The Glamorous Grind
Where grit meets glamour, and the law is always in style. Hosted by attorneys Ilona Antonyan and Mila Arutunian of Antonyan Miranda LLP, The Glamorous Grind delivers bold conversations at the intersection of law, lifestyle, and mindset.
Each episode features stories from inside the courtroom, celebrity interviews, and real-life legal battles that shape lives and headlines. From empowerment and entrepreneurship to manifestation and vision boards, we explore the hustle behind the glam with fearless insight.
No topic is off-limits! Expect unfiltered talk on relationships, mental health, success strategies, and building your legacy.
The Glamorous Grind
How To Make Hard Decisions Like A Criminal Defense Attorney
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What do you do when there's no perfect answer and getting it wrong could change someone's life forever?
In this episode of The Glamorous Grind, employment attorney Mila Arutunian and family law specialist Ilona Antonyan sit down with Amir Alavi, a former Riverside County prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney, known as "The Smiling Assassin". Their topic? How to make impossible decisions under pressure.
Whether you're leading a business, raising a family, or deciding whether to leave a relationship, this episode is for you.
You'll learn the #1 hardest decision in a criminal trial (and how lawyers advise it), why the "school to prison pipeline" is real and how one attorney is fighting it, and how addiction and mental health issues land good people in the criminal justice system.
Want more glam during your grind? New episodes every other Tuesday.
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Hosts: Ilona Antonyan & Mila Arutunian
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One of the biggest myths around successful people is that they always know exactly what they're doing. But that's the wrong way of looking at it. It's not that they always know the right answer. It's that they're willing to make a decision and stick to it.
SPEAKER_00Well, who among us hasn't made mistakes? Hasn't made bad decisions? Everybody has regrets.
SPEAKER_01Today's guest has handled cases with the highest of stakes and people's lives hang in the balance. What's the hardest decision you've ever had to make on behalf of a client?
SPEAKER_00You know, in criminal law, let's say we're in a jury trial. The most important decision is will the defendant testify in trial or not? Now, ultimately, they have their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, but how do you get out the innocent story?
SPEAKER_01And here's the question we'll look at today. How do you make a decision when getting it wrong could change someone's life or your own forever? Today's episode isn't really about the law in a literal sense. It's about making decisions under pressure. Whether you're leading a business, raising a family, or deciding whether to leave a relationship, eventually everyone reaches a point where there is no perfect answer.
SPEAKER_02I've known Amir for years since we were both starting out as lawyers. We spent countless hours working on cases when we had no idea what we were doing, preparing for jury trials when we had no idea what we were doing, and stressing out, figuring out the procedure and the law together. Over the years, we have developed in different ways and have succeeded in different ways, which is what we're going to be talking about today. Amir was my very first associate. We met in law school, and then one day he knocked on my door with a scooter board and he got a job because I really needed help. And then we tackled the unknown together. And now I'm so happy to see him. It has been 10 years since I last saw him, although it's been 20 years since we worked together. And over the last two decades, he has accomplished great things. He has been the prosecutor in the Riverside County doing serious murder trials, month-long trials, and is one of the best. Now he has his own practice. He is the smiling assassin. That was what we called him before because he's so kind, so sweet, but watch out. He will get you when you don't expect it. Don't underestimate Amir.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much, Yelona. It's a real pleasure to be here. And I have the fondest memories of when we were baby attorneys starting out together. When we worked together, you got me a mug that I still have. And on it it said, What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
SPEAKER_02I have the same mug still.
SPEAKER_00You know what? I was drinking coffee from it just a couple of days ago, and I was thinking about you. Um I take good care of that so as to not lose it, but I love the message. I love the message.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. I was impressed. I still have it. One of the things I love most about Alona, which I always talk about, and I just want to take in as much of it as I can, is her complete lack of limiting beliefs because I've never seen anyone quite like that. And it's just so incredible. And when you're around that, it's so hard not to like take in some of that energy.
SPEAKER_00And it's really, really the yes I can energy. Absolutely. It's so contagious.
SPEAKER_01So when you left Alona, you went and became a prosecutor?
