The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Presented by LAWCLERK Greg Garman

Stanley Tate - From Resolving The Burden Of Student Loan Debt To Building A Profitable Law Firm Using Automation

HOST: Greg Garman


Introduction:
Welcome to The Successful Business and Practice of Law. On today’s episode, Stanley Tate helps us ask the age old question: “How do you give away value and knowledge for free, and still get clients to hire you and grow your firm?” Tate is a marketing machine and has grown his business, from the ground up. Today he runs a successful business without paying ad money to Google, Facebook, or any other social media outlet. Tate talks about marketing, how he runs his business, how he scales his business, and the value in automation.


Chicago-native Stanley Tate now lives in Kansas City. He served in the Army and has helped thousands of people with their student loan problems sense 2013. 


The Successful Business and Practice of Law  is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.


My name is Greg Garman. I have been practicing law for over 25 years, in the area of restructuring and bankruptcy for companies of pretty good size. I am also one of the proud co-founders of LAWCLERK, a company that matches attorneys with freelance lawyers. Unlike the hurtful stigma, we at LAWCLERK know that lawyers really do make the world a better place. Our business at the end of the day, collectively, is protecting the rule of law.
 
Talking Points:
●     Tate’s journey into law and how he niched down to student loan problems
●     Tate’s business model and why he chose student loans specifically
●     Tate’s vision and how he scaled his business
●     Marketing tools and techniques
●     The turnover and percentage of leads which turn into customers in this model
●     Replacement versus supplementation with automation
●     Building a unique and valuable website
●     The importance of focusing on content
 
Resources/Links:
LAWCLERK https://www.lawclerk.legal/
LAWCLERK Attorney Resources https://www.lawclerk.legal/attorney-resources/

LAWCLERK's Ultimate Guide To Legal Outsourcing  https://content.lawclerk.legal/ultimate-guide-homepage

Book a Demo with LAWCLERK
https://content.lawclerk.legal/meetings/scheduled-meeting/homepage-scheduled-meeting-link
Connect with Stanley Tate https://www.tateesq.com/
 
Quotes:
“The way we compete in a local market is that we compete on price, we don’t compete on value.” – Stanley Tate
“I realized that the total addressable market was really small because you’re limited to what you can tackle in that geographical arena.” – Stanley Tate
“My goal is to charge you enough to where I don’t hate you for working on your project and you don’t hate me for paying me too much to do this work.” – Stanley Tate
“There was a time where I was doing 150-160 consults a week because I had my calendar open and I was just getting hit and I was booked eight wee

The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Presented by LAWCLERK
Jim Hacking: How To Successfully Market Your Law Firm Using Digital Tools
HOST: Greg Garman
 
Introduction:
Welcome to The Successful Business and Practice of Law. On today’s episode, I have Jim O. Hacking, of Hacking Immigration Law LLC. Not only is he a wealth of knowledge about immigration law, he is also well-versed and knowledgeable in marketing a law firm, especially on YouTube. Today we’re talking about his most successful marketing practices, utilizing digital tools (including YouTube, podcasts, and Facebook groups), and the future of Hacking Immigration Law and other law practices. We also talk about the importance of doing well by doing good. Jim is definitely changing things in nuanced ways to make the profession better.
Jim is passionate about immigration law. Since forming in 2008, he has grown his firm to over 30 employees and helped countless individuals obtain their immigration benefits. He is also the co-founder of Maximum Lawyer. Jim has set an audacious goal for himself: to help over 10,000 people become US citizens by the end of the decade.
The Successful Business and Practice of Law is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.
Talking Points:
●     Jim’s business model: mostly flat fee model
●     The journey to law for Jim and his wife, Amany Ragab Hacking
●     The choice to go national
●     The breakdown of Jim’s team
●     Intentional growth and Jim’s 10-year goal
●     Jim’s entrepreneurial approach
●     The amount of growth that comes from the content that Jim makes on YouTube
●     Marketing and creating substantive, helpful content for YouTube
●     Understanding the value of firm building
●     Maximum Lawyer, The Guild, and the business of law
●     Commoditizing aspects of the practice of law
Resources/Links:
LAWCLERK: https://www.lawclerk.legal/ 
Hacking Law Practice: https://hackinglawpractice.com/ 
Maximum Lawyer: https://maximumlawyer.com/ 
 
