The show often discusses the importance of networking and following up with potential clients and referral partners. The hosts remind listeners, however, that not everything you do will work and almost none of it will work right away. You never know which of your efforts will bear fruit and, in some cases, it may take some time before it generates any business. That’s why it’s important to have a balanced approach to building your business. Different things will come to fruition at different tim...
Nov 29, 2016•23 min
Regardless of how you feel about the results of the 2016 Presidential election, we can learn a lot about marketing our small or solo firms from this election. When President-elect Trump launched his campaign, there were 17 other GOP candidates. He distinguished himself and rose to the top by first analyzing “Who are my voters.” Just like we talk about lawyers trying to reboot – your first step is analyzing “Who are my clients?” “Where will my business come from?” Focusing and targeting your mess...
Nov 22, 2016•18 min
Scott and Oscar were asked to present about podcasting at this year’s Above the Law’s Academy For Private Practice. The hosts talk about their presentation and also discuss their takeaway from the conference. ATL presented many highly-informed and qualified speakers who talked about the place for lawyers in the gig economy; what legal tech works best for small and solo practitioners; and the rapidly changing face of legal practice in the new millennium. All lawyers need to assess their practices...
Nov 15, 2016•28 min
The hosts talk about Scott’s decision to stop focusing on Special Education Law, one area of his growing practice that he felt tended to “muddle the message” of the rest of his practice. It was not an easy decision as Special Ed Law was an integral part of Scott’s Reboot plan. Nevertheless, as the hosts point out, you should look at the overall picture and message you are sending to potential clients. Also, it’s hard to give up something you have committed to but sometimes it’s necessary to make...
Nov 08, 2016•26 min
As the popular book “The E-Myth” teaches us, you must be the craftsman, manager and the entrepreneur and none of those positions can be neglected. However, you must also be careful that paying too much attention to one role can be very impactful on the practice overall. The problem most often arises when the things you put into place force you to put more time into the craftsman phase of your legal practice. You have to consider what can be out-sourced or delegated to others. Delegation of cours...
Nov 01, 2016•25 min
In advance of their presentation at the Above the Law Academy for Private Practice event in Philadelphia on October 28, 2016, the hosts discuss some elements of podcasting and how they use it to help their professional growth. They provide some pointers for listeners thinking about launching their own podcasts including doing some research on what’s out there, lining up a few guests, and thinking several shows ahead. Having a podcast is a good way to add value to your website or blog, put yourse...
Oct 25, 2016•27 min
Scott and Oscar remind listeners of how things can go viral very quickly on Social Media. They recount examples of how lawyers have gotten in trouble or mocked over social media posts and social media campaigns. Be mindful of who are your friends on platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and remember that they will see what you are posting. The hosts also discuss how taking certain stands on issues of law could come back to haunt and could hurt your ability to get clients in that area. Th...
Oct 18, 2016•24 min
While there are many positives about having a solo practice there is one glaring negative. There is no other person that understands or cares about your practice the way you do. The hosts discuss why they think it is imperative for solos to seek out other like minded solos and to build a support system of other attorneys who you can rely on to help you with feedback.
Oct 11, 2016•24 min
We hear from lots of lawyers and law students asking us about what are the first things you have to do to start a practice. Many think its picking out office space, designing business cards, and choosing letterhead. While those steps need to be taken eventually, Scott and Oscar say that Step One is to have a vision plan about what kind of law you want to practice, where is the work going to come from? Remember that you will likely not have a lot of income in the first three to six months, so wha...
Oct 04, 2016•26 min
Oscar and Scott begin this weeks podcast discussing the importance of referral partners being aware of and in agreement with how the referral fee is going to be handled. They then discuss treating that source as more than just an outlet for cases. They advise you to think of any referral relationship you have and take the opportunity to take this person out to lunch and discuss your relationship.
Sep 27, 2016•23 min
When dealing with clients and referral sources, one aspect that will always lead to a negative impression is either not being respectful of or wasting that persons time. While you may thing taking a quick phone call during is a meeting is “no big deal” it can most definitely leave a bad impression on the client. Likewise you need to have a understanding of the kinds of cases your referral partners are looking for as well as the job they are expecting from you. You don’t want to waste the time of...
