Solo Practice University® » Faculty Announcements

Faculty Announcement – Gene Goodsell

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:30:52 +0000

Gene is a sports and entertainment lawyer based in Sydney, Australia. He will teach “International Sports Law” at Solo Practice University®.

Gene has experience dealing with cross-border transactions, particularly those involving U.S. parties. He has lived in Los Angeles and frequents Los Angeles and New York on business.

Gene has a business degree, a law degree with honors and a post-graduate certificate in legal practice from the University of Technology, Sydney. He is currently studying for his Masters of Laws at the prestigious University of Sydney.

Gene currently works for Burgess Sport & Entertainment – one of the only sports and entertainment law firms in Australia. The firm acts for many major sporting and entertainment bodies, as well as for elite athletes and entertainers. All staff have sport and/or entertainment law experience.

Gene is also the C.E.O. of Gum Leaf Management – a sports and entertainment management firm with a strong overseas focus.

Prior to working for Burgess and Gum Leaf, Gene worked as a lawyer for leading professional services firm KPMG, as well as for one of Australia’s largest and most prestigious top-tier commercial law firms, Minter Ellison.

As well as having private practice experience, Gene has worked for one of Australia’s most successful sports and entertainment management firms – AMI Sport & Entertainment (now aspire management). AMI managed the careers of some of the most accomplished and successful athletes and entertainers in Australia (such as Wendell Sailor, Willie Mason, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell).

Gene is a member of the Australia and New Zealand Sports Law Association and the Australian Film Institute. He has written articles for encore; leading legal publication mondaq; Sports Agent Blog and Entertainment Agent Blog; as well as winning a prize for pro bono work contributed to the Arts Law Centre of Australia. He is on the Committee of the Universal Film & Festival Organization and a is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

Away from work, Gene enjoys running, golf and tennis and watching all sports, including Fighting Irish Football and the 49ers.

Syllabus

International Sports Law

Session 1 – What is international sports law?
Session 2 – Mediating altercations
Session 3 – Gambling on sports
Session 4 – Regulation of the sports industry by sports entities
Session 5 – Anti-discrimination
Session 6 – Competition law
Session 7 – Documentation between U.S. and foreign sports leagues
Session 8 – Intellectual property law
Session 9 – Intellectual property law (continued)
Session 10 – Intellectual property law (continued)
Session 11 – Global Event Sponsorship

For a more detailed syllabus, click here to view the PDF.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Martha Sperry

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:30:53 +0000

Martha Sperry will teach “Everything Google – Using Free & Cheap Tools To Ease Your Workload And Budget” at Solo Practice University®.

Martha Sperry, Esq. has been an attorney for more than twenty years, serving the domestic and foreign insurance industry in a variety of capacities. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and Massachusetts. She currently is in-house counsel for the claims department of a national specialty lines insurance company located in Massachusetts. Martha also has a consulting practice offering assistance to professional clients on new media, technology, branding, and professional development. She has assisted major insurance agencies with the creation of white papers and marketing pieces, leveraging technology to provide the best possible product. An avid follower of new media and technology trends, Martha has been approached by the press for her views on these subjects, as well as on modern search techniques and mobile tools. She writes on issues of law, technology, research and writing at her blog, Advocate’s Studio.

Martha graduated from the New England School of Law in 2000, summa cum laude, after serving as Executive Lead Articles editor for her school’s Law Review. She started her legal writing career with a published article on hostile environment sexual harassment that was cited twice in the Worth Reading column of the National Law Journal. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

Martha’s experience has run the gamut from a top 100 law firm, to a corporate legal department, to a small firm managing the insurance coverage practice, to her own business as a consultant. This breadth of professional experience gives her perspective on the different ways one can practice law. One idea holds true no matter the position: the more one becomes acquainted with the tools of the trade, the easier it is to master the job. The tools of the legal trade these days are rooted firmly in technology.

Martha’s views expressed here are her personal views and do not represent the view of her current employer. You can learn more about Martha at her website AdvantageAdvocates. Or check out her profile on LinkedIn.

