New Solo Legal Talk Network

Personal injury attorney Joshua “Josh” Bonnici left his first job out of law school to launch his own firm. Starting from scratch, just nine months later he hired his first employee and has been growing ever since. Bonnici built on his own love of cycling to focus on bicycle accidents and injuries, helping bicyclists in the bustling city of San Diego.
Now he’s known as “The Bike Guy” and stands out in the crowded personal injury field by specializing in an area he’s passionate about. He’s an example of specializing in something you love, and he’s sharing his story with new lawyers just starting out.
Bonnici walks us through, step by step, how he took advantage of an available incubator system, learned on the job from a mentor, and built his practice and his reputation. Hear how he got started, networked, built a brand, made himself memorable, and hired an assistant to make himself more productive. Real lessons from real life. 
Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  
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“Follow your passion” is common advice. But in the case of guest Josua Bonnici, his passion for bicycling helped him stand out in the crowded personal injury field. 

Hiring your first employee. Why it’s scary and why it’s necessary.

How to develop a website and social media presence with a library of videos and testimonials. 

 
Resources:
California Lawyers Association
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
San Diego Bar Association
 
Joshua Bonnici previous appearance on Legal Talk Network’s “On The Road” podcast

This inspiring episode tells the true story of a gutsy dad who started his own legal practice from scratch with no clients, no office, and no partner. 
Guest Michael Mendoza is an Orlando solo practitioner specializing in family law. After graduating from law school with a growing family, Mendoza knew he wanted work/life balance instead of burying himself in a big firm with long hours. For Mendoza, the practice of family law is personal, having witnessed his parents’ contentious divorce. 
Hear how Mendoza started with nothing, rolled up his sleeves, and launched a practice from putting together his tech to building his client base. How did he find clients? Did he advertise? What about a website? Or office space? 
It’s been tough. But the combination of running his own practice and the satisfaction of helping families through a difficult period has proven rewarding. Mendoza’s story is a guide for young lawyers who want to hang out a shingle (he even has an employee now). 
Nothing is easy. Nothing is perfect. It’s scary. But you can do this.
Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  
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Starting your own law firm is anything but easy. But it can be done. Hear first-hand from one attorney who did just that, from the ground up. 

Software? Office space? Clients? Employees? Financials? There are a lot of balls in the air once you start juggling. 

What are the best and worst decisions you can make starting out? (Hint: find a mentor).

Resources:
Florida Bar Association
Florida Bar Association, Legal Fuel assistance
Seminole County (Florida) Bar Association
San Diego County Bar
Nebraska State Bar Association
Clio legal software
Microsoft 365
Adobe PDF management
Text Expander
Mycase legal software
LawPay legal software
George C. Young American Inns of Court

Let’s talk AI. Guests Nina Steinbrecker Jack and Ed Walters worked from the start to build Fastcase, now merged with international legal research firm vLex, striving to make legal research faster, better, and cheaper. Digging through law books is so 2010. Under the merger, incorporating generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), lawyers today have fingertip access to not only U.S. case law but also international law. 
We’re witnessing a revolution in the use of generative AI, often producing results so good that it’s hard to determine what was written by a human and what was generated by the program. This is becoming the bedrock of legal research, saving attorneys time and money, allowing them work on strategy and building cases instead of hunting for case law.
But regular, layman’s, AI is still experiencing some hiccups, “hallucinating” incorrect information as it struggles to learn. Breaking news only on New Solo: Coming soon to vLex and Fastcase, an AI Lab is developing a new class of AI built just for law, globally, called (for now) “Research Assistant.” This new level of AI will be so up to date it will include cases decided in as little as 12 hours prior to each request, fully vetted and referenced. 
Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com 
 
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a great tool, but it’s also prone to errors. One popular tool, ChatGPT, is fun, but it’s not for legal research. Can lawyers trust an AI program to create bullet-proof results?

Breaking news on New Solo: Coming soon, vLex and Fastcase legal research together have built an AI Lab developing a new class of AI honed just for law, globally, tentatively called “Research Assistant.” AI results you can trust.

AI is not going away. If you’re not keeping up, you’re falling behind. Get involved and stay current. The world of computer assisted legal research is blowing up.

