Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Podcast #204: How to Keep Your Shit Together as a Law-Firm Leader, with Sherry Walling

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In this episode with Sherry Walling, we talk about the typical sources of stress and unhappiness for an entrepreneur, and how to be objective about these levels. We also redefine work-life balance and talk about whether or not happiness should be an end goal.

Sherry Walling

Sherry Walling headshot

Dr. Sherry Walling is the life force behind ZenFounder. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience in treating stress-related problems in high achieving people. She is an academic and professional powerhouse with master’s degrees in psychology and theology, formal training as a yoga teacher, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

ZenFounder is Sherry’s response to the pervasive burnout, anxiety, depression, and loneliness that she has encountered in hundreds of entrepreneurs.

You can follow Sherry on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thanks to LawPay, Smokeball, CaseStatus, and New Law Business Model for sponsoring this episode!

Show Notes

You can get Sherry’s Zenfounder Guide to Retreats here.

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Don’t miss an episode of The Lawyerist Podcast! Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app.

Transcript

If you are hard of hearing, please contact us for a transcript of this episode.

The post Podcast #204: How to Keep Your Shit Together as a Law-Firm Leader, with Sherry Walling appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/podcast-204-sherry-walling/

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Podcast #203: Ethical Legal Innovation, with Will Hornsby

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In this episode with Will Hornsby, we talk about whether or not ethics rules are standing in the way of innovation.

Will Hornsby

Will Hornsby Headshot

After serving as staff counsel in the American Bar Association’s Division for Legal Services for 30 years, Will Hornsby now maintains a solo practice that advances access to legal services by helping lawyers, legal marketers and innovators better understand the intersection of ethics and opportunity. Will’s theory is that those who have a better understanding of the rules of professional conduct have greater opportunity to structure their messaging and delivery systems in ways that maximizing their practice potential while complying with the rules.

You can follow Will on LinkedIn.

Thanks to LawPay, Smokeball, Lawclerk, and New Law Business Model for sponsoring this episode!

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Don’t miss an episode of The Lawyerist Podcast! Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app.

Transcript

If you are hard of hearing, please contact us for a transcript of this episode.

The post Podcast #203: Ethical Legal Innovation, with Will Hornsby appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/podcast-203-will-hornsby/

Friday, December 14, 2018

Writing Better Email Newsletters

Email newsletters can be tough to write. What do you say? How do you say it? What format should it be? We offer a few tips and suggestions to help you create email newsletters people will want to read from header to footer.

The post Writing Better Email Newsletters appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/product/writing-better-email-newsletters/

A/R Ledger

At Lawyerist, we’ve talked about accounts receivable a few times. In our view, you need to collect money in a timely way and that’s all there is to that. Having outstanding invoices older than 30 days is brutal on cash flow and is correlated to reduced collectability. That’s why you should make it easy for your clients to pay you by offering multiple payment options. (Online payments anyone?)

Accounts receivable is important. It’s the cash flow that keeps your law firm afloat. You should check it at least once every week. Having a running appreciation for your outstanding A/R will give you an intimate view of your business and help you make important improvements to your firm’s finances.

But tracking of all those invoices and due dates isn’t always fun, and it’s often quite time-consuming. The best way to keep track of your accounts receivable is to either hire a bookkeeper or to use your bookkeeping software’s reporting function. If you don’t have a bookkeeper or bookkeeping function, we’ve created an A/R ledger to help you track of your invoicing. Remember to keep tabs on your A/R and stay on top of your billing!

The post A/R Ledger appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/product/a-r-ledger/

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Podcast #202: Accessible Justice, with Haben Girma

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In this episode, we talk with deaf-blind civil rights lawyer and accessibility advocate Haben Girma about accessible justice and how designing courts, law firms, and the attorney-client relationship for people with disabilities can increase access to justice for everyone.

Haben Girma

The first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a civil rights lawyer and she advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, and Forbes recognized her in its 30 Under 30 list. Haben travels the world consulting and public speaking, teaching clients the benefits of fully accessible products and services. She is a talented storyteller who helps people frame difference as an asset.

You can follow Haben on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thanks to LawPay, Smokeball, Allocate, and New Law Business Model for sponsoring this episode!

Subscribe

Don’t miss an episode of The Lawyerist Podcast! Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app.

Transcript

If you are hard of hearing, please contact us for a transcript of this episode.

The post Podcast #202: Accessible Justice, with Haben Girma appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/podcast-202-haben-girma/

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Podcast #201: 4 Keys to a Profitable Law Firm, with Greg Crabtree

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In this episode with Greg Crabtree, we talk about the four keys to a profitable law firm. This includes how to figure out what a small-firm owner or partner’s salary should be, how to increase productivity in a service business, when to take distributions, and how to think about tax breaks.

