The Effective Lawyer

Jack Zinda
  • 4.8 (80)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
The Effective Lawyer Podcast

The Effective Lawyer teaches ambitious trial lawyers how to grow their skills and create a prosperous law firm. Using lessons learned by accomplished attorneys from around the country, we discuss lessons learned through their trials and tribulations. Our discussions cover a vast range of topics sought out by attorneys looking for advice, from depositions to how to market your law firm. The show is hosted by Jack Zinda, Founder and Senior Trial Lawyer at Zinda Law Group. In less than 15 years, Jack and his team have grown Zinda Law Group from 3 attorneys to over 30, spanning several states and handling a variety of personal injury cases from gas explosions to truck accidents. Jack and his guests share their knowledge and skills that they’ve acquired through the process of building one of the most successful plaintiff’s law firms in the country. In each show we cover a new topic that an ambitious attorney would want to better understand, while providing practical skills to improve their legal practice. For more information, visit https://www.zdfirm.com/the-effective-lawyer

  1. The Rise of AI: Transforming Your Law Practice for the Future

    SEP 3

    The Rise of AI: Transforming Your Law Practice for the Future

    Summary    In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda answers questions from the listeners about how AI is being used to transform the way we operate our practice.    Discussed in this Episode:    How have you seen AI impact the industry so far? Can AI change the way firms interact with clients? Can AI help in settlement negotiations? The pitfalls of AI       How Have You Seen AI Impact the Industry so far?    Jack talks about how AI technology is not quite at the place to disrupt the industry, but that it’s on its way in the coming months and years. He then talks about how AI can be helpful for work that paralegals are doing, taking deposition notes, helping with scheduling and other routine tasks.       Can AI Change the Way Firms Interact with Clients?    Jack warns about the use of AI for online interactions as it can feel impersonal and make the client lose trust before the person-to-person connection can begin. Where it can be helpful is case summaries, email updates and medical follow-ups.       Can AI Help in Settlement Negotiations?    One thing AI is great for is data mining. Being able to cull data from the internet to find out what a similar case is paying out, would be a very effective tool and potentially save 10s if not 100s of hours gathering that data manually. Using it for focus groups to predict what an outcome could be is another way that AI could play an important role in whether or not you take a case.      The Pitfalls of AI    When using a new tool it’s important to look at the legal ramifications as well. Are confidentiality agreements violated by using these tools? Is it possible that there are ethical concerns as well? Make sure you spend plenty of time researching before you go ahead and use your clients as guinea pigs.        You can reach Jack at:    jack@zindalaw.com  512-246-2224

    12 min
  2. The Art of Time Management: Tips and Tools To Master Efficiency For Your Law Firm

    SEP 3

    The Art of Time Management: Tips and Tools To Master Efficiency For Your Law Firm

    Summary    In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda answers questions from the listeners about tips and tools to improve efficiency and time management.     Discussed in this Episode:    How to structure your day for maximize productivity The biggest time management challenge as a Lawyer & CEO Finding your priorities  Technology tools for time management     How to Structure Your Day for Maximum Productivity    Jack talks about what his days used to look like before reading the book Getting Things Done. He talks about how scheduling specific tasks to be completed during specific times is a great way to ensure that you’re not scatterbrained or scrambling to stay on top of your to-do list during the day.       The Biggest Time Management Challenge as a Lawyer & CEO    The hardest transition can be when you jump from a small to mid-sized firm. Jack talks about how things changed when they went from a five person to a twenty person team. Having good management and training systems in place are the best way to ensure smooth transitions as the business grows.     Finding Your Priorities      Next is to look at your own personal responsibilities. Lay them out on a white board and be sure to include your personal life as well. Being a good partner and parent comes along with a work/life balance. Find things that you can delegate to other members of your team and restrict yourself to working on the things that only YOU can do.      Technology Tools for Time Management    Jack talks about how technology can sometimes be a red herring as these tools can end up causing more headaches than not. Relying on A.I. can prove problematic as the technology is not foolproof yet. He talks about tools that do work including: Asana for project management and Evernote for note taking.      You can reach Jack at:    jack@zindalaw.com  512-246-2224

    12 min
  3. Navigating Child Injury Cases: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

    AUG 20

    Navigating Child Injury Cases: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

