The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Presented by LAWCLERK

Stanley Tate - From Resolving The Burden Of Student Loan Debt To Building A Profitable Law Firm Using AutomationHOST: Greg GarmanIntroduction:Welcome to The Successful Business and Practice of Law. On today’s episode, Stanley Tate helps us ask the age old question: “How do you give away value and knowledge for free, and still get clients to hire you and grow your firm?” Tate is a marketing machine and has grown his business, from the ground up. Today he runs a successful business without paying ad money to Google, Facebook, or any other social media outlet. Tate talks about marketing, how he runs his business, how he scales his business, and the value in automation.Chicago-native Stanley Tate now lives in Kansas City. He served in the Army and has helped thousands of people with their student loan problems sense 2013. The Successful Business and Practice of Law  is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.My name is Greg Garman. I have been practicing law for over 25 years, in the area of restructuring and bankruptcy for companies of pretty good size. I am also one of the proud co-founders of LAWCLERK, a company that matches attorneys with freelance lawyers. Unlike the hurtful stigma, we at LAWCLERK know that lawyers really do make the world a better place. Our business at the end of the day, collectively, is protecting the rule of law. Talking Points:●     Tate’s journey into law and how he niched down to student loan problems●     Tate’s business model and why he chose student loans specifically●     Tate’s vision and how he scaled his business●     Marketing tools and techniques●     The turnover and percentage of leads which turn into customers in this model●     Replacement versus supplementation with automation●     Building a unique and valuable website●     The importance of focusing on content Resources/Links:LAWCLERK https://www.lawclerk.legal/LAWCLERK Attorney Resources https://www.lawclerk.legal/attorney-resources/ LAWCLERK's Ultimate Guide To Legal Outsourcing  https://content.lawclerk.legal/ultimate-guide-homepage Book a Demo with LAWCLERK https://content.lawclerk.legal/meetings/scheduled-meeting/homepage-scheduled-meeting-linkConnect with Stanley Tate https://www.tateesq.com/ Quotes:“The way we compete in a local market is that we compete on price, we don’t compete on value.” – Stanley Tate“I realized that the total addressable market was really small because you’re limited to what you can tackle in that geographical arena.” – Stanley Tate“My goal is to charge you enough to where I don’t hate you for working on your project and you don’t hate me for paying me too much to do this work.” – Stanley Tate“There was a time where I was doing 150-160 consults a week because I had my calendar open and I was just getting hit and I was booked eight wee

The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Presented by LAWCLERKJim Hacking: How To Successfully Market Your Law Firm Using Digital ToolsHOST: Greg Garman Introduction:Welcome to The Successful Business and Practice of Law. On today’s episode, I have Jim O. Hacking, of Hacking Immigration Law LLC. Not only is he a wealth of knowledge about immigration law, he is also well-versed and knowledgeable in marketing a law firm, especially on YouTube. Today we’re talking about his most successful marketing practices, utilizing digital tools (including YouTube, podcasts, and Facebook groups), and the future of Hacking Immigration Law and other law practices. We also talk about the importance of doing well by doing good. Jim is definitely changing things in nuanced ways to make the profession better.Jim is passionate about immigration law. Since forming in 2008, he has grown his firm to over 30 employees and helped countless individuals obtain their immigration benefits. He is also the co-founder of Maximum Lawyer. Jim has set an audacious goal for himself: to help over 10,000 people become US citizens by the end of the decade.The Successful Business and Practice of Law is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.Talking Points:●     Jim’s business model: mostly flat fee model●     The journey to law for Jim and his wife, Amany Ragab Hacking●     The choice to go national●     The breakdown of Jim’s team●     Intentional growth and Jim’s 10-year goal●     Jim’s entrepreneurial approach●     The amount of growth that comes from the content that Jim makes on YouTube●     Marketing and creating substantive, helpful content for YouTube●     Understanding the value of firm building●     Maximum Lawyer, The Guild, and the business of law●     Commoditizing aspects of the practice of lawResources/Links:LAWCLERK: https://www.lawclerk.legal/ Hacking Law Practice: https://hackinglawpractice.com/ Maximum Lawyer: https://maximumlawyer.com/  Quotes:“My understanding is that you can’t do immigration on a contingency fee.” – Jim“The great thing about immigration is it’s federal, just like bankruptcy, and so I can practice in all 50 states. ” – Jim“We were on Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing and we will be again next year too. We’ve been growing at 100% scale the last two years, which is just mind-boggling.” – Jim“We pulled out of our butt the idea that a lawyer, a paralegal, and a an admin can handle 150 cases a year, at any one time… The right balance is really about 90 - 100.” – Jim“Yesterday we had about 10,000 video views for the day since October so I feel like we’re back on track.” – Jim“Most lawyers think of the ‘running of the business’ as the hassle part, not the fun part.” - Jim“There’s always going to be a need for good council.” - Jim 