Greg Crabtree

Greg Crabtree Headshot

Greg Crabtree is a speaker, author, entrepreneur, and financial expert. After spending five years in regional accounting and three years as Vice President of operations/controller for a local bank, Crabtree used his entrepreneurial skills to develop Crabtree, Rowe & Berger, PC, a CPA firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build the economic engine of their business. In addition to serving as the firm’s CEO, Crabtree leads the business consulting team—helping clients align their financial goals with their profit model and their core business values. Greg and his wife Debbie have four children. Greg is an avid golfer and enjoys playing historic golf courses whenever his travel plans permit.

You can follow Greg on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thanks to LawPay, Smokeball, Back Office Betties, and New Law Business Model for sponsoring this episode!

Show Notes

You can get Greg’s book, Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential here.

Subscribe

Don’t miss an episode of The Lawyerist Podcast! Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app.

Transcript

If you are hard of hearing, please contact us for a transcript of this episode.

The post Podcast #201: 4 Keys to a Profitable Law Firm, with Greg Crabtree appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/podcast-201-greg-crabtree/

Monday, December 3, 2018

The Power of the Phone Call (Sponsored)

The Power of the Phone Call

There is no denying we’ve plunged into a high-touch, digital age. But amidst the emails, text messages, and chat boxes, one medium of communication reigns supreme: the phone call.

65% of people prefer to contact a business by phone.

The power of interpersonal communication is alive and well in our high-tech world. Nearly twice as many people opt for the telephone over an online form. In choosing to dial your number, a potential client has made the decision to see how you can help them.

74% of callers are likely to choose another business after a poor phone experience.

Missed calls are missed opportunities. If you don’t answer when clients come to call, odds are, they’ll hang up without leaving a message. How many potential clients have you lost to voicemail? Offer a warm, professional voice to your callers and leave a lasting first impression.

30% of those said they’re likely to leave a bad review.

Word of mouth referrals prove to be the most effective form of advertisement and come without cost. By creating an exceptional client experience from the first touch, you’re laying the groundwork for a trusting, loyal relationship. Give your clients a reason to recommend your practice from the moment you say “hello.”

80% of callers say a good phone experience makes them a repeat customer.

You want to be there for your clients—but between court dates, client meetings, paperwork, and travel, how can you find the time to answer every call that comes in?

Ruby® Receptionists answers 100% of your calls live!

Ruby® Receptionists answers 100% of your calls live! We ensure every one of your callers receives an excellent experience—helping you win clients and delight those you already have. During business hours, evenings, and weekends, Ruby’s virtual receptionists answer and transfer calls to you live, take messages, delight callers in English or Spanish, collect intake, make outbound calls on your behalf, and more!

Coupled with our legendary service is our proprietary technology. Our software integrates with Clio, Rocketmatter, and Lexicata to streamline your workflow while the Ruby mobile app syncs with your contacts and calendar to keep you connected and prepared.

Our app empowers you to work wherever, whenever and adjust your call handling preferences on the fly. With the power of a receptionist team in the palm of your hand, all you need to run your practice is Ruby and a cell phone.

Curious? Give us a call at 866-611-7829 (RUBY) and experience our receptionists for yourself! You can also visit callruby.com/lawyerist to discover how Ruby can help you grow your practice.

Source: Invoca, State of the Mobile Experience, 2016

The post The Power of the Phone Call (Sponsored) appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/the-power-of-the-phone-call-sponsored-2/

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Boosting Office Morale: 2019 Challenge

A happy office is a productive office, but it’s a bit difficult to be happy in an office where no one really knows each other or everyone focuses only on work. Our download features several activities you can do in your office and with your colleagues to boost office morale. We challenge you to do one of these a month for 2019. Give it a go, then let us know how it goes!

The post Boosting Office Morale: 2019 Challenge appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/product/boosting-office-morale-2019-challenge/

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Celebrating 200: The Lawyerist Podcast’s 200th Episode

A Huge Thank You

How do you really say “thank you!” to an amorphous blob of people who, as a collective, have changed our lives for the better in so many ways? We’re not sure, but we’re going to give it a shot: thank you, amorphous blob!

We launched The Lawyerist Podcast almost exactly four years ago. Since then, we’ve done 200 episodes, interviewed a pantload of impressive guests, cajoled some really brilliant sponsors to back our efforts, and beamed as you’ve downloaded our episodes nearly one million times (no kidding).

Our vision has always been to bend the arc of lawyering and law practice. You’ve helped us do that, and we’re inexpressibly grateful. Thank you.

Our Favorite Episodes

Is having a podcast like having babies? We’re not sure, but we are sure that it’s tough to pick our favorites. And although we love them all, we’ve decided against listing all 200 of them here. (We did that here instead).

