Nicole Abboud

Tell us your story. What kind of law do you practice? How did you get to where you are today?

I became a lawyer in 2011, which was a life-long dream for me. When I started practicing, I worked for a solo attorney practicing family law. A few years later, I decided to open my own practice and focused on business transactions and intellectual property. However, throughout the five years that I spent as a practicing attorney, I always felt like I didn't belong in this profession and that I was meant for something else. So I un-hung my shingle and closed up shop. I launched my content marketing and social media marketing firm, Abboud Media, in 2017 and never looked back.

Why did you want to become a lawyer?

Like many people who become lawyers, I wanted to represent others. I knew that becoming an attorney would afford me a certain level of authority and influence and I wanted to be able to use that to help others. And truthfully, while growing up, being a lawyer seemed so glamorous and prestigious. It was super appealing at the time.

I knew that becoming an attorney would afford me a certain level of authority and influence and I wanted to be able to use that to help others.

Was it a smooth road becoming a lawyer and getting to where you are now? If not, what are some of the struggles you encountered?

No road is every truly smooth when you're chasing after a huge dream like becoming an attorney. Law school alone was a major struggle but only in the sense that it challenged me intellectually and pushed me physically (let's just say there were many nights spent studying near the vending machine at my law school's cafeteria). But up until the time I went to law school, my biggest struggle was internal. For a few years in college, I questioned whether law school was the right path for me. I had many interests and I was scared committing to the legal profession. That's when I decided to extern with a judge, to try to get a feel for what being a lawyer entailed. The feeling I got when I walked into the courtroom as an extern gave me all the validation I needed at the time to make the decision to go to law school.

What are you most proud of as a lawyer? What sets your practice apart from others? What do you love the most about what you do?

My proudest moment as a lawyer was when I landed my first client as a solo practitioner. I knew I was a hardworker and could do a great job for my clients, but what I hadn't proven yet was how good of a business woman I can be. Once I was able to retain my first client as a brand new solo practitioner, I felt proud.

Now, as a business owner, I love everything about what I do. I'm fortunate enough to have built a business that highlights my strengths, allows me to work with the exact type of clients I want, and affords me the lifestyle that I desire. You can't beat that as a business owner.

If you could change, improve or disrupt one thing about the practice of law, what would it be?

The one thing I'd want to help lawyers improve upon is their lack of curiosity when it comes to building their law practices. I think risk taking is not encouraged in this profession (and there are many valid reasons for that, I get it) but being brave enough to practice in an unconventional way or explore new methods of delivering legal services is under-valued. It would be great to see more lawyers taking risks and exploring their curiosities when it came to marketing and business development.

Being brave enough to practice in an unconventional way or explore new methods of delivering legal services is under-valued

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What are you doing when you're not lawyering?

Well, considering I'm not lawyering 100% of the time, I spend most of my time working in and on my business. I'm either helping a client establish their social media strategy or I'm overseeing the implementation of another client's content marketing plan. When I'm not working, I'm either running, reading, podcasting, or working on household chores (which I find, surprisingly, very calming).