We can't end 2020 the way we end most years, with improving office organization and reviewing fee agreements. Rather, this is a year to end with a focus on being kind to ourselves, setting new types of goals, and thinking about intentionally designing the coming year. In this episode, Megan highlights her article recently published on Attorney at Work on what items should be on our year-end checklist. Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delive...
Dec 29, 2020•13 min•Ep. 134
Thousands of California online bar exam takers were flagged for review, and an untold number of them have received Chapter 6 notices. A Chapter 6 notice essentially accuses the applicant of cheating on the exam. Megan has put together resources to help applicants respond. Resources Mentioned: Dropbox folder I put together with resources Petition to Sign (no monetary donations, please) Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to y...
Dec 21, 2020•20 min•Ep. 133
George Psiharis joins Megan to talk about the Clio Legal Trends report for 2020, the ongoing release of new information, and how Covid has impacted this important project. Resources Mentioned: Clio Legal Trends Report Clio Covid Impact Report Guest Info: George on Twitter George on LinkedIn Clio on LinkedIn Clio on Twitter Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday. If you enjoyed this episode, ...
Dec 08, 2020•28 min•Ep. 132
Professor Cat Moon teaches a fantastic class at Vanderbilt Law School called Law as a Business. Megan was honored to be one of the guest speakers recently, and she focused part of her talk on the question, "What is the connection between ethics and the business of law?" This episode answers that question, focusing in large part on the consequences of making ethical errors and also touching on the good business of being ethical. Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to recei...
Nov 03, 2020•10 min•Ep. 131
Professor Cat Moon teaches a fantastic class at Vanderbilt Law School called Law as a Business. Megan was honored to be one of the guest speakers recently, and she focused part of her talk on the question, "What should young lawyers know about ethics and a successful career?" This episode answers that question with three specific things Megan thinks are important. 1. Appreciate the importance of the rules 2. Don't assume those above you know more than you do about the ethics rules 3. Just becaus...
Oct 27, 2020•12 min•Ep. 130
Screen addiction impacts most of us, and there's little doubt it has a negative impact. Overuse of screens leads to anxiety, depression, decreased productivity, and more. Its impact is also clear in children. It turns out, it's not entirely our fault that we are so hooked. Apps accessed on screens give us dopamine hits that keep us coming back for more. In this episode, Megan talks about how we get hooked on screens and strategizes what we can do about it. She also shares her recent experience o...
Oct 13, 2020•31 min•Ep. 129
We know the profession has a mental health crisis. We have serious concerns about bars asking applicants about their mental health. But do we really understand the position these questions can put an applicant in? In this episode, Megan discusses and (in a first on this show) reads out loud the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky's decision in Doe v. Supreme Court of Kentucky. Doe applied for licensure after seeking mental health treatment, and Kentucky "put her through the ri...
Sep 22, 2020•33 min•Ep. 128
A large number of ethics complaints begin with lawyers taking on more work than they can handle, leading them to miss deadlines, fail to be responsive to clients, and otherwise drop the ball. A booming business seems like a good thing, but too much of a good thing can cause severe problems. In this episode, Megan talks long-term solutions like hiring help, and short-term relief measures like pausing ad campaigns, reducing availability for new consultations, and learning to say no. Thanks for lis...
Sep 08, 2020•16 min•Ep. 127
A niche, or narrow, law practice might sound risky, but it's actually a fantastic way to build a rewarding practice. Lyndosha Jamison has created a niche for herself that is exciting professionally and financially successful. Join Megan as she interviews Lyndosha to learn how. Lyndosha Jamison and Megan presented at ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago in February 2020 on the topic of building a niche law practice. The session was so popular it spawned a repeat performance for the ABA's Best of Techshow seri...
Sep 01, 2020•33 min•Ep. 126
First, it sounds like the Florida Bar might be listening to this podcast. (Jut kidding, of course.) It issued a proposed advisory opinion allowing out of state lawyers to practice remotely from Florida without UPL repercussions. Read more about solving the "butt in seat" problem here . Second, applicants to the bar who have any criminal history at all are faced with lots of wrinkles in disclosing their conduct to moral character committees. Megan runs through some scenarios displaying this compl...
