Nick Abrahams: The Accidental Lawyer, at Crowne Plaza Melbourne

In the late ‘70s, seminal English punk rock band The Clash had a hit single, the lyrics of which read “I fought the law and the law won”.

That iconic line may well sum up the career of lawyer turned Hollywood studio exec, turned filmmaker, turned lawyer (and stand-up comedian) Nick Abrahams.

For 50 minutes, the cybersecurity law specialist entertains the audience with tall tales but true from his legendary past.

And to think, he was going to be a dentist, like his father.

The pretence for his set with slides and video is stepping in to fill the void left by the non-appearance of a scheduled guest speaker.

It is graduation night at the Wangaratta Community College & Squash Centre.

Unfortunately, the rotisserie chicken entrepreneur and life coach Trevor Snortling’s gout is playing up, so he will be a no show.

But, as the saying goes, out of adversity comes opportunity.

Abrahams then proceeds to regale us with career advice.

It is topped and tailed with one of American singer/songwriter Kenny Roger’s noteworthy lines from The Gambler (1978).

Rogers’ sang: “Every gambler knows that the secret to surviving is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.”

Abrahams first job as a lawyer came off the back of seven applications to Sydney law firms, six of which requested a photo. 

A dreamy holiday snap was hardly what they had in mind, although Abrahams didn’t know that at the time. Not surprising, he didn’t receive a call back from any of them.

Instead, he landed a position with the only firm that didn’t request a pic.

Four years on, it was off to Tokyo.

There, he spent three years practising law, although his mindset changed three months in, after the firm’s founder died from overwork … at the age of 58.

A call from an actor mate, plus a $3,000 cash inducement, saw Abrahams strip down to his underwear and dance on national TV. A photo thereof is priceless.

Believe it or not, that brave or brazen act led him to accept one of 20 positions offered annually to the University of Southern California Film School.

Talk about carpe diem (Latin for “seize the day”) or making the most of accidents and coincidences in life.

Work as a studio executive on landmark programs ER and The West Wing followed.

But Abrahams also had a side hustle.

He had written a script, but he knew he needed a Hollywood star to see the film he had carefully crafted made.

And so it was that he sent letters to 100 Hollywood agents hoping to attract a big name.

Weeks passed and nothing, but then … (well, you will just have to catch one of Nick Abrahams’ shows to find out).

I was fascinated and intrigued by the trajectory of Nick Abrahams’ career.

He peppers his address with anecdotes and observations, several drawn from his time in law.

Often couched in humour, some land more readily than others.

An example of one that does concerns exercise and the life cycle of a male lawyer. 

Another is billboard advertising for the legal fraternity.

He also shows us a couple of eye-opening videos about AI and human trained robots.

In fact, he crams a lot into his routine, which moves along at pace, but hits a few roadblocks.

Abrahams tries his hand at reworking movie titles with a legal slant and, likewise, by embellishing nursery rhymes. Both of those miss the mark.

I would also like to have seen a stronger start. Perhaps it was nervousness on his part, but it took me a while to warm to the offering.

Mind you, I remember when I did. I found one joke hilarious and that switched me on.

Clearly one to tackle life head on, Abrahams is not exactly backward in coming forward in terms of his attire – showy, gold sequined tails and matching shoes.

For the most part, he is an eloquent and engaging showman, who has what it takes to continue to develop his repartee, which I sincerely hope he does.

I saw him at the Crowne Plaza, as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Watch out for more opportunities to catch Nick Abrahams in action.