    Summary In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda talks about common child injury case mistakes and how to avoid them.  Discussed in this Episode: You cannot treat a child case like an adult caseCreating a case on behalf of a childWho has the right to pursue the claim?Best practices for money distributionYou Cannot Treat a Child Case like an Adult Case There are a few key things that make a child case different. Their recovery, damages, who can bring the claim on their behalf, levels of approval and money allocation are all different from an adult case. It can be very easy to make mistakes which can affect your client’s long-term recovery and future. Creating a Case on Behalf of a Child In the situation where a parent dies and leaves a child with no support, it’s very important to establish a Guardian Ad Litum to protect the child from other family members who may want to claim their rights as a guardian only due to the financial implications.    Who has the Right to Pursue the Claim? Just because a person claims to be a parent or guardian does not mean that it’s true. It’s important that you do the initial leg work to prove that the person does have the legal right to bring the claim on behalf of the child. Do not take your client’s word for it when they talk about personal matters including adoption or divorce.    Best Practices for Money Distribution Unless it’s a very unique case, the court will not allow you to give the money to the parents. Instead, it’s much more common to put the money into a structured settlement, the registry of the court (although the interest rate is much too low for a long-term payout) or into a trust.  You can reach Jack at: jack@zindalaw.com 512-246-2224

    15 min
  4. Handling Accidental Shooting Cases: Essential Tips and Tactics

    AUG 6

    Handling Accidental Shooting Cases: Essential Tips and Tactics

    Summary In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder Jack Zinda discusses essential tips and tactics for handling accidental shooting cases. Discussed in this Episode: What qualifies as an accidental shooting?Who’s going to pay?How to approach these casesProving your case What Qualifies as an Accidental Shooting? As the name suggests, an accidental shooting is one where there was no intent to harm an individual. We are looking for a negligent act or someone putting their firearm in a place where it could be used for a negligent act.  Who’s Going to Pay? Homeowners' or renters' insurance is usually where we go when attempting to award damages. As stated above, the person or persons liable may not have been directly involved in the shooting, but if they are found liable, their insurance would be used for damages.   How to Approach These Cases Do not make your case about whether or not guns should or shouldn’t be available to the public. Start from a place of proper gun safety which will be much more agreeable to a jury that may own and use guns. Even NRA policies and gun experts can be used to prove your case.    Proving Your Case Proving intent is crucial to the success of your case. This includes eyewitness testimony, ring camera or other camera footage, and even a liability expert. Background information on the defendant will also be important as a clean criminal record and credible character witnesses can further prove your claim that the incident was accidental.  You can reach Jack at: jz@zindalaw.com 512-246-2224

    11 min
  5. Unveiling Solutions: Mastering the Source of Recovery in Personal Injury Cases

    JUN 11

    Unveiling Solutions: Mastering the Source of Recovery in Personal Injury Cases

    Summary In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda talks about identifying sources of recovery for personal injury cases. Discussed in this Episode: Identify the source of recoveryWhat is an “affidavit of no other insurance”?“Hiding the ball” Identify the Source of Recovery Looking at things like the insurance agency, the people who are directly involved with the ownership or drive the car and if the car serves a business purpose. Create a checklist to make sure that every area has been investigated before moving forward.  What is an “affidavit of no other insurance”? Once the source of recovery has been determined, this can be a resource to ensure that your findings are accurate. Look into bank loans or deeds to find additional information.    “Hiding the Ball” Sometimes the defendant might attempt to hide valuable source of recovery information to ensure a lower payout. You don’t want to give up on a case just because there’s no known insurance. Moving forward with a lawsuit can cause them to reveal information. You can reach Jack at: jack@zindalaw.com 512-246-2224

    11 min
  6. Predicting Value: Evaluating Tough Liability Cases

    FEB 27

    Predicting Value: Evaluating Tough Liability Cases

    Summary In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda talks about liability cases and the best practices for evaluating them.  Discussed in this Episode: What is the upside?Assuming it goes to trialYour theory of the caseThe odds of success What is the Upside? In order to prevent ourselves from wasting valuable time and money, we need to evaluate each case step by step. Let’s start with the most obvious question: what is the upside? Before spending any time researching the case, you’ve got to make sure that there’s value there.  Assume it goes to Trial Though it may look simple on the outside, assuming that each case will go all the way to trial will save you from losing time and money on the backend. By setting worst-case expectations, you will often find that you’re rarely put in a situation that isn’t profitable.    Your Theory of the Case Look at the case and imagine your best outcome. Of the things you don’t know, what do you want them to be? By narrowing your focus to the few pieces of information you’d require to take on the case, it will be easier to evaluate.    The Odds of Success Take all of the data that you’ve collected and make a determination based on similar cases you or other colleagues have had. Calculating the odds or percentage of success should give you a really good idea of whether the case is worth taking or not.   You can reach Jack at: jz@zindalaw.com 512-246-2224