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes. I went and became a deputy district attorney in Riverside County, and I was a prosecutor for 12 years. Wow. Uh, had a lot of different assignments. Uh, one of my last assignments was crime prevention, working with youth to keep uh kids in school and out of the juvenile and criminal justice system. And I teamed up with uh the County Office of Education and school districts. I was delighted to have uh about a three-year stretch where I worked with school districts and the youth. Uh, and uh then after that, I uh moved into practicing criminal defense. You know, I always talked about breaking the drop out of school to prison pipeline. And it goes something like this students become disenfranchised from education, uh, and they start missing school, whether it's truancy or for whatever reason, until they fall so far behind that they fall away or drop out of the education system. Now the doors of opportunity slam on them. Uh, and what we are some of us take for granted diplomas, job opportunities, the ability to join, you know, the armed services or or go to vocational school, they don't have those opportunities. So what happens is they end up going in a downward spiraling cycle uh and getting into trouble. And so breaking the drop out of school to prison pipeline, education and youth is part of it, but the pipeline goes all the way to the end. And now I'm on the far side of the pipeline, trying to help people that have struggled with those difficulties throughout their lives and are now looking at serious trouble with the criminal justice system. And it's never too late to break the drop-out of school to prison pipeline. So now I have the privilege of working with adults who are navigating challenges, uh, and I get to hopefully help them clear the way, um, you know, so that that so that they can succeed, even as they're looking at now sometimes serious criminal charges as adults.
SPEAKER_02That's incredible. You seem to have a lot of sympathy for them.
SPEAKER_00A lot of sympathy, my friend.
SPEAKER_02I would say empathy, do you think?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Well, who among us hasn't made mistakes, hasn't made bad decisions? Uh I think in all of us in in our own way, at some level, have. Everybody has regrets. You know, there's this real stereotype about crime and criminals. Uh a lot of times what it is is good people who are caught in a bad way. So a lot of clients are struggling with alcoholism. They're struggling with addiction. They might be struggling with mental health issues, they might be struggling with real financial issues. Maybe they were those youth where the doors of opportunities closed on them. And now they've found uh acceptance, looking for love in all the wrong places in gangs and criminal organizations, right? Uh, and now they're they're facing the criminal justice system. But really, underneath it, they're good people who have made bad decisions or are stuck in difficult circumstances, like the disease of alcoholism or drug addiction. Drives people to do things that in their waking state they would never imagine doing. Uh and sometimes there's consequence, other times there's treatment. But these are individuals uh with great promise, with a heart and soul. And if we can just, you know, clear the thicket in front of them, they can hopefully march and move towards the horizon.
SPEAKER_02How do you do that if someone is not willing to uh receive help or is not self-aware?
SPEAKER_00That that is uh incredibly difficult to do. Uh, I think uh the willingness, uh the desire uh to actually make a change uh is is critical. And no attorney can advise that. We can try and maybe make a difference, but sometimes people uh get in situations where uh the suffering has given them the gift of desperation. So that now, okay, I cannot continue this way anymore. I have to make a change, I have to move in a positive direction. And sometimes as a criminal defense attorney, when we see and find people in that spot, it is the most gratifying thing to be able to help them move forward.
SPEAKER_02Can you give us examples of uh clients uh who changed after their conviction?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, absolutely. I'll give you an example. Um no names, of course, but uh the hypothetical client, and and this is all just just uh hypothetical, right? Uh might have come to court uh and had uh a couple of different felony cases, one theft base, one with possession uh of guns. Uh client, hypothetical client disappeared, failed to appear in court, uh, and was involved in a long cycle of drug addiction. Client calls the hypothetical lawyer, me, and says, Amir, I I I I need help. Like I I can't do this anymore. So before adding the case onto calendar, client enrolled in a 90-day residential rehabilitation program. Finished that program, client then checked into or started living in sober living and had an intensive outpatient treatment that client enrolled in, and that was to last about six months. When all of this happened, we put the client's case uh onto calendar and client ended up pleading guilty, but one of the probation terms was to continue the treatment. And guess what? Those 90 days client would have gotten 180 days in jail. Uh the prosecution decided to use those 90 days to give credit for jail time and to take everything in account. When all was said and done, I think client owed about 10 days of work release, which is five actual days, maybe picking up trash on the side of the road or even doing house arrest. And uh it was amazing. And the before and after with the client, I didn't recognize the client when I first saw the client in court because the client looked healthy, vibrant, very aware. Uh, you know, of course, more well-maintained, you know, haircut and all of that. Uh, and uh, it was just a thing of beauty. Uh, I'll never forget that case. Now, not all of them work that way, but when it does, that's the sweet spot. And that's that's what I really try to do is help people who are in these situations, you know, have a revolution within their own mind and heart of how they're going to approach life.
