Why I Teach and Write: Part 1
Last week I had the pleasure of teaching Legal Aspects of Code Enforcement for the Huron Valley Association of Code Officials. They were a wonderful audience, and very forgiving since I was teaching with a nasty cold. On the plane ride home, I hit the wall with congestion and fatigue and asked myself, “Why am I doing this?” I have to admit that I enjoy the interaction and energy that exists when I’m teaching something people really want to hear. When I see people madly taking notes, I assume it’s because what I have to say has value to them. What keeps me going is knowing how many people are hungry for ideas on how to do their jobs better and more effectively. I’ve been fortunate in my practice to learn a great deal from the cases I’ve prosecuted during my career and from the inspectors with whom I work. That experience has helped me gain the expertise I need to get better results for my clients. However, there’s a limit to how helpful I can be as a prosecutor because I can’t prosecute cases 500 miles from home. But, by teaching I can share ideas and techniques with code officials and inspectors all over the country. If they decide to buy my books, my expertise is available to them on a daily basis. I get a kick out of hearing anecdotes from inspectors about something I’ve said in class that really made a difference to them on the job. Because of the foreclosure crisis, we are all facing enormous challenges in our communities and on the job. Everyone has to play a part in seeing this through. I intend to keep teaching and writing as long as I have something to offer.
