Re: Meanwhile, for those of you who practice law.....

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Well stated, Zephyr! Keep up the good work!

s/Hardy Parkerson, Atty. - Lake Charles, LA

On 5/17/06, The Zephyr wrote:
> Wow, what a bunch of doom-gloomers! I remember responding to one of
> Carol’s posts regarding all the nay-sayers. Kudos JF for giving
> realistic good advice; after all, we’re all attorneys here … right?
> We all know about assumption of risk. I doubt any blog comments
> would inspire hundreds of solos into running headlong, lemming like
> into areas they no nothing about and proclaiming their proficiency.
> As for why somebody is selling a book on how to succeed – who
> cares? Maybe he likes writing more than practicing law. Me, I like
> practicing law but I like fishing more … but fishing don’t pay the
> bills. JF, keep the suggestions coming. Everybody must do their
> own risk analysis and make their decisions. I view this forum as a
> collective brain-storming session. I like seeing all the ideas
> presented, and then I (yes me) figure out which will work well
> within my comfort level.
> Why is everybody so antagonistic on this forum; I seriously doubt if
> even half the posters are actually licensed attorneys.
>
> ~Zephyr.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 5/17/06, Honorable Gentleman wrote:
>> RJon, you are so successful at solo practice that you sell and
>> market an internet site and ebook about it. Lol.....Me no think
>> so!! Why don't you tell everybody here what happened that caused
>> you to sell ebooks instead of practice law. That will be a useful
>> learning tool here.
>>
>> On 5/17/06, RJon@HowToMakeItRain.com wrote:
>>> For the record, I don't know either Mr. Nathan or "J.F."
>>>
>>> I have built a successful practice as a solo however, and I've
>>> taught literally thousands of other lawyers how to do the same.
>>> So it's from my own personal experience and the experiences of
>>> many, many Rainmaker clients of mine when I say that JF is on
>>> the right track.
>>>
>>> Mistake # 2 from my free e-book >>> href="http://wwww.howtomakeitrain.com" rel="nofollow">"Ten Rainmaking Mistakes
>>> Solo Practitioners Make" is failing to package yourself and
>>> your practice correctly. My most successful Rainmakers are
>>> those who limit their practices and are pro-active about how
>>> they package themselves for the market. Limiting your practice
>>> increases the rate at which you become proficient and well-known
>>> in the market. It also has the beneficial effect of positioning
>>> you for referrals from all those other lawyers in different
>>> practice areas.
>>>
>>> There are so many different ways to create a niche, even within
>>> each of the practice areas JF says he limits his practice to.
>>> It is impossible for me to say, without knowing more than could
>>> possibly be learned in a brief blog posting, is whether or not
>>> he has all the pieces fit-together properly. But what I can say
>>> with complete confidence based on years of experience and much
>>> success, is that what JF is saying he has accomplished is
>>> perfectly realistic. In any case, the main purpose of my
>>> comment was to offer an objective opinion from someone who
>>> doesn't know either of the two, as I don't think anyone benefits
>>> when things degenerate into schoolyard-style name-calling.
>>>
>>> Anyone interested in a free copy of the book can send me an e-
>>> mail & I'll be glad to send it along,
>>>
>>> RJON ROBINS
>>> HowToMakeItRain.com
>>> Dedicated To Helping Lawyers In Small Law Firms Make Alot Of
>>> Money.
>>> On 5/17/06, JF wrote:
>>>> What an uninformed individual you are. Since you attacked my
>>>> personal character, honesty, motives, and competency, I have
>>>> no choice but to defend what I said and what I have done.
>>>>
>>>> First, I am not advocating that anyone jump from one type of
>>>> practice to another. If you read my posts over the last year
>>>> or so, you will see that I have always advocated a limited
>>>> practice, but not so much that you will go out of business if
>>>> one area of law drastically changes (for example, bankruptcy
>>>> law, where business slowed after the recent changes). My point
>>>> was, there are ways to attract business, no matter what type
>>>> of law you are practicing in, and I cited examples from my
>>>> personal experiences.