SPEAKER_02Mary, you have too much passion and love for this to do any other area of law at this point, I think. You care a lot. I can see that.
SPEAKER_00But not every case is like that. Uh, and sometimes uh it's uh much more tedious, much more difficult. But that's the practice of law. It's the glamorous grind.
unknownIt really is. It really is.
SPEAKER_00And it's those pivotal highlight moments that give us maybe a little bit of extra wind in our sales.
SPEAKER_02Amir, how do these people get services? Is it a no-charge? Is it paid by insurance by the state to go into drug rehab, uh, do this 90-day program and then six-month housing?
SPEAKER_00That's that's a great question. Sometimes if it's a court-ordered service or something that's done through probation, uh, they may be able to get some of those services for free. Sometimes, like with the example that I brought up earlier with that client, that client was not actually actively in the court system. There was a warrant for the client's arrest, uh, but managed through family uh funding uh or insurance. Sometimes some programs like treatment programs might be covered by Medi-Cal or other insurance. So that is a challenge, though. Uh, how do you get those services?
SPEAKER_01Did you know that checking yourself into rehab is a protected class in California employment law? No. So if you like have an addiction, being an being an addict is not a protected class. It's not a protected disability under California or ADA. But the second you go to your employer and you say, I have an addiction and I want to get treatment, then you're protected and they have to provide time under FMLA.
SPEAKER_00It's kind of like a disability.
SPEAKER_01It is a disability. What if you don't check yourself in? You're like, hey, I'll do it, but you don't. No, then you can't. You have to actually provide a medical certification stating that you have a disability and you need time off to take care of the disability.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean a lot of attorneys struggle with alcohol or drug issues, right? That's what we're supposed to do. It's part of our continuing leg legal education renewables.
SPEAKER_01We have to do the course. And infertility rates are crazy amongst infertility? Who keeps track of that? Uh like uh professions. Where did you read this? There's a teacher. No, there's a list. I read it in like an article. There's a list. Incredible, and I think teachers are on there, dentists for some. That makes no sense. Why would be by profession? Because we're the most stressed.
SPEAKER_00Stress affects infertility and a number a host of medical conditions that make sense. You know, Lona, I took one of those MCLE uh trainings recently, uh, because we have a certain requirement for substance abuse and and things like that. And the trainer was estimating that four out of ten men uh in the legal profession have alcohol use disorder. Four out of ten. Now, in the general population, it's more like one out of ten, or at the most two if you consider drugs. So, yes, uh we we have a high incidence, even for women, if I recall correctly, it was three and and some decimal, like three and a third or three and a half out of out of ten. But that's that's incredibly high.
SPEAKER_01I think if you think about lawyers specifically, we all kind of, no matter what field you're in, we all kind of deal with people's very traumatic moments. Like you deal with people when they're going through divorce or child custody issues. Like you obviously deal with people in the criminal aspect. Even me with employment and personal injury, I'm dealing with people when they're fired and don't know like where they're gonna go to like pay their rent or they just got into a terrible car accident. And it's really hard. I find it's very hard oftentimes to separate and not feel empathy towards that person and not like wake up at night being like, oh my God, is my client okay? They're just like sitting there, they have children, they don't know how they're gonna pay their rent and they don't have a job and they don't have any prospects and uh, you know, unemployment is $400 a month. And like it's really hard to separate from that. So I think it makes sense that attorneys who ha are in these fields where we do deal with like very traumatic situations in people's lives end up having to turn to alcohol in the weekend to just be like, how do I turn my brain off? So what made you switch from prosecution to criminal defense?
SPEAKER_00You know, I think it was a natural outgrowth. And uh first of all, I was I felt privileged to serve the people of California as a prosecutor and to try to promote public interest uh and public safety particularly, and also to try to keep youth out of the system. Uh I was honored to do that. It was a privilege. Um but I think it was a natural progression in the work that I did to now try to help people that are the most deeply enmeshed uh in the issues that we talked about earlier and are in greatest need of help. And it is very different being a defense attorney than a prosecutor.
SPEAKER_02How?
