New Solo

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews internet marketer Jason Marsh about the most effective marketing process for lawyers beginning a solo practice, how much they should spend on a website, and what it means to optimize your business for the search engines. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews John E. Grant, an agile attorney consultant, about what it means to have a lean practice, how businesses have soared ahead of law firms in this way, and things every lawyer can do to add value to their services. Grant, a solo practitioner himself, discusses his move from the business world to the legal world and how he has seen the agile manifesto change the way that businesses work. He mentions ways lawyers can effectively streamline workflow processes and gives some specific suggestions of books and articles to read in order to learn more. Tune in for more details on how to make your clients happy by increasing your practice efficiency.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews David Sparks about why he decided to go solo, the first actions he took, and struggles he encountered during the process. Sparks’ first steps involved evaluating the potential costs of research, insurance, malpractice, and other legal necessities, and comparing it to an assumed client income. He talks about being a lawyer who uses Apple products and how he chose, or didn’t choose, products like Ruby Receptionists, Clio, Rocket Matter, and Omnifocus. Sparks discusses the importance of marketing his new solo practice and how setting up the business and accounting aspects took longer than he thought it would. If you are considering starting a solo practice, this podcast is a good place to start. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews legal ethics attorney Michael Downey about the solo practice he started in 2015. Together they discuss why he decided to leave a big law firm to start his own law practice, the decisions he had to make, and how he dealt with everything from choosing technology to successfully parting ways with his old firm. Downey talks about the research he did with different practice management tools, the process of deciding on a name and buying relevant URLs, and his decision to use Apple computers in his practice. Although he already had a client base that he believed would stay with him, he marketed his new business by collecting articles he had written, developed his mailing list, and updated his LinkedIn account. For those struggling with the decision of starting a solo practice, Downey’s experience is a useful place to start. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

Ed Walters started as a lawyer in a big law firm in Washington D.C. In the late 1990's, he was approached by a client asking him to research a relatively new legal issue without using LexisNexis or WestLaw, as they were trying to reduce online legal research costs. His inability to do this set off a chain of events leading him to create the company Fastcase. His story begs the question, are lawyers simply paying too much for online legal research sources? What are some ways particularly solo and small firm attorneys can reduce research overheads in their practice? And when is it necessary to pay for LexisNexis or WestLaw? In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews Ed Walters about his experience starting Fastcase, how it interacts with the bigger legal research companies and smaller startups, and the right steps for solo practitioners to take in choosing an online research source. Linares and Walters begin by discussing the differences between a free resource like Google Scholar, a mid-range company like Fastcase, and a larger company like LexisNexis. If an attorney has a boutique practice and needs treatises or specialized databases, Walters says, they will need a big online research company. Otherwise, the lawyer might be paying too much. He urges practitioners to check their local bar, state bar, and other associations or organizations for member benefits that often include research and even practice management tools. There are three startup companies that Walters encourages lawyers to research: Casetext, which focuses on crowdsourcing, Ravel Law, which uses data visualization, and Judicata, which uses semantic analysis to find relationships based on meanings. He encourages all lawyers, but especially those in small firms, to research different options and find the one that fits their practice best. Ed Walters is the CEO and co-founder of Fastcase, an online legal research software company based in Washington D.C. Before founding Fastcase, Ed worked at Covington and Burling where his practice focused on corporate advisory work for software companies and sports leagues, and intellectual property litigation. He has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The University of Chicago Law Review, The Green Bag, and Legal Times, and has spoken extensively on legal publishing around the country. He is an adjunct professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches The Law of Robots. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

There are numerous sources in the legal world claiming that lawyers need to work on building and growing their networks in order to gain referrals. But with hundreds of connections, how is a solo lawyer able to build and develop proper relationships with everyone? Maybe lawyers should be thinking about the quality of their connections rather than the quantity. What should a solo or small firm attorney do to build a good referral network? In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews family law practitioner Lee Rosen about forming strategic partnerships and setting up a basic referral network. Rosen actually rejects both of those phrases and explains that he thinks of an effective referral network as a collection of close friends who provide value to each other in multiple ways. Lawyers should build relationships with around twenty other lawyers and people in different professions who have the opportunity to provide referrals. Also, he says, you need to LIKE these people, because they will be your friends for the rest of your practice. Once you have found the right twenty connections, use things like social media to maintain these relationships. At the end of the podcast, Rosen explains three important takeaways for solo lawyers: be interested in the other people, be deliberate and calculating when you choose connections, and pick up the phone and start calling people today. He believes this form of networking will grow your practice and make you happy. Lee Rosen has practiced family law for more than 20 years, with four offices in Raleigh, Charlotte, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He served as the Law Practice Management editor of the ABA Family Advocate for more than a decade and received the ABA James Kean Award for excellence in elawyering. He also served as chair of the Law Practice Management Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He's a frequent speaker, often sought out by media as a source of family law insight and commentary and the publisher of DivorceDiscourse.com, a widely popular daily advice blog about law firm marketing, management, and finances. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

