New Solo

You’ve heard plenty about it— maybe you’re watching it from a distance; maybe you think it’s a fad; maybe you’re even making a fortune on it. Blockchain technology is one of those things that gets discussed but it’s hard to pin down exactly how it’ll affect your life and your legal practice. To help demystify the subject, Adriana Linares is joined by none other than Scott Stornetta, one of the co-inventors of what’s now seen as early blockchain technology, and IBM’s Shawnna Hoffman. Together they converse on everything from the early motivations that led to the creation of blockchain, the ways blockchain works in the world today, and how it’s going to affect the future. Scott Stornetta is one of the co-inventors of early blockchain technology. Shawnna Hoffman is the co-founder of Diversity in Blockchain, Inc. and the Lead Account Partner & Global Cognitive Legal Leader at IBM. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Nexa, Lawclerk, and ROSS.

Going solo may sound stressful, but it’s exciting! Having the freedom to live according to personal ideals and being creative with the building of a business is both satisfying and rewarding for many solo attorneys. Philip Mauriello was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug while working in the restaurant business, and after entering law school, he knew that utilizing today’s legal technology would allow him to practice law on his terms. New Solo host Adriana Linares talks with Philip about his path to solo lawyering, his methods for vetting legal tech, and his recommendations for products and resources that make life easier for solo attorneys. Philip Mauriello is founder and managing attorney of Arete Law APC Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Nexa, Lawclerk, and ROSS.

As lawyers gain more experience in the profession, some feel the desire to shift their practice into other areas of law or even to mediation, but career shifts are no small task! In this edition of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Kristin Rizzo about her professional journey from litigator to mediator. They talk tips and tactics for pursuing new career goals and walk through the practical details of launching a new business. They also discuss some of the most helpful tech tools available for solo lawyers and mediators. Kristin Rizzo is a mediator and workplace investigator at Rizzo Resolution. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Nexa, Lawclerk, and ROSS.

They may be long and tedious, but examining terms of service agreements is the only way to ensure your cloud services are trustworthy places for your data. That being said, many lawyers don’t actually know what to look for as they sift through these documents. In this edition of New Solo, Adriana Linares brings in Daniel Whitehouse to help lawyers understand common red flags in terms of service agreements. Daniel breaks down the terms of several commonly used vendors, explains the importance of encryption, and offers guidance for choosing ethically compliant cloud services and apps. Daniel D. Whitehouse is the founding attorney of Whitehouse & Cooper, PLLC. Check out the recommended Quick Start Guide On Cloud Computing from the Florida Bar. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Nexa, Lawclerk, and ROSS.

The recent Legal Trends Report by Clio showed that the average lawyer only gets paid for 22-28% of the time they put in. Unacceptable! New Solo host Adriana Linares brings in Marco Brown to teach lawyers how to change their mindset and prioritize getting paid for the great work they do. Based on a CLE presentation he gave, Marco outlines eight commandments that help layers rethink the way they handle billing and put themselves, their families, and their firms first. Check out Brown Law LLC’s site to read Marco’s blog posts on each commandment.  Marco Clayton Brown is managing partner at Brown Law LLC in Salt Lake City, Utah. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Nexa, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Just because your talents as an attorney are beyond reproach doesn’t mean you’re expected to be a financial wizard, too. Host Adriana Linares is joined by Amanda Moore, CPA, to share some indispensable wisdom on handling your practice’s finances, overseeing your bookkeeper, and keeping your account balance in the positive and yourself off the IRS’ radar. Amanda Moore is a licenced CPA in the state of Florida. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Nexa, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Sitting down with some familiar faces, Adriana Linares is joined by guest co-host Renée Thompson in this conversation with Liz McCausland to discuss the many tools she uses to optimize her work and her life. From services to help in the office, like Fancy Hands, Trello, and Upwork, to others that can help anywhere, like Alexa, Shipt, and Thumbtack, find out how the new landscape of apps and services can help improve both your work and personal life. Renée Thompson is a mediator at Upchurch Watson White & Max and a member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors. Liz McCausland started her career as a civil litigator and now does bankruptcy and mediations in Orlando, Florida. She is a past president of the Orange County Bar Association. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Nexa, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Making the move into solo practice may seem intimidating, but for some, the transition brings freedom that makes it worth the risk. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to David Leatherberry about how his work in a niche area of healthcare law led him to start his solo firm. They discuss David’s background in the legal industry and he talks about his current passion for helping behavioral health practitioners with their legal needs. He also shares the story of his move to solo practice and how it helped him prioritize his professional goals and personal well-being. David Leatherberry is a healthcare attorney and owner of Leatherberry Law in San Diego, CA. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Balancing a solo practice while being involved in an overwhelming number of bar committees is only possible thanks to the great tech tools available to lawyers today. New Solo host Adriana Linares sits down with Renée Thompson, mediator and member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors, to discuss what tools enable her to accomplish her goals, to review her accomplishments during her time on numerous bar committees, and to look forward towards her planned run for Florida Bar president (and why being a solo practitioner is an asset for the role). Renée Thompson is a mediator at Upchurch Watson White & Max and a member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Solo lawyers may struggle with work-life balance, but sometimes an uplifting perspective from other solos in the trenches is just what they need to carry on. In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares hosts solo lawyers and married couple Renee and Phil Stackhouse. They discuss their individual careers and delve into how they manage their personal lives as a couple and as parents. They go on to discuss how they manage their practices from a business perspective, from office space to legal technology to financial matters. In their final segment, Renee and Phil talk about their work in military law, describing the types of matters they deal with and highlighting interesting cases. Renee Stackhouse is the Founder and trial lawyer at Stackhouse, APC. She focuses on plaintiff's personal injury, military & criminal defense in San Diego, California. Phil Stackhouse is a trial lawyer at Military Defender, where he focuses on military criminal defense, security clearance defense, and the correction of military r