You know the legal writing classes you took in law school? There’s a lot more to learn, and with a few steps, you can get better – and get better results. Guest Chris Schandevel is the “Brief-Writing Ninja” and passionate writing clear, simple, concise legal briefs that win over courts. 
Courthouses are busy places. Judges and clerks deal with a lot of distractions and competing demands. Make your briefs stand out boy making them easier to read and follow. Any jargon, excessive footnotes, parentheticals, and asides just add to the chaos and detract from your argument. Good writing, formatting, and attention to detail matter. 
Schandevel has created an easy-to-use, three-page style guide for legal writing and clear formatting. You don’t need to use fancy words to sell your case. Clear, simple language and a clean story help the court understand your argument and see your point.
Take a deep dive into the art and artistry of writing and presenting a legal brief at the highest levels, and get some tips you can start using today. (Plus, do you know the official preferred font of the U.S. Supreme Court?) 
Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  
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Judges aren’t impressed with fancy words and jargon. A clear, easy-to-read legal brief is easier to follow to the conclusion you want your reader to reach. 

Learn to remove barriers to the reader such as excessive footnotes, lengthy sentences and changes in “voice.” And do use the Oxford comma!

What is the “cleaned up parenthetical?” (And how is it being adopted at the highest levels of the law?) Find out. 
Mentioned in this Episode:
BriefCatch software
“Think Commas Don't Matter? Omitting One Cost A Maine Dairy Company $5 Million”
“Cleaning Up Quotations” by Jack Metzler in The Journal of Appellate Law Practice and Process
“Legal Writing: Font Matters,” Thomson Reuters
Legal Office Guru
Legal Office Guru’s Deborah Savadra on New Solo, “Word Up 2: Creating Tables of Authority with Ease”

The episode you’ve been waiting for. An all-Mac special with real Mac experts. More and more lawyers are using Apple Mac tech, including iPones, iPads, and laptops.
In the past, there were challenges shifting between Mac and Microsoft, but today’s practice management programs can work on both systems. You like Macs? Then go for it, there is less and less to hold you back.
Why Mac over PC? Cost, battery life, integrations between iPhones, the Apple watch, and iPads, as well as security are considerations. Only 15% to 20% of lawyers use Macs, so you do need to think things through and ensure you can share information with your Microsoft colleagues and opposing counsel. There are advantages and disadvantages. Make sure you understand every aspect.
There are some basics to getting started. Maybe most important is to not “cheap out” when you’re getting your computer system set up. Our guests explain what you need, including processor speed and memory. It all matters. Law is your business, your computer is your tool. If you’re investing anywhere, it’s here. RAM? ROM? Gigs? Ports? What do you need?
Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  
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Lawyers use Macs. Yes, it happens, and it can go well.

 Know what kind of needs you have and learn how to use your Mac to your advantage. Speed, cross-platform exchanges, and even weight matter.

Programs abound for Mac lawyers. It’s not like the olden days when Microsoft programs only worked on Microsoft platforms. Adobe, Word, Excel all can work smoothly on a Mac.


Mentioned in this Episode:
Macs In Law Offices
Jeff Richardson’s prior appearances on Legal Talk Network
Brett Burney’s prior appearances on Legal Talk Network
Mac
Codeweavers
Parallels
USB hubs on Amazon
Adobe subscriptions
Textexpander
Textexpanders for Lawyers
Setapp for Mac
Ulysses app for Mac
Quick Look for Apple

Guest Andrew Schierberg retired from his first career after 20 years as a police officer, investigator, and chief in Northern Kentucky. Then he asked, “What next?” With a law degree and a lifetime of working in tense situations with people during their most stressful moments, Schierberg started a law practice with a focus on helping families by specializing in elder law and estate planning.
He wrote his own business plan, shadowed established attorneys, sought educational and business development support, found shared office space with other lawyers, and developed a holistic approach that lets him to build relationships with his clients and work not only as an attorney but also as a trusted advisor.
Learn how he set up his practice, selected case management software, established a flat-fee subscription plan for his clients rather than hourly rates, and developed an understanding of the needs of both elder clients and their families as they navigate a new stage of life.
If you’re well into a first career, you might be surprised at how much your “real world experience” can translate to a solo law practice.
Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  
Topics:

Starting a solo practice as a second career and putting your “old job” skills to work in your new venture.

The importance of selecting the right practice management and office equipment tools, learning about marketing, and asking for help when you don’t know.

The value of finding a niche that lets you focus your energy on the kind of law that matches your passion. 


Mentioned in this Episode:
Fearless Paranoia podcast
Life Care Planning Law Firms Association
Actionstep
MyCase
ElderCounsel
DecisionVault
Calendly
Textexpander
Maximum Lawyer podcast
The 80/20 Principle podcast
The Law Entrepreneur podcast
Lunch Hour Legal Marketing podcast
Peggy Gruenke on Legal Talk Network podcasts