Sep 20, 2016•23 min
Scott and Oscar continue their discussion about New York Matrimonial Lawyer Jolene Louis's ebook, “Things I Wish I Knew About Social Media Marketing before Going Solo.” They dive a little deeper and discuss; - Using Instagram to attract clients - Using Facebook ads to providing information - Using periscope to expand upon a blog post or tour of you office - Importance of managing online reviews Ultimately everything you put out into the social media world should show your value, authority and au...
Sep 13, 2016•25 min
New York Matrimonial lawyer Joleena Louis wrote an ebook entitled ""Things I Wish I Knew About Social Media Marketing Before Going Solo."" Oscar and Scott discuss some of the advice she outlines such as; - Using social media to advertise - Not advertising to your followers - Keep social media professional - you are your business - Understanding the balance between staying professional vs. your personal opinion - Does having a large amount of followers automatically give you authenticity - Why Bl...
Sep 06, 2016•25 min
A recent NY times article about Howard Stern discussed how he used a life coach to change the focus of his show and kind of “reboot” his format to make him more open to a larger audience. Jumping off that as a talking point Scott and Oscar discuss how they used David Allen’s time management book “Getting Things Done” to help organize their practices. Whether you use “GTD” or a life coach or any other system, the important thing is to plan your practice. You have to make choices daily as to what ...
Aug 30, 2016•27 min
Coming off last week’s discussion about work-life balance, the hosts talk about finding “joy” or “enjoyment” in the practice of law. One of the principles that Reboot Your Law Practice has focused on is trying to find a niche area of practice that you love or which greatly interests you, and targeting your reboot in that area. The hosts discuss an article written by Linda K. Robertson for Slaw, an online magazine which was entitled “Practicing Law with Joy.” Ms. Robertson notes that the top five...
Aug 23, 2016•22 min
Having a small firm or solo practice means that you have to take extra steps to make sure you have proper work life balance. However, in such practices, your options are limited when an emergency or a critical new matter comes up during a planned vacation or break. Scott talks about how a new matter arose during his vacation that required him to leave his family to travel back to NY to handle the matter. The hosts discuss the importance of understanding that some situations cannot be controlled ...
Aug 16, 2016•22 min
When practicing law you often interact with other attorneys who are drawing from the same client pool that you are, which may lead to awkward interactions. Scott and Oscar discuss dealing with that issue with each other and other office sharing and networking situations between attorneys. The hosts feel that it is human nature to be territorial but feel there are more positives in working together then pushing other attorneys away. They recommend always go into situations like this with your eye...
Aug 09, 2016•23 min
Scott and Oscar continue their discussion about lawyers having to adjust to the new paradigm. Oscar mentions a friend who needed to refer a family member to a lawyer and who was flabbergasted that their family member had chosen lawyer they found over the internet. It raised a discussion about how lawyers need to be aware that some folks still frown upon using the Web to locate counsel. So we need to make sure our websites are professional and explain why we may be the right choice regardless of ...
Aug 02, 2016•22 min
The most important piece of advise that Oscar and Scott can give to an attorney or firm creating their legal website is to be intimately involved in the process. You can not just pay “a website guy” and let them create what they think your website should look like. No one but you knows what is valuable to your potential clients, the answers they are looking for, the tone that needs to be taken. Scott detailed the process of creating the website for his Student Defense practice area. He discussed...
Jul 26, 2016•26 min
Things have been changing in the field of law for some time now but lawyers seem to be stuck in the past. As a group, lawyers tend to be conservative and slow to change. But if you are trying to survive and thrive in this new paradigm, you need to adapt your practice to the changing ways and the new competition. Scott and Oscar talk about how to make sure you are aware of what the issues are and how your practice needs to change and adapt. Clients today have certain expectations before they even...