But we have been preparing for this podcast episode for a couple of weeks, and we’ve had tons of fun looking back at the provocative guests, the exceptional advice, and the practice-changing tools that have flowed from our mics, through your earbuds, and into the deepest recesses of your sponge-like brains. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed them as much as we have. So, with some additional commentary below, and in no particular order, here are some of our favorites:

Podcast #149: What Millennials Want from Your Law Firm, with Nicole Abboud

Nicole Abboud HeadshotSam: Here’s what they want: to have you pay attention to how they research and buy anything. Because that’s how they’re going to decide to pay you for your services, too. Nicole talks about meeting millennials where they are (spoiler alert: they’re online) and being authentic.

Podcast #188: The Key to Better Family Relationships, with Jim Sheils

Stephanie: This episode explored concrete ways to have more meaningful engagement with our families. I love hearing from community members that their kids are busy planning board meetings and folks are having date nights with a question. They work!

Podcast #163: Sustainable Subscription Fees for Business Clients, with Kim Bennett

Kim Bennett HeadshotMarshall: First of all, Kim Bennett is a total bad-ass. Second, I represented business clients when I owned my law firm. I always believed that a subscription fee model was sustainable, and I tinkered with it for years. I’m with Kim: business matters are perfect for subscription fees if done the right way.

Podcast #187: Why You Need a Mastermind, with Stephanie Everett

Stephanie EverettAaron: Our very own Stephanie Everett is steeped in mastermind groups. She’s in them, she’s run them, and she’s, well…mastered them. This episode explores why they are so important and how they can change your business (and, probably, your life) for the better.

Podcast #155: Why Intake is the Key to Law Firm Success, with Billie Tarascio

Aaron: I love this episode. Billie Tarascio has poured massive amounts of time, energy, and money into mastering the intake process for her firm. She has taken that learning and developed a process that can make your intake process to another level, too.

Podcast #184: Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, with Amy Morin

Amy Morin HeadshotLindsey: I loved this episode and I love Amy, her book, and her philosophies in general. This episode was super inspiring, and thinking back on her 13 tips helps me regain focus and gratitude in my own life.

Podcast #137: Career Change for Smart Professionals, with Rikke Hansen

Aaron: Rikke’s wonderful episode about career change explores how lawyers can stop overthinking and halt their self-sabotage, then start thinking productively about when to start their own firm or leave the profession altogether.

Podcast #69: The Big Case, with Making a Murderer’s Dean Strang

Dean Strang headshotSam: This episode aired during Making a Murderer’s climax, and Dean didn’t disappoint. We talked about how he came to represent a man wrongfully convicted on sexual assault charges who went on to face murder charges. Fascinating.

Podcast #153: Building a Future-Centric Law Firm, with Peter Aprile & Natalie Worsfold

Stephanie: Peter and Natalie are great examples of lawyers building a future-centric law firm. This episode gives us a peek into their brains and how they think about changing the industry. A great listen for anyone who wants to learn what innovation looks like. You can also explore their podcast Building NewLaw, which is superb.

Podcast #109: Recognizing Opportunities, with Andrew Haugen

Aaron: Talk about a tipping point! Andrew was planning to leave law practice for good. But instead of doing that, he chose to acquire two family law practices instead. He talked about how he has worked to integrate those practices into a powerful entity.

Podcast #123: Why Mentoring Could Be the Key to Your Legal Career, with Marshall Lichty

Marshall LichtyMarshall: The guest on this one might be a bit of a goofball, but this episode features the single best way to tie your shoes ever invented (don’t @ me) and some meaningful talk about mentorship, which, in my reasoned opinion, is a part of our personal and professional lives that we all need level up.

Podcast #147: Accessible Justice, with Haben Girma

Sam & Aaron: Talk about inspiring change. Haben is the first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. She talked with us about how to rethink the way we design our business relationships, courts, and law firms to support people with disabilities and increase access to justice for everyone. It was lovely.

Podcast #183: Rethinking Substance Abuse & Addiction, with Jeff Glover

Aaron: Sam and his cousin Jeff explore a sticky problem through a refreshing lens. Substance abuse and addiction afflict lawyers at alarming rates, and Jeff talks about stigma, sensitivity, and alternatives to the AA approach.

Podcast #100: KPIs and Starting with the End in Mind, with Mary Juetten

Marshall: KPIs are critically important. But we have good data to suggest that most lawyers aren’t using key performance indicators. Heck, most lawyers aren’t using any performance indicators. Hopefully this episode gets lawyers thinking about their businesses as living organisms that can be improved over time.

Podcast #12: Ellie Krug on Starting a Firm and Litigating as Both a Man and as a Woman

Aaron: Ellie explores a topic we love (starting a law firm), but from a completely unique perspective: as a lawyer who has litigated cases as a man and as a woman.

