Solo Practice University® » Solo & Small Firm Practice

Perspective. Perspective. Perspective.

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 12:00:47 +0000

Life is all about perspective. Expectations, I have found, do more harm then good. If our expectations are too high we will always be disappointed because we don't allow for unplanned opportunities. If our expectations are too low, we may never strive for greater things. What perspective do you have?

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Reality Check – Part 4 – Worrying Will Kill You!

Susan Cartier Liebel — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 13:49:30 +0000

I have to admit it. I'm a worrier. I worry about my family, my mother, my husband and son. I worry about the economy, people and animals, the future of our politically divided country, the food supply and climate change. I worry about income and inflation and retirement and health. I worry. I worry about many things, some within my control and some not. Ironically, worry has proven to be quite the motivator for me when combined with an insatiable curiosity about people and life. I don't think I'm particularly unique when it comes to worrying. Most people I know say they don't worry at all (liars) or they say they worry all the time. But at the end of the day most of us have some level of worry which keeps us up at night. (And the irony is most people over 65 say their biggest regret is spending too much of their lives worrying!).....Read on!

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Reality Check – Part 2 – Growing a Law Firm in This Economy? 10 Tips You Don’t Want to Miss

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 13:01:53 +0000

How can you create and grow your solo practice while still delivering quality legal services to those who have an income that is either stagnating or in decline due to unprecedented inflation? 10 Tips you don't want to miss. Read on....

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

How ‘Knowing’ Everything Limits Your Learning

Susan Cartier Liebel — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 07:00:09 +0000

The truth is lawyers tend to be rather impressed with how much they know because non-lawyers are generally impressed with what they believe attorneys know. And this can really box lawyers in when they don't have answers. One of the most profound ways to transform yourself and transform your relationship with clients and others in your life is to share that you don't have all the answers. So, what do you do instead?

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Are You ‘Just A Small Time Solo Practitioner’?

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 11:00:19 +0000

I was talking to a relative not too long ago. She's an amazing local attorney practicing more than 30 years, the last 10 years as a solo practitioner. Her 20 year old son was talking to her about career paths and he said, 'but your just a small time local lawyer'. Rather than be offended, she invited him to spend the day with her as she did her 'small time local law'. Read on....

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

What Clients Want: Managing Legal Consumer Expectations in 2019-2020 – Guest Lecture(s) with Jared Correia

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:33:24 +0000

Jarred and I have recorded five free guest lectures covering the vast topic of What (Clients) Want: Managing Legal Consumer Expectations in 2019-2020. It is nearly five hours of us discussing in depth: How Legal Consumers Find Law Firms What Legal Consumers Want Marketing Requirements for a Modern Law Firm Intake Procedures/Forms How Modern Law […]

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Do You Have an Ethical Duty to Have a Disaster Recovery Plan?

Mark Bassingthwaighte — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 10:08:40 +0000

With the release of Formal Ethics Opinion 482 in September of 2018, the ABA finally made it quite clear. Lawyers do indeed have an ethical duty to develop a disaster recovery plan. Do you have yours?

Written by Mark Bassingthwaighte

Why Buy A Lawyers Professional Liability Policy?

Mark Bassingthwaighte — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 11:00:09 +0000

Lawyers and those in their employ can and will make a mistake from time to time. It happens. Should a significant misstep ever occur on one of your matters, what might the fallout be? Think about this as a member of our learned and honorable profession. Clearly the client will be harmed in some fashion. Now, put yourself in your client’s shoes and ask who should be held responsible, particularly if a financial loss is part of the equation? You know darn well what the answer is. After all, if a lawyer representing you on a personal injury matter blew a statute that resulted in a lost opportunity for any kind of recovery, you would expect to be made whole and you know it. This is why I don’t get the excuses. Purchasing malpractice insurance isn’t about protecting lawyers. It’s about protecting clients should something go wrong, which makes it, at least in my mind, the right thing to do.

Written by Mark Bassingthwaighte

Why Reminders Never Hurt!

Mark Bassingthwaighte — Thu, 30 May 2019 10:00:50 +0000

An attorney never gets an accountability pass just because the representation is framed as a favor. One can’t casually look into a legal matter, pass along a little advice and expect there to be no fallout if something goes wrong later on. An attorney is either in or out. There is no middle ground here.

Written by Mark Bassingthwaighte

Starting a Solo Practice in Rural America – Guest Lecture with Gary Bauer

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 21 May 2019 10:00:44 +0000

Do you want to start a solo practice in a rural America? Do you want to learn how to be successful, understand the way to do it right?Who better to present a jam-packed guest lecture on this subject than Gary Bauer, lawyer and Chairman of the General Practice Solo Concentration for twenty years at WMU Cooley Law School. Gary feels very strongly there is so much potential for young (and not so young) lawyers to lives quality lives serving the legal needs of those in rural areas. Listen and learn.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel