Solo Practice University® Guest Lectures
155 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★ - 7 ratingsThe 'Practice of Law' School
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Episodes
The Rise of Grass Roots Online Lawyer Communities – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
February 12, 2019 12:25 - 57.5 MBWhile not too much in the main stream media, there is a grass roots movement of on line lawyer communities unaffiliated with traditional legal organizations. I bet you belong to one and don't even realize you are part of a movement! Why is this happening and where are they congregating online? Should you belong to one? Listen and learn. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
6 Steps to Client Mastery Part I – Guest Lecture with Cynthia Sharp
January 29, 2019 13:00 - 19.8 MBAnd so begins our series of guest lectures with ABA/GP Solo Rockstars. First up is the inimitable Cynthia Sharp sharing her brilliant 6 steps to client mastery. And she is THE master in combining those intangible soft skills with the critical processes needed for guaranteeing a uniform and successful relationship with your clients. Attorney Sharp details how this relationship starts from before your clients become clients right through to those same clients becoming an endless source of ref...
The Virtue of Virtual Receptionists – Guest Lecture with Maddy Martin from Smith.ai
November 08, 2018 12:00 - 60 MBListen and learn about what potential clients and current clients are really looking for when they reach out to a lawyer for the first and every time thereafter. If you don't know what they want you can be losing business you never even knew you were losing; losing clients you never realized were vulnerable to leaving. I promise it is 43 minutes very well spent. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Starting a Solo Practice in 2018 vs 2008 – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
October 09, 2018 11:05 - 24.3 MBWhat is so different in starting a law firm in 2018 vs 2008? There are so many differences: not just in technology but the economy, marketing and financial management. Join us in this very interesting discussion. Listen and learn. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
21st Century Methods for Onboarding Clients – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
June 25, 2018 10:00 - 20.1 MBHow do you onboard modern clients in the 21st Century? In today's podcast you will learn about what clients value. Do they want speed, responsiveness, mobile access? Do they want intake options such as online forms, chatbots, text messaging? How do you create and respond to the client's journey from finding you through resolution? You'll learn all this more today. Listen and learn. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Can Entrepreneurial Lawyers Fail and Survive…Even Become Successful? Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
January 23, 2018 12:59 - 60.6 MBWe ask the single most important question - can lawyers fail and survive and go on to thrive? Our position, failure is not a bad thing. What matters is what you do after your failure. Listen and learn. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Planning A Soft Relaunch of Your Firm is Great During Holidays – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
December 11, 2017 12:00 - 47.9 MBWhile recorded over the summer, the sentiment remains the same over any stretch of downtime. It is great to plan soft relaunches of your firm during slow periods. Soft relaunches can include the announcement of a new employee, new website design, rebranding, any number of changes in your firm that give you a new marketing opportunity. So, listen and learn. (Oh, and enjoy Jared's heavy breathing. He gets excited for these podcasts!!) Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
How to Shop for Legal Technology Solutions – Guest Lecture with Chelsey Lambert of LexTechReview
November 09, 2017 12:00 - 69.5 MBIn an ever-expanding pool of Legal Technology Solutions, how do you pick the right technology for your solo/small firm? How do you address the mandatory need for cybersecurity to prevent hacking and protect your clients' data? How do you protect your livelihood in a catastrophe? Chelsey's knowledge will leave you a little breathless. Listen to this jam-packed podcast before you download her incredible her free100 page 2017 Legal Technology Buyer's Guide . Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
How To Get Started Creating a Virtual Law Practice – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
July 11, 2017 12:07 - 66 MBIf you've wanted to create a virtual law practice, or 'virtualize' your law practice incrementally, this is the guest lecture for you. Learn how to get started (and the rationale why) in this nearly hour long podcast filled with invaluable information. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Making the Transition – Guest Lecture with Katie MacKillop from LEAP
May 30, 2017 12:00 - 37 MBYou know you need to transition over to more automation in your practice. You read the benefits. Lawyers you know can't say enough about the time-savings. You watch them accessing their entire office from their smartphone with a tinge of jealousy but you can't seem to move off the mark. Now you've got the added pressure of the clients demanding it, plus asking for lower costs for your services and you are getting squeezed. Rules of Professional Conduct and ABA Opinions are putting further ...
