New Blade Sign

The blade sign has been replaced.

The first one announced my association as Of Council with a 50-lawyer firm. As that relationship did not work out for either of us, their Main Offcie was too far away, and their focus was in areas of the law that was not the usual need of my client base, and they had to be more epensive than I do to cover their overhead. I am back to practicing on my own. I have been on my own for more than just this calendar year.

It took a while to have the sign replaced with one that announces that I am again practicing solo in my own office. The sign itself is a statement in simplicity. It says what I do (I am a lawyer), who I am (Lee B. Roth), and provides an e-mail address (lbr@lawroth.com) for contact. A snapshot with your cell phone gives the person walking by a record. The phone number of 908-782-5317 is easily found on my web site if you look and want to call.

I concluded that although I have had a great staff working with me since I established my practice on Main Street 60 years ago (at one point 6 lawyers and 9 support staff on payroll), after leaving a large firm, I feel that I can simplify and offer a more personal and less expensive service on my own, as long as my clients are willing to know that they need to schedule appointments to meet with me. I decided a long time ago that the decision between practicing law, and running a law firm, was taking me in the direction of law practice itself. I just could not do both. I am in awe of lawyers who can.

There is a 50/50 chance of seeing me if people just walk in the front door between the hours of 10:00 in the morning and 5:30 in the evening. To be sure of meeting, an appointment is a good idea.

Of course, I am still on the ground floor, as I have been since my original office at 8 Main Street, and now in my present office here at 91 Main Street, for the past 20 years.

A day or so ago I met with a client who walked with two canes. On the same day I met with a client who arrived in a wheelchair. Each did not have to navigate stairs to be able to meet in my conference room and talk about their estate plan or selling their real estate.

I know that the Flemington local government representatives seem to feel that we should not allow offices on the ground floor. I can be accessible here because I was established before they made some zoning law changes to prohibit people needing accessible professional services from getting them on the ground floor.

I wonder if they gave any thought to the needs of handicapped citizens, or senior citizens, who think they ought to be able to come to the county seat, Flemington, and find professional services they need without having to figure out how to climb a set of stairs to get to the second or third floor of one of our historic Main Street buildings, where new offices are allowed.

When the zoning law was changed, who advocated for our handicapped citizens, or senior citizens, or the businesspeople, doctors, lawyers, and financial advisors, who serve them. There is a commonsense need. Who advocated for landlords who want to rent their space?

Has there been any discussion of allowing only short term or handicap parking on Main Street? How do you feel about that?

And, should parking laws in Flemington be enforced?