Syllabus

“Everything Google – Using Free & Cheap Tools To Ease Your Workload And Budget”

Introduction to Google

What is Google
- First Product
- History
- Current Crop of Applications
What’s In It for Google
What’s In It For You
- Free Tools
- Cheap Storage
- Website Hosting
- Social Networking
Issues to Be Aware Of
- Free Has A Price
- Security
- Privacy
- Data Ownership
Web Applications
The Google Cloud
Desktop Applications

Gmail & Google Calendar

Gmail
- What is it?
- Why Use it?
  - Features & Benefits
- How Does It Work?
  - On The Web
  - On The Desktop
  - On the Mobile Device
- Tweaking Your Gmail with Google Labs
- Modding Your Gmail with Extensions and Apps

Google Calendar
- What is it?
- Why Use It?
  - Features & Benefits
- How Does it Work?
  - On The Web
  - On The Desktop
  - On The Mobile Device
- Tweaking Google Calendar
- Modding Your Calendar

Google Docs, Spreadsheets & Presentations

Google Docs
- What is it?
- Why use it?
- How does it work?
Google Spreadsheets
- What is it?
- Why use it?
- How does it work?
Google Presentations
- What is it?
- Why use it?
- How does it work?

Google Search

What is it?
How does it work?
What can it do for you?
- Advanced Search & Limiters
- Google Scholar
- Google Custom Search Engines
- Google Social Search
- Google Alerts
- Google Maps
- Google Earth
- Google Data
- Google Books
- Google Local
- Google Trip Planning
- Miscellaneous

Google +

What is it?
Why use it?
How does it work?
- Profiles
- Circles
- Sharing
- Search
- Hangouts
- Huddle
- Photos
- Chat
- Where + Is Going
Incorporation of Google properties or the Plus-ification of Everything Google
Data ownership – It’s Not Facebook

Google Sites and Apps

What is it?
Why use it?
How do they work?
- Free versus Paid and What You Get
- Suite of Tools
- App Store

Google Chrome

What is it?
Why use it?
How does it work?
- Speed, Speed and More Speed
- Extensify Your Experience
- Chrome Apps Store

Android – Your Mobile Operating System

What is it?
Why use it?
How does it work?
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Integration with Other Google Products
- The App Market

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Deborah Gonzalez

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:20:08 +0000

Deborah Gonzalez will teach the course “Social Media & the Law” at Solo Practice University®.

Deborah Gonzalez, Esq. is the founder of Law2sm, LLC, a new legal consulting firm focusing on helping its clients navigate the legal issues relating to the new digital and social media world.

Deborah graduated from New York Law School in 1997. Following graduation, she built a successful boutique practice in New York City, focusing on the arts, music and entertainment scene. In 2007, Deborah relocated to Georgia where she was employed by the University System of Georgia. In 2008 she was granted reciprocity to practice law in Georgia.

Deborah’s practice has taken her from an inner-city arts community center in NYC to a sidewalk café in Eastern Europe; from preparing programs for diplomats in the EU to assisting medical missions with refugee communities in Thailand; from protecting against music piracy in the US to protecting against bio-piracy in South America. And now it is transporting her beyond the Internet to the social space where the physical and digital dimensions of her clients co-exist and where she can leverage her legal expertise to their benefit.

Deborah enjoys engaging with those around her – so social media is a natural fit. But it is her skill in being able to connect the dots to understand the next big paradigm shift in global communication and legal application that makes her a leader in social media law.

In addition, Deborah speaks on the legal issues relating to intellectual property; art, music, and digital entertainment law; and social media legal trends and practices in various venues throughout the United States and abroad. Connect with Deborah - LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Blog Website

Syllabus – Social Media & the Law

An overview of topics is listed below. For more information, see detailed syllabus (pdf).

Intro to Social Media and the Law for Solo Practitioners
Social Media Legal Profiles
Social Media & Online Disclaimers
E-Professionalism & Social Media for Law Students
E-Professionalism & Social Media for Attorneys
Privacy & Social Media
Social Media & Employee Mishapps
Social Media Employee Policies
Badvocacy
Social Media & Copyrights
Social Media & Trademarks
Social Media & Defamation/Publicity Rights
Social Media & Family Law
Social Media & Criminal Law
Social Media & E- Discovery
Social Media & Monitoring
Social Media, Media & Law
Social Media, Healthcare & Law

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Marc Garfinkle

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:30:05 +0000

Marc Garfinkle is a criminal and civil trial lawyer in New Jersey. He will teach “Criminal Law – 101″.

Marc D. Garfinkle, Esq. “hung out a shingle” in San Francisco on the day of his swearing in, back in 1978. A few years later, he moved to the Garden State where he again hung out a shingle. Today, his practice emphasizes criminal defense matters and licensing issues involving attorneys and other professionals.

In addition to his practice, Marc is Adjunct Professor of Persuasion and Advocacy at Seton Hall Law School, municipal Public Defender in Livingston, NJ, and teaches skills to law students for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). Marc is a former investigator and past chair of the NJ Supreme Ct. Dist. Attorney Ethics Committee, and is Chair of the Essex County NJ Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee.

