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Month: March 2021

Geo Bellas: Forty-Years of Game-Changing Tech for Law Firms | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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His law firm’s first game-changing tech adoption was a trio of fax machines that outpaced the competition and he says AI is the next big player. But Geo Bellas – nicknamed Geo as a reference to Neo in The Matrix – hasn’t been a techie simply because of the success it’s brought his practice over the past forty years.

He says it’s also the fun of getting a “new toy.” Further proof that staying true to your passions in your legal career, and having fun, is an important aspect of long-term success.

Forty years of game-changing tech and what the future holds for the legal profession:

  • The first tech in his firm and why he adapted early (01:30)
  • A prediction of law firms’ futures (18:00)
  • Attorneys working with purpose (32:08)
  • Geo’s advice for younger attorneys looking to build storied careers (41:05)

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Legal innovation needs more than game-changing tech. It needs lawyers who change with it.

“I don’t think I ever sat there and said, ‘I got to do this, I got to go get this,’ I just wanted to get a toy. And, you know the old adage is he who dies with the most toys wins.”

“There is a movement to have a form of artificial intelligence decide small cases to eliminate the load on the courts…. The only thing is that computers haven’t learned to absorb all of the other factors…that help us make a decision. But eventually that’s going to happen and computers are going to take a lot of the work off of lawyers and lawyers are gonna have to find a way to fit into that new paradigm.”

“[Zoom] is creating the efficiency and lawyers are still adapting to it. I mean, I see lawyers, getting on…and there are still lawyers who sit there and have to have either their grandchildren, or somebody help them open up the Zoom window so they can participate in a webinar by Zoom. But that will change. There was a time where lawyers didn’t know how to use a fax machine. But they got [it], somehow they figured that out.”

GEORGE “GEO” BELLAS, An Early Adopter of Game-Changing Tech for Law Firms

Geo Bellas

Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer who has used technology in litigation for over 40 years. Geo’s firm serves as a trusted business advisor to business owners and has been promoting the use of technology in the practice for over 35 years.

www.bellas-wachowski.com
Blog: www.businessattorneychicago.com

Geo’s Social Media
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/georgebellas/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/george.s.bellas
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GeoBellas

Keep Reading About Game-Changing Tech in Law

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.

What is an Alternative Legal Service Provider?

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If you’ve spent any time looking to expand or improve your legal offerings, you may have come across the term “alternative legal service provider.” For many practices, these services, commonly referred to as ALSPs, have become the new norm. They increase firm IP – for example, by adding expertise from contract paralegals to the matter – and do so at an affordable cost.

Especially for partners going solo or opening their own private practices, ALSPs provide a path forward. Hiring staff in-house isn’t always an option for the firm, especially not with the expertise their clients expect. ALSPs allow the firms to provide more competitive pricing without sacrificing quality and efficiency.

What is an ALSP, and how can it benefit your legal practice? In short: ALSPs take over the burden of tasks attorneys need not perform or provide additional expertise to assist a firm in a given matter or for long-term engagements through use of contract attorney and contract paralegals. This saves the attorney time, money, and boosts their firm’s IP, all at once.

Defining the Alternative Legal Service Provider

An ALSP is defined as any service that could normally be provided in-house by a law firm that is instead performed by an outside entity. It is not a law firm; it operates as an outsourced model that law firms can leverage to perform tasks that are too costly or time-consuming to perform in-house.

ALSPs offer a specialized service at-scale to meet with the demand of legal practices. With specialized tools, processes, and even technology at their disposal, an alternative legal services provider offers high quality service at affordable prices. As a result, ALSPs can outperform on the same tasks that are normally undertaken in-house.

The Thomson Reuters 2019 Alternative Legal Service Providers report found the top five services firms use ALSPs for are:

  • E-discovery
  • Legal research
  • Litigation and investigation support
  • Document review/coding
  • Non-legal/factual research

As the legal profession pivots from practicing in traditional law office space to operating from shared spaces, hybrid offices, and even the fully virtual law office, ALSPs provide expertise and efficiency for attorneys and law firms.

An Alternative Legal Service Provider Benefits Any Size of Legal Practice

A 2017 study by Georgetown Law School reported that over half of all law firms are using alternative legal service providers in some capacity.

While larger practices have been leveraging these services for a while to increase firm efficiency and lower overhead cost on work produced, partner law practices, solo attorneys, and boutique law firms can all leverage ALSPs to compete.