Jul 19, 2016•25 min
These days everybody’s got something to say about everything. And social media gives the whole world a platform to show off their knowledge and their stupidity. Scott and Oscar tell some cautionary tales about when they or their clients got caught up in online comments and statements that they regretted. The hosts also talk about the need to think before you text or email as these digital messages are permanent and can be taken out of context. Here are three rules to remember before engaging in ...
Jul 12, 2016•24 min
This week the hosts discuss what to do what you don’t have a lot of legal work to do. Scott explains how College Discipline and Special Education have became a large part of his practice over the past year and because the summer is pretty much dead for these areas of practice, he lays out how he plans to use this extra time. The hosts suggest you see the opportunity in the down time. Reflect on your practice and plan moving forward. Create a business plan. Implement systems. They also suggest ac...
Jul 05, 2016•23 min
In response to a listener email from a law student who asked “Would the podcast hosts go to law school if they could do it all over again?,” Scott and Oscar give the proverbial lawyer’s answer “It Depends.” They discuss their answer to that question in detail and also talk about the state of the current marketplace for lawyers. The hosts point out that they would definitely go to law school again at the same price and with the same student loan debt they did when they went, but would have to thi...
Jun 28, 2016•21 min
It’s the hardest thing about the practice of law as a solo or in a small firm – getting properly compensated for your time. But it’s also the secret to having a quality practice that you don’t resent. In this episode, Oscar and Scott discuss some of the reasons why clients balk at paying and what lawyers can do to make sure that the bills you send out come back with checks. While it once again boils down to maintaining the two core principles at the heart of what we always talk about – authentic...
Jun 21, 2016•33 min
This episode focuses on what law schools do to manipulate their rankings and appear more worthy to incoming law students. Scott and Oscar talk about schools who pay for high rankings in “Best of” lists that may appear on internet searches but have no true substance behind them. Some lower tier schools are not allowing their students at the bottom of the class to even take the Bar exam to hopefully inflate their Bar passing rates as well. The hosts point out that many of these tools, trick and ti...
Jun 14, 2016•23 min
Oscar opens the show telling a story about how he happened to run into a long-lost relative while traveling in Chile. He came across his relative because he was engaging some local folks in conversation and one thing led to another. The hosts talk about lawyers need to keep their eyes and ears open for opportunity. You make your own luck – by having an open mind and always having a business-oriented perspective, opportunities will come your way. Take the chance- reach out to people, set up meeti...
Jun 07, 2016•20 min
This week we discuss the need to focus your marketing dollars and strategy carefully. The hosts get into the nitty-gritty about how Pay Per Click and Facebook Ads and other common legal marketing tools work – and don’t work. By talking about their experiences, both good and bad, Scott and Oscar give out useful tips and strategies for making the most out of whatever marketing plan you decide upon. Like everything else, careful planning initially is key. Think about who you want to target and what...
May 31, 2016•18 min
Scott starts off this podcast talking about a lawyer he met at a conference who afterward sent him a book her mother wrote about Atlantic City (which is where the lawyer practices). The book was accompanied by a small note and the lawyer’s business card. That story began a discussion about the importance of following up and following through on connections you make as you meet potential clients and referral partners. Even something as simple as sending out holiday cards should be done with thoug...
May 24, 2016•21 min
The podcast was contacted with two inquiries – one from a law student who was curious about how to start a practice right out of law school and one from an attorney who wanted to form her own practice as a legal writing specialist. The admitted attorney has a non-legal job that pays the bills but wants to be able to make ends meet (and more) by doing what she sees as her strength – writing for other lawyers. The hosts advise that in some ways, it is very different than most other re-boots. She c...
May 17, 2016•21 min
No matter how long ago you graduated, you can get help from your Law School Career Services Office. They can help you with emails, cover letters. updating your resume and understanding networking. This week is Part 2 of our interview with Elizabeth Dambriunas, the Associate Director of Alumni Advising at the Office of Career Planning at New York Law School. Elizabeth talks to Oscar and Scott touch on the following; - Attorneys need to have an understanding of the legal market - Attorney’s can’t ...
May 10, 2016•23 min