Quotes:
“My understanding is that you can’t do immigration on a contingency fee.” – Jim
“The great thing about immigration is it’s federal, just like bankruptcy, and so I can practice in all 50 states. ” – Jim
“We were on Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing and we will be again next year too. We’ve been growing at 100% scale the last two years, which is just mind-boggling.” – Jim
“We pulled out of our butt the idea that a lawyer, a paralegal, and a an admin can handle 150 cases a year, at any one time… The right balance is really about 90 - 100.” – Jim
“Yesterday we had about 10,000 video views for the day since October so I feel like we’re back on track.” – Jim
“Most lawyers think of the ‘running of the business’ as the hassle part, not the fun part.” - Jim
“There’s always going to be a need for good council.” - Jim
 

(Show Notes) The Successful Business and Practice of Law: Judie Saunders - How I Built a Firm Representing Victims of Abuse
HOST: Greg Garman
On this episode, I’m talking with Judie Saunders, a lawyer who specializes in the most difficult of cases: sexual, physical, and psychological abuse cases. Today we’re talking about the changes that need to happen within the legal practice and other professions to help abuse victims and prevent abuse in the future. We also cover the topics of the evolution of the legal practice, Judie’s business model, what led her to this work, and her new book (which is available for preorder now).
Judie works with extremely difficult subjects and topics but she’s found a way to do it while making the world a better place. To top it off, she’s done it with a business model that works. Judie founded The Law Firm of Judie Saunders in order to give a voice to those who have been mistreated, abused, and overlooked. She has worked for over twenty years to prosecute crimes against children, defend the constitutional rights of criminal defendants in private practice, and represent abuse survivors in both criminal and civil court.
The Successful Business and Practice of Law is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.
My name is Greg Garman. I have been practicing law for over 25 years, in the area of restructuring and bankruptcy for companies of pretty good size. I am also one of the proud co-founders of LawClerk, a company that matches attorneys with freelance lawyers. Unlike the hurtful stigma, we at LawClerk know that lawyers really do make the world a better place. Our business at the end of the day, collectively, is protecting the rule of law.
Talking Points:
●      How the business of law works alongside doing genuinely good work
●      The foundation of Judie’s firm and how it first started
●      Who fails in these cases and where does the legal profession stand? 
●      How to address abuse cases
●      Judie’s business model
●      What are the obligations of a lawyer?
●      Evolution of the legal practice and the changes that Judie is making
●      The purpose of podcasting in the business of law
●      The story behind A War on My Body
●      The future for Judie and her law firm
Resources/Links:
Judie Saunders, Attorney for Abuse Survivors: https://www.jsaunderslawfirm.com/
Legally Brief presents the Child Athlete Abuse Podcast: https://www.jsaunderslawfirm.com/podcast
Preorder The War on My Body: https://www.diangelopublications.com/books/a-war-on-my-body
LAWCLERK: official website
Quotes:
“The concept of being an entrepreneur, being on my own–my own cases!–that was fascinating to me.” – Judie Saunders
“If we continue to break individuals through the trauma of psychological and sexual abuse, none of us are safe. The very foundation of everything will be broken.” – Judie Saunders
“How we treat individuals ripples.” – Judie Saunders
“I think we’re all bound that the first duty that you owe is to the client.” – Judie Saunders

