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Month: December 2020

How Shared Office Space for Attorneys Benefits Solo Practice Law Firms

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Young lawyer business man working with paperwork on his desk in office.

Between running your partner or solo practice from your home and leasing individual commercial space, there’s an attractive middle ground: renting shared office space for attorneys.

Attorneys who have been working from home have seen the perks as well as the drawbacks. It is extremely convenient to walk from your bed to your home office but doesn’t provide any of the benefits of having an office. Conversely, partner and solo practices that rent out traditional office space find that their offices lack the amenities of a full firm, such as stocked cafes, top technology, receptionists, and paralegals. If they want these items, they have to take on the overhead and manage them themselves.

The concept of sharing office space among solo attorneys and partner practice firms has been around for many years, but is it the right decision for your law practice? In this blog, we give three benefits of why shared office space for lawyers works well.

3 Ways Shared Office Space for Attorneys Helps Solo Practices

Expanding your Expertise

Lawyers often require a network of trusted peers in other complementary practices to assist their clients.

A shared office space for attorneys helps lawyers access a wide network of legal expertise. Connections can be fostered across specialties, and firms can recruit assistance from another lawyer with specific knowledge for an existing case, or even just advice over a cup of coffee.

Additionally, some spaces (like Amata) staff legal professionals such as legal admins, law clerks, and paralegals. These professionals are knowledgeable in the micro-details of legal work and can help lawyers get their paperwork processed, go through e-discovery, medical record retrieval, research and more at a faster speed.

Less Money for More Services

Traditional commercial leases crush budgets. When you rent a conventional office space, you have to spend a lot of money on rent and taxes. Furthermore, many direct-to-landlord arrangements require a five-year lease agreement with a large down payment. The firm takes on a large overhead and has no flexibility once the contract is signed. In the pandemic especially, many firms and lawyers are discovering just how time-consuming negotiations with a landlord can be, and how little they receive for their efforts.

A shared office space offers many amenities that help attorneys and law firms save on expenses. For example, a solo attorney may not easily swing the costs and management time related to having office equipment, internet, support staff, and a telephone service. However, in shared office space, many of these amenities are part of the package, helping attorneys save money and time.

Amata offers a range of services paid on a fixed or per-use basis, to help meet your law firm’s individual needs. From on-site paralegal assistance, mail services, and live legal reception to a full virtual office with conference rooms and private office space, which can be rented out as needed, a shared office space adapts to an attorney’s unique requirements.

Building Out Your Book of Business

How is shared space different from conventional commercial arrangements? In short: new business is right next door. Practicing law is a profession, and many attorneys take pride in assisting their clients through every legal aspect, even if it’s as simple as giving them a reference for another attorney or firm.

When another lawyer meets you because they office down the hall, they get to know you, and you them. The usual time and energy – spent after hours in social clubs, bar associations, networking groups etc. – is no longer essential to finding and building a referral network. Shared office spaces allow attorneys across practice areas to office next door to one another, develop relationships while making a cup of coffee, and many even provide online communities for virtual networking (Amata has the Amata Community and Member Directory site, for example).

Being part of a powerful referral network, which can be tapped into for new business, is how attorneys can become rainmakers. Shared office space makes this easier than ever.

Amata Law Office Suites: A leading shared office space provider for private practice attorneys

Exclusively catering to the shared-workspace requirements of solo attorneys in Chicago, Amata Law Office Suites offers private office space to lawyers looking for more adaptive solutions than working from home or leasing expensive traditional office space. Our shared  law office space comes with all the amenities and services required for supporting lawyers, at a price that won’t break the bank.

With seven premium shared office spaces in Class A buildings across Chicago, our law office space includes both unfurnished and furnished offices, as well as virtual law office programs with professional reception and business address services. Our shared offices are available on flexible leases that can be scaled up and down depending on an attorney’s requirements. Additionally, our members have access to all the necessities, including on-site legal staff—admins, paralegals, and notaries—and other essentials such as top of the line printers, a varied selection of coffees and teas, and café and lounge space.