SPEAKER_00Well, for one thing, as a prosecutor, we represent the people, right? Now, who are the people? It's an abstract concept. Uh the people of the state of California really hardly ever came to our office. You know, it's not a client, right? It's it's an interest that we represented. But as a defense attorney, we have real clients, real people with real struggles. Sometimes they actually did uh something wrong against the law, some sort of wrongdoing. And they might want to mitigate that and and get still a better outcome so that they can move on with their lives. Sometimes these are people who are ready to turn their lives around, like we talked about earlier. Uh, so it's very different having a real client as a defense attorney versus representing, you know, the people who deserve the representation, but it's much more real. It's much more tangible. The good thing is it's still criminal law. So the same motions from before uh apply, the same, you know, trial strategies, but now we're on the different side, right? It's all about raising doubt now as opposed to proving something definitively beyond a reasonable doubt.
SPEAKER_02I see a lot of prosecutors uh after getting experience going into defense. What are the benefits of knowing both sides that you bring to the table as a defense counsel?
SPEAKER_00You know, it's like a secret weapon of sorts. Uh, because for 12 years, I lived and breathed uh the prosecutor's mentality. I always carried a caseload uh in the various units that I was in. So I could identify weaknesses in a case and it would make me cringe because I was the prosecutor and I had to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt in some fashion. And I reviewed a lot of cases for filing. I was assigned a lot of cases for general purposes, for trials, for motions, for preliminary hearings. So I understand the thought process that goes behind filing the case, preparing the case, understanding the weaknesses that made me cringe before. Now those are things that are highly beneficial. Now we we look for those. So it's strategically, it's really helpful to have that insider's perspective.
SPEAKER_02It's interesting. In family law, we have to see both sides because we could be hired by husband or a wife or any party. And depending on who hires us, we've got to be ready to go to see it both ways and make the strongest arguments. Mila, like you, was in defense before, and now she's playing in the plaintiff side.
SPEAKER_01It definitely helps pushes the ball along because I already anticipate all of their arguments. Yes. From day one, tell the defense attorneys that I used to be a defense attorney. I know exactly what you're gonna say. I would say the same thing, but so yeah, I think I definitely agree that it's a beneficial tool to have.
SPEAKER_02How do your former colleagues, prosecutors, see you when you go to the other side? Do they see you as a traitor? Or is it expected because that's what people do?
SPEAKER_00I think some do and some understand. Uh I I definitely uh feel that there's a variety depending on the actual prosecutors that I'm working with. But for the most part, I don't think there's too much affection for the prosecutors who are no longer prosecutors and are now defense attorneys. Uh, but of course, there's old friends that I have, people I've known for so many years, uh, that I will always feel uh a personal bond with because of having gone through the trenches together for so many years.
SPEAKER_01So what's the hardest decision you've ever had to make on behalf of a client?
SPEAKER_00You know, in criminal law, the most important decisions are generally the client's decisions, uh, but we still have to advise them. And clients will oftentimes place a lot of stock in what the attorney advises. So, for example, let's say we're in a jury trial. Most important decision is will the defendant, the accused person, uh testify in trial or not? Now, ultimately they have their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, an absolute and inviolable right. They can just sit there and say nothing. Uh but how do you get out the innocent story and the uh counterpoints in some situations unless the client takes the stand, right? Because sometimes the client is the only one who knows certain facts. Now it's easy if we have other witnesses, other information, then we can bring that in, raise the doubt, or actually show uh the actual truth, which in many cases is that the person did not commit the crime. They are they are innocent. So the most difficult decision in a case where client is the only one in possession of information that can shed light on the case and uh present the innocence uh explanation. Uh uh, what do you do? You know, do you tell the client to take the stand and advise them? Ultimately it's their decision, but they've never made decisions like this for the most part. So that's that's one of the most difficult things. I tend to err on the side of wanting the client if they are not too impeachable and if they are credible uh and able to articulate what actually happened with some sincerity. I like to recommend to put the client on the stand. Some people say, no, don't do whatever. Now, if you've got a client that's got a criminal history of forgery and residential burglary, that client's not gonna take the stand, you know. But that's really one of the most difficult decisions. Now, what's a good decision in in lawyering? Well, hindsight's 2020. If it worked out, it was a great decision.
SPEAKER_02I agree.
SPEAKER_00If it didn't, oh yeah. But we'll never know that in advance, right? So we've got to try to advise the client. Do we go to trial? And if we do, can you get up and tell a compelling innocence story?
SPEAKER_01How do you handle doubt or second guess at yourself when coming to decisions? Like you said, hindsight is 2020.