Podcast #185: Acting Like a Law Firm Owner, with Jordan Furlong

Jordan Furlong HeadshotStephanie: Sam and Jordan discuss the difference between how typical law-firm partners understand their roles and how they would act differently if they embrace their roles as owners. Jordan makes a pithy distinction that more lawyers should understand and appreciate.

Marshall. I love this one for the same reasons Stephanie mentioned. This might be the single most important realization most would-be law firm owners need to sort out. It is almost certainly the most important distinction I’ve seen made between those who will do well and those who will do poorly in their law businesses.

Sam. Yep, I love my conversations with Jordan. There are some other great ones in episodes #58 and #124, too.

Podcast #150: Business Lessons Learned in the Dead Zone on Mt. Everest, with Dean Cardinale

Sam: This is literally a podcast about how climbing Mt. Everest (and taking other informed risks) will help you run a better business. Fascinating and inspiring episode.

Podcast #158: Before You Even Think About Hiring Anyone, Listen to This Episode with Ashley Cox

Ashley Cox HeadshotAyesha: We’ve heard a ton of hiring horror stories and explore them in our Insider group on Facebook. Ashley’s episode is chock-full of useful advice to help you avoid the most common traps.

Podcast #175: Getting Organized at Home and Work, with Merlin Mann

Merlin Mann HeadshotAaron: Merlin Mann is a hero to throngs of organization and productivity fans. He talked with us about how to really get organized at work and in life, and how organization can help balance your work with your life.

Podcast #159: Augmented Reality in the Courtroom, with Mitch Jackson

Stephanie: Mitch Jackson sorta blew my mind on this one. I loved hearing examples of how technology will impact trials. The idea that jurors will wear glasses and “visit” the crime scene or how jury consultants can participate in trials through AR was crazy cool!

Podcast #191: Building a Practice Around Your Tribe, with Shannon Montgomery

Shannon Montgomery HeadshotLindsey: I thought this episode was interesting because Shannon literally built her job around her passion. This one was also personally inspiring. And Shannon is just a badass, so I have to favor this one.

Podcast #190: How to Advertise on Facebook, with Nic Kusmich

Stephanie: Nic Kusmich does a great job of explaining how an inbound marketing strategy can work for a law firm. He also packed the episode with tons of little, useful tips. I’ve listened to this one several times!

Lindsey: I agree with Stephanie on this one. Nic packed this one with tons of super powerful little tips.

Podcast #89: Starting a Solo Practice, with Mac Power Users Podcaster Katie Floyd

Marshall: Katie Floyd is magnificent. In this episode, she talks about one thing lots of folks need  help with: planning to start their own firm.) She is also excellent in Episode #128 and, at least until the end of 2018, on Mac Power Users.

Podcast #162: Designing Your Clients’ Experience, with Joey Coleman

Marshall: Thinking about the client experience is crucial, and “designing” that experience is the essential element of that exercise. This episode really helps people do something that lawyers seem to be allergic to (and that could change their businesses for good and forever.)

Podcast #119: How Stress is Sabotaging Your Clients, with Nika Kabiri

Aaron: Your clients’ stress can quickly become your challenge. Nika talked about how that happens, how stress harms their ability to make good decisions, and how you can help them (and yourself). It was a wonderful client-centered episode that I just love.

Podcast #105: How Small Firms Can Promote Diversity, with Heather Hackman

Aaron: Heather offered up a powerful perspective on diversity that punched a lot of us right in the gut. She talked about small law firms’ roles in increasing diversity in the profession as a whole.

Thank You! (For Your Support, Your Ears, & Your Reviews!)

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has listened to and supported this podcast over the years. From its inception, The Lawyerist Podcast has been about the future of lawyering and law practice. Without you, we would never have been able to keep talking about the future. Without you, the future of lawyering would look a bit bleaker. So, thank you.

Please take a minute to help other lawyers find us by leaving a review on iTunes or Stitcher, like these fine folks:

This podcast will help you run your practice better, and it’s an entertaining listen.

Tmzer

I absolutely love this podcast! I spend quite a bit of time in my car driving for work and am an avid podcaster. When I found these guys I was skeptical because, to be honest, being an attorney hasn’t always been the best thing. I have never loved a job and have been searching for my legal path for years. After listening to one particular episode, I immediately knew where I needed to go. Let’s just say these guys are the reason I’m still practicing and plan to start my own firm here in the near future. I hope to attend the [LabCon] law conference one day and meet the guys responsible for helping me find my motivation in this career!!

liftinglawyer

Lawyerist has been my favorite legal website for a good while, and now it is my favorite legal podcast. I’m always energized after every episode. Keep up the good work!

ClassicalMusicFan20

The post Celebrating 200: The Lawyerist Podcast’s 200th Episode appeared first on Lawyerist.com.

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source https://lawyerist.com/celebrating-200/