(Show Notes) The Successful Business and Practice of Law: Judie Saunders - How I Built a Firm Representing Victims of AbuseHOST: Greg GarmanOn this episode, I’m talking with Judie Saunders, a lawyer who specializes in the most difficult of cases: sexual, physical, and psychological abuse cases. Today we’re talking about the changes that need to happen within the legal practice and other professions to help abuse victims and prevent abuse in the future. We also cover the topics of the evolution of the legal practice, Judie’s business model, what led her to this work, and her new book (which is available for preorder now).Judie works with extremely difficult subjects and topics but she’s found a way to do it while making the world a better place. To top it off, she’s done it with a business model that works. Judie founded The Law Firm of Judie Saunders in order to give a voice to those who have been mistreated, abused, and overlooked. She has worked for over twenty years to prosecute crimes against children, defend the constitutional rights of criminal defendants in private practice, and represent abuse survivors in both criminal and civil court.The Successful Business and Practice of Law is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.My name is Greg Garman. I have been practicing law for over 25 years, in the area of restructuring and bankruptcy for companies of pretty good size. I am also one of the proud co-founders of LawClerk, a company that matches attorneys with freelance lawyers. Unlike the hurtful stigma, we at LawClerk know that lawyers really do make the world a better place. Our business at the end of the day, collectively, is protecting the rule of law.Talking Points:●      How the business of law works alongside doing genuinely good work●      The foundation of Judie’s firm and how it first started●      Who fails in these cases and where does the legal profession stand? ●      How to address abuse cases●      Judie’s business model●      What are the obligations of a lawyer?●      Evolution of the legal practice and the changes that Judie is making●      The purpose of podcasting in the business of law●      The story behind A War on My Body●      The future for Judie and her law firmResources/Links:Judie Saunders, Attorney for Abuse Survivors: https://www.jsaunderslawfirm.com/Legally Brief presents the Child Athlete Abuse Podcast: https://www.jsaunderslawfirm.com/podcastPreorder The War on My Body: https://www.diangelopublications.com/books/a-war-on-my-bodyLAWCLERK: official websiteQuotes:“The concept of being an entrepreneur, being on my own–my own cases!–that was fascinating to me.” – Judie Saunders“If we continue to break individuals through the trauma of psychological and sexual abuse, none of us are safe. The very foundation of everything will be broken.” – Judie Saunders“How we treat individuals ripples.” – Judie Saunders“I think we’re all bound that the first duty that you owe is to the client.” – Judie Saunders

The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Presented by LAWCLERK - Jarrett Adams - My Journey From Being Wrongfully Convicted to Now Fighting For JusticeHOST: Greg GarmanIntroduction:Welcome to The Successful Business and Practice of Law. On today’s episode, I’m talking with Jarrett Adams about the changes that need to be made in the criminal justice system. Jarrett shares his tragic and inspiring story about being wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn't commit.  But instead of dwelling on this horrible injustice that has been done, Jarrett decided to go to law school and change things from inside the system.   Jarrett has worked with the Innocence Project and is the co-founder of Life After Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions and developing an ecosystem of support and empowerment for exonerees’ as they rebuild their lives after exoneration. He is an attorney, author of Redeeming Justice, and a man on a mission to help those who have been neglected and wronged.The Successful Business and Practice of Law is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.Talking Points:●      Problems with the criminal justice system●      The difference between the US adversarial system and the English system●      The impact of race within the criminal justice system ●      Jarrett’s experience when he was wrongfully convicted of a crime●      The realism behind going from warehousing people to rehabilitation●      What led to Jarrett’s wrongful conviction●      What it’s going to take to make changes●      Judicial discretion versus mandatory sentencing●      Building a business model around doing good●      What Jarrett wants to buildResources/Links:Jarrett Adams: https://jarrettadamslaw.com/Redeeming Justice by Jarrett Adams: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624157/justice-for-sale-by-jarrett-adams/9780593395905Life After Justice: https://www.lifeafterjustice.org/Innocence Project: https://innocenceproject.org/LawClerk: official websiteQuotes:“You can call yourself whatever you want but when you’re an attorney, you serve the people.” – Jarrett Adams“The scariest thing I saw was the people getting out of prison in the winter time, only to return by the end of summer.” – Jarrett Adams“We have to go with discretion but the discretion can’t be unchecked.” – Jarrett Adams