SPEAKER_00That's the real difficult part of our profession, isn't it? I mean, you can try to strategize as we as we all do in our respective fields. And we make educated, calculated uh decisions uh with the consent, of course, and approval of the client. And I always try my best to make the client the teammate, especially in criminal defense. If the attorney and the client are teaming up, then I'm better able to represent the client. And client has information that they're the best source of, right? But nonetheless, uh I mean, let's face it, there's been times when things don't work out as as we hoped. And that's the difficult thing of practicing law. They call it the practice of law. Uh, if if any of these formulas were were guaranteed, uh, you know, that that that that would be great, but that's really the difficult thing. So we just try to have faith in our experience uh and consult with the client and make an informed decision. Uh and oftentimes though, good results happen, I think, when the attorney and the client team up.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So now we're gonna do let's get gritty, and we have a question from one of our viewers for you. Nice. Okay. This is the question. I feel like I get paralysis every time I have to make a decision. How do I stop second guessing every major decision I make?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, that's that's a real tough thing. I think for clients in criminal law, too, because their freedoms at stake, the decision paralysis is is definitely there. And it it there's some real hard choices. Sometimes we can buy more time, get more evidence, make the review, but that's the difficult thing. At the end, a decision has to be made, and the client ultimately has to make the decision about how or whether to resolve the case. And if the client doesn't make that decision, then the court will make it for us. You're going to trial because you can only continue a case so long before it has to be contested. You know. So my job as an attorney, if the client is having a difficult time, first I try to have as much information and facts as possible, uh and analysis of the law. I'll sometimes meet with clients. Hey, let's look at this video. Let's look at what this report says. An honest discussion about the strength of the prosecution's case. Can we overcome this evidence? Sometimes the evidence is overwhelming, right? Uh and uh and that's an honest discussion to have with the client as well. Uh and really try to tell examples, without naming names, of other clients. Uh and sometimes I'll have examples of cases from when I was a prosecutor. What was a case that I didn't get a conviction on as a prosecutor? How might that shed light on our case here? What about the cases I tried or handled as a prosecutor where conviction was fairly straightforward and simple? How does that bear on our decision making? It's really difficult for clients, and the emotions run really high as well. And you have competing interests. And everybody nowadays, you got chat GPT and you got friends. If the client's in custody, you got friends in jail. There's a lot of jailhouse lawyers who are taught, you know, and and they're hearing so many different things, and it makes it all the more difficult.
SPEAKER_01Um we have we have all kinds of clients now who tell us their case analysis based on chat GPT and will not believe us or will second guess us. I I face this issue a lot on the civil practice because especially when there's a really great offer before substantial litigation has ensued and the client does, you know, thinks the case is worth more, and absolutely it's worth more. This is what you're gonna have to go through to get more. Or you could also end up with nothing if we litigate and bad facts come out because we're going into this blind. We only have your side of the story, you know, and it's very difficult. And I think a lot of attorneys do a really awful job explaining to the client what they could face if they go this way versus this way. I think as attorneys, like that's our primary job is to tell the client, here is your option. If you go this way, this will happen, most likely, or this could happen. And if you go this way, this could happen, or this could happen, and then like memorialize it just in case. So later when they make the decision, they can. I had a case where I had a very good, you know, close to seven-figure offer before we even took one deposition on a case because my complaint was just like it was like beautiful. And uh the client, I tried to get her to take the the offer because it was a beautiful offer, and it was before we had done anything. We hadn't produced her therapy records to the other side, we hadn't done anything, it wasn't even public yet, really. And she turned it down and she actually was very upset at me because she felt I was pressuring her to take the deal. Well, she didn't take it. We went into litigation, and after four years, I had to like beg them to put that offer on the table, and they didn't. We still ended up resolving it at a high amount and close to that, but not there. And the client was very upset, and they said that they constantly remembered that conversation and wish they had listened to me. Because you never know, like just things came out. We lost some claims on the demur, and they were just like, okay, well, now that you don't have these claims, we're not we're not paying this much anymore. And you can't you can't anticipate some of those things.
SPEAKER_00Right. Sometimes it's good just uh to to take uh an appealing offer at the beginning because it changes in the criminal law. Your starting offers early on in the case is your best opportunity, usually to resolve the case more favorably for the client. So if it's well, because there is less time invested. They even from a prosecutor's perspective, even though they want to be hard on law enforcement and and tough on crime, the system would literally break down if everybody goes to trial, right? So to incentivize an early disposition, taking responsibility early. What that could look like is maybe it's it's a it's a borderline case. The question is whether the client gets maybe 16 months or two years in prison or is looking at probation with some significant terms. You're likely to get the probation more likely early on in the stage uh stages of of the litigation. There are some charges, particularly serious ones, where after the preliminary hearing happens, uh there's prohibitions statutorily to negotiating, and it becomes more difficult to negotiate. So sometimes taking that early deal uh is the wise move. It sounds like in your example, certainly uh in your area of practice, uh, but it's difficult for clients. Sometimes clients have an expectation uh uh that may or may not pan out in in in reality.