Private practice law firms are most likely to use the following types of ALSPs (as defined by Thomson Reuters):

  • Independent Legal Process Outsourcers (LPOs) – perform project or matter based work on behalf of the law firm
  • Managed services providers – usually handle on-going work for the law firm; like a contracted in-house legal team
  • Contract and staffing services – provide temporary staffing to the firm, from legal admins to skilled workers like attorneys and paralegals

For partner and solo practices that operate on limited resources or do not have the budget to hire full-time staff, an ALSP can also alleviate time spent on recruitment, training, and management of employees. Additionally, providers offer fully qualified employees that can immediately benefit your legal practice.

Alternative Legal Services Provided by Amata Law Office Suites

Solo and partner practice law firms rely on flexibility and adaptability to achieve success. At Amata Law Office Suites, we understand that time isn’t the only thing on your mind – quality of work and budgetary concerns come into play. We are committed to providing you with the services you need to accomplish the goals of your clients and focus on the practice of law, at a rate that assists your firm with running profitably and with expertise that contributes to your firm IP.

Our Legal Support Team Services

Expert Paralegal Support

For client matters, legal projects, and billable work, the Amata paralegals are some of the best in Chicago and led by Tisha Delgado, Chicago Paralegal Association President and litigation and e-discovery expert. Our paralegals average 27 years of experience each and have developed expertise in specific areas of law. As a team they provide support such as locating defendants and witnesses; preparing third-party subpoenas; Westlaw and LexisNexis legal research; document review; e-discovery and data collection assistance and more.

Additionally, they are knowledgeable on the inner workings of the courts, allowing them bring an efficiency to tasks like document processing that proves burdensome to many attorneys.

Better yet, their time is entirely billable by the firm back to the client and offered at cost-effective rates.

Legal Admin Support

For time-consuming tasks and attorneys looking to focus their own time on billable work, the Amata legal admin team steps in. They assist over 700 Chicago attorneys with client billing inputs, calendar management, mail processing, Microsoft office assistance and more.

Their assistance allows attorneys and firms to focus on the practice of law and relieve stress by outsourcing this non-billable work to a trusted partner at an affordable rate. Legal admin support is charged by the minute, not the hour, at Amata and fixed-fee items like court runs are also available.

Live Legal Receptionist Services

For solo attorneys, partner legal practices and boutique law firms, client intake processes are crucial for continued business and time-management. The Amata Live Legal Receptionist team brings proved process to firms just starting out or looking to improve call-management and client-intake efficiency.

Greetings, transferring processes, screening, and client-intake are customized specifically for the law firm. The team is also available at extended hours. While the typical workday is from 9-5, prospective clients don’t always operate on the same schedule – the Amata legal receptionist services operate from 7AM-10PM CST.

Amata Law Office Suites also offers office space for like-minded lawyers to collaborate and work. We provide our lawyers with comprehensive solutions to many of the problems they face on a day-to-day basis. Alternative Legal Services are offered as part of our model and allow solo or private law firms the resources they need to achieve success in their law practices.

Contact us today to learn more about how Amata can help you. Email [email protected]

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Looking to Increase Your Law Firm’s IP? These Lawyers Say Paralegal Services are Key

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Janaan Hashim

Last year, civil rights and immigration lawyer Janaan Hashim, Esq. was litigating a case when she hit a snag. One of her important witnesses wouldn’t be able to appear in court the next day due to his work schedule.

She needed a subpoena quickly. But with much of her focus on cross examinations, she wouldn’t have time to write and file it. Unfortunately, her firm didn’t have a paralegal on staff to assist.

“If we did not have him on the stand, it would have hurt our case significantly,” Hashim said.

Thankfully, there was another option. Hashim’s firm, Amal Law Group LLC, operates out of Amata Law Office Suites, a Chicago ALSP (alternative legal service provider) with a legal support team that is available to attorney members for things like contract paralegal support. Each of Amata’s paralegals averages 27 years of experience, which means it takes them little time to draft subpoenas and other documents.

On-Demand Paralegal Support When It’s Needed Most

Hashim turned to Amata’s team for help. Within a couple of hours, the subpoena was filed and her key witness was able to appear in court.

“Amata came to the rescue,” she said. “Their paralegals understand the nitty gritty of dealing with the court system. They don’t teach you that in law school.”

The value of paralegals’ skills is undeniable. They can handle back-office tasks more efficiently and other tasks that are sometimes beyond lawyers’ level of expertise, therefore boosting a firm’s intellectual property. For example, Amata’s paralegals specialize in litigation and investigation support, document review, e-discovery and legal research. But hiring an experienced paralegal can be costly and a difficult decision for small firms to make.