Over the past two decades, Carolyn Elefant is  among important voices empowering lawyers to go "Solo By Choice".   On todays episode we discuss:Learning to embrace your solo firmFemale empowerment in the practice of lawBolstering the small firm and solo law firmsLegalTechTransitioning from a big firm to solo practiceThe difference between starting her firm in the 90s and running one nowBusiness models behind a firm in the energy sectorLaw firm 3.0: mixing business models and technologyWhat makes Carolyn and her firm different from othersHow (and why) to take a sabbaticalThe story behind the My Shingle law blog The rise of the creator and ownership economyResources/Links: The Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant PLLCMy Shingle - Inspiring, Celebrating, & Empowering Solo and Small Law FirmsLAWCLERK: official websiteQuotes:“I felt like there was a need to focus on those issues and to celebrate what solos and smalls are doing and help lawyers learn what solos and small firms were doing.” – Carolyn Elefant“I stayed solo because I had my daughters, but then I started to realize the kind of business opportunities and the economic opportunities that being on my own could provide.” – Carolyn Elefant“I had to branch out and identify smaller clients who didn’t have the resources to work with bigger firms.” – Carolyn Elefant“I think many consumers who have consumer needs are also equally willing to work with a small firm or a firm that’s the size of two to three, rather than a larger firm.” – Carolyn Elefant“One of the things that’s changed is that businesses are more willing to work with small firms.” – Carolyn Elefant“I see the rise of specialized, regional firms.” – Carolyn Elefant

On today’s episode, we are talking with Elisabeth Pickle, the charming and charismatic brain behind The Mindful Counsel. A unique firm that is doing everything right. From non-traditional branding, the use of TikTok for marketing and the creation of a self help set of forms that is the basis of a really interesting business.The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Elisabeth Pickle - How I Built the MindfulCounselHOST: Greg GarmanTopics:●      Elisabeth’s law journey●      The tough estate planning lesson that put things into focus●      The importance of intention in the estate planning process●      Taking that first step and taking away the fear-based mindset●      How Elisabeth gives value to her clients●      Her surprising foray into TikTok●      Where Elisabeth’s referrals are coming from●      How mindfulness works  business and her personal life●      The MindfulCounsel business modelResources/Links:The MindfulCounselTM: official websiteThe Mindful Mama Legal Forms: LinkLawClerk: official websiteQuotes: “I think the first step is removing the fear-based mindset.” - Elisabeth Pickle “It did take a lot of time and effort–and I put a lot into it–to make sure that everybody can use it, find it useful, and that it’ll work when they need it to work.” - Elisabeth Pickle “It’s really interesting to notice where the referrals are coming from and they’re really coming from other lawyers. They’re like, ‘You’re that attorney on TikTok. You’re the attorney on Instagram.” - Elisabeth Pickle “The nature of TikTok is just so viral. It captured so many views. It is really an exceptional way of marketing.” - Elisabeth Pickle  

The Successful Business and Practice of Law - 5 Corey Parker - How I Built and Sold My FirmHOST: Greg GarmanPresented by LAWCLERKIntroduction:Today we talk with a young entrepreneurial lawyer named Corey Parker. Corey has achieved something unique for the field of law. He set out to build and Sell his law firm. He has quite the compelling story.Talking Points:●      How Corey started his career ●      Balancing the business and practice of law ●      From working on the road to opening his first law firm●      How an appellate practice operates○      Marketing and SEO○      Staffing and contractors○      Business development and sales●      The importance of creating boundaries with clients●      Irrational fears about the law practice●      Non-traditional law firms and approaching things with a different perspective●      The process of selling a law firm●      What Corey’s future holdsResources/Links:LawClerk: official websiteQuotes: “I was never good at drama. I never had those chops. But I think I had that when it came to the law, and so that was my ideal version of, ‘I’m only going to represent only innocent clients.’” – Corey Parker“At that point in my career, I just wanted to earn as much as I can, and learn as much as I can, and take on as many cases as I can.” – Corey Parker“That’s where the idea blossomed, of /I’m not necessarily the person, the attorney that’s going to give my client the best chance on their case. Sometimes, why not find someone that’s smarter, that’s a better writer, that’s more experienced than I am, to help handle the work?’” – Corey Parker“A lot of the times [the trial attorneys] just want to be done with the case. [...] They don’t want to go back and look in the rear view mirror. So, as much as I like to go back and talk to the trial attorney and get a feel for it, you’d be surprised at how little that happens.” – Corey Parker 