Our shared office space for attorneys has already helped solo and partner practice lawyers become part of an extensive community of more than 700 attorneys. Schedule your next visit to one of our shared law offices today and take a confident step toward establishing and growing your Chicago legal practice.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

Odell Mitchell III: Musician, Visual Artist, Single Father, and Lawyer for Creatives | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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It started as a means to an end. Now it’s a passion filled career. Odell Mitchell III gives us a peak behind the curtain at life as an entertainment lawyer running his own firm, as a single father of two young girls, and as an African American man in the legal industry.

Key moments:

  • A glimpse into Entertainment Law (05:51)
  • Juggling single fatherhood and running a law firm (22:43)
  • Music and performance in the time of Covid-19 (27:17)
  • Being African American in a creative industry versus legal industry at large (30:56)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“For me as an African American male we usually cannot like look back and see a lot of our lineage – or it’s harder to do. And so that’s something I hold very dear to me. The fact that I have that. So, I’ve always tried to incorporate it somehow.”

“As things have moved from more analog to more digital it has opened up so much more opportunity for artists and creatives alike…. There are more places where they could have control. But it also means there are more places for other entities to try to take back control.”

“These days people want to like who they’re working with. They want to feel like they have access to you. They want to feel like they can connect with you. And those things in a lot of ways are imperative [now], whereas they might have been ‘nice to have’ not even that long ago.”

“I’m certainly not shy about being a single parent. I don’t think you can be…. I am fortunate that I am able, at this point to enlist the right level of support. I don’t have a lot of people around me – I do most of it by myself – but I have a few trusted avenues…. I think it’s really hard for single parents and it gets missed a lot there. Again, especially for women in the workforce.”

CONNECT WITH ODELL MITCHELL III

Odell Mitchell

Odell practices in the heart of Chicago, IL. He earned a BM in Music Business and an independent study in graphic design from Millikin University. He earned his JD from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Prior to founding Thirdinline Legal, Odell operated as a manager, recording engineer, producer and creative director. As a musician and visual artist himself, he understands the needs of the creative entrepreneur firsthand. With over 10 years of experience in the arts and entertainment industries, Odell is pleased to unite his passions of creativity and the law to provide excellent legal services to other entertainment, business, and creative professionals.

Third in Line Legal: www.thirdinlinelegal.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/odellmitchelliii/

Instagram: @odellcommaesq

Twitter: @odellcommaesq

Email Odell Mitchell III: [email protected]

CONTINUE EXPLORING

WHAT ODELL IS LISTENING TO

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

4 Ways Private Practice Law Firms Benefit from Virtual Law Office Space

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handsome lawyer in eyeglasses using laptop at workplace

Virtual law office spaces are becoming the ideal choice for many legal practitioners in the 21st century. A virtual office enables attorneys across a variety of practice areas to gain access to crucial support services and essential technology letting them work from anywhere while providing office necessities like manned reception, legal admin staff, a business address, and more.

These spaces are affordable and provide flexible lease terms to suit your unique legal needs. The best part? When you go virtual, commuting to the office is no longer mandatory.

With a multitude of benefits, virtual office space is ideal for solo and partner practice law firms. In this blog post, we’ll focus on the top four benefits that every law firm can realize from virtual law office space.

What is a virtual law office?

Unlike a standard office, a virtual office only requires that you pay for the services you use, versus services and space. Virtual office space resources and benefits vary depending on the subscription package a lawyer takes, but will normally provide ready access to it’s the office address, meeting space and day office space to receive clients and work, live receptionists, and a range of administrative services.

In some states, lawyers can practice law only when they give a corporate address of their business. A virtual office fulfills this recommendation without adding the same overhead of standard space. Virtual law offices can give lawyers a corporate address where their mail will be sent, handled, scanned, and even forwarded on to a home address. The team will collect it and pass it on to you as requested. Day-offices and meeting rooms can be rented out as needed, and you are free to work from any common space.

The law office of the past depended on dedicated spaces to provide an air of legacy and stability, at an astounding cost to legal firms. Moving towards the future, clients care more about flexibility and results than image. For solo practice law firms and partner practice law firms, the costs of renting out this space has proven an enormous hurdle – virtual office space erases these unnecessary expenditures.

