Reboot Your Law Practice

On this week's episode Oscar and Scott welcome Conrad Saam from Mockingbird Marketing. They discuss the importance of a website to your legal practice, what to look for in a website vendor and what every website should contain. Most importantly, hear the story of how "Zippy the Chicken" was invited to become a "Lawyer of Distinction.

This Episode, Oscar and Scott discuss the potential timelines for law practices to financially recover from this crisis. They discuss short term and long term possibilities along with other informative information about how to run your practice during this crisis.

On this episode, Oscar & Scott discuss the probability that the Covid Pandemic will have serious effects on the practice of law until a vaccine is distributed and even beyond. They discuss mindset and how to get yourself and your practice in a position to succeed in this unprecedented situation.

A few weeks into the Covid-19 Pandemic, Oscar and Scott talk about how they are handling their practices and the planning they are doing for the future.

After over a year absence, Oscar and Scott "Reboot" the podcast to discuss some of the issues they are facing as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic. They discuss the changes in their practices and give advice on how to position your practice over the next few months.

This episode Oscar and Scott discuss the impact of technology on how the solo and small practice are looked at by consumers. The ability to hold yourself out as an expert in many types of law is increasingly difficult. Client's want someone who specializes in their specific issue and if your website advertises that you are an "expert" in 7 types of law then the client may well move on to someone else. They discuss how to use your website and other online media to best try and attract the client that is looking for your services

As your practice grows and you enable more moving parts, sometimes these parts break down and you have to deal with a quick painful situation or a long painful situation. This week Scott discusses the stress of creating a new website for his practice while Oscar discusses an associate who left and the options for replacing him.

Oscar and Scott discuss Text-a-lawyer. Is it a service that can help those that can’t otherwise afford legal advice or is it an ethical mess that distorts attorney client privilege.

When Oscar and Scott started the podcast they were truly “Rebooting” their law practices. Now over three years later they discuss the next level planning and ideas that they are initiating for their practices. They touch on speaking in front of groups, evaluating if a networking group is right for you and getting involved in thier local bar associations.

As we know, your website is one of the most important tools you have to give prospective clients information about your firm. Scott gives a status update on the revamp of his website. He discusses the steps his design firm is taking to make the new site a success.

In this episode Scott and Oscar talk about making sure you are not getting bogged down by handling small matters that do not properly compensate you for your time. Getting properly paid for your time is the key to a successful law practice. Handling small cases or charging really low fees or agreeing to just “write a letter” for a client for $200.00 may bring some cash flow into your business but your time would be far better spent in working on your practice and on your higher paying clients.

It’s important to have a sterling reputation in the legal community to develop your practice, and that will come if you consistently do good work. But it’s more important to be more concerned about your reputation and “brand” in the client community. Does your website and other marketing material speak to your target clients? Have you planned on how you will reach the type of clients you want? You need to step back and think about who you want as clients and how you will reach them. Then make a plan to put yourself in front of those clients and make sure you are geared towards connecting with them in your marketing and networking.

In this episode, the hosts discuss a variety of issues in their practice that irritate them (adversaries who don’t use email for example) and, building off the last episode, some new ideas they are implementing in 2018 (writing things down on paper) and some things they are not (getting an app for their law office).

Planning and strategic thinking are important certainly. But at some point, you have to just pull the trigger. Scott and Oscar talk about how as 2018 gets going, this should be the year listeners Do Something! Whether its starting a blog, increase or decrease staffing, networking more, whatever it is. Let 2018 be the year that you take at least one concrete step to implement a change in your practice that will increase business. The hosts discuss some of the steps they are taking this year to improve their practices.

As we delve into the New Year, there are things we should be taking off our Practice Management “To Do” lists in 2018. Scott discusses how this year he is completely revamping and re-tooling his website. A high quality, effective website is a main tool in any solo or small firm’s arsenal. Too often, once we put one up, we don’t look at it again for a decade or more. The hosts discuss why it needs to be refreshed every few years to accommodate changes in technology and changes in the way you practice: How does your website look on the new iPhone? How long does it take to go through the main points you want clients to look at? What areas of practice do you want to feature? Old websites look stale and uninviting. Make sure this year you get yours up to date and coordinated to your practice.