>>>>
>>>> I am in my 12th year of practice. I do not "skate through"
>>>> different areas, moving from one area to the next at the drop
>>>> of a hat. I have always devoted a large portion of my time on
>>>> real estate which has dominated my practice for the past five
>>>> years. Before that, I also spent much of my time on
>>>> bankruptcy, and wills, estates & trusts have always been part
>>>> of my practice. These areas of law are not so different, and
>>>> not so diverse, that one cannot practice them all at once. In
>>>> fact, they largely go hand in hand; I basically have a
>>>> transactional practice, although bankruptcy does involve the
>>>> court. A competent real estate attorney cannot practice
>>>> without being familiar with trust law, and many if not most
>>>> real estate lawyers supplement there practices with some
>>>> estate planning. They both involve property law concepts. I
>>>> spent years practicing bankruptcy law (along with real estate)
>>>> before real estate took over, simply because of the volume of
>>>> real estate I was receiving. I started bankruptcy again,
>>>> because real estate declined and I saw an opportunity when
>>>> local lawyers were dropping bankruptcy from their practices.
>>>> While I am not an expert under the new rules, I am carefully
>>>> working my way through, just like everybody else.
>>>>
>>>> My practice has been consistent and well-grounded. "Pie in the
>>>> sky" might apply if I suddenly took up divorce law, or tax
>>>> law, or employment law, or something else that I have not put
>>>> time and effort into learning.
>>>>
>>>> I do not suggest that my chosen practice areas cannot be
>>>> extremely complex. But as I have posted here before, I
>>>> associate myself with experts to take over matters I cannot
>>>> handle. For example, zoning is a complex area of real estate
>>>> which is different from town to town under their respective
>>>> ordinances. I know who the zoning experts are in each of my
>>>> surrounding communities who help me with local zoning issues
>>>> when I have cases in their towns. I am also associated with an
>>>> estate planner with an LLM degree in tax who helps me with tax
>>>> and medicaid planning, when called for. In the past, on this
>>>> board, I have suggested that others do the same; you would
>>>> know this if you paid attention rather than jumping to
>>>> conclusions about me.
>>>>
>>>> Regarding business law, this has not been a specialty of mine,
>>>> but it is not new either, and it has gone hand in hand with my
>>>> real estate practice. I have set up many LLCs for real estate
>>>> and condominium developers, and I have dealt with their
>>>> pertinent business issues. I am associated with a good CPA
>>>> (his office is right across the street from mine) who works
>>>> with me on the tax issues. I have already associated myself
>>>> with an employment lawyer for employee issues, if and when the
>>>> time comes, and I have someone (an old boss, as a matter of
>>>> fact) who guides me on licensing issues (part of his municipal
>>>> law concentration).
>>>>
>>>> Malpractice claims? I have had none. My bankruptcy clients
>>>> receive their discharges. My real estate developers finish
>>>> their projects, sell their real estate under the LLCs I
>>>> create, make their money, pay me (quite well), and are
>>>> shielded from personal liability. A number of my clients have
>>>> passed away and my wills have withstood probate, including one
>>>> that was challenged by a family member who was written out of
>>>> the will. My real estate buyers re-sell their properties with
>>>> no title issues, when I was the one who certified title. In
>>>> fact, of the many hundreds of title insurance policies I have
>>>> issued, I have yet to have a claim.
>>>>
>>>> I make money and stay out of trouble, because I know my
>>>> capabilities and limitations. It's not hard to find other
>>>> lawyers who are willing and able to work with you. In fact,
>>>> it's part of the relationship-building process I advocate.
>>>> This is how a solo runs a business. Someone once told me (my
>>>> municipal law boss referred to above, as a matter of fact)
>>>> that as a solo, you have to "bob and weave". This is what I
>>>> do - I bob and weave. This does not make me "one of the most
>>>> amazing lawyers in the world" (your juvenile words). It
>>>> makes me one more solo who knows how to run a practice.
>>>>
>>>> I write posts with the hope that someone might be helped, and
>>>> I read posts with the hope that I might be helped. I do not
>>>> spend time here with the intent of leading someone down the
>>>> wrong road. It seems that whenever I post something, someone
>>>> like you attacks me. This is why I had given up on this board.
>>>> I tried to come back, but right now I cannot understand why.
>>>>
>>>> You have accused me of either being a "pie in sky bragging of
>>>> a fool who is too stupid to know what type of malpractice
>>>> claims await him" or "a lawyer who is both quite skilled but
>>>> also a bit of a sadistic twerp spewing this nonsense to
>>>> desperate people so that he can laugh while they get
>>>> themselves in over there heads". I have demonstrated that I am
>>>> neither.
>>>>
>>>> Mr. Nathan, now that I have put you in your place, you are
>>>> dismissed. Grow up.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 5/16/06, joe nathan wrote:
>>>>> I don't want to imply that you are telling lies or suggest
>>>>> that you are not capable, but you're either one of the most
>>>>> amazing lawyers in the world or you have a load of
>>>>> malpractice claims waiting to surface.