The advantages of moving to virtual office space

Office Space Without the Commitment

Virtual office spaces can benefit any type of law firm or attorney, particularly those whose time rarely involves staying in one place.

For instance, a family law attorney usually spends the lion’s share of their time in meetings out of the office or in court. Yet having access to an office space in a central area offers a place to reconvene and work from. With the help of a virtual law office provider, it’s possible to rent space as needed, while side-stepping the commitment and expense of a conventional office lease.

Big Firm Benefits for Private & Boutique Legal Practices

Virtual law offices offer more than simply a place to work. At Amata, we offer a suite of services designed specifically around legal practices, such as on-site paralegals and notaries. Our legal live receptionists vet incoming calls even after normal business hours, optimizing your client intake.

As a law office designed specifically for attorneys, you will have access to our attorney referral network and legal industry events and partnerships. Conference rooms and both furnished and unfurnished office spaces are available for convenience, and can be utilized as-needed.

Easy Expansion

Virtual office space enables law firms to expand operations by opening new office spaces outside of their normal base of operations. Many leading law firms follow this strategy by having no central office space, while employing hundreds of lawyers across the country. Law firms that expand with the help of virtual office space can boost their revenue because there’s no fixed rental fee that they have to shell out monthly.

Work Flexibility

Lawyers who sign up for virtual office space can work anytime, anywhere without being confined between the four walls of a conventional office. They may decide on working from home for any number of days without having the pressure to use the office space for matching up the payment. In an increasingly digital work environment spurred by COVID-19, this can prove an immense boon.

Unlike traditional office space, virtual workspace is based on a pay-as-you-go model. That means attorneys pay a small fee to subscribe to virtual space and manage their day without the pressure of going to an office. Even better, lawyers can move their practice to any location without having to worry about lease contracts that come with traditional offices. Securing a new virtual office in a new location will also be less stressful as it’s easily available.

Virtual Law Offices at Amata Law Office Suites

Being the only shared office space provider catering to law firms and legal practitioners in Chicago, Amata Law Office Suites offers virtual law office programs. Our private office space comes with services and amenities required for supporting attorneys.

We give attorneys in Chicago seven premium spaces to choose from across the entire downtown loop. Additionally, we offer furnished and unfurnished offices; scalable lease terms; office necessities such as water, coffee, and printer; and on-site admins, notaries, and paralegals.

With our shared office space, you’ll easily establish your Chicago practice and keep it running smoothly without worrying about dedicated office space’s maintenance. Schedule a tour of your next virtual law office with us and become part of a growing community of over 700 attorneys. Visit our website today for more details.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Trisha Daho: Diversity, Advocacy, and Becoming the Lawyer You Want to Be | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Trisha is starting a mastermind with AMATA Law Office Suites and Breakthrough Bound which begins February 2021! For more information email Trisha: [email protected]

Trisha Daho has a fun job, she helps attorneys become the people and leaders they want to be. But she also tackles big issues at firms. Like building real diversity and managing a law firm minorities thrive within. The road to partner is getting paved for women and diverse ethnicities, and Trisha is helping firms at every step.

Key moments:

  • Differentiating yourself from other law firms (05:46)
  • Diversity and mentorship vs. sponsorship vs. advocacy (09:26)
  • Running a firm? Do the things you want to do (18:35)
  • What Trisha Daho wants to see changed in the legal professional (30:56)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“I will tell you from my own personal experience, without an advocate for what you want your career path to be, that has some juice in the firm, it is extremely hard to accelerate any kind of career path up to equity partner and beyond into real leadership positions.”

“Differentiating is honestly something that is almost never done. But once firms do it, they grow exponentially in comparison to their competitors…. Frankly, even the big boys, the giant law firms, are not doing a very good job of explaining to their most important targets and clients why they should choose one firm over another.”

“Firms that actually have great levels of diversity and inclusion usually are experiencing results that are 17% to 25% better than they would if they had no diversity. So, there’s a real there’s a business case, why [diversity] is important.”

