Welcome to The 1958 Lawyer

So you're a lawyer and your clients are squeezing you for lower fees. How do you put more cash in your pocket? We want to expose you to new ways of practicing law. Endless hours with no home life and a lease on an expensive office are so $1999. It's time to make a change for the better.

Here to help you with that are your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield. Welcome to the 1958 Lawyer Podcast. Welcome to the 1958 Lawyer. I'm your co-host Kirsten Mayfield. And I'm Ron Bockstahler.

On this show, we'll be talking to innovators and leaders in law. People are pushing the envelope on new ways to practice law. From how the legal services are built, law firms are structured, how technology is changing the legal industry, who the future leaders are, how are people pushing past the glass ceiling, what will all that look like? We're here to talk about change, learning from the people that are driving change. And the attorneys who support it, those that are resistant and will learn their reasons why.

So many attorneys graduate law school with ambitions of changing the world, helping their neighbor, helping those in need and upholding the laws of the land. You know, Eagles soar flag in the background. They take their first job as an associate and reality hits it and they end up taking a second job, walking dogs, bartending. I even have a friend who took a second job as an associate because she wants to launch her solo career, but she needs more stability and she wants to practice law. So that's another problem.

Attorneys wind up five years down the line realizing they're spending too much time running a business versus practicing law. And the end result is it's just not what they imagined. A few things ever are, Kirsten. Yes, you're right. I never imagined the day the Supreme Court would use teleconferencing, for instance.

And that's the thing. What's happening these days is not what anyone would have imagined. Maybe Nikola Tesla and the Simpsons predicted some of it. But aside from that, it's a gamble, especially in this tech age where things are changing at the speed of light. Law just doesn't change that way.

It's procedural and that takes time. And that puts the industry of law in this strange place stuck between a world that rapidly changes and a system that doesn't. So this show, the 1958 Lawyer, is all about change in the business of law. In 1958, the ABA published a pamphlet titled The 1958 Lawyer and his $19.38. In part, this pamphlet tried to address the growing disparity in income between lawyers and their peers and other professions such as doctors and dentists.

The average income of an attorney was closer to that of a tradesman than a doctor. Hiring a lawyer was not something the average person thought about. And when they did, they were generally billed on a fixed fee basis per project. His law became more complex, projects became, they required more time. The billing model often led to a lower per hour rate.

The pamphlet made the argument that legal services should be billed based on the time required to complete a project. And it's widely credited with introducing the bill of law as the primary form attorneys use to invoice their clients. The change to the bill of law forever altered the legal business model. You know, that isn't the only change the legal industry has experienced. So many people talk about law being stagnant, but there are changes taking place.

You just go into LinkedIn and type in legal technology and you'll see it. We're going to talk to the people driving it on here. Aren't we Ron? Yes, absolutely. Yeah.

We'll talk to professionals that are introducing new technologies at such a fast pace that, you know, few attorneys are able to keep up, but this tech can drastically improve their overhead and finances. Practice management software has reduced your need for support staff in B2C law, such as estate planning and family law. Form software has eliminated the need for secretaries. New digital pay apps are changing back office requirements. The one thing these tech advancements have in common is that they reduce the amount of time required to complete a task.

And it's important to note, Kirsten, that law firm clients are aware of all these changes and they're putting pressures on these law firms to reduce the fees they're charging. Yeah. And lawyers are trying to respond too. They want to bridge that gap between themselves and their clients, potential clients, by adjusting the structure of the traditional law firm. Law firms are extending the time it takes for an attorney to become an equity partner.

Some are creating new business models, such as the association model, you know, allowing attorneys to practice in a large group, but only have responsibility for themselves and their clientele. Then there is the virtual law firm, you know, which seems new, but really just started appearing, you know, 10 years ago, 12 years ago, I guess now, back in 2008. Yeah. All of these structures have been introduced to reduce the costs associated with practicing law and allow the attorney to maintain a comfortable income level while satisfying what the clients want to, you know. So we're going to lean on my over 30 years of experience consulting with attorneys and law firms and finding better ways to manage the business of law and enjoy the practice of law.

So my passion has always been to improve the business model of law firms led me to create a model office suite over 18 years ago, providing law firms and alternatives to the traditional fixed cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that oftentimes lead to burnout, broken relationships, and in many cases, substance abuse. Yeah. It's horrible, honestly. It's a system that's punishing the very people it needs. And that's one of the many reasons it's fascinating.

I mean, I love systems. I love people, love how they work together and interact and push against one another. Maybe I'm easily pleased, but I do find the industry of law fascinating. It gets a bad rep. People probably laughed at me, but it's this crazy little ecosystem.

Obviously, you find it interesting because you want to help them. And like I mentioned earlier, it is sitting in this strange place in the world right now. This is why talking to people who are initiating change or discussing where this industry of law is failing, where it needs to upgrade. It's just so important. Attorneys want to be the best they can be.

They want to change. And the system they are in pushes back against them in so many ways. There are still great people out there, though. We're going to interview them. These are B.A.

people out there rattling the cages, initiating change. And there are more attorneys out there who want to see this change than I think many people may know. Clay, I tell you, Christian, not too many people are going to admit that they love systems. Maybe people, but systems. So here's what you can expect on our show.

Every week, we're going to talk about a different topic that is changing the legal landscape. Most of our shows will feature a guest that's an expert in their field, will gain insight from what they're doing, things that everyone can learn from. We welcome your input and advice at the 1958lawyer.com. Please share your insights if you're listening every week. If you like the show, we'd appreciate it if you subscribe, review, and rate the show on Apple Podcast or wherever you're getting your podcasts.

Thanks. And we look forward to hearing from you each week. [BLANK_AUDIO]