Marc is a member of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Association for Justice, the Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA), the American Bar Association and Phi Beta Kappa.

Marc’s popular book, “$olo Contendere: How to Go Directly from Law School into the Practice of Law Without Getting a Job” offers advice and inspiration to a generation of new lawyers who go out on their own. Marc has also written “The Hip-Pocket Guide to Testifying in Court,” “The New Lawyer’s Hip-Pocket Guide to Appearing in Court,” and the “Law Enforcement Officer’s Hip-Pocket Guide to Testifying in Court.”

Syllabus

Criminal Law – 101

The Criminal Practice

Options and opportunities
The reasons we do it
A few things you should know

Developing a criminal clientele

Referrals from lawyers
Marketing and networking
Creating a great reputation

Initial client interview

Getting clients into your office
What to find out
What to say
How to get paid

Visiting clients in jail

Jail vs. Prisons
What to expect
What is expected of you

Bail

How it works
Bondsmen and other alternatives
Bail reduction
Source hearings

Representing a criminal defendant in court – some basics

Local courts
State courts
Federal courts

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Rochelle Richardson

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:30:07 +0000

Rochelle Richardson will teach “Introduction to Veterans Law” at Solo Practice University®.

Ms. Richardson is a Washington, DC attorney and veterans advocate. Her law office, Rochelle E. Richardson, Attorney at Law, PLLC, offers general legal services to families, individuals, and businesses in the District of Columbia and provides representation to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, nationwide, in their claims for benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Prior to starting her current solo practice, Ms. Richardson served as Associate Counsel to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. During that time, she served as the Board’s attorney in over 400 matters concerning veterans’ benefits. She is proud to bring this extensive experience to veterans as they pursue their claims for veterans’ benefits.

Ms. Richardson is a member of the DC Bar and its Administrative and Agency Practice Section. She is an accredited attorney of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is admitted to practice at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She is a member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates (NOVA), serves as a Volunteer Attorney with the Veterans Pro Bono Consortium, works with Public Counsel Law Center’s Center for Veterans Advancement, and has served as a member of the Exploratory Board of the Veterans Foundation/ Veterans Law Project.

Ms. Richardson received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and her Juris Doctor degree from the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia.

Syllabus – Introduction to Veterans Law

Establishing Service Connection for VA Disability Compensation

The Claim for Service Connection: What is it?
The Requirement of Veteran Status: Who may file a claim?
The Requirement of a Current Disability: What is/is not a “disability” for the purposes of VA compensation?
Theoretical Bases of Entitlement
Evidentiary Considerations
Standards of Proof/Review

The VA Claims Process: The Path of the Veteran’s Claim

Filing the Claim: What Constitutes a Claim?
VA’s Duties to Notify and Assist
The Regional Office (RO) Decision: The Grant or Denial of the Claim
The Veteran’s Notice of Disagreement
The Statement of the Case: The RO’s Response to the NOD
Perfecting the Appeal to the Board: Filing a VA Form 9
Appealing the Board’s Decision: The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

The Disability Rating

VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities
The Claim for a Higher Initial Rating
The Claim for an Increase in an Existing Rating

Examples

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Celeste H.G. Boyd

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:30:15 +0000

Celeste H.G. Boyd will teach a course about freelance lawyering at Solo Practice University®.

Celeste H.G. Boyd is a Freelance Attorney licensed in New Mexico and North Carolina, a Yale Law School graduate, and a military spouse (among other things). Recently, in addition to her freelance practice, Celeste also began serving as Of Counsel to The Paynter Law Firm, PLLC (a former freelance client), for whom she works on a wide variety of cases, mostly involving intellectual property, consumer protection, and antitrust law. [And, in her “spare” time, she also runs Stiletto Gear, a company that makes clothing for military families.]

During law school, Celeste worked as a Summer Law Clerk at the Legal Aid Society—Employment Law Center in San Francisco, and as a Summer Associate for the litigation department of Morrison | Foerster in San Francisco, in anticipation of relocating to San Francisco after law school. But alas, those plans came to a screeching halt when, shortly before graduating from law school, she fell for and married an officer in the U.S. Army. His career meant that they would “get” to move to new and exotic locations (like Ft. Leavenworth, KS or Ft. Bragg, NC) every 1-2 years, which presented an interesting puzzle: how to create a thriving legal career in the face of constant geographic insecurity? Thus was born her practice as a Freelance Attorney.

