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Non-lawyers who conduct initial meetings with prospective clients can be a secret weapon for law firms. They save the attorneys time, money, and hassle. And they don’t give out legal advice for free. Empowering team members to take over initial meetings with prospects is something many lawyers need help embracing. However, transitioning a trusted team member into someone who can take initial meetings off your plate can be a game-changer for a busy firm. With training and knowledge, they can determine whether or not new prospects will be a good fit as a client, what their needs are, and offer an in-depth consultation without providing free legal advice. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Elizabeth Clark, Client Services Director of The Legacy Elder Law Center in Leesburg, Virginia, joins Steve to discuss her success with the firm and how she accidentally entered the role. She enjoys a great deal of trust from the attorney, who has her conduct 95% of the initial consultations. Elizabeth shares some of the processes she uses to meet with and vet clients. She also explains how some clients become more personal and why the people working in the firm have so much empathy and sympathy for...

Having a trustworthy team around you and your business is invaluable. If you’ve grown your practice, you probably have an office manager on staff who handles putting out the fires around your firm. But a great office manager may also be someone you can transform into a team leader. A team leader is a proactive member of your team who can be a part of solving problems rather than putting out fires in a reactive way. Instead of managing tasks, they lead people, which is often more rewarding than managing a task list. In this episode, Steve speaks with guest Patti Paz about becoming a great team leader in a law firm. Patti began her career as a receptionist in a law firm, eventually transitioned from legal assistant to office manager, and finally became a talented team lead. She is a speaker, created the Team Leader Certification Program for Atticus, is an adjunct practice advisor, and will teach a workshop alongside Steve soon. Patti shares some secrets to creating a great team leader and why you want someone like her in your practice. You’ll also hear how having a team lead in your firm can be a life upgrade when it comes to...

Dealing with high-conflict individuals is part and parcel of the legal world. Having the skills to deal with them effectively without escalating the conflict can be invaluable. Practice is the best way to get experience managing conversations with high-conflict people. But how do you get that practice when your brain’s response moves into fight or flight? Getting the proper training is where it all begins. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Megan Hunter, co-founder of the High Conflict Institute, returns to her conversation with Steve on dealing with high-conflict people in your life. As a conflict expert, she coaches and speaks about de-escalating conflict. You’ll hear Megan’s three strategies to handle conflict, her personal experience with a high-conflict attorney, and some acronyms to remember to help you stay on track in an emotional moment. She also explains why setting limits with high-conflict individuals is crucial to managing disagreements. In this episode, you will hear: Why dealing with high-conflict people requires having a lot of structure, policies, and clear expectations Megan Hunter’s personal experience with a high-conflict person and how she dealt with it How to use an EAR statement (Empathy, Attention, and Respect) in a moment of conflict Why the interaction with...

We’ve all met them, and most of us have worked with one of them. It’s not uncommon to quit a job because of them. Who are these people who are so difficult to work with that we’d rather quit a job we otherwise like than deal with them? They’re high-conflict people, and they can be impossible to please. They tend to point the finger at others for their problems, and those who have to deal with them regularly are often left exhausted by the mental gymnastics they perform to try to keep this person happy. Megan Hunter is an expert in dealing with conflict. She is the co-founder of the High Conflict Institute and a coach and speaker who teaches people how to deal with conflict. Megan and her co-founder Bill Eddy teamed up to provide training in the legal arena on conflict, which has expanded to other professions. This episode is part one of Megan’s interview with Steve, and you’ll hear her outline the four traits of a high-conflict person and why they aren’t always “yellers.” She also explains why people aren’t leaving firms because of their jobs. Instead, they’re often leaving due to these high-conflict individuals. In this episode, you will hear: ...

When attorneys embark on their legal careers, they typically struggle to identify a specific area of expertise where they can excel. Instead, they accept any available work that comes their way, even if it means settling for more minor cases because they have financial obligations such as bills and student loans to pay. Consequently, they end up fighting for scraps. But what if you could discover the winning strategy to transform into a big fish in a small pond? By becoming the go-to person in your niche, your name will be the one that comes to mind first. Particularly in a small community, you can achieve a significant impact with strategic planning and be the prominent figure. This episode is part two of Steve’s discussion with attorney Ronnie Morton. Ronnie’s practice, specializing in elder law, is based in the small town of Clinton, Mississippi. Although many lawyers assert that carving out a niche in a small market like his is impossible, Ronnie managed to dominate the market for elder law in his town and is now considered the authority in Clinton. However, this wasn’t always the case. He had to undergo a process of experimentation and learn from his mistakes to uncover...