CONNECT WITH TRISHA DAHO

Trisha Daho

Trisha spent most of her career leading large, diverse teams toward the delivery of value for her clients at a Big 4 Accounting and Advisory firm, wherein she served as a partner.  She has been pivotal in the discovery and sustainability of value in the billions of dollars for her clients.  She has worked with executives and their teams in dozens of Fortune 500 companies in the majority of states.  She has also created enormous value for entrepreneurs, high growth companies, and aspiring start-ups.  She left the corporate arena to light up the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion. And hence, Empowered was born.

With her own company, Trisha partners with C-suites and managing partners to think, plan, and execute strategically for the purpose of accelerated and sustainable growth, primarily in service-based firms. She also partners with firms of all types to create success for women and diverse people who are entering leadership positions through a diversity and inclusion peer advisory experience focused on strategy, high performing teams, and advocacy in leadership. Empowered helps organizations to create more diverse talent acquisition and development strategies, accountability and measurement in leader performance, and the development of more inclusive cultures where diverse people thrive.

Empowered: www.empoweredlc.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishadaho/

KEEP READING

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Dear Lawyers: You’re in Your Own Way. Build Your Firm by Thinking Anew

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By Trisha Daho

Join a mastermind program specifically designed for attorneys, starting in 2021! Contact Trisha Daho for more information: [email protected].

We know you love control. It’s part of what makes you a great attorney. Knowing what’s next, anticipating the next fact, the next action, we get it. People rely on you for your skills of anticipation. The plans you implement in the present help them mitigate the future.

But this year, the ability to plan and predict fell apart. Most of us didn’t see this coming. (Though Bill Gates gets a pass.) The courts closed. Schools closed. The world closed. You have done what you needed to do to keep your law practice going. You’ve not only pivoted but bounced, twisted, and leapt. And you are still here! That is something to celebrate.

If you are like the rest of us, you’ve also done some soul searching about your life as a lawyer:

Do I love this? What am I doing that isn’t working very well? Many have gone even further and asked what the legal industry should be doing differently, both to handle the present situation and permanently. Because guess what? Not only do you not have to run a law firm like they’ve been run for 200 years, your firm will thrive if you don’t. You can be more successful thinking and doing in a different way.

First, it takes a mindset shift. You need to change how you think about yourself, your job, and your law firm. All of it. That may seem a bit dramatic, but it also means dramatic growth. You may also start to regain that feeling of control you once had.

But how? Here are some great steps:

1. Ask yourself: What is my strongest aspiration for the new year?

If the answer is “build your firm and grow business revenue,” good for you.

It may seem vague, but this goal allows you flexibility with how you’ll grow your business, and your expectations can start small. Multiple quick, small wins will breed more wins and you can scale up from there. The key is to feel good because that will encourage you to want to change further. Pain, criticism, and failure only sow seeds for more pain, criticism, and failure. Success breeds more success.

Read more: The aggregation of marginal gains.

2. Ask yourself: What type of person do I want to be in 2021?

Then answer for yourself: “The type of lawyer who has an ever-growing business.”

This is the mindset you want. Your brain has to buy in. You need to see yourself as the type of person whose business is always growing. In other words, success begins between your ears. It starts as an inside job.

3. Begin the brainstorm!

Now you need to prove to your brain that through your actions – what you do (not just think) – you’re becoming the type of attorney you want to be. This is when you begin brainstorming different strategies to grow your law firm.

Select the ideas you want to pursue, that you have the skills to do, and that will be effective in helping you grow your practice. Create a brand for yourself and the firm, design a marketing and business development strategy that produces predictable and sustainable results. Be strategic, insightful, innovative. Think big, about how the whole industry could be doing it differently, then move small and decide how to implement changes that lead there, starting with you and your firm. Measure what happens.

We predict you will grow between 20-35% in your first year when you get truly intentional instead of reactional. Your law firm and practice will be differentiated from the thousands of similar attorneys still stuck on the rollercoaster of marketing then practicing law, instead of laying new tracks like you will be.

4. Now really begin to build your firm: start tiny and celebrate every small action.

(Do not skip the champagne because it feels foreign!)

Based on 20 years of research at Stanford University and 40,000 case studies, BJ Fogg’s 2020 book, Tiny Habits, smashes various habit myths. Change does not have to be hard!