Celeste’s clients include attorneys from across the country—solo practitioners, law firms of all sizes, corporate in-house counsel, and nonprofits—and the legal services she provides them are as varied as the clients themselves. In the last few years, Celeste has seen interest in freelance lawyering steadily increase (the word “explode” might even be appropriate), and she regularly gets calls and emails asking about how to be a freelancer. She hopes this SPU course will provide a great starting point for anyone looking for the freedom and flexibility of a freelance practice.

For more information, please see www.celesteboyd.com.

Syllabus

Footloose and Fancy-Freelancing: Lawyering on your own terms

Class # 1 – So You Wanna Be a Freelancer?

Lawyers come to the world of freelancing from many different backgrounds and for many different reasons. Although there’s no single recipe for a successful freelance practice (after all, part of the allure of this career path is the flexibility to do things your way), there are certain questions you need to ask from the get-go to ensure that you’ve at least thought about where you’re going and why. What’s your vision of this career move? Are you ready to dive right in, or should you test the waters a bit before you jump? And most importantly, are you ready for everything that comes with being an entrepreneur? Because that’s what freelancing is: entrepreneurship. It’s turning your career into a business, your bosses into clients, and yourself into your boss. Confused yet? Hopefully this class will help clear up some of that confusion.

Class # 2 – The Ethics of Freelancing

Freelancing is not exactly a brand-new phenomenon, but it’s new enough that anyone who’s read the Model Rules can tell you they’re not written with freelance attorneys in mind. Even so, freelancers are still attorneys, and we’re still governed by the same ethical standards and regulations as other attorneys. This session will point out some of the trickiest ethical issues facing freelancers, including regulations governing the unauthorized practice of law, the definition of law practice (and lawyer-client relationships), virtual law practices, multi-jurisdictional practice, and malpractice insurance. I can’t possibly resolve all the questions you might have about legal ethics and freelancing, but the idea is to give you a solid heads-up about some of the issues you should be considering before you start your practice.

Class # 3 – Catching the Work (Marketing)

Freelance lawyering is not a field of dreams—if you build it . . . they may or may not come. The single most common question I get about freelancing is “How do I find work?” And it’s the most common question precisely because it’s the most difficult—especially for attorneys, who, let’s face it, are generally not used to questions that can’t be answered by Lexis or Westlaw. While there’s no one-size-fits-all, magic recipe for finding work (I don’t care what the sales “gurus” say), this session seeks to provide some tips on how to approach marketing yourself as a freelance attorney—and maybe more importantly, how to avoid some marketing pitfalls that stand between you and a successful practice.

Class # 4 – Pinning the Work Down (The First Phone Call)

So you’ve worked hard to set up your practice, and you finally get that phone call: “Hi, I’m Lawyer X, and I’m interested in your services.” Ummm . . . now what? This session seeks to prepare you for that phone call by discussing key issues that need to be resolved before you start working. This includes dealing with the second-most common question I get about freelancing: “What do I charge?” But it also includes the other basic questions you’ll need to cover in that first phone call, such as project timing, project scope, and work product format. Plus, we’ll talk about whether you need a professional services agreement, and what needs to be included in it.

Class # 5 – Doing the Work, Part I: Logistics

So you think you’re an attorney, right? Wrong. You’re now an attorney, a paralegal, an administrative assistant, an office manager, a marketing director, and a general gofer. Depending on where you’ve come from in your career, you may be used to performing some of these roles—but you’re probably not used to performing ALL of them at once. This session will cover the nitty-gritty of time and task management, invoicing, and the other logistics involved in running your own home office, including some tips on technological solutions for maximizing your efficiency.

Class # 6 – Doing the Work, Part II: The Actual Legal Work.

If you’ve been a working attorney up until now, you probably think doing the actual legal work of a freelancer is the least of your worries. After all, you went to three years of law school to learn how to do it, and you’ve been practicing for [insert number] years. How different could it be, right? Well, you’re partially right. In many ways the work you do as a freelancer is very similar to the work you’ve already done as an attorney (or a law clerk / intern). But there’s a key difference: you no longer have a boss—you have clients. And a successful freelance practice depends on understanding the subtle distinctions between the two types of relationships. This session will discuss these distinctions, and how to navigate the client–freelancer relationship effectively so that your clients keep coming back.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Bruce Godfrey

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:30:29 +0000

Bruce Godfrey will teach the course “Unemployment Appeals – Law, Practice and Procedure” at Solo Practice University®.