Scott and Oscar have talked about the value of networking in many past episodes. This week they discuss why committing to networking should be on your 2018 New Year’s Resolution list. Whether it’s joining a BNI Networking Group in your area or signing up to become more involved in your local Chamber of Commerce, getting actively involved in some form of steady and consistent networking is essential to practice growth. The hosts also provide tips as to how to get the most out of the networking that you do.

In advance of a presentation they are making to the Nassau County Bar Association, the hosts talk about ways to get your name out in social media and the community. Publishing articles; making presentations; blogging; and yes, even doing a podcast are all ways to put yourself out in the universe and the marketplace. Scott and Oscar talk specifics and give do’s and don’ts about the right way to do this so that you provide value to those who receive it which will turn into business.

Scott talks about his recent attendance at a conference sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System where the subject was the future of law schools and the legal system. While there were some positive moments where there were discussions about making law school more client-centered; using apps to increase access to justice; and teaching leadership in law school. However, there was a lot of talk about meeting the needs of the unrepresented without any solutions that would help lawyers make that financially worthwhile. Oscar brought up that President Obama’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program has led many new attorneys to get involved in public service; a similar idea geared towards helping the under-represented could work to bridging this gap. The podcast hosts point out that until law schools and those in academia take note of the many lawyers that are not making a living, a credible solution to filling the gap will not be found.

Scott Limmer continues the discussion of the CLIO Cloud Conference. A large part of what was discussed involved time and data management. For ex.: at CLIO a speaker pointed out that out of an 8 hour workday only 1.9 of that time is collected upon. How can we increase the amount of time that actually puts money in the bank? What can the data we have on our clients tell us – where they are coming from, how much are they paying, how much are we collecting, etc. The bottom line is that solos and small firms need to expand their horizons and look beyond traditional sources for information to help develop your practice. Step 1 could very well be attending a conference on law practice management.

Fresh off his trip to New Orleans, podcast host Scott Limmer discusses attending the CLIO Cloud Conference while there. The conference focused on practice management for lawyers, highlighting of course, CLIO software products. But the hosts discuss the need for lawyers to engage in these conferences to learn about what’s out there for use in their offices and just to connect with similarly situated attorneys. As usual, Scott and Oscar also discuss what practice management and time management tools and strategies worked – and didn’t work – for them.

We’re all busy and we all have different demands on our time. But for attorneys trying to reboot or develop their practices going to a practice development conference can be key. You can learn about new technologies; meet people in a similar position as you; meet folks who have been where you are and have grown their practices. Let’s face it, law school may teach us the law but it does not teach us the practice of law. The podcast hosts discuss how these conferences can be crucial to building your business and talk about what they have learned from them and applied to their practices.

This podcast discusses something many of us take for granted – our phones. But let’s face it, this is how our clients come to us; yes they may email us first or message us from a website, but they will always want to call in and speak to someone live. Scott and Oscar talk about what systems they use to not just answer and return calls, but to mine the data and information they can get from the calls being made.

We are all inundated by pop-ups and email messages from various sources telling us how to grow our practices using technology and social media. What’s real and what’s just hucksterism? This podcast focuses on what has worked and not worked for the hosts and what core messages we can take from those ads that are telling us what basic areas we need to focus on to expand our client base and income. Scott and Oscar discuss specific steps they have taken and how they have tailored their social media to attract more of the clients they want. The bottom line is that you need to spend time and energy thinking about using tech and not just follow every carrot placed in front of you

The podcast hosts talk about their woes in dealing with client communication. Some clients who after spending a lot of time with you, don’t retain you; others who don’t want to hear the information you are giving them; and still others who simply want to take up all of your time talking about things that are perhaps important to them but which don’t relate to the case at hand or advance their cause. Solo and small firms have to make sure to balance giving your clients enough time and opportunity to communicate with the other time demands facing your firm.

This episode discusses whether listeners should offer a free consultation to prospective clients or charge for them. Host Oscar Michelen recently started charging for initial consultations while Host Scott Limmer offers free consultations. The hosts engage in a spirited back and forth discussion as to why they chose each particular method and why works for them. Listeners can gain insight from the talk as to which method would work best for their practice.