Aug 18, 2020•18 min•Ep. 125
There are lots of reasons for lawyers to move from state to state, but when a bar exam gets in the way, it turns into a real pain. Whether you're a military spouse, an in-house lawyer, cultivating a Federal practice, or lucky enough to get reciprocity, Megan talks about how you can move and still practice law. ( In this older Attorney at Work article, Megan talked about ways to move without taking an exam.) Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode ...
Aug 11, 2020•17 min•Ep. 124
Note: This is a replay of our most popular episode - Episode 28 Kenneth Lawson went from running a successful practice in Ohio to having his license revoked because of misconduct while addicted to prescription painkillers. He joins us to share his remarkable journey to redemption. Ken Lawson is the Co-Director of the Hawai’i Innocence Project and an Associate Faculty Specialist at the William S. Richardson Law School where he teaches Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, Professional Responsibility,...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 123
The bar exam has gone from traditional end-of-July ritual to a jungle of uncertainty, constantly changing dates and conditions, and total chaos for everyone who intended to take the exam and start their legal career this summer. In an episode geared specifically to those in this situation, Megan talks about some strategies for staying in the know without getting overwhelmed, changing career course if needed, and maintaining perspective. Resources Mentioned: July 2020 Bar Exam Status by State Cha...
Jul 21, 2020•19 min•Ep. 122
Many families will have the kids home this fall, whether by choice or school policies. If you're going to be running your law firm from home in the presence of homeschooled kids, Megan has come up with five things you (and she) can do now to prepare for a smoother road and ethical law practice ahead. Schedule (honestly) Get help Plan breaks Plan your finances Organize space And the 8 year old adds a bonus 6th! Resources Mentioned: Funny video - What day is it? Thanks for listening! Don’t forget ...
Jul 14, 2020•17 min•Ep. 121
Bar exams are a rite of passage for attorneys graduating from law school and being sworn in to practice law. But what if the bar exam is not feasible, such as during COVID-19? And what if the bar exam has an incredibly racist history that calls it further into question? And what if there is no empirical evidence that the bar exam has any correlation to an individual's ability to effectively practice law? Jordan Couch is the Chair of the Washington Young Lawyers Committee, and he has been taking ...
Jul 07, 2020•38 min•Ep. 120
In two contexts, lawyers and bar applicants worry about hiring an ethics lawyer. In moral character applications, applicants are often concerned that having a lawyer involved makes it look like they are hiding something. In discipline matters, lawyers express concern that hiring counsel makes them look like they committed misconduct. In truth, having a lawyer's expertise far outweighs any image of guilt that may be created by hiring counsel. In this episode, Megan unpacks the question of "will h...
Jun 30, 2020•19 min•Ep. 119
We've been scouring the internet to figure out what lawyers are asking about, and it turns out IOLTAs are a hot topic. In this episode, Megan answers some burning questions about IOLTAs, including: Can a firm have an IOLTA? Can a lawyer have more than one IOLTA? Can an IOLTA be used to send and receive wires? How does an attorney handle a check made out to their IOLTA and the client jointly? She also answers our first listener audio question about reviews and donating to charity. Resources Menti...
Jun 23, 2020•16 min•Ep. 118
Mental health is tough to tend to, especially as solo and small firm lawyers make a ton of excuses why we cannot be out for even one day. So how do we take a day off that leaves us actually inspired to go back to work and not more stressed than when we left the office? In this episode, Megan shares her story of a recent day off that shed light on some "how to" ideas for taking a mental health day. To read her full story of the day off, visit Attorney at Work for her upcoming article. Thanks for ...
Jun 16, 2020•22 min•Ep. 117
Good policies and procedures make a law office run ethically, but file destruction is one where a lot of lawyers have questions. How long should we keep files? When does the time period begin to run? How do I let my client know? In this episode, Megan explores these questions and promotes some best practices. Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday. If you enjoyed this episode, please help me...
Jun 09, 2020•13 min•Ep. 116
As teams disperse to remote work environments, the lawyer's duty to supervise takes on new wrinkles. Pennsylvania issued an ethics opinion to help guide us; it brings together past ethics opinions and adds details for today's new world. Kristin Tyler of LawClerk knows plenty about working remotely and supervising remote teams, since the business model relies upon a decentralized workforce. She joins Megan to talk about Pennsylvania's opinion and key issues for remote teams. Topics include: - Mak...