Marketing Your Law Firm For Free – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
April 17, 2017 11:15 - 56.2 MBWhat if you had to market your law firm without using any money? Literally: no money, at all. It turns out that you can develop a vibrant marketing plan without spending one cent. This guest lecture you will learn practical marketing tactics that you’ll be able to employ. Join us as we lay out specific networking and content marketing strategies to apply to your no-cost legal marketing. Learn how as Jared Correia and I discuss in this lively guest lecture. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
The Ever Evolving Law Firm Fee Structure – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
February 06, 2017 13:00 - 17.8 MBIn the late 90's and definitely into the 21st century, the law firm fee structure is morphing and changing under tremendous pressure from clients and the economy. But where do new solos (and some not-so-new) lawyers go to learn about the what fee structures are out there? Jared and I discuss the pressures and those very fee structures. Join us! Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Dealing With The Emotions Surrounding a Grievance – Guest Lecture with Karen Caffrey
December 05, 2016 11:05 - 37.5 MBHave you ever been grieved? The odds are you will. You've planned for the actual process of addressing the grievance, maybe. But odds are you've not planned for the emotions of being grieved and how it will impact you moving forward. Join us as we talk more in depth about the root of the emotions surrounding a grievance, how it can negatively impact you and what you can do to work through them in a positive, pro-active way. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Why You Should Be Content Marketing – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
October 17, 2016 12:24 - 59.1 MBHow important is content marketing? It's actually incredibly important in today's marketing environment for new (and seasoned lawyers). Join us as we discuss what content marketing is, why it's important, what are the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to get good quality content into the universe, and what you should be writing about. As always, it's highly informative. Join us! Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
How To Stop Worrying About Money. Guest Lecture with Karen Caffrey
October 04, 2016 12:00 - 58.6 MBHow do we stop worrying about money? In this guest lecture we focus on the particular emotional issues of solos and their relationship to money, those who are out on their own without a steady paycheck. There is also a psychology about money which is fascinating, how we live in judgment of others and how it impacts our actions and emotions day-to-day. Why do we worry when we are somewhat comfortable? Why will we share our most intimate feelings about various topics but feel the most vulnera...
When Are You Most Vulnerable to Malpractice? – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
August 29, 2016 10:41 - 60.9 MBWhen are you most vulnerable to a malpractice claim, when are you least? What are the ugly malpractice monsters are rearing their heads going forward? Are you safer as a a newbie or a more seasoned professional? The answers may surprise you. But most importantly, they'll inform you to help you with your practice going forward. Join Jared and I as we discuss these surprising landmines from our unique perspective. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Are You ‘Rest’ Impaired? Guest Lecture with Karen Caffrey
August 22, 2016 12:00 - 17.6 MBToday, psychotherapist and JD, Karen Caffrey and I take a deeper dive into understanding the psychological ramifications of not taking a vacation (meaning rest) and our own inability to even recognize we need it which compounds the harm. Join us for this highly informative adventure and maybe you'll come out resolving to take some much needed time to rest and repair. We'll explain why and then show you how. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Are You An Imposter? – Guest Lecture with Karen Caffrey
August 15, 2016 11:39 - 40.3 MBNearly 40% of all high-achieving people experience an observable phenomenon called ‘Imposter Syndrome’ - that feeling that you are a fraud, that you’ve fooled the world into believing you are capable and knowledgeable. And most people have experienced moments of this. This lecture is a more in-depth, companion piece to the blog post: Are You Suffering From Imposter Syndrome?. Learn more as we do a deeper dive into this important topic. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Serving the 21st Century Client Through Technology – Guest Lecture with Nicole Black
July 13, 2016 11:00 - 17.2 MBNicole Black is the tech evangelist for MyCase. But long before she enjoyed her new position, she was a tech geek and advocate for tech in the legal space. The 21st legal consumer is different and their client service expectations are very different. If you don't know how to reach them, they are going to move on to the lawyer who does. Today, Nicole and I discuss reaching the 21st century client through technology. Learn how to be the lawyer the 21st century legal consumer will come to a...