When starting your solo practice, figuring out how to price your services can be very difficult. Many new lawyers undercut the market or undervalue what they have to offer. Additionally, in this emerging market of flat fees, they have to consider their strategy for setting legal rates. When charging for hourly legal services, what should be the lowest starting rate? How should a solo lawyer structure a system for flat fee pricing? What are the signs of undercharging and how should attorneys convey the value of their services to the client? On this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews attorney Ted Waggoner about how lawyers should set their fees, hourly versus flat fee pricing, and educating clients about the true value of their legal services. When starting a new practice, Waggoner explains, lawyers should set their fees based on expenses, investment, the client's budget, and, of course, profit. Each attorney will adjust these fees based on mistakes and experience. However, Waggoner also encourages lawyers to think like business people; have a discussion with the client about how valuable the legal services are and set fees accordingly. Lawyers need to establish a relationship with their clients in order to manage their expectations, educate them about value and benefits, and scope out the case. Waggoner also emphasizes the importance of research through blogs or consultants such as David Maister, Alan Weiss, and Ron Baker. In the end, he says, the fees are set to what the client wants to pay and is willing to pay, and whether the lawyer accepts that amount. Ted A. Waggoner is the managing partner at Peterson Waggoner and Perkins, LLP in Rochester, Indiana. Waggoner has been an active presenter for lawyers Continuing Legal Education seminars, having lectured at the Solo and Small Firm Conference on topics such as Fundamentals of Successful Solo and Small Firm Practice; Tough Moments with Clients; and Selling Your Client's Business. Waggoner has also contributed to articles in the ABA Journal and other ABA publications. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

These days there are so many options for legal practices that lawyers starting a solo practice often get carried away and spend too much. It is difficult to distinguish the essential hardware and software needs from supplementary products. With everything solo lawyers have to think about, technology questions can seem overwhelming, expensive, and important. Is a Mac or a PC better for a practice? Is it necessary to have a printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine? What about all of the software products available for practice management, document management, email, or a PDF editing processor? Most lawyers with their own practice could use a break down of necessary technology products and how much to spend on each. On this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews the Lawyerist CEO and Editor in Chief, Sam Glover, about practice management essentials, what hardware and software to buy when starting a solo practice, and how much to spend. Glover discusses laptops and desktops, Macintosh computers versus PCs, what to invest in a printer, scanner, and internet, and why it is pointless to buy a fax machine or copier in 2014. He recommends services that provide a secure VPN, a secure client portal, and that cloud-based softwares are often less expensive, easier to use, and updated more often. Some other top essential products he suggests include a Gmail business account, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Acrobat Pro, Google Voice, and several potential alternatives. To maintain a professional practice, he also highly recommends a virtual receptionist like Ruby Receptionists. In the end, he stresses the importance of spending the right amount of money on the products your new solo practice needs. Sam Glover is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Lawyerist.com, an online magazine and reference manual for solo and small firm lawyers. He has written and spoken extensively about legal technology, marketing, management, and ethics, among other topics. In addition, he was a practicing lawyer from 2005 to 2011 for his own firm, The Glover Law Firm, LLC, before he sold it to focus on representing tech startup companies. The Lawyerist is well known for honestly discussing topics and being fair to the subject. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

Many lawyers want to start their solo careers as a general practice, thinking that they will attract more clients if they offer a variety of services. However, when it comes to marketing strategy, lawyers who focus on one practice area create a stronger brand and are more successful in the long run. The right solo practice could involve a personal interest, fill a hole in the market, and/or provide previously unavailable online or unbundled services. The important thing is for every lawyer starting a solo practice to create a business plan and do research before choosing a field of law. Recent law school graduates and lawyers leaving big practices alike need to find their niche area of law for success. In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews law practice management professor Stephanie Kimbro about lawyers starting solo practices, areas of law to consider going into, how to start market research for a business plan, and ways to differentiate a practice from the existing market. Kimbro suggests lawyers find specialized niches based on their interests such as online dispute resolution, veteran law, or immigration law surrounding a specific community in order to engage with their clients and market their services. For lawyers without a niche, she suggests alternate billing, unbundling legal services, integrating technology, and researching market needs for prospective clients. Instead of worrying that technology is replacing legal jobs, lawyers, and specifically solos, need to change the way they think of services, fees, and law firm marketing. Stephanie Kimbro is an adjunct professor for many law schools including Wake Forest, Conchord, Florida Law School, and Michigan State. She primarily teaches the use of technology in law practice management, unbundling of legal services, and virtual law practice. Prior to working with Burton Law, a virtual law firm, Kimbro operated a web-based virtual law school in North Carolina for six years and delivered unbundled estate planning to clients online. In addition to her virtual law practice, she is a technology consultant and serves on many prestigious law committees. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

As any solo lawyer knows, taking a new client is not simply shaking a hand and signing a checkbook. After marketing and selling legal services, there are still several necessary steps before beginning work. A conflict check must be done, the client's data and information need to be gathered, and a retainer engagement letter must be drafted and sent off. Many new solo practitioners think they will be able to remember every matter and deal with situations as they come, but it is much more efficient to have a data management tool and systematic habits in place when dealing with clients. On this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews attorney Chad Burton about best practices for client intake and how things differ in a virtual law firm model. He emphasizes that particularly solo and small firm lawyers should remember that a conflict check must be done before payment is accepted. Then a retainer engagement letter is drafted that ought to contain fee structure, disclaimer, shortened terms of service, and preferences like whether the client prefers paper or electronic bills. Additionally, the lawyer should provide an explanation of how costs are handled, what is passed-along, why the client pays for certain things, and whether the firm charges for research so the client never has a question about cost. Burton recommends that the solo or small firm lawyer create a process by working hard to find the right management tool and creating good habits around using it. Even the data in small matters add up. Chad Burton is the founder of Burton Law, one of the leading firms in virtual law firm structure. Formerly in a big law firm, he now represents technology-oriented companies from startups to multi-national. Additionally, he started Curo Legal, a company that helps legal professionals with serving their clients efficiently and productively. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.