Former Starbucks General Counsel Trades Coffee For A Ukelele
Time to add musician to the JD Advantage column.
Over the years, Paula Boggs has worked with some heavy hitters in the legal industry. She was an Army officer, partner at K&L Gates, general counsel for Starbucks, the list goes on. Any lawyer with half a resume as decorated as that can pretty much pick and choose where they want to work. Now you can find Boggs over at iTunes. Not as general counsel, but as a musician. From PBS:
Special correspondent Mike Cerre looks at how one seasoned lawyer is now forging a musical path for our arts and culture series, Canvas…Paula Boggs’ mix of bluegrass, folk, gospel and jazz, the diversity for many life experiences before starting a new career in her late 50s as a singer-songwriter.
Committing to a bluegrass career in your 50s definitely has its advantages — The Paula Boggs Band’s album Janus feels genuine and managed to avoid the “Stomp Clap Hey” that plagues everyone who covers their ears at the hint of Mumford and Sons. Don’t know what I’m talking about? If you had a sense of hearing back in 2011, yes, you do:
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She describes her music as Seattle-brewed soulgrass. The most recent album, Janus, is worth a listen even if you don’t default to country-adjacent tunes. There’s a bunch of whimsy on the thing, like the song inspired by an unexpectedly pregnant horse:
The song “Ebony Revisited” feels like it was made for long drives. You might appreciate the COVID musings on the relative value of manicures and toilet paper on “Where’s My Scarf.” She even manages to get a few digs in at Fox and CNN in “Don’t Let The Clowns (Break You Down).”
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As much as the music stands on its own, knowing that a distinguished lawyer is behind the tunes is inspiring. There are a lot of lawyers out there with a passion for music and the arts. Trust us, there’s a lot a talent in the law revue archive. Beyond the music, listening to Janus could be the motivation you need to pursue one of your passions.
How A Seasoned White House Lawyer Is Forging A New Musical Path [PBS]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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