When most attorneys begin their law careers, they fail to find a specialty where they can thrive. Instead, they take on any work thrown their way, which sometimes equates to scraps, because they have bills and student loans to pay. The thought process is some income is better than no income. They’re small fish in a big pond. What if you could find the formula to become the big fish in a small pond? When someone thinks of your niche, you would be the first name to come to mind. And especially in a small town, you can be the big fish with some strategic planning. In this episode of the podcast, Steve welcomes guest Ronnie Morton to the show. Ronnie’s practice, specializing in elder law, is based in the small town of Clinton, Mississippi. While many lawyers claim that it isn’t possible to create a niche in a market like his, Ronnie cornered the market on elder law in his town and is the go-to resource in Clinton. That wasn’t always the case, though; it took some trial and error to figure out the secret formula. Before landing on elder law, Ronnie was looking forward to becoming a plaintiff’s lawyer, trying multimillion-dollar...

A hectic schedule and multiple commitments can make you feel like you’ll never get ahead of the game. It just never feels like are enough hours in the day or time to work on your business. You’d love to take back control of your life and your schedule. Marketing can be a powerful tool in building a business where you decide what types of clients and cases you take. While it isn’t taught in law school, learning how to market and brand your business can go a long way toward creating the thriving law practice you’ve dreamed of. Brenda Geiger is making her great life work for her and her business. Her firm, Geiger Law, is based in Carlsbad, California, and focuses primarily on estate planning and administration. Brenda has always loved writing and is a genius at using her books as marketing devices. She is a busy business owner, attorney, wife, and mom, but Brenda’s one hour a week of writing time is non-negotiable in her schedule. In this episode, you’ll hear Brenda share how she became an attorney, how she established a marketing machine using the books she authored, and the role her team plays in writing and updating her books....

In the legal world, most attorneys hyper-focus on their particular area. Often, they’re afraid to hire more staff because more staff means more money spent. What they fail to recognize, though, is that a carefully curated team can increase the quality and revenue of their practices multiple times. It seems counterintuitive that hiring more people could lead to more revenue, yet hiring the right team members can do exactly that. They can remove the tasks from your plate that you don’t want to focus on or simply no longer have the time for. Along with having your finances under control and a marketing strategy, you can set yourself up for greater success. Marc Whitehead is a double board-certified attorney who specializes in disability claims today. His firm has more than 50 employees and continues to grow. A self-described recovering personal injury trial lawyer, he spent the first half of his career taking on car accidents, slip-and-fall incidents, and other cases of that nature. Marc began the transition to Social Security disability claims about halfway through his 30-year career and discovered he could plan his day, month, and even vacations instead of being a slave to his trial calendar. This episode is part two...

As an attorney, working five hours a day sounds like a dream. And growing your revenue six times? No way. It is possible, it doesn’t have to cost you any money, and the secret is in the strategy. Being unafraid to try new things and zeroing in on a niche can take your law firm to the next level of success. Marc Whitehead is a double board-certified attorney who specializes in disability claims today. His firm has more than 50 employees and continues to grow. A self-described recovering personal injury trial lawyer, he spent the first half of his career taking on car accidents, slip-and-fall incidents, and other cases of that nature. Marc began the transition to Social Security disability claims about halfway through his 30-year career and discovered he could plan his day, month, and even vacations instead of being a slave to his trial calendar. You’ll hear Marc describe how he decided to transition his practice, why his niche is so satisfying, and why he enjoys it so much. He now co-teaches the “Double Your Revenue” workshop and has increased his revenue six times since first attending the workshop in 2015. Additionally, Marc is an adjunct practice advisor for Atticus. In this...

Young attorneys face big decisions when they leave law school. Should I start my own practice? Should I join a firm? What will I specialize in? Even if they’re just starting out, young lawyers can have a big impact in the legal field. Their fresh ideas and willingness to try new things can give them a distinct advantage over their more seasoned colleagues. Danny Mazza and Bri Niro, partners in the firm Mazza + Niro, are experiencing rapid growth. Danny and Bri officially became partners just in the past year, but they have a fantastic rapport--each having unique, complementary skills. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, you’ll hear Danny and Bri share how they met, why Bri decided to join Danny in a partnership, and how they’ve used what they’ve learned from Atticus to propel their practice forward. In this episode, you will hear: Danny Mazza’s background and how he decided to specialize in probate law after losing his parents 43 days apart How Bri Niro met Danny and why they decided to become law partners Why Bri decided from a young age what kind of career she wanted and how practicing law became her goal How Bri and Danny grew their...