T’was the week of Thanksgiving and all through the land,
the season of giving was almost at hand.
Many families with lawyers were full of despair,
not knowing what to buy, just coming up with air.
Then out of the East came a blog, bona fide,
the annual lawyer’s holiday gift guide.
For seven straight years it has brought peace and suggestions;
to families looking for answers to their toughest gift questions.
So here it is for all those in need,
Again, courtesy of MyBlog named Reid.
2011 is the Year of the Tablet. Any tablet. Well, almost any tablet. Although the iPad is the tablet 
atop most
Christmas lists, there are some very good tablets out there that deliver terrific bang for the buck:
- The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tops the list of the many Android-based full-size tablets. Starting at $500 at many retailers.
- Not getting enough attention is the new Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet. This is a business-class device that comes with a digital stylus that turns handwriting into text. Android-based, this tablet delivers some unique features starting at $500.
- Amazon’s tablet/e-Reader line-up is very good, and the Kindle Fire leads the way. The Fire is a 7-inch color tablet that is primarily an e-Reader but uses Android apps, has a unique Web browser and supports webmail too. The Fire is $199 while other models start under $100.
- Overshadowed a bit by the Kindle Fire, don’t neglect the Nook Color from Barnes & Noble. This actually may be the best tablet value on the market
today, starting at $249.
- There are other Android tablets from Sony, HTC, Motorola and more that may be good values, but avoid any larger tablets under $200 without doing thorough research.
Bottom line? Tablets, including e-Readers, should be on everyone’s list this year.
Few parents and techies will be able to resist Goodnight iPad by, ahem, Ann Droyd. A clever and funny parody of our modern times, it is a perfect gift for that lawyer/parent on your list. I discovered this at Delphinium Home in Manhattan, but it is available at most on-line bookstores.
Steve Jobs has been called the Edison of our times, among other choice labels, but love him or hate him, he had an impact on American culture and world
technology that cannot be underestimated. His biography by Walter Isaacson is a must read. Out of deference to the late Mr. Jobs, give this via iTunes gift card to read on an iPad (or via Amazon gift card for the Kindle if you must)!
Nothing quite says “Happy Holidays” better than gift of smoky, delicious bacon. In 2009 it was Nueske’s bacon, but this year it’s Bacon Jam. This amazing concoction can 
be made at home, but the folks at Skillet (in Seattle) have perfected this decadent condiment. Made mainly from rendered bacon, herbs, and onions, a spoonful of this goes with just about anything you can think of! Around $35 for three 7oz. jars from Skillet via Amazon. If that won’t float your lawyer’s boat, try the latest rage in flavored vodka—Bakon Vodka. It makes for awesome Bloody Marys.
Speaking of alcohol--and you knew that subject was going to come up sooner or later--whiskey stones make a great gift for lawyers who enjoy single-malt scotch. Just chill these stone cubes, and then add 
two or three to a dram of your favorite scotch whiskey. They will lower the drinking temperature without diluting the golden nectar! Milled in Vermont by the oldest soapstone workshop in the U.S., a set of nine stones is under $20.
And for the more adventuresome lawyer in your life, consider this private scotch tasting party for up to 20 friends. The tasting includes scotch, a real Master of Whiskey and authentic Scottish bagpiper to educate and entertain, and personalized bottles for all to take home. All of this can be had for $5,000; however, proceeds go to AIDS research so some of the purchase price may be tax deductible.
The Jambox Wireless Speaker connects to your smartphone, tablet or laptop via Bluetooth and 
delivers absolutely amazing sound for playing music, watching movies or using it as a speakerphone. Comes in several colors and is available from numerous retailers for under $200. Made by the people who bring you Jawbone Bluetooth headsets.
Take a close look at this—the Looxcie is an over-the-ear wireless video camera that records the world as you see it. Wear it to the kids' soccer games or to a holiday party. It can stream live to your social networks too. Uses the Looxcie smartphone app to control the camera functions. Starts at $150 online and at electronics retailers.