The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Episode 4HOST: Greg GarmanGUEST: Jon Tobin, Founder of Counsel for CreatorsIntroduction:Welcome to The Successful Business and Practice of Law. On today’s episode, I’m talking with Jon Tobin. Jon developed Counsel for Creators, based out of California. In this episode we dive deep into the topics of technology, Jon’s subscription model, what to do with tough clients, and the future of law firms.Jon is a former software developer and designer. He is a graduate of the UCLA School of Law where he studied intellectual property, business law, and international law under the nation’s top-ranked practitioners. At Counsel for Creators, Jon and his partners help creative businesses on any legal matters involving intellectual property, technology or the arts. Jon specifically deals with matters involving copyrights, trademarks, software, design, licensing, business, art law, and contracts.Resources/Links:LAWCLERKCounsel for CreatorsVisit our YouTube channel to learn more about the successful business & practice of law: https://YouTube.com/lawclerk/?sub_con...Blog:  https://bit.ly/3kzeGXPDownload our Ultimate Guide to Legal Outsourcing -  https://bit.ly/2TZ7d9uLearn More About Our Virtual Associate Subscription Program – https://youtu.be/cvSKmBKJ7EYSchedule a Demo With Our Team: https://bit.ly/2TSu9YdLet’s connect: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/lawc... Instagram – Sharkontherun Twitter – @lawclerklegal Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Lawclerk.Legal/

Jessica Birken is an attorney and the owner of Birken Law Office. She serves nonprofits and helps solve their problems so they can quit worrying and get back to what matters most – The Work.  Along the way, she has embraced technology and progressive business solutions to build a subscription based legal practice. In this episode, Jess tells the story of how she built her subscription practice, the challenges, and provides inspiration for lawyers looking to build something different.      

On today’s episode we talk with Bill Reid. Bill is many things: a larger than life Texan, a personality with a gravitational pull, a great storyteller, an adventurer, and a wildly successful lawyer. Bill is a founding member of Reid Collins & Tsai, LLP, a leading litigation boutique, who has developed a national reputation for successfully trying complex commercial and financial cases.  He has tried a wide range of civil and criminal cases to verdict before judges and juries in a career that has spanned almost three decades. On this episode we cover:●      The story of Reid Collins & Tsai LLP;●      Bill’s best moment as a lawyer (and as a dad);●      The evolution of the Reid Collins & Tsai business model;●      Bills hybrid contingency model and how tol build one; ●      Bill’s advice to young lawyers;●      Reid Collins economic model;●      Aligning economic interests between a client and a law firm●      The decision to keep Reid Collins & Tsai at its current size;●      What is Success;●      The lasting changes because of COVID;●      Living in a Austin versus in New York.Resources/Links:LAWCLERK, official websiteReid Collins & Tsai, official website  Quotes:“I want to create a team incentive. We’re all on the same team. Anybody’s success is everybody’s success.” – Bill Reid“We do a lot of hybrid work. But I would say about 97%-98% of what we do has some element of a success fee in it. And there’s a business component to that, which is, ‘We think our time is better spent trying to get success fees now that we’ve built our brand.’” – Bill Reid“It’s those sorts of things, when you can figure out the riddle (the complicated riddle that I don’t think any two lawyers in America can figure out). It’s just so fun to do that. It’s so rewarding.” – Bill Reid“It gives the client budgetary certainty, which is something that the (even the pure contingency lawyer asking the client paying for) cannot do.” – Bill Reid, on their expense reserve budget“If the client doesn’t actually participate with you on a hybrid deal (or at least pay expenses in the contingency world) and the client truly has no risk, then the client is free to make uneconomic decisions and you (the lawyer) suffers all the risk.” – Bill Reid