Among solo practitioners, Ernest “Ernie the Attorney” Svenson is well-known for consulting on technology and, specifically, going paperless. But what many lawyers don’t know is how Ernie transitioned from a commercial litigator in a big New Orleans law firm to a tech savvy solo. In this episode of New Solo, learn all about how Ernie’s experience practicing in a big firm and Hurricane Katrina led him to go solo. He talks with Adriana Linares about using technology and automation to lower his overhead for an increased chance of success and, quite frankly, happiness. Adriana and Ernie then discuss the more difficult aspects of transitioning to a solo practice including loneliness, retaining clients, and wanting a paralegal. No longer a practicing attorney, Ernie talks about why he decided to become a technology consultant for other solo and small firm lawyers. If you’re planning to go out on your own, tune in for some tips that might make the difference.

Ernest Svenson, also known as “Ernie the Attorney,” practiced commercial litigation for 26 years in a big firm in New Orleans. After starting his own solo practice, he switched to consulting other lawyers on computers, going paperless, and automating tasks.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares stops by the shared offices of Barbara Leach and Conti Moore. Together they discuss the cost savings, benefits, and logistics of splitting office resources. Through mutual trust, compromise, and similar views on work-life balance, these lawyers are achieving the strengths of partnership without losing the privilege of being the boss. Tune in to hear how they did it and why you should consider this practice model.

Barbara Leach is a solo practitioner in central Florida who, after launching her career with a large national law firm, sought a closer connection to her community and greater interaction with clients. She took the leap to establish her own firm in 2011. Since then, the firm has continuously grown, and Barbara finds herself right where she hoped to be: face-to-face with her clients and practicing in bankruptcy, family law, foreclosure, and litigation.

Conti Moore is the founder of small firm Conti Moore, PLLC where she practices in family law, criminal defense, personal injury, and business law. She has been recognized by the National Bar Association and Impact as one of the Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40 and was presented with their Excellence in Service Award for her unyielding commitment to community service. Conti has bar admission in Florida, Nevada, and the U.S. District Court of Nevada.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

Although television commercials seem too expensive for a solo practice’s marketing budget, they are not! In fact, advertising on T.V. can be a great alternative or addition to an online marketing campaign, as long as it’s done correctly. So what should solos expect with these ads and how can we optimize the return on investment?

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares and Jason Marsh interview Conti Moore, a small firm lawyer with a successful television commercial, about the process and price of creating her ad, airing it, and tracking its success.

Included in this episode:

Conti Moore practices primarily family law and criminal defense at Conti Moore Law, PLLC, in Orlando, Florida. She has been recognized by the National Bar Association and Impact as one of the Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40. Additionally, the National Bar Association and Impact presented Ms. Moore with the coveted Excellence in Service Award in recognition of her unyielding commitment to community service.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In the previous episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviewed Andrew LeGrand, a lawyer who has a largely automated practice, about Text Expansion and forms to increase efficiency for lawyers. Because automation is such an enormous topic, Adriana invited Andrew back to discuss more in-depth systems and tools to avoid wasting time on menial tasks and improve accuracy, consistency, and professionalism. Does it seem too good to be true?

Tune in for automation suggestions for lawyers at any level of tech-savviness. Topics include:

• Web automation to replace support staff tasks
• Clio as a practice management program
• Integration with Zapier
• Consistent labels and tagging for easy categorization search
• Doodle calendar that talks to Gmail
• Web forums and customer relationship management (CRM)
• Google Scripting and Google Apps for Work
• How much the tools cost
• Forms rule certification

In the end, Andrew emphasizes, just knowing these options are out there is important and powerful.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

Adriana Linares interviews Andrew Legrand, a solo lawyer who started his practice immediately out of law school using technology to increase efficiency. His tips start with something as small as an autocomplete for your signature to auto filling forms he regularly uses.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares and Jason Marsh interview C. Todd Smith, a small firm lawyer who has used various forms of social media for marketing his practice. Jason Marsh, an online marketing specialist for small businesses and law firms, also give his insight into the importance of social media.

For lawyers launching a solo practice, this podcast will provide a broad idea of where to start with your social media campaign. Todd Smith recommends that lawyers choose one or maybe two platforms to focus on rather than trying to tackle all of them.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews internet marketer Jason Marsh about the most effective marketing process for lawyers beginning a solo practice, how much they should spend on a website, and what it means to optimize your business for the search engines.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews John E. Grant, an agile attorney consultant, about what it means to have a lean practice, how businesses have soared ahead of law firms in this way, and things every lawyer can do to add value to their services. Grant, a solo practitioner himself, discusses his move from the business world to the legal world and how he has seen the agile manifesto change the way that businesses work. He mentions ways lawyers can effectively streamline workflow processes and gives some specific suggestions of books and articles to read in order to learn more. Tune in for more details on how to make your clients happy by increasing your practice efficiency.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews David Sparks about why he decided to go solo, the first actions he took, and struggles he encountered during the process. Sparks’ first steps involved evaluating the potential costs of research, insurance, malpractice, and other legal necessities, and comparing it to an assumed client income. He talks about being a lawyer who uses Apple products and how he chose, or didn’t choose, products like Ruby Receptionists, Clio, Rocket Matter, and Omnifocus. Sparks discusses the importance of marketing his new solo practice and how setting up the business and accounting aspects took longer than he thought it would. If you are considering starting a solo practice, this podcast is a good place to start. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares interviews legal ethics attorney Michael Downey about the solo practice he started in 2015. Together they discuss why he decided to leave a big law firm to start his own law practice, the decisions he had to make, and how he dealt with everything from choosing technology to successfully parting ways with his old firm. Downey talks about the research he did with different practice management tools, the process of deciding on a name and buying relevant URLs, and his decision to use Apple computers in his practice. Although he already had a client base that he believed would stay with him, he marketed his new business by collecting articles he had written, developed his mailing list, and updated his LinkedIn account. For those struggling with the decision of starting a solo practice, Downey’s experience is a useful place to start. Special thanks to our sponsor, Solo Practice University.