Oscar gets the discussion going this week talking about what he learned from a review of old files from his prior firm that had been in storage in his house for the past seven years.  In talking about it with Scott, he discusses what he should have been able to see about his practice and its marketing efforts had he paid attention. That leads to the hosts talking about the need to be mindful and to analyze what you are doing in your marketing efforts. Don’t just keep trying new things without putting in the effort of looking at what you have done before and what worked and didn’t. When starting a new marketing effort, don’t do it unless have you thought about:   Who am I trying to reach? Leads? Referral partners? Paying clients? All of the above? Will this plan reach them? Will this content be meaningful to them? How much will it cost and I can I carry it if it is unsuccessful? How long do I need to run the campaign for me to be satisfied that I have given it the full time that it needs?

There are many sources of information available to you to help you grow your practice: books, magazine articles, blogs, podcasts like this one. The hosts talk about sources they use to get thoughtful advice on business development. The material does not have to be law-firm related, in fact its better that your first foray into reading to improve your practice not be law-related.  Books on entrepreneurship, money management and organizational methods are the most helpful at first to get you in the right mind set. Apply thought to your re-boot and look for advice that’s out there waiting for you to find it. 

This week’s episode finds our podcast hosts both comfortably rested from Anguilla vacations and once again pondering what “The Next Big Thing” is for law practices. Scott and Oscar talk about how the Hollywood industry and Las Vegas both rose out of nothing, filling a void no one saw that was there to be seen. While in some sense LegalZoom and Avvo have done that for the practice of law, there really hasn’t been a “Sea change” in the way law is practiced; these examples tell us however that such an event may be right around the corner. Will you be ready? Will you even recognize it? More importantly, perhaps its best to focus on what the big change to your practice maybe that is right there for you to find if you just take the time to look.

Clichés become clichés for a reason – they’re true. This week’s podcast analyzes the old cliché about “stepping out of your comfort box.” When you just do what you have always done and what you know best, you don’t get the chance to find out what you are truly capable of. Take a chance, try something new, something you are perhaps nervous or outright frightened to try related to your practice – attend a new networking group, take on a public speaking opportunity, start a new blog. Even if you fail, the odds are high you will learn something useful about yourself and your practice.

What’s a young lawyer to do? Every client says they want experience but if you have just started your practice how do get those clients? What about if you are trying a new practice area but don’t have any successes in that area to tout? This week’s episode discusses ways you can build your practice while you develop the experience clients want. Focus on other areas – customer service, connectivity, price point. What’s important is that you be authentic and let the client know what value you can provide in place of experience. It takes time to get experience but there are things you can communicate to clients and provide to clients that are just as important as a long resume.

This week’s episode revolves around the need for expanding your network in order to get more referrals and a steadier stream of business. The hosts discuss how it may not be clear for some time that your networking events are paying off. Don’t expect that the first meeting you attend will produce results or that even every attempt you make at meeting new people will generate income. It takes time to develop trust and to have the people you meet think of you when an opportunity arises. That requires you to (a) stick to it and be authentic when doing it and (b) expand your networking efforts to have more than just one source of referrals.

While Oscar is enjoying a well deserved vacation with his wife, Scott goes solo hitting on a number of topics. We first discuss the outreach for “Master Your Law Practice” the networking group we are starting on June 29th. We then discuss how important it is to understand the needs of your clients and how your attitudes affect their decision to hire you. We finish up with a discussion about URL’s

Oscar and Scott discuss the networking group they are launching for Long Island attorneys. The 1st meeting of “Master Your Law Practice” will take place on June 29th at Seasons 52 in Garden City. Oscar and Scott discuss the beginnings of this idea and how it has grown into a different kind of legal networking group. They both are looking forward to sharing their experiences with other attorneys.

We have all gotten used to relying on our favorite tech aides – apps, calendaring programs, phone systems, etc. But what happens to our practices when they fail? In this episode Scott and Oscar talk about recent tech issues they have faced and how they addressed. They offer some insight and solutions to make sure that when a snafu happens your practice can rebound quickly. Two key points: (a) Find a good IT consultant that is available to help guide you when this happens and protect you from reoccurrence and (b) Back up regularly on a hard server and to the cloud to make sure that if your systems go down, you don’t lose too much work. We’re big advocates of legal tech but you need to have safety net in place because on occasion disaster strikes.

