The 80/20 Principle

A well-managed law practice is both profitable and enjoyable. In this episode, we'll review the key elements required to turn your practice into an easy-to-run, enjoyable business. Show Notes The Law Firm Systems Workshop (start learning as soon as you register) General Resources The 80/20 Principle  (my email newsletter) The 5 Pillars of a Tech-Powered Law Practice The Inner Circle  (an online co...

Bad witness testimony can impair the jury's perception of your case, or —even worse— cause you to lose the case. Attorneys often don't realize that many problems with witness testimony are "unforced errors" that they can avoid or mitigate by proper preparation. Elizabeth Larrick spent years handling jury trials and now helps fellow lawyers avoid trial mishaps and improve their case presentation. T...

Systematizing your law firm requires you to understand a few important things, one of which is how "creativity" works. In developing systems, you're creating something special for your law business.   So you need to understand that the process of creating things is not usually linear or completely predictable —especially for creating systems for doing knowledge work.   Show Notes Working Smarter (...

In today's complex, rapidly changing world, thinking past the superficial and obvious is a vital skill. In this episode, I'll tell you about a mentor who taught me how to think better as a lawyer. A lawyer once wrote that my mentor's character could be summed up in two words: "brilliant tyrant." I'll tell you about his brilliance and the valuable lessons I learned from him that I still rely on tod...

Working with PDF Bookmarks, Comments, and Text Editing are all essential skills for any lawyer or legal professional because they come into use almost daily. And PDF Forms are also incredibly helpful, so we'll cover that as well. Show Notes Working Smarter ( a short PDF guide on using technology better in a law practice ) General Resources The 80/20 Principle  (my email newsletter) The 5 Pillars o...

PDF e-briefs are more useful than paper briefs, and that's why many appellate courts prefer them. But how do you create them? And what are the main considerations to keep in mind when considering the use of e-briefs?   Show Notes e-Brief Info from California Court (2nd Appellate Division) StrutLegal (top recommended e-brief service; Aaron Krigleski is in Ernie's Inner Circle group and routinely an...

PDFs are vital to any modern law practice, especially PDF security. In this episode, we'll cover four things: redaction, metadata removal, password protection, and PDF/A archival integrity.   Show Notes Redacting Sensitive Information  (Northern District of California court website) Common Redaction Error Exposes Confidential Info (Law.com article) Embarrassing Redaction Failures , by Judge Herber...

Digital signatures are not the same as electronic signatures, but they are mostly used together. In this session, we'll delve into the legalities and practicalities of using digital signatures in your law practice.   Show Notes Link to article on E-Signatures mentioned in the show HelloSign (digital signature service) DocuSign (digital signature service) Adobe Sign (available as part of Acrobat Pr...

PDFs are essentially a form of "digital paper"—that is, a way to display text and graphics on a computer or mobile device. PDFs have been fully adopted by federal courts for e-filing and are increasingly being adopted by state courts as well.   Although PDFs were not created specifically for the legal profession, with the adoption of PDFs as a way of producing case documents, as well as their use...

The best way to learn is to watch other people who are doing what you want to do. When it comes to using technology, that's very hard to do. It would be great if you could peer into the practices of many different lawyers who have practices like yours. You can't peer into other lawyers' computers, obviously. But the next best thing is something called the Inner Circle, which I just created and am...

Almost all lawyers now use social media of some variety and to some extent. LinkedIn is the one most used. LinkedIn and other social media services let you create a profile.   A photo of you is the minimum, as is a short bio that's well-crafted. Every lawyer needs this. And it's not that hard to do.    If you sign up for my new Inner Circle forum, you'll get to practice in a space where I can give...

Have you ever thought about selling your law practice? In this episode, you'll hear from a lawyer named Patrick Slaughter, who successfully sold his family law practice in Knoxville, Tennessee, for double what he thought he could get for it.   Show Notes info@patrickslaughter (email to use to get in touch with Patrick if you want his help) CallRail (software to track conversions based on phone cal...