The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Presented by LAWCLERK - Jarrett Adams - My Journey From Being Wrongfully Convicted to Now Fighting For Justice
HOST: Greg Garman
Introduction:
Welcome to The Successful Business and Practice of Law. On today’s episode, I’m talking with Jarrett Adams about the changes that need to be made in the criminal justice system. Jarrett shares his tragic and inspiring story about being wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn't commit.  But instead of dwelling on this horrible injustice that has been done, Jarrett decided to go to law school and change things from inside the system.   
Jarrett has worked with the Innocence Project and is the co-founder of Life After Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions and developing an ecosystem of support and empowerment for exonerees’ as they rebuild their lives after exoneration. He is an attorney, author of Redeeming Justice, and a man on a mission to help those who have been neglected and wronged.
The Successful Business and Practice of Law is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.
Talking Points:
●      Problems with the criminal justice system
●      The difference between the US adversarial system and the English system
●      The impact of race within the criminal justice system 
●      Jarrett’s experience when he was wrongfully convicted of a crime
●      The realism behind going from warehousing people to rehabilitation
●      What led to Jarrett’s wrongful conviction
●      What it’s going to take to make changes
●      Judicial discretion versus mandatory sentencing
●      Building a business model around doing good
●      What Jarrett wants to build
Resources/Links:
Jarrett Adams: https://jarrettadamslaw.com/
Redeeming Justice by Jarrett Adams: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624157/justice-for-sale-by-jarrett-adams/9780593395905
Life After Justice: https://www.lifeafterjustice.org/
Innocence Project: https://innocenceproject.org/
LawClerk: official website
Quotes:
“You can call yourself whatever you want but when you’re an attorney, you serve the people.” – Jarrett Adams
“The scariest thing I saw was the people getting out of prison in the winter time, only to return by the end of summer.” – Jarrett Adams
“We have to go with discretion but the discretion can’t be unchecked.” – Jarrett Adams

Over the past two decades, Carolyn Elefant is  among important voices empowering lawyers to go "Solo By Choice".   On todays episode we discuss:


Learning to embrace your solo firmFemale empowerment in the practice of lawBolstering the small firm and solo law firmsLegalTechTransitioning from a big firm to solo practiceThe difference between starting her firm in the 90s and running one nowBusiness models behind a firm in the energy sectorLaw firm 3.0: mixing business models and technologyWhat makes Carolyn and her firm different from othersHow (and why) to take a sabbaticalThe story behind the My Shingle law blog The rise of the creator and ownership economyResources/Links: 
The Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant PLLC
My Shingle - Inspiring, Celebrating, & Empowering Solo and Small Law Firms
LAWCLERK: official website
Quotes:
“I felt like there was a need to focus on those issues and to celebrate what solos and smalls are doing and help lawyers learn what solos and small firms were doing.” – Carolyn Elefant
“I stayed solo because I had my daughters, but then I started to realize the kind of business opportunities and the economic opportunities that being on my own could provide.” – Carolyn Elefant
“I had to branch out and identify smaller clients who didn’t have the resources to work with bigger firms.” – Carolyn Elefant
“I think many consumers who have consumer needs are also equally willing to work with a small firm or a firm that’s the size of two to three, rather than a larger firm.” – Carolyn Elefant
“One of the things that’s changed is that businesses are more willing to work with small firms.” – Carolyn Elefant
“I see the rise of specialized, regional firms.” – Carolyn Elefant

On today’s episode, we are talking with Elisabeth Pickle, the charming and charismatic brain behind The Mindful Counsel. A unique firm that is doing everything right. From non-traditional branding, the use of TikTok for marketing and the creation of a self help set of forms that is the basis of a really interesting business.

The Successful Business and Practice of Law - Elisabeth Pickle - How I Built the MindfulCounsel
HOST: Greg Garman
Topics:
●      Elisabeth’s law journey
●      The tough estate planning lesson that put things into focus
●      The importance of intention in the estate planning process
●      Taking that first step and taking away the fear-based mindset
●      How Elisabeth gives value to her clients
●      Her surprising foray into TikTok
●      Where Elisabeth’s referrals are coming from
●      How mindfulness works  business and her personal life
●      The MindfulCounsel business model
Resources/Links:
The MindfulCounselTM: official website
The Mindful Mama Legal Forms: Link
LawClerk: official website
Quotes:
 
“I think the first step is removing the fear-based mindset.” - Elisabeth Pickle
 
“It did take a lot of time and effort–and I put a lot into it–to make sure that everybody can use it, find it useful, and that it’ll work when they need it to work.” - Elisabeth Pickle
 
“It’s really interesting to notice where the referrals are coming from and they’re really coming from other lawyers. They’re like, ‘You’re that attorney on TikTok. You’re the attorney on Instagram.” - Elisabeth Pickle
 
“The nature of TikTok is just so viral. It captured so many views. It is really an exceptional way of marketing.” - Elisabeth Pickle