This week Scott and Oscar discuss how the same issues that cause Solo and Small Practices to fail are the same issues that affect Big Law. The top three things affecting Big Law being, below average performance, internal dynamics (no leadership, incompatible goals and lack of planning) and external dynamics (competitive pressure related to firms client base, not having access to new clients. The same issues that are of tantamount importance to solo and small firms

Oscar was invited to Otisville Correctional Institute by the Tribeca Film Festival to be a speaker at the screening of Gideon’s Army, which follows a number of public defenders and their interaction with their clients. Before the movie the inmates had extremely harsh opinions about the attorneys that represented them. After they watched the movie their opinions softened a bit and had a better understanding of the mindset of their defense attorneys. What everyone should take from this is that what representing a client means. That you are advocating, supporting and speaking on behalf of this person. And the most important thing for the client is communication. Letting them know the ins and out of their case. Not based on what you think but based on what your client needs.

Scott and Oscar continue their discussion about Scott’s presentation and attendance at Avvo’s annual Lawyernomics conference in Las Vegas. The talk focuses on SEO and recognizing where your practice is at - brand new practices don’t have the same needs and opportunities as mature growing practices. The focus must be on what can best improve your practice. Not everything will work for everybody. The hosts discuss the value of attending professional conferences to keep learning about what’s out there and new ways to develop a consistently successful practice.

One of the nice things about having “Rebooted” our practices and having started this podcast is the opportunity to share what we have learned with other attorneys. Avvo was nice enough to invite us to speak at their Lawyernomics conference in Las Vegas. Scott discusses some of what he learned including how all marketing should be done purposefully, how PR work has been folded into social media and your web presence and how Avvo believes the future of successful practices will rely on data driven metrics.

This week Scott and Oscar discuss how giving presentations can be an important part of your practice. Not only do they show that you are engaged in topics that effect your clients and show your authority but are also a good way to network meet other attorneys. Although you may not be able to picture yourself speaking in front of others and may be absolutely terrified by the prospect, it is like any other skill. At first you may be nervous and unsure of yourself but like anything else the more experience you get the more comfortable you will be. And the more comfortable you are the more confidence you will have. And always remember that when you give a presentation that the goal is to inform and enlighten, not to sell.

Not only do you have an obligation as an attorney to keep track of the changes in your area of law but you should determine if any changes can be a business opportunity for your practice. Scott discusses new changes in New York criminal law one that he believes may be an excellent opportunity to expand his practice and one that may have a detrimental effect. If you see an opportunity, you should have the mindset to create a niche practice from this new opportunity. And don't just wait for the clients to find you. Create new webpages, write about the topic and let you networking partners know you are handling cases in this new area.

This week Oscar and Scott discuss how some clients may be more trouble than they are worth Even though the money a client is paying you might be attractive at first, the amount of work, stress and frustration the case and client may bring may not be worth taking the case If you get caught up in a situation like this, you can’t complain about it being the fault of the client. It is the lawyers decision to take on the client and you must hold yourself responsible for the quality of the clients that are hiring you It reverts back to what we have always discussed. You are not just practicing law. You are running a legal business and must treat it as such.

This week Scott and Oscar talk about their experiences with the networking site LinkedIn. While both of the podcast hosts agree that all solos and small firm practitioners should have a Linked In profile, Oscar is the bigger fan of the site. That stems from his practice being largely a commercial litigation practice and Linked In being a social networking tool mostly for business and professional people. The hosts talk about how to get the most out of it by being active on it, and using it to find potential referral partners. It’s just another tool to help get your practice and name out there to the community but you want to make sure you are maximizing its effect if you are going to have profile on

This week, we continued our interview with Michelle and Anthony DiPaolo, discussing their decision to hire an office manager. We’ve often talked on the podcast about how to determine when the right time is to take on that first employee. The DiPaolos explain how their practice was ready for the hire and how bringing on an office manager has helped them grow their practice. They offer great insight for listeners on what benefits they derive from having someone else deal with much of the administrative strain on the practice, including billing, client relations and scheduling. We conclude the talk with a discussion of how they have now brought on a second person – a young lawyer to help with the work overflow. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Anthony and Michelle for allowing us and our listeners to peek into their practice and for the many relatable and practical pieces of advice they offered.