Jun 02, 2020•32 min•Ep. 115
We typically think of team-building as bringing on full-time or infinite-duration members, but this mindset overlooks a great source of shorter-term talent. Law student interns can be great additions to your solo or small practice, and they give you an opportunity to streamline your processes while you give back. In this episode, Megan sits down with Erik Pelton, trademark attorney in Falls Church, Virginia, who shares his insights on hiring law student interns for his boutique practice. They ta...
May 26, 2020•30 min•Ep. 114
Even the United States Supreme Court has had to adapt to working remotely during COVID-19. Still, long-term lockdown (plus further uncertainty with kids ending school and some businesses reopening) can really suck the productivity out of us. In this episode, Megan explores some tips for getting back to business during these uncertain times. Highlights include: - Changing up the routine - Revisiting your early quarantine plans - Checking out available resources - Grasping a realistic view of your...
May 19, 2020•25 min•Ep. 113
The king of subscription legal service, Jon Tobin, sat down with Megan in the midst of COVID-19 to talk about how lawyers can evolve in the way they offer legal services. Subscriptions are of course a major way we can change our offerings, and Jon has a lot to say about how it works, why it works, and how the ethics rules impact but do not stymie the offering. Guest Info: Jon Tobin's Website Jon Tobin on Twitter Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new epi...
May 12, 2020•53 min•Ep. 112
Stemming from her popular post on Attorney at Work, Megan tackles the ethical considerations for attorneys handling consultations, particularly initial consultations, virtually. Highlights include: - Ensuring video and phone communications are confidential - Careful sharing of client confidential documents - Conflicts checks - Terms of your consultations, and what clients can expect Resources Mentioned: Attorney at Work Article Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to recei...
May 05, 2020•16 min
Megan is joined by John Grant, who lends his systems background to lawyers looking to streamline their law practices with better processes and procedures . In this episode, he and Megan explore the impending massive backlog of cases in the justice system, what lawyers and courts will face when the country reopens after coronavirus, and what lawyers will need to do to prepare to serve clients in a post-COVID-19 world. Guest Info: John Grant's Website Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIB...
Apr 28, 2020•58 min•Ep. 110
Let's talk marketing -- the usual and the highly unusual in a time of worldwide crisis. Ollie Lash-Williams has a background in public relations, and he joins Megan to discuss the enormous worldwide crisis of the day, coronavirus. Guest Info: Ollie Lash-Williams on Twitter Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday. If you enjoyed this episode, please help me get the word out about this podcast....
Apr 21, 2020•37 min•Ep. 109
Building a rural law practice in 2020 is much different than it would have been 20 years ago. Chris White, the Managing Partner of White Law Office in rural Ohio, knows a thing or two about it. Turns out that rural practice building has its unique challenges, but excellent customer service is a key component. In this episode, Megan and Chris also touch on how the coronavirus is impacting business development for all law firms, rural and urban. Guest Info: Chris's Website White Law Office on Face...
Apr 14, 2020•35 min•Ep. 108
Senator Tammy Duckworth tweeted that she spoke to her child while working from home unmuted on a call to the Democratic Caucus. If the Illinois Senator can reveal some authenticity about the challenges from working from home, why don't we all drop the act and get real? In this episode, Megan shares some of her favorite work from home fails, both from online and her real life. Megan also shares her five tips from her monthly newsletter ( sign up here ) for making working from home a success - esp...
Apr 07, 2020•18 min•Ep. 107
The coronavirus has thrown how lawyers work into absolute disarray. Brick and mortar lawyers with onsite servers are lost; even remote lawyers are struggling as families are home and routines are thrown off. In this episode, Megan and her guest Mike Whelan talk disasters, law practice, and why despite today's craziness, the truth is, it really is going to be okay. Mike shares his personal stories of crisis (including medical issues, a hurricane, and a house fire) and how he has come through them...
Mar 31, 2020•33 min•Ep. 106
Are you interested in learning how to start your own solo practice? Your driving fear may be "I'm not going to have any clients." When a lawyer sets out on their own, the fear of having no clients is real. "If you build it, they will come," does not necessarily work in law practice. But Davis Nguyen has some ideas on what three things every law practice needs to bring in those initial clients. Then, once your solo firm is growing at a healthy pace, at some point your workload will exceed your ca...
Mar 24, 2020•39 min•Ep. 105
