New Solo

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  Topics: “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 AssociationThomas Jefferson School of LawSan 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  Topics: 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 AssociationFlorida Bar Association, Legal Fuel assistanceSeminole County (Florida) Bar AssociationSan Diego County BarNebraska State Bar AssociationClio legal softwareMicrosoft 365Adobe PDF managementText ExpanderMycase legal softwareLawPay legal softwareGeorge 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  Topics: 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.

Chris Schandevel, the Brief-Writing Ninja, shares tips on writing clear, concise legal briefs. Fancy words and jargon don't impress judges. Removing barriers like footnotes and lengthy sentences helps your argument. Formatting and font choice matter. Prepare and invest time into your briefs. Maintain a professional tone and use punchy sentences. Follow the Brief-Writing Ninja's style guide for success.

Real Mac experts discuss why more lawyers are using Apple Mac tech, including considerations like cost, battery life, integrations, and security. Understanding the basics for setting up a Mac system is crucial. The episode explores the feasibility of using a Mac in a law practice, running Windows software on Mac, advantages of Mac computers for lawyers, choosing a desktop, learning curve and differences between Mac and Windows, and Mac-specific software and apps.

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 podcastLife Care Planning Law Firms AssociationActionstepMyCaseElderCounselDecisionVaultCalendlyTextexpanderMaximum Lawyer podcastThe 80/20 Principle podcastThe Law Entrepreneur podcastLunch Hour Legal Marketing podcastPeggy Gruenke on Legal Talk Network podcasts

Take a deep dive into eDiscovery for small and midsized firms with an old friend and frequent New Solo contributor, guest Brett Burney, a lawyer and longtime consultant who’s passionate about legal tech. Facing a mountain of electronic documents from PDFs to spreadsheets to emails to texts in discovery? You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to understand the basics, the traps, and the available tools.Start by accepting that electronic files aren’t paper files. They are inherently different and aren’t meant to be printed out. Embrace the format and treat electronic documents as what they are. If you print electronic documentation out, or you accept a printed version, you’re not getting the full picture, and you’re letting potentially valuable information slip through your fingers.It's a digital world, and litigation is more likely than ever to include emails, smartphones, voice mails, social media posts and comments, and texts.If you’ve been wondering if you’re doing the best job possible with eDiscovery, this is the episode for you.Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com Topics: Electronic discovery (eDiscovery) involves electronic files that are inherently different than paper discovery. What you need to know and mistakes you may be making. Metadata included in electronic documents can offer valuable clues that help you prepare your case, but it’s easy to contaminate that data. Understand the available tools that organize, preserve, and prepare digital evidence, including extracting text messages, voice memos, and emails from smartphones and tablets.  Mentioned in This Episode:Previously on New Solo, with guest Brett Burney LegalWeek New YorkiMazing“Forensic Image,” Science DirectSynctechSynctech SMS Backup and RestoreX1 SearchPage VaultPagefreezer WebPreserver vs. PagefreezerRelativityRelativity OneEverlawNextPointLogicullDiscoLexbeGoldFynchAcrobatDigital WarRoomNextPoint blog, “eDiscovery with Outlook: 3 Reasons Why Outlook is NOT a Document Review Tool,”

Quite a few bar associations have practice management advisors (or perhaps someone in a similar role), but a whole lot of lawyers aren’t aware of how this free member service could help them change their practice for the better. Adriana Linares chats with fellow practice management professional Catherine Sanders Reach about the services they provide to attorneys — from consulting on technology and ethics to starting a new business and so much more.Later, the term “legal operations” might seem like it only applies to the “Big Law” end of the spectrum, but a solo or small firm should be just as keen on having well-planned operating procedures for their business from the get-go. Adriana and Catherine talk through easy-to-use tools that help law firms big and small operate with efficiency.And, last, Microsoft 365 is rolling out Copilot, and Adriana and Catherine are watching its progress with great anticipation. Tune in for their thoughts on how this and similar tech could impact your legal practice.Catherine Sanders Reach is director at the Center for Practice Management at the North Carolina Bar Association.Topics: Tapping into the knowledge your bar association’s practice management advisor has to offer. Legal operations for solo and small law firms. Microsoft 365 Copilot’s potential for lawyers. Mentioned in this episode:Catherine’s From the Center BlogNCBA Center for Practice Management ABA Legal Technology Resource Center  Lisa Crosbie - YouTube Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot

For solos sharing office space with other attorneys, there are advantages, but also potential headaches. How do you navigate this arrangement?Guest Jared Correia is a podcaster, lawyer, and full-time business management consultant, sort of the lawyer you know who knows how to run a business. For clients, he digs into law firm management from the very high-level strategy to the nuts and bolts of tech and daily operations.Shared offices create issues with malpractice insurance, shared practice management software, and clearly communicating your solo status while working in what to a client may appear to be a firm.Plus, the important distinctions between website chat capability, automated chatbots, and the emergence of true artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT. Learn where each product can fill gaps in your practice and turn leads into clients. Tech that may make your solo practice work like a larger firm.Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.comTopics: Practice management problems attorneys in a shared office space encounter. Incorporating online chat and chatbots on your website, capture more leads. And where does the latest – ChatGPT artificial intelligence – fit? Resources from This Episode:Nebraska BarFlorida BarSan Diego BarBook, “The Of Counsel Agreement” by Harold WrenABA, Of Counsel definedABA TechshowABA Legal Technology Resource CenterFormillaApex remote assistantsSmith remote assistantsRubyAbby ConnectBack Office BettiesChatGPTOpenAIGoogle A.I., “Bard”

Hanging up a shingle takes more than a law degree. Today’s legal tech and software helps solo and small practices be more productive and organized than ever. “Good enough” isn’t good enough. Know what you need, and get it!Adriana runs through the tech foundation of a successful firm: from the computers to the office software to the case management software and add-ons that can streamline your practice and better serve your clients.Adriana names names, provides recommendations, and answers the questions she hears from clients regularly. This is the personal consultation you have wanted … for free!Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.comTopics: PC or Mac? Does it matter? Office management tools? Make sure everything integrates, from your accounting software (hint, most accountants use QuickBooks) to your PDF creation tools. Don’t be cheap! Case management tools and “add-ons” save time and organize your practice. And when it comes to labeling files, don’t be clever, be clear and concise. You have 256 characters to name a document, use them all so you can share work. Mentioned in This Episode: Microsoft Office 365 Google Workspace Adobe Acrobat Pro QuickBooks Clio Clio Integrations ABA Legal Technology Resource Center Mycase Rocket Matter CosmoLex Zolasuite Actionstep Centerbase Microsoft OneDrive Dropbox Loom.com Law Firm Autopilot Netdocuments Fastcase Casetext Textexpander.com TextexpanderforLawyers Vonage Nextiva Dialpad RingCentral Ruby Abby Connect Smith.ai Back Office Betties New Solo Back Episode Library A Listener’s Guide to the New Solo Back Catalog