend to be less happy. Other studies have shown that mind-wandering and a lack of focus on a task can also lead to mistakes.   Read More

What if I told you that there was a pill that you can take that will immediately boost your mood, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes and cancer, improve your focus and memory, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduce inflammation in your body, delay brain aging and neurodegenerative disease, and reduce negative symptoms of stress? You should also know that this pill would, if taken correctly, have little or no side effects. Would you take it? I’m guessing most would. Well, it is available. It’s just not available in pill form. But it is available in the form of physical exercise and movement. Read More

Over the past year, I have been traveling across the state talking to lawyers about well-being. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. I have been deeply moved by the flood of emails, phone calls, and letters from insureds expressing their appreciation for the content. My commitment to lawyer well-being extends beyond Lawyers Mutual presentations and articles. I am also actively involved in providing written content for the Lawyers Assistance Program (LAP), and I've had the privilege of delivering programs with the LAP on well-being and resilience. The message we have received is clear. Our insureds are hungry for tools to help them deal with the sometimes-overwhelming stress of practicing law.   Read More

Let’s face it, lawyers have a lot of stress in their lives. We deal with deadlines, angry and impatient clients, malpractice exposure, difficult opposing counsel, and expectations of perfection. Now, add to that list the COVID 19 pandemic, inflation and political turmoil and you’ve got a big heaping serving of stress stew.   Read More