If you’re a comedian who wants to get noticed in 2021, you start a podcast. It’s just what you do. But like other so-called “elder millennials,” I remain hopelessly stuck in 90s nostalgia. So in lieu of a podcast, here’s my blog instead.
But this hold out cannot last forever. For you see, every comedian is inexorably drawn by the forces of nature to start a podcast at some point. Such is the law of comedic entropy. Perhaps when the time comes, I’ll dare do a comedian podcast that isn’t me talking to other comedians about comedy. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
So a little bit about me. My name is Jordan Parker, and yes, I am indeed a stand up comedian who is also a lawyer. But you may have gathered as much from “The Stand Up Lawyer.” #Branding.
For the better part of the 2010s, I split my time between standup comedy and working as a civil litigation attorney out of San Diego. My work was primarily in the field of insurance coverage and defense (title insurance, professional liability insurance, etc.) and real estate law. But after years of doing the long slog of being a litigator, I decided to make a change. So I stepped back from the grind of being a full-time attorney in a law firm and instead redirected that focus to writing and comedy.
But despite leaving behind the rigorous law firm life, I could never completely leave behind the law. Truth be told, I’m still old fashioned enough to believe that being an attorney is a noble profession, taking inspiration from famous titans of law like John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Clarence Darrow, and so forth. The law and the world can be scary and confusing, and I love using the law as a tool to educate and help others. That’s why I maintain law licenses in the state of California (admitted in ‘12) and Washington D.C. (admitted in ‘20).
Let me tell you, there’s no substitute for the fulfillment that comes with making someone laugh on stage. But there’s also no substitute for the relief a lawyer can give to a confused and worried client. I mean, sure, jokes are great, but when legal trouble comes chances are a joke isn’t going to do much good. And I like being the person that gets a call when someone’s in trouble.
So that’s why I started The Stand Up Lawyer, LLC. I could not truly choose between laughter and the law, and frankly I did not want to. So I started a site that offers it all! Whether you want to book me for your show, help you punch up your writing, or you need some legal advice, you have come to a one stop shop for all that.
That’s why I’m also happy to announce my One Quick Question legal services. This is inspired by years of friends and acquaintances reaching out to ask me just “One Quick Question” about their legal plight (but you might say some were a little bit shy about, well…. paying for said answers, which I understand because lawyering is expensive). My services are targeted towards individuals who are not trying to spend tens of thousands of dollars litigating their case, and would in fact prefer to not hire a lawyer at all. Instead, what these people seek is to pay a reasonable price for a lawyer to give them peace of mind, a little legal guidance, and maybe draft or review a little something-something.
Common examples of this kind of work would include navigating the delicate law of dealing with a nightmare tenant or oppressive landlord who won’t return the security deposit, reviewing contracts or settlement agreements, and advising people how to take a claim to small claims court.
If you want to understand your rights, or help get out of a jam at a reasonable rate, then I’m your guy!
In addition to being a stand up lawyer, I also have experience in political organizing, writing, and campaign management. Going back to 2007, I’ve worked as field organizer for a Presidential campaign followed by a Georgia Senate primary, performed opposition research, and managed a Congressional primary campaign. In 2020, I knocked on doors in Arizona in 100+ degree heat for legislative, U.S. senate, and Presidential races. (Spoiler: all my candidates won, with the state senator winning by around 500 votes out of 120k cast.) So if you’re thinking of running for office, or you’re a candidate who needs a comedy-lawyer-politico, I’m also your guy!
Click Retain The Stand Up Lawyer for a full list of services offered.
I also plan to keep this blog regularly updated with content. My overall goal for this site is to provide comedy from a lawyer’s perspective and discuss the law from a comedian’s perspective. You know, make the law funny and comedy informative. (Easy to do, right?). Content-wise, this blog will surely fluctuate between breakdowns on hot political issues of the day, legal analysis, and photos of my co-writer/dog Butters being a very good boy.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I look forward to seeing where it takes me.
If you want to keep up to date on my latest comedy videos, follow this link to The Stand Up Lawyer YouTube page, sign into your YouTube or Gmail account, and click the red “Subscribe” button.
You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter. Butters also has his own Instagram Account.