This week Reboot Your Law Practice invites married law partners Michelle and Anthony DiPaolo to talk about how they balance their law practice with their home life. While most of us are not married to our law partners (though it sometimes feels that way) listeners can gain lots of insight into work/life balance and law firm organization and structure by checking out this episode. The DiPaolos talk about things that effect all of us – when your work interferes with your home life; planning family time; and dealing with stress. This honest discussion from experienced practitioners is a view into small firm life applicable to all lawyers.

Wouldn’t it be great if we won every motion, every trial, and every case? Or if we went through our entire legal career without ever making a mistake? Sure, but that’s just not realistic. If you make an error on a case or if you just did not get the outcome your client expected how do you deal with it? The podcast hosts not only discuss your need to be honest and direct with your client to meet your ethical obligations, but they also talk about how coming clean with your client will relieve your stress about the case. Having a good history of communication with the client; keeping them informed about the case; and managing their expectations from the outset and along the way will make it easier to handle these crises when they arise. Deliver the news in person or over the phone as soon as you can and plan on what you are going to say – write it out if necessary, that often makes it easier. The main point is that quick and direct communication of what happened is critical.

Every lawyer and firm has come across a difficult client. But in a small firm or solo practice, lawyers don’t have the luxury of blowing off and ignoring difficult clients. You need to have a conversation with the client about the parameters of the relationship. It helps to give the client something to do- tasks - to help the case along – have them track down relevant facts or create timelines. Keep the client informed about the timing of the case and the court docket. Reach out to them when there are gaps in progress to let them know that there is nothing to be done right now. Managing client expectations and keeping the lines of communication open are the best ways to keep a difficult client happy. The hosts discuss a variety of ways to help deal with these clients so that you can keep them in your practice.

Scott and Oscar discuss some recent encounters with lawyers that make for good examples of Dos and Don’ts to rebuilding your practice. On the “Do” side – Scott references a lawyer who used social activism to help develop business leads and eventually a successful law practice. On the Don’t side, Oscar discusses a lawyer who was lamenting that his practice was dying and he had no idea where business was going to come from; meanwhile, Oscar had afterwards met a mutual friend of theirs who was a great source for legal work that the “lamenter” never approached because he just didn’t think it would lead to anything. Back on the “Do” side, the host discuss making use of your down time perhaps by writing articles and getting published in the many legal blogs, magazines, etc that are always looking for content. On the Don’t side, - don’t put your practice in someone else’s hands by going for cheap marketing and advertising ploys. The point is that the main “Don’t” is “Don’t just sit there” and the main “Do” is “Do something!”

In response to a listener’s question about how to balance your time between legal work and administrative tasks, the host discuss how they strive to find time to do all that is necessary to practice law and run a law practice – two very different things. While discussing the various methods that they use, Scott and Oscar focus on three important points: · Organization and Planning are Key · Put a System in Place That You Will Actually Use · Don’t Procrastinate and Get Things Done This may mean on occasion extending your day (or night) well past your normal working routine, but there is no simple answer here. If you only focus on doing the legal work or get so caught up in office tasks that you stop being a good lawyer attending to clients, then you will not achieve success in your practice.

In today’s world, with all its access to instant information, you must be careful how you tout yourself online. Scott and Oscar discuss a variety of real life cases where lawyers got into serious trouble for overstating their experience or outright lying about their credentials online. If you have no heavy experience to boast of, then build up your accessibility, talk about your commitment to clients, back it up by offering effective and immediate communication. Say something that differentiates yourself and that is valid. Whatever promises or boasts you make online you need to be able to back them up or they can come back and bite you.

As the podcast hosts celebrate the milestone of their 100th Episode they do not rest on their laurels. Rather, they talk about the need to constantly re-check your website, online profile and other marketing material. It can be very comforting to just sit in a cocoon and think all is well and business is just down. It takes courage and fortitude to routinely and regularly analyze what you are doing about growing your practice. Don’t put aside what seems like monumental tasks once you have determined that they are necessary to your practice’s survival. If you can’t tackle them all at once, break them down into segments that you can accomplish over time. But most importantly, never stop thinking about growing your practice.

After Scott is knocked out for the count by a bad cold, the hosts discuss ways that a solo practitioner can get some back up in the case of an emergency. You must have something in place for contingencies, vacations, sick days or double-booked court dates you can’t attend. Per diem lawyers, office shares, joining websites and listservs that provide that coverage are ways you can build a safety net for yourself and your practice.