Music Man
When not practicing IP law, Tim Billick is jamming with the band
Published in 2024 Washington Super Lawyers magazine
By Beth Taylor on July 29, 2024
Tim Billick could have gone into either music or law. He opted for both.
Intellectual practice law is the day job, but Billick cannot not make music—“dancy aggression with luscious harmonies and funky rhythms,” as his band’s Facebook page describes it. That band, Thief Motif, was formed in 2021, and its latest release, “Sea Legs,” can be heard on Spotify. Billick plays bass and sings, though he can pitch in on guitar and piano when needed.
“We don’t tour,” notes Billick, with TBillick Law in Seattle. “We all have families and day jobs, so touring is probably not in the cards. We might do something short around Washington or the Pacific Northwest, but for better or for worse, I don’t want to leave my practice.”
“Sometimes you use creativity when you’re making music; sometimes you use your creativity when you’re coming up with arguments.”
The band, like his solo practice, is a business, Billick notes. “You have to deal with different personalities and schedules and figure out how different people will work in different ways, and figure out how to collaborate, so there are definitely plenty of transferrable lessons,” he says. “It’s also helpful being an attorney when I have to look at performance contracts or performance riders.”
The common denominator between lawyering and music? Creativity, Billick says.
“Sometimes you use creativity when you’re making music; sometimes you use your creativity when you’re coming up with arguments—when you’re using creativity to try to fit the facts into the law,” he says. “If you’re a creative person, there’s plenty of crossover.”
Making music full time has occurred to him. “I think about it just about every other day, to be honest,” he says. “It’s part of who you are, and so of course you always think about what life would be like if you had chosen different paths. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very excited and happy to be a lawyer, but of course I’ve thought about becoming a full-time musician.”
So how does he find time for it all? “Thankfully, I have people in my life who are supportive of my practice and my being a musician,” he says. “My partner, Nikki [Le], has been incredibly supportive of those aspects of my life.”
In the end, he says, “You make time.”
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