SPEAKER_02Well, the family law it's different because uh you can't resolve the division of assets in a high asset case until you your client is aware of all the facts and material information, all the assets that exist, all debts that exist, because if they just agree everybody keeps what's in their possession early on and only divide what they know of uh without reserving certain rights, they can leave tons of money on the table. And although they will save on litigation costs, because unlike in what you do, which is on percentage basis, we take percentage of what we win and flat fee in criminal law, we charge on an hourly basis. And it can become really expensive in litigation. But there is benefit, especially in high asset cases, to ensure you don't leave a lot, a lot of money on the table by trying to get out of it early. If you're the outspouse, the spouse who is not managing the assets, who does not know about all the business dealings and joint ventures and everything that's going on behind the scenes, um, there's value in finding out and waiting and being patient. I set aside a few judgments in the past where the wife, because it's usually the wife who doesn't know about the finances of money and husband will be like, oh, let's go to mediation, let's resolve it. And the mediators are not giving you legal advice. So unless each party has their own attorneys who's really fighting and watching for their interest, they'll sign a quick deal and later, oh, he bought this house, he's living this whole life, I only have this. And then you try to set it aside and you have to prove certain elements to be able to do that. And it's harder. So the smarter thing to do in family law, if it's a high asset case, is to take your time and dig in, because it is always the client's right to not take 50% of everything, take less, to take a lump sum and be done if you're fed up with it. But make sure you don't have regrets because you could be leaving millions on the table. In small cases where there's not much and they all know they just got a car and a bank account, then of course it's a no-brainer. No point to pay lawyers a lot. You can do it yourself or hire an attorney or mediator, resolve it quickly.
SPEAKER_00So sometimes it really pays out to be patient and wait because that's where maybe the better outcome could occur for the client.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Good summary, Amir. Nice. Good closing. I love it. Amir, what's the biggest lesson you learn from practicing law that you can apply to real life? My own my own daily life.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Practice makes perfect. It's like playing the piano, right? Or guitar. You play guitar. Or guitar, yes. That's that's that's my passion. Guitar and bass. You know, I've been playing since uh uh I was 15 years old. Uh and uh so that means only a few years, but no, uh quite a few years, but there's still so much that that I need to learn, right? And it's only through ongoing practice and applying myself to the art form that I take incremental steps forward. The practice of law is like that uh also. Uh and you know, some of the most experienced and veteran attorneys are the ones that still have that commitment, a beginner's mind, if you will, uh, and and keep pushing forward. Uh my friend Ilona Antonian comes to mind, uh, you know, a certified specialist, but always pushing the boundaries, always learning more, always trying to grasp additional skills. Uh and that's a lesson in life. I will never get to the apex and the pinnacle uh of lawyering skill because it's boundless. It would take several lifetimes, but I can keep applying myself and take those small steps forward. That's really the the lesson in life, right?
SPEAKER_02You know, Amir, in another 20 years, maybe we can have a reunion, a glamorous grind session, because by then they're probably gonna have chips that we can install in our heads where there's gonna be boundless knowledge where you just go and your practice is made perfect without having to go to law school.
SPEAKER_01We we need lawyers.
SPEAKER_00Right exactly in 20 years. This is a beautiful establishment, but you'll need a cup for my dentures, you know. But I I hope so. I hope so. Thank you so much for having me. This is wonderful, and I I will always have uh a sense of kinship and loyalty to you, my friend. Uh, because you are my roots uh in legal practice, and so if I can ever do anything for you all, it would be my privilege.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for coming. Well, that's it for our show today. What's one decision you've been putting off out of fear of making the wrong choice? Tell us in the comments. Everyone is waiting for certainty, and truthfully, usually comes with hindsight. The people who change your lives are people who decide anyways. Hit that subscribe button and make sure to follow us. And if you've got a question for Let's Get Gritty, leave it in the comments or send it to podcast at AntonianMoranda.com.
SPEAKER_02Thank you for watching, and we'll see you the next time on Glamorous Grimes.
unknownYay!
SPEAKER_01That was fun.