Rebooting your law career can feel like an impossible mountain to climb--especially if you've already established yourself in your community. But it's probably time to make a significant change if your practice isn't giving you the joy or freedom you believed it would or should.

If you're an older attorney, making the shift may not make sense. But if you don't want the latter years of your career to look like the beginning years did, it's time to switch things up and stop believing the narrative that it's too late to change how your career and life look.

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, John Murphy, founder and owner of Safe Harbor Wills & Trusts in Syracuse, New York, is Steve's guest. At 51 years old, John started over from scratch after some events in his personal life left him reeling and needing a change. He started a new practice focused on Medicaid, estate planning, and probate services, where he eventually met and hired his team leader, Marie Tricarico.

John's personal tragedies led him to take back his time and freedom, and his story is inspiring to anyone who believes they can't start anew in their 50s.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How a Medicaid class and some family events led John to start his Safe Harbor practice at 51
• Why his practice has only one other person other than his associate attorney who previously worked in law, and what his vision for his practice was
• The two core things that helped him find his niche and reinvent his life
• The importance of goal-setting and time management in Safe Harbor's growth and why John decided not to be a transactional commodity shop
• Two things he implemented at his office to create a dramatic turnaround in his practice and his life
• Why marketing is his next business journey and what he's looking for
• How traveling more has improved both his business and personal lives
• What John would say to himself as he walked out the door of his old practice and what his new goals are
• The empathy and listening skills John has gained from practicing law and what excites him for what the next ten years could bring

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Supporting Resources:

John Murphy: Adjunct Practice Advisor & Attorney atticusadvantage.com/team/john-murphy/

Team Leader Program atticusadvantage.com/law-firm-team-leader-certification/

Safe Harbor Wills & Trusts

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.