>>>>>
>>>>> Business law (i guess you mean corporate - tax issues
>>>>> included), will & trusts, real estate, and bankruptcy are
>>>> all
>>>>> unique practice areas with their own twists and turns. one
>>>>> ordinarily does not float so freely from one of these
>>>>> practice areas to the other without a fair number of
>>>>> mistakes. in fact, even seasoned practitioners in each of
>>>>> these areas make many mistakes and often serious mistakes
>>>>> with malpractice consequences. perhaps you have years of
>>>>> practice experience, but you may have little in the areas
>>>>> that you are trying to transition to. that still makes you
>>>> a
>>>>> beginner.
>>>>>
>>>>> in the end, i really don't think you practice competently in
>>>>> all of the different areas you skate through. maybe you do;
>>>>> its possible. but you really should think twice about
>>>>> offering this type of advice to struggling solos who will do
>>>>> anything for a buck. they just might take you up on it. if
>>>>> you are in fact competant in each of these areas, it must
>>>>> dawn on you that there are complications that someone of
>>>> less
>>>>> skill than you could easily stumble over.
>>>>>
>>>>> anyone reading this should take this for what it is - either
>>>>> the pie in sky bragging of a fool who is too stupid to know
>>>>> what type of malpractice claims await him or a lawyer who is
>>>>> both quite skilled but also a bit of a sadistic twerp
>>>> spewing
>>>>> this nonsense to desperate people so that he can laugh while
>>>>> they get themselves in over there heads. on the other hand,
>>>>> if you're like many solos there is nothing much for a
>>>>> malpractice plaintfiff to take from you - unless of course
>>>>> they would like to have the sheriff come out and seize your
>>>>> student loan notes. in that case, maybe this isn't so bad.
>>>>>
>>>>> On 5/15/06, JF wrote:
>>>>>> For better or for worse, I continue to occasionally write
>>>>>> posts that may actually help those drowning solos actually
>>>>>> build their practices. I have been practicing real estate
>>>>>> law for a number of years, but the downturn in the real
>>>>>> estate market has forced me to expand into other areas. I
>>>>>> have had no problem obtaining new clients and new types of
>>>>>> work, and I do this by fishing where the fish are. For
>>>>>> example, in the past, I have suggested that solos hand
>>>>>> out "Have You Made a Will?" brochures to their existing
>>>>>> clients. A great way to get your client to come in for
>>>>>> some estate planning. When the new bankruptcy law went
>>>>>> into effect, many bankruptcy lawyers dropped that area of
>>>>>> practice. I spent an afternoon on the phone calling these
>>>>>> lawyers, telling them that I am practicing bankruptcy law,
>>>>>> and now a number of them have used me as their referral
>>>>>> attorney. I originally built my real estate practice by
>>>>>> opening my office next door to a large, busy real estate
>>>>>> broker office. The referrals came quickly and
>>>>>> consistently. Again, fishing where the fish are. All this
>>>>>> has been supplemented by bar lawyer referral programs.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My newest marketing endeavor targets business entities,
>>>>>> who (in my opinion) ultimately make the best clients. I
>>>>>> had ignored business clients in the past (with the
>>>>>> exception of real estate developers) largely because I did
>>>>>> not believe there were many new businesses in my area, and
>>>>>> existing businesses typically already have counsel. Then I
>>>>>> checked the new business certificate filings in the city
>>>>>> that I practice in and found that there are many new
>>>>>> business filings every month. I have been active in the
>>>>>> local Chamber of Commerce for over a year, and I am the
>>>>>> only lawyer who gives them my time. So I simply called the
>>>>>> Chamber director, who confirmed that, yes, a good amount
>>>>>> of new business people call her for lawyer referrals, and
>>>>>> from now on she will certainly give them my name (since
>>>>>> I'm the only lawyer in town who bothers with them). I had
>>>>>> my first client within a week. Granted, many of these new
>>>>>> businesses will fail, but I will receive the start-up work
>>>>>> and retain those that succeed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Virtually all solos know how to practice law. The hard
>>>>>> part is obtaining clients, which seems to be the problem
>>>>>> people have here. The work is out there; you just have to
>>>>>> reach out and grab it. It's all about relationship
>>>>>> building, making yourself visible in the community, and
>>>>>> letting people know what you do.
>>>>>>