Oh, buying gifts for a lawyer can be frightful,
This guide tries to make it more delightful;
For lawyers’ families this is the place to go,
No more woes, no more woes, no more woes!
One gift that is definitely worth stopping,
Are ties that have scales dropping;
We really can’t take any more,
Such a bore, such a bore, make us snore!
So as you start the season of buying.
Here’s a fact, there’s no denying;
Pick an item from this lawyer guide,
The thanks will be sincere and bona fide!
This is the 9th annual ReidMyBlog Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers. It has more than 20 ideas specifically suited to lawyers. It's a public service to help family friends find great gifts for lawyers without resorting to wooden gavels, kitschy lawyer figurines, and anything with the damn scales of justice slapped on. Enjoy!
Whether after winning a big case, the birth of a child, a family reunion, or upon the launch of a
new firm, this Toasting Box will make any celebration even more memorable. The wooden box holds ten shot glasses and can be personalized with optional name and date.
The lawyer in your life need not be an art collector to enjoy new art for the office. Artwork can brighten the office of any lawyer, and nothing is quite so unique as a work of art created by, well, another lawyer. Lawyer-turned-artist to be exact. Sometimes the artwork of a lawyer-artist reflects the law, such as the work of Deborah Wolfe, and sometimes it has nothing to do with the law, such as the paintings of Kirk Hayes, the photography of Ian Plant or the pottery of Debbi Cohen. Some lawyer-artists like Betsy Karasik will accept commissioned work and portraits. Prices range from reasonable to “HOW much per hour?”
True, I have included the iPad or other tablet computers in my 2009, 2010, and
2011 gift guides, but each has earned that spot. The iPad Air is no different. Yes, there are tablets that are thinner or lighter, but none are better than Apple’s most recent edition of the iPad—according to lawyer iPad guru Jeff Richardson of iPhoneJD fame. Lawyers should skip the 16G versions and get more storage; these devices are too important for business and life in general to run out of space.
Lawyers and iPads go together like peanut butter and jelly, beer and pretzels, and Santa and reindeer! With so many iPads, how can one lawyer's be distinguished from another? Give it a unique case! The Bison Leather iPad Brief adds needed protection and a stylish home for your tablet. Constructed of rugged bison leather (you were expecting reindeer leather?) with solid brass hardware, this case accommodates documents and small personal items in addition to your iPad.
Contrary to the usual advice to lawyers to “leave your work at the office”, Lawsuit! is a clever board
game to share the life of a lawyer with family and friends. Players graduate law school then “practice” law by accepting clients, then settling or appealing cases. An award-winning game for home or the classroom.
Tile is the tiny new device, funded via Kickstarter that helps keep track of your stuff. Attach it to anything. When used with the tile mobile app, not only will it help locate your stuff, but the community of Tile users can help you track any lost or stolen item equipped with a Tile. A terrific gift for that lawyer who tends to misplace car keys, briefcases, and more! $20. Ships in early 2014.
Maybe the hardest practitioner to buy for is one who's also a tech-loving outdoorsman.Their biggest
problem? Powering their phones and tabelets. Their problem is solved, thanks to the portable Brunton Hydrogen Reactor. This small 8 oz. device uses hydrogen power cores to combine with oxygen to create power. It can recharge a phone up to six times before the power core itself needs recharging. No, I am not kidding!
Music soothes the savage beast. Works for lawyers too! So why listen to music stream through inferior computer speakers when you can play your favorite music from your mobile device through the awesome sound of the Grain Audio Packable Wireless Speaker? Solid walnut, Waves AudioMaxx technology, Bluetooth connectivity, and a sturdy portable design makes this a winner that gets two thumbs up from the New York Times, Cult of Mac, and Wired magazine.
One of the best lawyers I know loves to surf before work in the morning, which gave me the idea to
include the Hess Handplanes. Any beach-loving lawyer will enjoy the these handmade wooden paddle devices specifically designed to give a bodysurfer just the right amount of lift to get their upper body out of the water to better control their positioning and speed on the wave. Handmade, portable and easy to learn.