Bruce Godfrey practices in unemployment benefits litigation, wage and hour claims and traffic and criminal defense throughout Maryland’s metropolitan core. His practice has become recognized as one of the leading unemployment litigation firms in Maryland through its innovative online marketing and informational outreach techniques. Bruce has been practicing law in Maryland since December 1994.

His practice has adopted a “human-centered law practice” mission that governs the firm’s areas of concentration, client selection policies and office practices while using current technology to stay even with, and advance ahead of, larger opponents with greater financial means than his individual worker clients.

Bruce is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law and of Princeton University. He lives and practices in Owings Mills, Maryland and is the father of two boys, Sam and Noah. Bruce is a die-hard Ravens fan and remembers the Orioles of his youth with wistful fondness.

You can follow Bruce’s blog here.

Syllabus

Unemployment Appeals – Law, Practice and Procedure

Basic Overview of Unemployment Law Environment
Eligibility and Disqualifications
UI Procedure
Gross Misconduct
Voluntary Quit
Hearing and Appellate Tactics
Getting Paid – Ethically
Starting a UI Practice
Optimizing a UI Practice
State by State Comparative View
UI: The Big Picture for the Solo Attorney

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – David Carson

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:58:10 +0000

David Carson is a website developer. He will teach a course called “HTML, WordPress and More” at Solo Practice University®.

David builds and maintains websites for a select group of individuals and organizations. He has been using WordPress, and other free or open-source software, to help find simple solutions to complex issues for more than five years.

As the technical director here at Solo Practice University® since its inception, David selected, implemented and currently maintains a highly customized installation of WordPress and BuddyPress that allows students to attend online courses and interact with other students and faculty. The Solo Practice University® website is proudly featured in the WordPress Showcase and BuddyPress Showcase.

David lives and works from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. When away from the computer, he spends his time kiteboarding or surfing with friends. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Tufts University (2001) and law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law (2006).

Syllabus – HTML, WordPress and More

In this course, you’ll learn the basics of HTML along with more advanced techniques for installing, optimizing and maintaining a WordPress installation. The course will be most helpful to lawyers or law students with some experience using either HTML or WordPress, but everyone (from beginner to expert) should find the course helpful.

Introduction to Links and Anchors

Anatomy of a link
How to properly share a link
Tracking link activity
Shortened links – good and bad

Basic HTML

Headings
Paragraphs
Lists
Others

Styling HTML with CSS

Separate content from style
What is CSS?
Stylesheets
Browsers and Progressive Enhancement

Getting Started with WordPress

Hosting
Installation
Configuration
Themes

Maintaining Your WordPress Site

Backups
Security
Performance issues
Upgrading WordPress

Customizing Your WordPress Site

Choosing a theme
Customizing a theme
Adding plugins
Best Practices

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Daniel Gershburg

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:30:57 +0000

Daniel Gershburg is a bankruptcy and real estate lawyer practicing in New York. He will teach a course about bankruptcy law at Solo Practice University®.

Daniel Gershburg took a different road when graduating from law school. While he was a member of the Law Review and the Harlan Scholars program, Mr. Gershburg passed up the opportunity to work at large law firms and instead decided to establish his own practice, with the hope of changing the way solo and small firm practice attorneys are viewed. His practice deals specifically with Bankruptcy and Real Estate Law. Mr. Gershburg has spoken to classes at New York Law School, has been published in New York State Bar Association newsletters, serves on the New York State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee and is a desired CLE presenter. He frequently speaks at community functions in his Brooklyn neighborhood educating members of the community about Bankruptcy as well as financial advocacy. He is also the newest blogger at Patch.com (AOL HuffingtonPost) on Park Slope legal affairs. Mr. Gershburg also spends a considerable amount of pro bono time volunteering at the Brooklyn Bar Assocation Volunteer Lawyers Project, assisting low income individuals to file for Bankruptcy.

You can connect with Daniel on Twitter and subscribe to his blog.

Syllabus

View the full syllabus (PDF) or read the summary below.

Introduction:

Who I am
How’d I get here
What can you learn from this course
What this course for?
How I teach.

Bankruptcy Practice for the New Solo.