Embracing with the ‘F’ Word – Guest Lecture with Karen Caffrey
May 09, 2016 11:48 - 43.7 MBSociety as a whole encourages suppression of feelings. The legal profession, as a micro-culture, further encourages lawyers to suppress their feelings. What happens when feelings are suppressed to such a degree? This is a very powerful 32 minutes. We discuss lawyers and how they deal with (and don’t deal with) feelings in the practice of law. […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Is Emotional and Physical Isolation As a Solo Killing You? Guest Lecture with Karen Caffrey
April 05, 2016 11:44 - 50.4 MBIsolation will literally kill you. Yet many lawyers don't even realize they are isolated. They also don't realize there are many forms of isolation that are insidious and destructive. There is professional, personal and social isolation and you may not even understand you are isolated. Isolation is a mental health risk. Today we dig in to raise awareness in the legal community. These are very real and serious issues that have long term impact on your physical and mental health. And if this...
How Tech Efficiencies Can Help You Avoid Malpractice Claims – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
March 29, 2016 12:00 - 21.7 MBThere is so much technology out there which can improve your practice. However, what are the major technologies you should be investing in and why? Jared and I talk about two types of technologies in this podcast: document automation and assembly software and case management software, not just a recitation of how they can improve […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
The Power of Networks Is Not Just For Commercial Legal Companies Anymore – Guest Lecture with Tony Lai
February 29, 2016 13:00 - 59.2 MBAmazon transformed the retail industry by networking small businesses together. It eventually replaced the individuality of each small business with it's own 'brand', Amazon. Eventually, small businesses were able to reduce their overhead further by cutting out their physical real estate, cutting employees and simply marketing and selling their goods through Amazon. This on-demand online company is a 'networked platform' and meets the customer where they are. Imagine a network for lawyers ...
Mastering the Sales Re-Cycle – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
February 22, 2016 12:00 - 49.5 MBDo you think a signed retainer agreement is the beginning or end of your marketing to gain a client? The beginning or end of the 'sale'? Today we talk about the reality that once a client retains you it is just the beginning of the sales 're-cycle' - the continuing process of re-affirmations that the client made the right choice in selecting you as their attorney. Listen and learn. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Will You Survive the Commoditization of Legal Services? – Guest Lecture with Debra Bruce
February 01, 2016 12:00 - 23.1 MBDebra says she's always felt like Paul Revere trying to make lawyers understand what is transforming the law profession but it's been challenging. In this guest lecture she share her thoughts on the subject and how you can survive commoditization. Listen and learn. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
How To Develop A Service Pyramid to Deliver Stellar Client Service Every Time – Guest Lecture with Christina Burns
January 26, 2016 13:00 - 54.6 MBChristina Burns is the Director of Client Happiness at Ruby Receptionists. Ruby's understanding of customer service is so deep, their results so stellar, it is why this company is growing by leaps and bounds and you will only find they receive glowing reviews. Christina understands, and Ruby Receptionists lives and breathes, customer service. They have developed a Service Pyramid which is at the core of their client service. Today, Christina will teach you how to implement your own Service P...
Embracing Change – Guest Lecture with Smokeball’s Chelsey Lambert
January 11, 2016 13:00 - 20.7 MBToday we have a highly informative guest lecture with the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Smokeball, one of our partners in helping you build your solo/small firm practice. Our conversation focuses on change, fear of change, and how to get through the process of change in order to reap the rewards on the other side. It includes assessing the current state of your law firm, how to align your attitude and vision, commit to the reward, and benchmark progress. One thing you w...
Grabbing the Brass Ring in Solo Practice – Guest Lecture with Scott O’Sullivan
October 06, 2015 12:00 - 30.7 MBBecoming a solo and building a solo/small firm practice is a different journey for everyone. However, Scott O'Sullivan, a personal injury lawyer in Colorado and also faculty at Solo Practice University, has graciously shared how he has grown his practice from a one man shop in a shared space to a 10 person firm and owning his own office building in eight years. It's not a story of magic pills and luck. It's a story of hard work, learning from mistakes, creativity, patience, persistence, an...