Just about every year I feature one bacon item in this holiday guide. One year it was bacon vodka, another it was bacon jam, and another year it was real bacon. This year’s deliciously smoky treat is, well, soap. Bacon soap. Looks like the real thing, smells like the real thing, just don’t eat it. Pigs love the idea, and so will your lawyer!
What would a lawyer gift guide be without a few ideas that involve some holiday “spirits”? Leading the way is limited edition Death’s Door Gin, created by craft distiller, Death’s Door Spirits from grain that is organically grown on tiny Washington Island, located in Door County, Wisconsin where the rough waters of Lake Michigan meet Lake Superior. A great story and great spirits!
As delicious as that is, your lawyer might want to learn to distill his or her own whiskey. The Guide to Urban Moonshining is a delightful book with information on the history of whisky, how to properly drink different whiskies, and the final chapters provide instructions to safely try your hand at in-house hooch.
Add fun to any holiday party with the Funky Rock Beverage Dispenser. A great accessory for the office, man cave, tailgate party, or anywhere drinks need to be dispensed!
The Stone Brewing Co. has been brewing up Arrogant Bastard ales since 1997. (No, gentle
readers, that is not the lawyer tie-in being suggested here.) From this line of award-winning ales has emerged Crime & Punishment ales—aged in bourbon barrels and infused with a ridiculous amount of scathing hot peppers. Read for yourself, then decide whether your lawyer deserves Crime & Punishment. Distributed nationally.
The last “spirit” is not one you drink, but one you drink in. Hylnds: Spirit of the Glen from Barneys New York is a unisex eau de parfum by D.S. & Durga in collaboration with The Glenlivet that “captures the history and flora” of Speyside, Scotland—nature’s home to some of the finest Scotch whiskies in the world. Clearly for scotch lovers . . .
There are plenty of wired noise-canceling headphones on the market, but the Parrot Zik headphones are not only noise-canceling, they are wireless (Bluetooth), have built-in microphones to use with a smartphone, advanced touch controls, and are among the coolest looking headphones available. Add the free
Parrot Audio app to control your music and calls via voice-recognition.
The new Jawbone Up24 fitness band will be appreciated by lawyers who wisely squeeze in the time to stay fit. It wirelessly tracks your movement and sleep, and sends information from the wristband to your iOS device (coming soon to Android); you can enter additional information such as moods and meals to get a full picture of your fitness.
Busy lawyers tired of tangled ear buds for their smartphone and tablet (and who isn’t) need to get Zipbuds. A patented zipper design keeps the 2 buds from becoming a mess in a pocket, briefcase, or desk drawer. The sound quality is surprisingly good on the $19.95 “Juiced” model I tested. Other
designs include one with an in-line mic and two headphone models!
Generations of American baseball fans love to debate which players, teams, and games are the greatest of all time. (And who better to debate that with than your favorite lawyer?!) Now Sports Illustrated injects more evidence into the debate with their thoroughly researched book, Baseball’s Greatest. This new coffee-table book offers the unequivocal “Top 10” in more than 20 categories, including the top sluggers, pitchers, stadiums, managers, and franchises.
Not just for geeks or wannabe British spies, USB Flash Drive cufflinks make a
unique gift especially when loaded with digital memorabilia like personal photos, family videos, a special song or recorded message.
Part game, part conversation piece, the Human Bowling Ball Game is the most expensive item ever featured in this gift guide. Set it up the alley in your yard or at a park. Players slide inside a 7 ft. inflatable sphere to become a human bowling ball. It’s not for everyone, but who doesn’t want to play it just once!
That's it for 2013! If you are a lawyer, feel free to share this link with your family and friends! If you are shopping for a lawyer, we hope this has made it easier. Past editions also have great ideas too!
Enjoy the holidays!