Habits can be formed quickly and easily but assertive self-motivation is not the key – that wavers and can be unreliable. What you need are good anchors for new habits: start with micro behaviors and celebrate your actions immediately. This is the recipe for a successful mindset shift.

As your results steadily improve day-by-day, you will literally see yourself become the attorney and person you want to be and this avoids self-sabotaging. Your brain and your thinking are in sync. The final step: teach your team to do the same. Commit to these practices and they become a culture, a thriving one.

Intentionality and focus are hard in times like these. While the solution lies solely with you, we can help.

AMATA Law Office Suites, Empowered, and Breakthrough Bound have collaborated on a growth mindset mastermind designed specifically for lawyers looking to thrive differently. Are you in? Email Trisha Daho: [email protected]

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

Expanding Your Team Nationwide? This Law Firm Shares How It Hung a Satellite Shingle in Chicago

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alaw-office-space-virtual

As a leader in multiple industries, from health care and technology to food manufacturing and transportation, Chicago is known for its diverse economy. It also offers a robust yet “close-knit” legal community. All of these factors make the third largest U.S. city a top choice for law firms of all sizes to open a satellite office and build prospective clients. In fact, four of the world’s 10 largest law firms have Chicago branches.

But starting a firm in a new city is no easy task. According to commercial real estate company SquareFoot, the average cost for office space in downtown Chicago is $48 per square foot, while Law.com says firms typically allocate 300-400 square feet per employee. That means space for one attorney in a satellite office would cost no less than $14,000. There are plenty of other costs to consider as well, such as additional computers and insurance.

Earlier this year, Veteran Legal Group, a California-based firm representing armed service members and their families, wanted to expand. The firm needed an attorney to take on an influx of veteran disability claims and recruited Chicago-based attorney Edward Farmer, who has specialized in veteran disability law for the past 10 years.

“Chicago is a big-size market,” Farmer said about the Windy City’s appeal to Veteran Legal Group, adding that the city lacks stiff competition in veteran disability law. “There aren’t many attorneys who do what I do.”

Farmer has built his Chicago presence through Amata Law Office Suites, the city’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and seven Class-A offices in downtown Chicago. When Veteran Legal Group began searching for Chicago office space, Farmer steered the team toward Amata, where he operated a solo practice from 2017-2020.

“What you get for the price is much better than setting up an office from scratch,” he said. “You have the support of the staff … If I was here by myself, my workload would be five times as much.”

In less than two weeks, Farmer had his office arranged and started practicing with his new firm. In addition to a furnished office, he has access to Amata’s experienced paralegal team, live receptionists, copy machines and WiFi, all of which are necessary for communicating with his out-of-state team.

Amata also provides a built-in community of 700-plus legal colleagues, a support system that can be lacking for attorneys working out of satellite offices. Farmer is currently the only Veteran Legal Group lawyer in Chicago and therefore has little in-person interaction with coworkers. But he credits Amata for his relationship with Jim Thompson, a now-retired personal injury attorney, who informally mentored him while Farmer was starting his previous practice. They are still friends today.

As Veteran Legal Group continues to grow, Farmer expects another attorney to join him at the Chicago branch. When the time comes, he said the firm will simply need to lease another office. Amata will take care of the rest and allow them to focus on hiring the right attorney.

“It’s a great place for lawyers to work,” Farmer said. “I really believe that, especially if you’re in a private practice.”

Marc J. Bern & Partners LLP, a New York-based firm specializing in personal injury law, medical malpractice and more, also has a Chicago satellite office through Amata.

Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our seven Class-A spaces to learn how our legal support services can help quickly set up your satellite office and establish your Chicago presence.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

Douglas Church: A 50 Year Journey of Practicing Law | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Doug Church recently became a Legendary Lawyer at the Indiana Bar Foundation. An incredible honor with intensive qualifications for nominees, including a mandatory 50 years of practicing law. Doug takes us back in time and discusses what he’s seen in law in the past five decades and offers the knowledge he’s learned along the way.

Key moments:

  • 50 years of practicing law: a journey into the past (1:58)
  • Experiences on the Conner Prairie Board of Directors (22:22)
  • What Douglas Church wants to see changed in the legal profession (31:07)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“You need to take time for yourself, number one, because the law is a jealous mistress and you can find yourself working twelve, fourteen hours a day….It’s important to try to make sure you don’t let yourself become a slave to your practice.”