They rule the day in many law firms nationwide, so why not get the Keurig
brewing system for home? For lawyers, a good caffeine, I mean, coffee maker is the gift that just 
keeps on giving. Even Starbucks and Dunkin Doughnuts are selling their own coffee k-cups for this machine!
Set your iPad into the Atari Arcade, download Atari’s Greatest Hits from the iTunes App Store, and you’re ready to play video games the way they were meant to be played-with buttons and a joystick! $60 for the Arcade dock from numerous retailers including Apple; $15 for the full game app via iTunes.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without at least one remote control toy on the list. The hot RC toy this year is a robot that interprets your hand motions—when you 
punch, it punches! Light years ahead of the “Rock ‘em Sock ‘em” robots of our youth, these are sold in pairs for hours of great fun! A great gift for that up and coming associate!! From Hammacher Schlemmer.
I hadn’t heard of Pandora until recently, but judging by my wife’s reaction to the bracelet I recently gave her this will be a hit for that lady lawyer in your life. This Copenhagen-based jewelry company has a brilliant new take on charm bracelets that has brought them quickly back in fashion. Bracelets start under $100, with individual charms from $35 to $700. (Note to husbands: It takes over a dozen charms to fill the bracelet so you don’t have to come up with a new gift idea for the next few years!) 
I’m not sure I believe the technology behind Energy Athletic golf shirts, but most golfers I know will gladly spend $70 to try to get extra yardage out of every swing.
That golfer in your life who uses being a lawyer as an excuse to get off the golf course, will truly enjoy A Course Called Ireland: A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee. This engaging and funny book by sportswriter Tom Coyne chronicles his recent 1,000-mile walk around Ireland to play 40+ golf courses (963 holes) while learning the history, culture, and people of this emerald isle. Leather-bound edition $80 from Orvis; Hardcover, paperback, electronic versions $8-20 from Amazon and most booksellers.
Few lawyers will be able to resist the Sonos wireless HiFi system that takes home music to new levels. Totally wireless, the system can be controlled from a smartphone or tablet computer, delivering superior sound to any or all rooms of your house. Streams music from your iPod or other music player; it also integrates with your existing sound system, or build it from scratch. Speakers and components starting at $300.
Both practical and historic, Heirloom Pens are made out of legacy wood from historic 
sites around the U.S., including Mulberry wood from the home of two signers of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Rare woods and unique stories are behind each handmade pen. $50 to over $200 per pen.
Is your favorite lawyer a know-it-all? Well, make her prove it by giving the IQ Test Gift Box, containing a 40-question IQ test and a return envelope to have the test graded. Soon thereafter your lawyer will receive a personalized certificate confirming his or her IQ. $20 from Vat 19.
For the lawyer who loves to cook, look no further than The Smoking Gun, a 
simple method to quickly and easily add real smoke flavor to food. The gun uses cool smoke technology to infuse any food—cheese, nuts, seafood, vegetables, and more—with a pleasing smoke flavor. $100 from Williams-Sonoma.
Recommended by a Kindle devotee, Amazon's Lighted Kindle Leather Cover protects this e-Reader, but incorporates a retractable LED reading light for those times when you need it, yet slips back into the cover when you don't. The cover and light are specially engineered to use a small amount power from the Kindle--no separate expensive batteries needed. Seven colors available. $50 from Amazon.
If nothing else seems to fit that hard-to-please lawyer, then why not lease them a farm? Well, not a whole farm! Rent Mother Nature Leases provides a down to earth gift that will keep giving all year through harvest time. The lawyer receives 
a lease certificate (that the lawyer cannot try to renegotiate) to one of the family farms in this sustainable agriculture network. They’ll do all the hard work of farming, and even send progress reports and a photo during the growing season; however, the real payoff is at harvest time when you are sent your share of the crops. From honey to pistachios to goat cheese, there are many types of farms to choose from. Starting around $60.
Need more ideas? View my past guides for more ideas for any lawyer in your life!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!
