Ep. 208 – One Life, One Law Degree: Designing a Practice That Serves You

In this special episode, Ben speaks to a room full of law students about something most law schools barely touch: the business of law—and the freedom it can create.

At nearly 68 years old and 42 years into practice, Ben shares the unfiltered truth about building a law firm, surviving the hard years, and ultimately creating a practice that funds both wealth and freedom.

This isn’t a lecture about billing hours or making partner.

It’s about:

• Why “work-life balance” is the wrong framework
• How to reject the myth that lawyers must be stressed and miserable
• The power of niche practice areas (including his ERISA disability machine)
• Why marketing is an ethical duty
• How AI is transforming the profession (for those willing to embrace it)
• Why asking better questions is the most important legal skill
• How to think like an owner—even before you become one
• And why it’s okay to say: “I want to build something big, make a lot of money, and help people.”

Ben also shares:

• The early struggles of starting his own firm
• The moment he realized legal conferences were boring (and entrepreneurs weren’t)
• How relationship-building beats big advertising budgets
• Why there’s massive opportunity buying practices from retiring boomers
• And what he’d do if he were starting over today

If you’re a law student, young lawyer, or anyone questioning whether the profession has to be stressful and small—this episode is for you.

You get one life.
 You get one law degree.
 Design accordingly.

Ben Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury and long-term disability insurance attorney in Fairfax, VA. Since 2005, Ben Glass and Great Legal Marketing have been helping solo and small firm lawyers make more money, get more clients and still get home in time for dinner. We call this TheGLMTribe.com

What Makes The GLM Tribe Special?

In short, we are the only organization within the "business builder for lawyers" space that is led by two practicing lawyers. 

One thing we're sure you've noticed is that despite the variety of options within our space, no one else is mixing
the actual practice of law with business building in the way that we are.

There are no other organizations who understand the highs and lows of running a small law firm and are engaged in talking to real clients. That is what sets GLM apart from every other organization, and it is why we have had loyal members that have been with us for two-decades.