Guest Andrew Schierberg retired from his first career after 20 years as a police officer, investigator, and chief in Northern Kentucky. Then he asked, “What next?” With a law degree and a lifetime of working in tense situations with people during their most stressful moments, Schierberg started a law practice with a focus on helping families by specializing in elder law and estate planning. He wrote his own business plan, shadowed established attorneys, sought educational and business developmen...
Jun 22, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Take a deep dive into eDiscovery for small and midsized firms with an old friend and frequent New Solo contributor, guest Brett Burney, a lawyer and longtime consultant who’s passionate about legal tech. Facing a mountain of electronic documents from PDFs to spreadsheets to emails to texts in discovery? You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to understand the basics, the traps, and the available tools. Start by accepting that electronic files aren’t paper files. They are inherently diff...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Quite a few bar associations have practice management advisors (or perhaps someone in a similar role), but a whole lot of lawyers aren’t aware of how this free member service could help them change their practice for the better. Adriana Linares chats with fellow practice management professional Catherine Sanders Reach about the services they provide to attorneys — from consulting on technology and ethics to starting a new business and so much more. Later, the term “legal operations” might seem l...
Apr 27, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 124
For solos sharing office space with other attorneys, there are advantages, but also potential headaches. How do you navigate this arrangement? Guest Jared Correia is a podcaster, lawyer, and full-time business management consultant, sort of the lawyer you know who knows how to run a business. For clients, he digs into law firm management from the very high-level strategy to the nuts and bolts of tech and daily operations. Shared offices create issues with malpractice insurance, shared practice m...
Mar 30, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Hanging up a shingle takes more than a law degree. Today’s legal tech and software helps solo and small practices be more productive and organized than ever. “Good enough” isn’t good enough. Know what you need, and get it! Adriana runs through the tech foundation of a successful firm: from the computers to the office software to the case management software and add-ons that can streamline your practice and better serve your clients. Adriana names names, provides recommendations, and answers the ...
Feb 28, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 122
What’s this about Google My Business? Well, for starters it connects your business to the Bible: The real Google Maps page. If you’re in business, you need to understand this. It’s not hard, but it takes a bit of work, and it’s a must. Create a system, understand the process, and don’t be shy about asking for Google reviews, they matter. (BTW, you can’t cheat or lie about a physical location. Google sends a postcard to verify. Who knew? So, you need to figure it out. Here’s how, even if you work...
Jan 30, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Is the secret to your law firm’s success a triangle? Guest Christopher T. Anderson is a law practice management consultant (and host of the Legal Talk Network’s Un-Billable Hour). Anderson shares the “triangle” of a successful law firm: Acquiring clients; Producing the results you promised; and Achieving and Measuring the impact and success of your firm. Anderson’s unique take on law firm management is built on thinking of law as a real business first. Why are you doing what you do? Acquiring ne...
Dec 12, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 120
The ABA Techshow isn’t just for tech wizards; rather, it should be a vital part of every solo lawyer’s networking plan! Guests Jeannine Abukhater Lambert and Gyi Tsakalakis are co-chairs of the upcoming ABA Techshow, the home of all things tech and your opportunity to see what’s new, and what you’re missing. Both guests serve unique corners of the legal world and found their paths through different methods. Lambert covers large policy areas through academia, and Tsakalakis is a leader in employi...
Nov 30, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Guest Joanne Martin is an inspiration to anyone considering a career change later in life. She’s a family law attorney in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. While she vigorously represents her clients, she strives to create a respectful and collaborative environment when settling family law issues, including divorce and separation, especially when children are involved. Martin had a successful career in film and television, as well as a husband and four children, when she returned to school to ...
Oct 27, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Still think your small or solo practice can go it alone without a client relationship platform (CRM)? Maybe you don’t have all the facts. From intake to holiday cards to referrals and repeat business, learn how a CRM propels your practice. Guest Matt Siegel is a serial entrepreneur, attorney, and the CEO of Lawmatics. He believes that a good CRM should free information from “data prisons,” integrate client onboarding, track client data, build relationships, and even manage holiday greetings and ...
Sep 29, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Guest Ana "Ani" P. Rodriguez-Newbern is a “do-gooder,” a Florida lawyer dedicated to service both to the state of Florida and to the public good. She serves on multiple legal committees while her small family firm, Tangel-Rodriguez & Associates, represents the Florida Department of Revenue in child support matters. She shares how working with both her mother and brother blends every aspect of professional and family life. (Not to mention, her father is a retired judge). Rodriguez-Newbern’s f...
Aug 25, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Guest Levi Barlavi is a “niche practice” solo attorney, focusing on the needs of medical providers. He started his own practice just three years after law school, and, yes, it can be done. But being a solo, no matter how good you are, requires insights into the available legal tech tools, and it’s OK to ask for help. They don’t teach you this stuff in law school. So how did Barlavi grow a solo practice, learn to plan, create a vision, and incorporate tech and marketing? Hear how networking, curi...
Jul 21, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Clio, the legal tech services giant, provides options that can help firms comply with federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. As many lawyers know – or come to learn – healthcare information can be a third rail. HIPAA regulations create unique knots to untangle when you get anywhere near sensitive healthcare information. What’s a HIPAA “covered entity,” and how does it affect responsibilities for health records, data protection, and sharing? What level of ...
Jun 23, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Longtime friend of Legal Talk Network Carolyn Elefant – author, mentor, blogger, and solo practitioner – joins host Adriana Linares with a huge update to her hit book “Solo by Choice.” Get a one-stop-shop overview for any new solo practitioner. The pandemic, social media, online content, and business generation trends are shaking the legal practice bedrock. The online conferencing and virtual offices of the pandemic are challenging the need for a formal office. Billing practices and options are ...