How To Get Lawyer-to-Lawyer Referrals – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
September 21, 2015 12:00 - 18.2 MBDo you understand the financial power of building lawyer networks for referrals? Do you understand the importance of being a traffic hub for business, even legal matters you don't handle? Do you know how to talk with other professionals to garner referrals? Referrals for many lawyers are their lifeblood, a way to keep the pipeline filled with clients to serve. Jared and I discuss the importance of referrals in this guest lecture and we'd love for you to listen and learn. Written by Susan...
A Must Listen Podcast: Insuring the Money Machine – Guest Lecture with Larry Dykes
July 27, 2015 12:24 - 26.2 MBThis is a MUST listen podcast. I'm a firm believe in insuring the 'money machine. If you are not insuring the 'money machine' you are making a major mistake. Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Legal Analytics for Solos and Small Firms – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
July 06, 2015 12:00 - 15.3 MBLegal Analytics, at first blush, is about as exciting to the busy solo as watching paint dry. But the truth is it is the secret to a successful practice. I know most of you immediately want to say, ‘I have no time for this.’ But you need to make time for it. Jared and I […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
How To Make Speaking Work As A Marketing Strategy – Guest Lecture with Denise Hedges and Barbara Mencer
April 06, 2015 12:30 - 71 MBYou may have considered speaking as part of your marketing strategy but were not really sure how to go about it. More likely you are afraid you won't be an effective speaker. Well, we found THE best experts on this subject who not only know the value of speaking to increase business but can also teach you how to actually present. You will learn to not only speak well and energize your audience, but to speak effectively. Speaking effectively means converting your audience into clients and/o...
Why Lawyers Need to Get With Encryption – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
March 23, 2015 11:30 - 17.5 MBEncryption is now part of your professional duty to safeguard your clients’ data. Encryption is a very techno-scary word for many lawyers. It’s intimidating, actually. But even if it is, it doesn’t mean you can bury your head in the sand, not if you are going to represent your clients responsibly. Encryption is critical when […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
How to Create Teams for Legal Matters as a Solo – Guest Lecture with Ryan McKeen
February 09, 2015 13:30 - 46.6 MBRyan McKeen of the McKeen Law Firm is back with us again. This time he shares how he can take on larger matters by creating legal teams for cases on an 'as needed' basis. This is a must-listen to guest lecture because there is a 'no man's land' between being an office of one - you - and growing into having full time staff and permanently increased overhead. Ryan shares smart and highly effective ways to grow and be profitable during the journey through 'no man's land'. Listen and learn. ...
Building A (Much) Better Law Firm – Guest Lecture with Kathleen Paukert
January 22, 2015 13:30 - 54.6 MBWhen Kathleen Paukert first contacted me to discuss her book The Fulfilled Lawyer, my initial thought was this was another perspective on work/life balance. However, once we started to dig into her law firm’s business model I saw the future! I saw the future for solo practitioners who want to work within a collective of […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Online Security Basics for Attorneys – Guest Lecture with Deborah Gonzalez (Part 2)
January 13, 2015 13:30 - 21.8 MBAs promised, here is the second part of this important and fascinating guest lecture with Deborah Gonzalez discussing online security basics for attorneys. If you’ve not listened to Part 1 yet, you can do so here. The audio is about 48 minutes. Listen directly below Deborah Gonzalez, Esq. is an attorney and the founder of […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Online Security & Risk Basics For Attorneys – Guest Lecture with Deborah Gonzalez (Part 1)
January 06, 2015 13:30 - 28.3 MBQuite simply, this is a mind-blowing guest lecture from one of our most thought-provoking faculty, Deborah Gonzalez. This guest lecture exposes the deep and dark underbelly of the online world, the full, often-ignored exposure you have when you not only conduct business online, but are online for pleasure. This jam-packed two part guest lecture will […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
The Paperless Office – Guest Lecture with Ernest Svenson
December 15, 2014 13:41 - 26.5 MBI had the pleasure of finally meeting Ernie Svenson (after years of ‘knowing’ him online) and today Ernie is going to talk about the virtues, professionally and financially, of going paperless and how he did it. Frankly, anyone starting a practice today should be paperless from the start and everything done to grow the practice […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
From Big Law To Solo – Guest Lecture with Ken Levinson