A huge pain point for many attorneys is gathering documents from clients & others. Now, there's a better and easier way of doing this.   In this episode, we discuss a new service called Pipefile , and you'll hear from Steve Recile, the developer who created it.   Show Notes Click here to try Pipefile for 14 days ( no credit card required ). If you decide to continue using it, enter the promo code...

Small law firms face constant, dangerous cyber threats. Usually, it's too expensive for them to get expert guidance, but Tom Lambotte is a good friend who has been offering affordable cyber security help for solo and small firm attorneys.   In this episode he shares his top 3 recommendations for protecting yourself against cyber threats, including some valuable resources he is making available for...

A lawyer recently asked what places are best to get the attention of prospective clients. But the question is not where to get attention.   Rather it's how to get attention most effectively —i.e., in a way that makes people respect you and then trust you enough to engage you and appreciate your hard work.   Show Notes How to Build Trust with Complete Strangers (my recent blog post) General Resourc...

Radlyn Mendoza started an immigration law firm in 2000, focusing on the underserved Latino community in Hampton Roads, VA. She began with a clever approach to newspaper advertising that yielded fabulous results.   More recently, she began experimenting with TikTok videos, and that approach also proved successful. The secret to her success in marketing her practice goes deeper than the places she s...

All of us are highly prone to getting caught in debilitating mental traps, just like South Indian Monkeys in a famous story. In this episode, we examine this insidious mental trap and learn how to avoid getting ensnared in it.   Show Notes The South Indian Monkey Trap: How Our Values Compromise Our Freedom, by Kaelin Govinden (South African corporate attorney) Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenan...

Performing autopsies isn't something you see lawyers doing. But if you understand the original meaning of the word "autopsy" as used by the early Greeks then you'll understand why lawyers should do this.   In this episode, we delve into how you can improve your thinking and decision-making by understanding the original meaning behind this important word. Show Notes Definition of " autopsy " (Note:...

Too many lawyers are too eager to self-promote. So they market in the worst possible ways (i.e. both undignified and ineffective in getting high quality clients) Let's talk about why this happens and how to market yourself the best way.   Show Notes Contrived Enthusiasm (my recent blog post) Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty (book mentioned in episode) General Resources The 80/20 Principle  (my...

If you want people to trust you more (and, as a lawyer, you should ), then it's vital to learn the keys to creating and building trust — even with complete strangers.   Show Notes Write To Build Trust with Complete Strangers (my recent blog post) Working Smarter with Digital Technology ( my short guide to improving your practice by using technology better ) General Resources The 80/20 Principle  (...

The ABA ranks it as the 3rd best legal movie and Justice Antonin Scalia said it was his favorite lawyer movie. It's commonly used to help teach procedure and evidence in law schools. And many lawyers said it's the only Hollywood movie that gets all the procedure details perfectly correct. After 30 years of popularity and acclaim, it's.worth reflecting on how this movie came about and why it's so b...

The best way to set up systems for your law practice is not obvious to most attorneys. And many choose the less effective way, as opposed to the easier, more effective way.   Show Notes Kaizen (Wikipedia article) It's Time to Embrace Slow Productivity , by Cal Newport (New Yorker article) John McPhee's Slow Productivity , by Cal Newport Podcast: Cal Newport on how 'slow productivity' could reduce...

If you want a high-level practice, you need high-level clients. The first step is making sure you can deliver exceptional service.   John Strohmeyer joins me to talk about how to do that, which he first learned before law school when working as a manager at a Four Seasons hotel. How did that experience help him in his law practice? Listen and find out.   Show Notes Strohmeyer Law website 5 Star Co...

Can you ethically practice New York law if you're licensed there but actually living in Louisiana? Listen and find out.   Modern legal ethics is now driven by technology, so how can regulatory bodies keep up with the pace of change? Short answer: in many key areas, they can't and aren't.   Show Notes Dane Ciolino's website (LA Legal Ethics) Casemap (software Dane & Ernie used and loved) Airtable (...

After eliminating inefficient paper, the next question is how can you optimize your digital workflows in your practice to make it more streamlined and automated. That's what's covered this episode.   Show Notes Check out the 2-page outline : Digital Lawyering ( how to work smarter by using technology effectively ) Chatterboss virtual assistants (schedule a free call to find out how they work for l...