May 19, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 113
At last! The anticipated Windows and Windows 365 tech episode with Adam Alexander, IT solutions guru and president of InterNetwork IT. Together, they answer all those questions you’ve messaged and tweeted in the past months. We’re getting into the nitty gritty. Learn what’s available and find solutions to problems that seem unsolvable. Don’t settle for “good enough!” Topics: Adriana and Adam dive deep into all things Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and more. Make access to your data more organized, saf...
Apr 28, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Guest Tom L. Drew is a longtime attorney in Des Moines, Iowa. He reached out to New Solo and host Adriana Linares for help modernizing his practice and getting the most out of today’s tech. Drew is comfortable with computers, but he’s always looking for newer, better, more efficient methods. As a long-time paperless operation, Drew’s office was in a good place when it went remote during the COVID-19 pandemic. As his office went to a work-from-home environment, Drew was quick to incorporate train...
Mar 17, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Guest attorney Ruth Carter is nothing if not transparent. A client’s failure to plan should not be a cause for crisis to an attorney! Carter talks openly and honestly with host Adriana Linares about being clear with clients. Tell them your rates up front, even put them on your website. And set “rush rates” for any work that suddenly pops up, it sets expectations and encourages clients to think ahead and plan accordingly. Is your firm incorporating “rush rates” into client contracts? Plus, we hav...
Feb 24, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 110
In an innovative and self-care focused episode, host Adriana Linares talks with author, professor, attorney and self-proclaimed “poster child of introversion and shyness” Heidi Brown. Hear how she learned to succeed in the high-pressure atmosphere of legal practice. Learn to untangle your communication traits and internal turmoil. Listen to your mind – and your body – and understand your strengths and abilities. If you struggle to speak up, to confidently share your ideas, or understand how you ...
Jan 13, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Lift your practice by lifting others. Host Adriana Linares talks with attorney and community leader Eugene Pettis about how his lifelong commitment to community service built his brand and his business. Pettis, the first African American president of The Florida Bar, made a conscious effort to carve out time for giving back, leading literacy and education efforts and fostering open, honest communication while seeking solutions. Public service builds connections, brand, and ultimately business. “...
Dec 16, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 108
If you’re starting or running a solo or small law practice (or even working in a larger firm), it’s important to remember you are not out there on your own. The ABA Law Practice Division (ABA LP) is loaded with resources to help you succeed and grow your business. ABA LP Chair Heidi Barcus and Vice Chair Mary Vandenack join host Adriana Linares for a deep dive into the four pillars of success: marketing, management, finance, and tech (not to mention your own well-being). Learn what resources are...
Nov 18, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 107
After passing the bar, attorney Cassandra Michel knew she wanted to open her own family law practice, Aloha Divorce, focusing on amicable divorces and family law. Adriana dives into how a new lawyer can open a successful practice as she walks through the process of establishing a brand, creating a business plan, and networking. Choosing the right tech, deciding on using a home office, shared office, or standalone brick and mortar? Marketing? Sponsorships? Referrals? Even learning to efficiently ...
Oct 28, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 106
In a special episode of New Solo, legal tech whiz Adriana Linares tackles a topic that baffles many legal practitioners: the dreaded Microsoft suite of services. What do you really need and what are you missing? Many lawyers jumped into Microsoft’s 365 universe during the pandemic. Sharing files and working collaboratively from home is appealing, but there’s a lot to learn about the array of products. OneDrive? SharePoint? Secure document sharing? Learn the difference between personal and privat...
Sep 30, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Guest: Kimberley Felton is an immigration attorney, consultant, and supermom and the founder of virtual immigration law firm Onward Immigration and consulting firm Innovation Litigation. Shortly after law school, Kimberley Felton found herself struggling with all the things they don’t teach: How to manage time, clients, and family. She knew there had to be a better way. Unfulfilled in disorganized settings and fighting to find meaning in her new profession, she taught herself to incorporate avai...
Aug 26, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Guest Marie Stockton is an estate planning lawyer laser-focused on making sure her clients understand what they’re signing. She’s mastering document prep tools to assure they have the look and feel that encourages reading and comprehension. Topics: Making the shift from WordPerfect to Microsoft Word Paying attention to the little things, like fonts Designing and creating styles for formatting Complex numbering for document accuracy Resources: Matthew Butterick, Typography for Lawyers Debora Sava...
Jul 29, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Brand new solo Dean Blachford binged New Solo’s episodes before launching his practice. He offers a crash course featuring standout episodes. Special thanks to our sponsors, Lawclerk, Alert Communications, Abby Connect, and Clio.
Jun 24, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Solo Rachel Allums earned her law practice chops running a firm before joining the bar, and her estate planning practice is all the better. Special thanks to our sponsors, Lawclerk, Alert Communications, Abby Connect, and Clio.
May 20, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 101
How new solos Taly Goody and Michelle Fonseca-Kamana create videos for social media that attract clients and referrals.
Apr 15, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 100
When one can practice almost anywhere, why not Puerto Rico? Sarah de Deigo leapt even before the pandemic popularized these wholesale moves.
Mar 11, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Business consultant Peggy Gruenke explains what happens when solo and small firms don’t have their financial houses in order.
Feb 25, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 98
With an updated format and new segment, Adriana Linares takes listeners behind the scenes of a firm’s migration to the cloud.
Jan 25, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 97