Why now more than ever is a great time.
Advantages
Software and programs involved
Cost
Marketing
What you’ll need
Pro Bono

Before the Marketing, The Law:

Means Test (The Simple Version)
Assets
Liabilities
Schedule I/J (Income vs. Expenses)
Statement of Financial Affairs
Transfers of Property
Exemptions
- Federal
- NY State
The Do’s and Don’t’s
The Trustee Package
- Tabs

The Initial Client Interview

The questions to ask
The questions that aren’t asked but should be asked
How to know when to ask further questions and about what
The common questions the client will ask
The answers
The Advice to give about credit cards and credit scores
How to be as thorough as possible
The Deposit
The Retainer
The follow up guarantees
The Credit Counseling Course

The Meeting of the Creditors

What to send to the Trustee prior
How to Send it
What to Expect
Prepping the Client
What to bring to the meeting
Dressing (yes, Im serious)
Presentation is everything
The 21 Questions to Prepare for
What happens when its over

The Crucial Next Steps-Keeping the Client Happy

Unsolicited updates.
How long will the process take to finish
Credit Score counseling
Building up credit again
Value Added services

Finding the Clients-Not Marketing

Using Video Blogs
Using FB/Twitter (but not in the usual way)
Skype
Authenticity
Pro Bono work
Why “Marketing” doesn’t work
Legal Directories
Blogging
Networking (without name tags)

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Susan Cartier Liebel

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:30:54 +0000

Susan Cartier Liebel is the Founder and CEO of Solo Practice University®. She will teach a course entitled “How to Hang a Shingle Right Out of Law School…Or Shortly Thereafter”.

In 2000, Cartier Liebel approached the Acting Dean of Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut and said, “let me teach your students how to open their own practice right out of law school.” She must have caught him in a weak moment because he gave her the green light.

In 2004 The Connecticut Law Tribune recognized her contributions to new lawyers who wished to go solo with the “Young Leaders in the Law” award for Education. This honor led to her regular columns in The Connecticut Law Tribune,The Complete Lawyer and Lawyers USA Weekly and then on to speaking engagements about (you guessed it) going solo!

In August, 2007 Cartier Liebel closed the doors to her law office so she could coach and consult full time and started the very popular blog Build A Solo Practice, LLC, (now Solo Practice University blog) which to this day remains the #1 blog in Law Practice Management as listed by the ABA Journal Online Blawg Directory. In 2008, she concluded her instruction at Quinnipiac University School of Law which had limited the total number of students she could reach and decided to fulfill a professional dream.

In 2009, Susan embarked upon an exciting challenge to bring solo practice education to hundreds, and soon thousands, of new lawyers throughout the country in the #1 online educational and professional networking community called Solo Practice University®. With more than 725 users, 560 individual classes, and 46 faculty and growing, Solo Practice University® has made its mark on the professional legal landscape and is continuing to do so with innovative programs and strategic partnerships to help those who wish to go solo the opportunity to do so comfortably, affordably, and responsibly. More than 200 U.S.-based law schools and 15 international law schools are currently represented among the student population.

Syllabus

Whether starting right out of law school, just after the clerkship, or after years in BigLaw, creating and building your own solo practice is a decidedly individual experience. Put thirty solo lawyers in a room and you will have thirty very unique and different experiences. What this course will do is help you shorten and possibly flatten out the learning curve. This course*, in combination with the multitude of great courses taught by our faculty at Solo Practice University®, will help you to lay the best foundation…for you...upon which to build your solo practice.

Overview of Lessons (This is a very brief description)

Ready, S.E.T., Go. You have to know your S.E.T. point before you can ‘Go’ anywhere.
Know which way the economic wind is blowing or get knocked flat again and again.
Don’t write a mission statement. Be on a mission!
Location! Location! Location! It’s not just about terra firma or clouds.
To partner or not to partner? That is the question.
Do you need a business plan? You can’t get where you’re going if you don’t know where you want to go.
What role ‘can’ and ‘should’ technology play in your practice.
Dead president’s law or niche? (Or a little bit of both?)
Who’s going to hire me? (You’d be surprised!)
Marketing is not a dirty word. It’s the only word.
How to define and find your ‘ideal client’.
Credentialing. Start early… and never quit.
Social Media and the single lawyer. The dating game.
Crafting proper retainer agreements. Your livelihood depends upon it.
Pricing. Billing. Getting Paid. (And why your payment policies and procedures are a great marketing tool!)
Insurance – What you need. What you don’t. When you need it. When you won’t.
….and much, much, more as the world of solo practice evolves in the 21st century.

This course will start in May and be on-going. This syllabus is a rough outline and may be presented out of order.

*When this course was taught in person, it was highly individualized. Teaching online, Susan will be unable to address hundreds of students’ unique circumstances. However, the official study group within SPU moderated by the faculty will be the forum for active group discussion and collaboration.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel