New Solo

Law schools are gradually catching on, but not a lot of lawyers emerge from law school ready to start their own business, which is what starting a practice is. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Matthew Moeller, owner of the Moeller Firm, about how he started his practice, what technology he’s using, and how his business experience has helped him. He also talks about the up...

Taking the plunge into solo practice can be intimidating. Maybe even downright terrifying. But it doesn’t have to be. This is part 2 of the New Solo episode in which host Adriana Linares talks to Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve, Tony Chiosso, and Albert Thuesen about their experiences running their own solo law firms and advice for those thinking about doing the same. Their tips and tricks range from scanne...

Nothing encourages the jump into starting a solo practice than the advice of those who have already done it. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve, Tony Chiosso, and Albert Thuesen at the Bar Association of San Francisco’s first annual Solo and Small Firm Conference. Together they discuss their own solo experiences, focusing on how they started and what i...

The market is changing for law firms. A majority of clients cannot afford full representation as it traditionally functions. Recently, attorneys have been adjusting or “unbundling” their services to make them more affordable, a process also known as limited scope representation. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares discusses unbundled legal services with Dave Aarons, CEO of Unbundled...

Starting a new practice can be intimidating and many attorneys never take the leap towards owning their own firm. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Cahill-IP, PLLC Founder Amy Sullivan Cahill about her journey and how podcasts helped her gain the courage to start her own firm. Amy Cahill is founder of Cahill-IP, a law firm based out of Louisville, KY. Her practice focuse...

Deciding to leave a large law firm is a challenging decision and can often leave an attorney questioning what the future holds. It can be even more intimidating starting your own solo law firm during such a tumultuous time. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Cade Law LLC owner Nate Cade about his experiences leaving a large law firm and starting his own solo practice. Nat...

Many attorneys are reluctant to try alternative billing methods because they fear that moving away from the billable hour will be complicated and less profitable. Furthermore, lawyers who are interested in billing alternatives often don’t know where to find resources to help them implement such changes in their own law firms. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Vandenack W...

In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Vandenack Weaver LLC founder Mary Vandenack about lawyers using alternative billing models. Mary defines alternative billing as any way of charging for a law firm's services that isn’t the billable hour and talks about her experiences breaking away from a large firm and starting her own. She shares an interaction with a client that led h...

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares talks with Adams and Reese LLP Partner Jeff Richardson about publishing his blog “iPhone J.D.” and his tip for lawyers using Apple mobile products. Jeff opens the interview with a brief history of his occupational past and talks about his New Orleans upbringing. He states that his law practice focuses on class action and complex litigation typically rep...

Client Relationship Management, or CRM, is a strategy implemented in business to maintain effective knowledge about and connections with your current, previous, and potential clients. Using technology, employees are able to nurture relationships with their clients by tracking conversions and setting notifications. But many lawyers, especially solos and small firm lawyers, aren’t using CRMs; they d...

Starting your own law firm can be a daunting task for any solo attorney. What new trends will help you manage your practice and how can you harness available technology to better communicate with your clients? In this episode of The New Solo, host Adriana Linares speaks with Clio CEO Jack Newton, who shares what he believes are two big trends in practice management. Jack discusses client portals a...

As attorneys graduate and head into the legal marketplace, or leave a law firm to start a solo practice, it can be hard to know where to find resources with tips on starting your new career. What are the most important things that a newly solo practitioner should know? What are some best practices for lawyers just starting out in the field? In this episode of The New Solo, host Adriana Linares tal...

Among solo practitioners, Ernest “Ernie the Attorney” Svenson is well-known for consulting on technology and, specifically, going paperless. But what many lawyers don’t know is how Ernie transitioned from a commercial litigator in a big New Orleans law firm to a tech savvy solo. In this episode of New Solo, learn all about how Ernie’s experience practicing in a big firm and Hurricane Katrina led h...

In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares stops by the shared offices of Barbara Leach and Conti Moore. Together they discuss the cost savings, benefits, and logistics of splitting office resources. Through mutual trust, compromise, and similar views on work-life balance, these lawyers are achieving the strengths of partnership without losing the privilege of being the boss. Tune in to hea...

Although television commercials seem too expensive for a solo practice’s marketing budget, they are not! In fact, advertising on T.V. can be a great alternative or addition to an online marketing campaign, as long as it’s done correctly. So what should solos expect with these ads and how can we optimize the return on investment? In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares and Jason Marsh intervie...

In the previous episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviewed Andrew LeGrand, a lawyer who has a largely automated practice, about Text Expansion and forms to increase efficiency for lawyers. Because automation is such an enormous topic, Adriana invited Andrew back to discuss more in-depth systems and tools to avoid wasting time on menial tasks and improve accuracy, consistency, and professiona...

Adriana Linares interviews Andrew Legrand, a solo lawyer who started his practice immediately out of law school using technology to increase efficiency. His tips start with something as small as an autocomplete for your signature to auto filling forms he regularly uses. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares and Jason Marsh interview C. Todd Smith, a small firm lawyer who has used various forms of social media for marketing his practice. Jason Marsh, an online marketing specialist for small businesses and law firms, also give his insight into the importance of social media. For lawyers launching a solo practice, this podcast will provide a broad idea of whe...

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews internet marketer Jason Marsh about the most effective marketing process for lawyers beginning a solo practice, how much they should spend on a website, and what it means to optimize your business for the search engines. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews John E. Grant, an agile attorney consultant, about what it means to have a lean practice, how businesses have soared ahead of law firms in this way, and things every lawyer can do to add value to their services. Grant, a solo practitioner himself, discusses his move from the business world to the legal world and how he has seen the agile mani...

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews David Sparks about why he decided to go solo, the first actions he took, and struggles he encountered during the process. Sparks’ first steps involved evaluating the potential costs of research, insurance, malpractice, and other legal necessities, and comparing it to an assumed client income. He talks about being a lawyer who uses Apple produ...

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews legal ethics attorney Michael Downey about the solo practice he started in 2015. Together they discuss why he decided to leave a big law firm to start his own law practice, the decisions he had to make, and how he dealt with everything from choosing technology to successfully parting ways with his old firm. Downey talks about the research he...

Ed Walters started as a lawyer in a big law firm in Washington D.C. In the late 1990's, he was approached by a client asking him to research a relatively new legal issue without using LexisNexis or WestLaw, as they were trying to reduce online legal research costs. His inability to do this set off a chain of events leading him to create the company Fastcase. His story begs the question, are lawyer...

There are numerous sources in the legal world claiming that lawyers need to work on building and growing their networks in order to gain referrals. But with hundreds of connections, how is a solo lawyer able to build and develop proper relationships with everyone? Maybe lawyers should be thinking about the quality of their connections rather than the quantity. What should a solo or small firm atto...

When starting your solo practice, figuring out how to price your services can be very difficult. Many new lawyers undercut the market or undervalue what they have to offer. Additionally, in this emerging market of flat fees, they have to consider their strategy for setting legal rates. When charging for hourly legal services, what should be the lowest starting rate? How should a solo lawyer struct...