There are so many unknowns when starting a new law practice – what should and shouldn’t new solos do when first striking out on their own? In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to solo/small lawyers Paige Greenlee and Brittany Maxey-Fisher about their career experiences. They discuss what led them to decide to go out on their own and what strategies they have used to grow their practices. They offer tips for solos on technology, practice management, networking, organic marketing, hiring, and more. Paige A. Greenlee founded Greenlee Law PLLC in 2014, after spending twelve years in private practice at both large and mid-sized firms in Tampa. Brittany J. Maxey founded Maxey Law Offices, PLLC in 2008. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Lawyers, if you’re looking for a new tech product or don’t know what you might be missing, tune in for some great ideas. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Neil Squillante of TechnoLawyer about TL NewsWire’s top 25 products awards. The top-25 list, determined by reader interest, gives a wide-ranging look at the most useful and sought-after tech products and services for the legal industry. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Engaging with your clients from start to finish (and beyond) can boost your firm’s success. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Matt Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Lawmatics, about the software solutions they offer lawyers for streamlining the processes of customer relationship management. From intake to automated marketing — focusing on a good client experience helps lawyers grow their revenue. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Solo lawyers face a demanding but rewarding profession. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to a panel of solo attorneys about their diverse career experiences. They discuss the many challenges of being a solo lawyer and offer practical guidance to solos on a variety of topics including: mentorship, choosing (or not choosing) office space, building independence, developing fee agreements, technology, self-care, and much more. Jeffrey Pratt is an attorney specializing in business and real estate litigation. Kim Swierenga is a financial elder abuse attorney and consumer protection attorney. Alara T. Chilton is a criminal defense and consumer rights attorney. Deborah Wolfe is an attorney specializing in plaintiff legal malpractice law. Eric Ganci is a DUI defense attorney with a lawyer-scientist designation. Julie Wolff is a dependency attorney and child welfare law specialist. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Solo lawyers face a demanding but rewarding profession. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to a panel of solo attorneys about their diverse career experiences. They discuss the many challenges of being a solo lawyer and offer practical guidance to solos on a variety of topics including: mentorship, choosing (or not choosing) office space, building independence, developing fee agreements, technology, self-care, and much more. Jeffrey Pratt is an attorney specializing in business and real estate litigation. Kim Swierenga is a financial elder abuse attorney and consumer protection attorney. Alara T. Chilton is a criminal defense and consumer rights attorney. Deborah Wolfe is an attorney specializing in plaintiff legal malpractice law. Eric Ganci is a DUI defense attorney with a lawyer-scientist designation. Julie Wolff is a dependency attorney and child welfare law specialist. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk and Courtfiling.net.

Jake Heller highlights the benefits of the affordable legal research tool, Casetext. He describes why Casetext is an affordable and effective alternative to the major legal research products on the market. In this episode of New Solo, Heller and Adriana Linares discuss how Casetext’s artificial technology software, known as CARA, works. In addition, Heller traces his journey from coding while growing up in Silicon Valley to co-founding Casetext. He says his company is a David facing off against “two enormous Goliaths.” Jake Heller is co-founder and CEO of Casetext, a leading AI legal research technology. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk, and Unbundled Attorney.

One of our listeners has decided to launch his own solo practice. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Taylor Darcy about what made him want to go solo and the technology that has helped make his practice successful. They discuss integrating automated systems and how the tools he uses allows him to focus on the important things while technology takes care of the rest. Taylor Darcy is a business/corporate attorney that focuses on helping entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses navigate the legal minefield of owning their own business. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk, and Unbundled Attorney.

A chatbot is a form of artificial intelligence software that can participate in conversation and websites use them to engage with site viewers. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Tom Martin about how small firm lawyers can implement chatbots on their own websites. They discuss how the technology works and address some of the common hesitations lawyers have when considering the use of a chatbot. Tom Martin created LawDroid, a chatbot that drafts and files California incorporations over Facebook Messenger. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk, and Unbundled Attorney.

If you’ve ever wondered about using freelance lawyers and the process involved, this may be the episode for you. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Greg Garman about New Solo’s new sponsor Lawclerk and what it offers to solo and small firm lawyers. They discuss how posting and responding to projects works within Lawclerk and address common ethical and practical questions lawyers have about using the site. Greg Garman is the CEO of Law Clerk and a partner at Garman Turner Gordon. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, Lawclerk, and Unbundled Attorney.

Maybe you’ve built the perfect practice, but you still never know when a natural disaster could tear it all down. Many lawyers have struggled to recover from disastrous hurricanes and fires, often not knowing how to put the pieces of their business back together. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares and co-host Jack Newton talk to Renee Thompson and Zack Zuroweste about how law firms can prepare for and recover from natural disasters. They discuss switching to the cloud in order to eliminate the loss of physical files, ensuring your backups are actually saving everything you need, and the ability to be mobile and take your office with you in a pinch. Zack Zuroweste is a trial lawyer and shareholder at PersanteZuroweste, and has served eight years on the Florida Bar's Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors. Renee Thompson is a mediator at Upchurch Watson White & Max and serves as The Florida Bar Board of Governors Fifth Circuit Representative. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1,