December 01, 2014 13:30 - 20.2 MBHow do you leave a Big Law firm or medium-sized firm when they’ve been your training ground from the start of your legal career? How do you do so ethically, responsibly and in a positive way while still keeping your clients? How do you resolve all the potential issues (and there are many)? How do […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Savvy Solo – Guest Lecture with Haley Austin
November 03, 2014 13:30 - 19.6 MBLast May, Clio ran a #Clioday contest asking lawyers how they used the time they saved because of Clio law practice management solutions. After much fanfare, a winner was picked. Haley Austin. I watched her video (which her daughter filmed and edited and you can see below) and really wanted to do a guest lecture […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
The Impact of Social Media on the Legal Process – Guest Lecture with Omar Ha-Redeye
October 28, 2014 12:30 - 48 MBOftentimes, when we discuss social media it is in the context of how every lawyer should be using it for marketing. Not this time. Today we have Omar Ha-Redeye (who also teaches a course at Solo Practice University) discussing social media in the context of the legal process. Let’s face it, if you don’t know […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Legal Value Firm: Guest Lecture with Joe Donnini
October 07, 2014 12:30 - 17.4 MBOur guest speaker today has a biography which simply does not do him justice. Joe Donnini is the founder of Legal Value Firm, a name you are going to be hearing a lot more of because here is a lawyer, entrepreneur and one very, very smart law school adjunct professor who has finally pieced together […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Work/Life Balance or ‘Just Life’? Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
September 08, 2014 12:15 - 18.7 MBToday Jared and I discuss the elusive work/life balance equation. We differ and yet we agree on how solos and small firm practitioners are adapting to the changes in practice, and how to manage time. And it is both managing time and remaining focused on what you are doing in the moment, not multitasking. Join […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
There’s No Way to Game the System – Demystifying SEO – Guest Lecture with Conrad Saam
July 21, 2014 12:30 - 61.5 MBHow do we create a web presence that actually works to bring in clients? Well, this guest lecture may actually surprise you as no one is going to sell you a high-priced web site or bedazzle you with fancy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ‘tricks’. Why? Because you can create a good website on your own […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
The DIY Solo – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
May 05, 2014 12:30 - 63.3 MBJared receives countless questions from new solo lawyers and solos who have been in practice for decades but need advice on law practice management. We like to ask Jared what’s on lawyers’ minds as we have several times before. If you are a new lawyer in Massachusetts or a paying member of the Massachusetts bar, […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
When Do You Need A Therapist To Help With Life?
April 14, 2014 12:30 - 18 MBHere we go, again, talking about that taboo subject: Being a lawyer and admitting you need help. You don’t have to necessarily be depressed or even anxious. But sometimes you just need an objective set of ears to listen and guide, help you sort through stumbling blocks, identify patterns of behavior or just validate your […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Guest Lecture with Nora Bergman and Liz Lamar
March 24, 2014 12:30 - 25.2 MBI have a confession. When Nora Bergman and Liz Lamar first came on board as faculty teaching an in-depth Lean Six Sigma for Solos course at Solo Practice University, I thought I already knew what Lean Six Sigma was. I was so very wrong. The name is a little off-putting but since all major successful […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Managing the Process of Change – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
March 04, 2014 13:30 - 46.6 MBToday’s guest lecture is all about change – managing the process of change. It is a grab bag of topics based upon the most frequently asked questions Jared has received these past months…and they all seem to revolve around how to make the necessary changes within one’s practice to compete effectively in the 21st century. […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
Building a Law Firm Culture Which Honors Women – Guest Lecture with Mayanne Downs
February 25, 2014 13:30 - 19.1 MBThis guest lecture is a little off the topic of solo practice but I had to speak with this incredible woman because she speaks to why so many women go solo, to create their own culture of one that allows them to work as they need in order to have a life. I have to […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel
How Do You Set Legal Fees? – Guest Lecture with Jared Correia
December 09, 2013 13:30 - 16.9 MBAs a new lawyer one of the most daunting tasks is setting fees for your services. Many lawyers won’t tell you why they charge what they charge when asked. Every jurisdiction has a different idea of ‘reasonable and customary’. If too many lawyers discuss their fees the bar will sometimes fear antitrust issues. Seriously. Plus, […] Written by Susan Cartier Liebel