So What Exactly…is a nom de plume?

November 18, 2017 | posted by The Bullpen Blogger

So What Exactly…is a nom de plume and what’s the story behind the STACLAW nom de plume, “The Bullpen Blogger”? Good question! For the record, none of us knew what a nom de plume was prior to writing this article and doing a little research on “pen names” (we’re pretty smart, but not very well versed in French phraseology). In short, a nom de plume is a fancy French phrase for a pen name. So what’s a pen name? Simply put, a pen name (nom de plume) is kind of like an alias! We all know what an alias is. In writing circles, a pen name is just a made-up name used by the writer(s) instead of using his or her real name. Perhaps the best example of a famous pen name is that of author Mark Twain. Many people assume Mark Twain’s real name is Mark Twain when in fact it is actually Samuel Langhorne Clemens! 

Now that we got all that out of the way, the real question is why does STACLAW have a pen name and what’s the story behind the pen name we selected? In short, our pen name “The Bullpen Blogger” originated somewhat out of want, somewhat out of a desire for anonymity but mainly out of a love for baseball and the “team” dynamic we at STACLAW share with America’s favorite pastime! 

So what’s a bullpen?

For all this to make any sense, it is important to first define what exactly a “bullpen” is when used in a baseball context. In baseball, the bullpen is the area on the outskirts of the field, usually in foul territory or behind an outfield wall, where the pitchers warm up, hang out, and solve all the world’s problems! It also refers to the stable of pitchers any one organization has on its roster. Baseball pitchers are typically a close-knit group and they enjoy having their own designated area in which to hone their craft and prepare for the bright lights and the opportunity for greatness when their name is called! At STACLAW, we currently have two “bullpens” – one in Camden, South Carolina and one in Lancaster, South Carolina. Our bullpen of lawyers includes George W. Speedy, Carrie H. Tanner, Zack O. Atkinson and Dexter Lee “Trey” Cook, III.  Put all those together, plus eight (8) wonderful support staff, you got Team STACLAW!

So why do we want a pen name?

Well, it’s certainly not necessary to have a pen name as a blogger but kind of cool nonetheless. Our “blogging experts” advised that both writer and reader oftentimes enjoy the “guess who done it” aspect of a good blog. Secondly, we have at least 4 writers, a.k.a. lawyers “in the bullpen” at all times – ready, willing and able to commit their thoughts, knowledge and legal insight to paper for all to enjoy (we hope)! In choosing “The Bullpen Blogger” as our “signature,” we wanted to label all of us, not one individual, with a catchy and hopefully clever name that fit our mindset, personalities, and love for baseball! We labored on a name and put it to a vote – “The Bullpen Blogger” was unanimous – a grand slam so to speak! 

So why anonymity?

Anonymity is just a fancy word that basically means to be or remain unknown. We like that. None of our lawyers seek or really want the limelight; we just want to get the job done, helping each other out in way we can. If we help each other, it better helps our client. Pretty simple. Also, we want these articles to be both thought provoking, informative and maybe a little witty. Sometimes the articles may be a little controversial (probably not) but we believe our writers can be more “free flowing” if his or her name is not directly “on the article.” It’s not that we want to hide or shy away from putting our names on each article; rather it’s the “here’s what we all have to say” mentality without any one person getting all the credit. Our “bullpen” speaks for one another, supports one another and sometimes even kicks ass for one another! We’re a team and we employ a teamwork mentality in everything we do at Team STACLAW.  

So why baseball?

So what exactly is behind STACLAW’s love for baseball? It’s actually pretty simple but also kind of cool. It’s no secret that our four (4) lawyers and eight (8) support staff at STACLAW love baseball (and all sports for that matter)! Two of our lawyers have sons who are pretty good little ball players and one of our lawyers has a young son not quite old enough to play and another son on the way – both destined to “toss it around the horn.” Our senior partner has three grown boys and a litany of grandchildren who ball! Let’s not even get into our staff. Yes, most all of them have children. Yes, we support all their little leagues, rec leagues, travel ball leagues, whatever you want to call it leagues etc., etc. It’s the right thing to do and it’s fun! Plus, we always get some pretty cool swag out of the deal to wear when not working our day job! 

As just one example of our support, earlier this year, when the applications came in to sponsor Kershaw County Little League Baseball we sponsored not one, not two, not three, but four baseball teams. We did just about the same thing in Lancaster and also decided to sponsor an up and coming race car driver (go #16!) – different story for another blog post maybe! This is all written not to brag, but simply to emphasize our love not only for baseball and other sports but more importantly our love and commitment to helping, serving and supporting our community. 

But really, and at the risk of sounding a little sappy, we are a team at STACLAW and enjoy a team concept in the practice of law. Every great team has a phenomenal leader at the top and a hell of an awesome support staff. Check the boxes – we got all that! Our “bullpen” is damn strong. Almost daily, as a group, we bounce ideas off one another, discuss case strategy, and sometimes even “pinch hit” for one another if the need arises. We have fun practicing law and have fun practicing law with one another. We actually all get along and like each other! Many law firms can’t say that. We make decisions together, eat lunch together, go on road trips together, go to court together and you guessed it – even watch a little baseball together when time allows. 

At STACLAW, we want to show you how strong our team really is and how we can help you, a friend or a loved one. Call us, email us, or stop by to see us. Your problem may be small, medium, large or extra-large – doesn’t matter, we don’t care the size. Your matter can be personal injury related, automobile accident related, workers compensation related, criminal related, traffic offense related, domestic related, child custody related, think of something else related – our team of lawyers and staff will do everything in our power to “knock it out of the park!”  So, that should cover just about all things baseball, bullpens, pen names and the like!

Stay tuned…in upcoming articles, The Bullpen Blogger plans to give you a little snapshot of “who we got” in our bullpen. Not necessarily any stats or braggadocios accolades but simply who we are, what we do, and how we can best help you!

– The Bullpen Blogger