“I’ve always operated under the theory that you got to be somewhere. So some people choose to be somewhere by sitting in their easy chair or watching TV, some people sit and read a book, I chose to just spend my time being involved with organizations that were advancing some cause that I felt strongly about.”

“My dad always told me as a young person: ‘If you set out to make money you’re going to be disappointed because there will never be enough.’ You can set out to do a good job at whatever it is you’re doing and money will follow, because people will appreciate your good work, whatever that may be. And I believe that that is true.”

Douglas Church

CONNECT WITH DOUG CHURCH

Doug is the Senior Partner of Hamilton County based Church Church Hittle + Antrim law firm which was founded in 1880.  He has been actively involved with the Hamilton County, Indiana State and American Bar Association serving in various leadership positions.  He served as the Noblesville City attorney from 1987-1995 and the Town of Fishers attorney from 1980- 2014.

Doug was instrumental in the development of the Hamilton County Leadership Academy serving as a Faculty Member and Dean (1992) and as Board President (1996-98).  He has also been actively involved with Conner Prairie as the Chairperson, 1999-2001 and Member, Board of Trustees, 1997, 2003.  He currently serves as an Emeritus Member of the Museum Board of Trustees.  Doug has also served on a number of other Hamilton County organizations’ Boards of Directors.  Doug is an avid swimmer and promoter of the sport.

Church Church Hittle + Antrim: www.cchalaw.com

KEEP READING

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

Daniel A. Cotter: Cyber-Insurance, Legal Tech and The Chief Justices | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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You could say Daniel A. Cotter has had an accomplished 26 years so far as an attorney. He’s worked in-house and as outside counsel, taught Insurance Law at the John Marshall Law School, published a book about the Chief Justices, been an Illinois Leading Lawyer and Super Lawyer for four years, and he is active in the Chicago Bar Association and American Bar Association alike. But Dan also makes sure to mention his son benches more than him, the kid he tutors has more intensive math skills, and his marriage is 31 years strong. If you pay attention, life has a way of rounding you out, even as a busy attorney.

Key moments:

  • Cybersecurity and insurance insights, from an Insurance Law professor (07:35)
  • Technology discrepancies in small firms versus Big Law (16:59)
  • “The Chief Justices,” meeting RBG, and charity work (25:58)
  • What Daniel Cotter wants to see changed in the legal profession (38:54)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“Companies need to think through ‘what’s the ramifications of having all of our people work from home?’ Right, ‘is it our responsibility if something happens to Dan Cotter while he’s at his house,’ or you know, does he need to look at his own insurance policy and does he need to notify his insurance company that he’s working from home?”

“I’ve seen programs that talk about artificial intelligence and how it frees up the attorney and, you know, it’s great, and then the cost is prohibitive for many [private practice attorneys]….Their needs can’t be met because the cost is so prohibitive.”

“I’m a big proponent of belonging to the bar association of your choice. Whether it’s the state bar or the city bar, an affinity bar. I just find that bar membership has been rewarding… and I can say that it’s probably provided me with work over the years.”

“I am passionate about the law, and optimistic, but also concerned about the challenges, especially for graduates. In the last decade, it’s been a tough road with a major recession in 2008 and then 2013 again. And now the pandemic.”

CONNECT WITH DANIEL COTTER

Daniel Cotter

Daniel A. Cotter is Attorney and Counselor at Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. Dan focuses his practices in a variety of areas of corporate law and litigation, including insurance law, complex business disputes and counseling, employment law, corporate transactions, corporate governance and compliance, and cybersecurity and privacy law. His clients benefit from his diverse professional experience, which – in addition to his years serving as trusted outside counsel – includes positions as a corporate accountant and an in-house attorney. Dan has been working in cyber and privacy since the late 1990s, before cyber was a thing.

Twitter: @scotusbios

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCOTUSlyYours

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cotterdan/

Howard & Howard: www.howardandhoward.com

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If you’re interested in getting involved with Lawyers Lend-A-Hand, or simply want to connect, reach out to Dan at [email protected]!

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“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

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