    9 min
  7. How To Be Great at Anything: Continuing Legal Education

    FEB 13

    How To Be Great at Anything: Continuing Legal Education

    Summary In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda talks about becoming great at anything by continuing education. Discussed in this Episode: Break things downThe classroom portionReal world rehearsalTweak the process Break Things Down Instead of focusing on the end goal, break things down into smaller pieces. Your goal  may be to become the best trial lawyer possible, but if you get too wrapped up in the big picture, it can become overwhelming and hamper your ability to learn effectively.  The Classroom Portion While having real-world experience is a must, it’s best to start with your own research. Jack talks about how he listens to CLEs while working out and how education connected with a physical activity can be very beneficial. This is also a great time to begin to work through how you would use this knowledge in the real world. Either by rehearsing it with yourself or with a mentor.    Real World Rehearsal  This is a great time to begin to work through how you would use this knowledge in the real world. Either by rehearsing it with yourself or with a mentor. This can also be a great time to watch someone else do it and reflect upon the differences between the two.    Tweak the Process Now is the time to review everything you’ve learned, seen and worked on and make it your own. Never be afraid to adjust as new information becomes available and be flexible to stay on top. You can reach Jack at: jz@zindalaw.com 512-246-2224

    9 min
  8. Separating Cream From Crop: Identifying Strong Cases and Signing Them

    JAN 30

    Separating Cream From Crop: Identifying Strong Cases and Signing Them

    Summary In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda talks about identifying and choosing the right cases for your practice. Discussed in this Episode: The initial phone callThe screening processThe pillars of evaluationBe personableHow to say noWhen you say yesThe next level of investigationAppointment onlyThe Initial Phone Call When a potential client calls your firm, it may seem obvious to take the call. Yes, this may end up being a client, but more often than not, this call will end up being a case you won’t want to take. Creating a screening process will save your practice a ton of time and make your initial calls much more effective.  The Screening Process Having the proper phone script and intake form goes a long way to help find the right client. Enabling your receptionist to use both effectively will take a lot of work off your table.   The Pillars of Evaluation  The primary benchmarks for Zinda Law are these three pillars. First, who is liable? Second, what are the damages? And third, what is the source of recovery? All three pillars must be inquired about before moving forward on a case.    Be Personable Once you’ve determined that it’s time to have your initial meeting with the client, make sure to treat them like a person and not just a lawyer and client relationship. Personability and empathy go a long way to make them feel comfortable, confident in your abilities and an overall sense of trust. If this step makes you feel uncomfortable, now is a great time to practice with colleagues or use a recorder to evaluate yourself.  How to Say No If after the initial meeting you find yourself declining the client, it’s still important to make sure that it’s handled with empathy. Leaving on good terms can net you work in the future if the client feels like you truly care about their situation.  When You Say Yes Just because you say yes, doesn’t mean that they will. Now is the time to pull out all the stops to show them why you’re the A+ rockstar lawyer who will get the job done. This is the time to talk about your accomplishments and awards. Do be warned though, this is still an area you should practice to avoid coming off as ignorant.  The Next Level of Investigation This is the time when we take our three pillars of evaluation and dig a lot deeper. This includes verifying the claims of the client, getting documents and making sure that the truth is one that will result in damages awarded for your client.  Appointment Only It’s important to stay in consistent contact with your clients during the early stages of the case. The best way to do this is by scheduling your appointments with them. Being prepared for a call with the case notes in front of you will allow you and your client the ability to get right to the point and make these calls effective.  You can reach Jack at: jz@zindalaw.com 512-246-2224

    21 min
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4.8
out of 5
80 Ratings

About

The Effective Lawyer teaches ambitious trial lawyers how to grow their skills and create a prosperous law firm. Using lessons learned by accomplished attorneys from around the country, we discuss lessons learned through their trials and tribulations. Our discussions cover a vast range of topics sought out by attorneys looking for advice, from depositions to how to market your law firm. The show is hosted by Jack Zinda, Founder and Senior Trial Lawyer at Zinda Law Group. In less than 15 years, Jack and his team have grown Zinda Law Group from 3 attorneys to over 30, spanning several states and handling a variety of personal injury cases from gas explosions to truck accidents. Jack and his guests share their knowledge and skills that they’ve acquired through the process of building one of the most successful plaintiff’s law firms in the country. In each show we cover a new topic that an ambitious attorney would want to better understand, while providing practical skills to improve their legal practice. For more information, visit https://www.zdfirm.com/the-effective-lawyer

Information

  • Creator
    Jack Zinda
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2022 Zinda Law Group
  • Show Website
    The Effective Lawyer

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