New Solo

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 av...

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...

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 t...

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 pra...

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. Goog...

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 manageme...

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 differen...

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 ca...

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,” integra...

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 prof...

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 pra...

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...

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 offi...

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...

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-...

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 ahe...

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 strength...

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 commun...

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: ma...

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 offi...

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 produ...

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...

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 Com...

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.

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.