“As my firm is still growing, I don’t have the resources to hire somebody full-time,” said family law attorney Kellie Bylica of The Law Office of K.R. Bylica Flores, LLC. “So, I rely on the Amata paralegals on an as-need basis.” She said this approach is cost-beneficial for her clients, as the paralegal team can solve important problems while she spends more face-to-face time with clients.

Amata CEO Ron Bockstahler explains that an alternative to expanding your firm is partnering with an organization that provides built-in paralegal services, such as an ALSP. According to a 2018 study conducted by the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute and other entities, roughly half of surveyed law firms said ALSPs can help expand their business, differentiate services and even retain client relationships. At the time the study was published, corporations had already reached or surpassed predictions for ALSP use in 2021. Software companies are also offering technology discounts to ALSPs as a way to tap into law clientele.

Amata: More Than An Alternative Legal Services Provider

Kellie Bylica

While Amata’s paralegal services are easily accessible to all Amata-based attorneys, like Hashim and Bylica, they’re also available to outside firms or corporate law departments looking to outsource related tasks.

Whenever Bylica and Hashim need one of these services, they have confidence in the quality of work that they will receive. They said it’s as though they vetted the paralegals as members of their own firms.

“Their training and expertise are superb,” Bylica said, noting their collaboration and ability to think outside of the box. “There’s never been a request they can’t handle. They’re always spot-on.”

Want to increase your firm’s intellectual property and niche expertise? Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our six Class-A law firm office spaces. Consider joining the Amata community to find out how our experienced paralegal team can help grow your practice and eliminate the burden of back-office tasks.

Discover our paralegal services in Chicago.

Coleman & Vannucci: How Immigration Attorneys are Handling their Challenging Practice Area| THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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It’s our first dual-guest interview, with representatives from both areas of immigration law! Christina Coleman is a Canadian immigrant who owns her own practice and focuses on employment-based immigration while Katie Vannucci handles the family-based side as shareholder at a mid-sized Chicago firm.

They’ve been friends since law school, and both credit support for each other and in the legal community at large for their fortitude and patience with all a career in immigration law has thrown at them: from difficulties in launching a firm to the tumultuousness in their practice area through the past couple of decades.

Two immigration attorneys’ journeys in this changing area of law:

  • The variety of paths in immigration law for attorneys (02:17)
  • Practicing immigration law under an unpredictable administration (14:20)
  • Guiding clients through unstable times with shifting rules (29:00)
  • What Christina Coleman & Katie Vannucci want to see changed in the business of law (53:25)

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The mentality of immigration attorneys, and their community:

Christina: “I started doing immigration in 1998. And I think for the first five years we would have [details] on the postings on the wall. It’s like where you file [a] kind of petition, it might have changed once or twice in five years…[since then changes have] definitely been on an accelerated pace….It certainly feels like it’s been ramping up and ramping up.”

Christina: “One thing I love about the immigration community – and I really noticed it since I went out on my own – is everybody is so collaborative, so helpful. I did corporate defense work for six years, and maybe it was the particular lane I was in at Sidley, but, wow….You couldn’t just email a colleague and say: ‘Hey, have you ever had this situation? What should I do?’ You know, and it’s just been amazing, and I’ve felt so supported [in immigration law].”

Katie: “I think for me one of the things that I am lucky to have – and kind of going back to the fact that we have such a great supportive community – is talking about [the challenges]….A lot of times in our weekly meetings [at Ahlgren] we go around and we just talk about what we’ve seen that week, and to be able to talk through it with colleagues that understand and can relate to your own feelings- just going through it and processing it….is really, really helpful.”

Katie: “The biggest thing is hoping that we actually see some comprehensive immigration reform, that we finally see a way under the law that individuals [we can’t help as attorneys] finally have a path to be able to do something. Because that’s the problem. It’s not because people don’t want to legalize their situation. It’s because they can’t. And so I think [it isn’t] until we can recognize that and we can see the humanity in this, that we can finally reach across the aisle and come up with a good bipartisan solution to actually deal with the problem, instead of keeping-on kicking the can down the road and say ‘well, we’ll deal with it in another administration.’ I think we really need to come to grips with the reality and actually to do something to really fix the loss.”

CHRISTINA COLEMAN, EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY

Christina Coleman

At her firm, RC Immigration Group, Christina develops and executes immigration strategies for a wide range of corporate clients in a variety of industries, including U.S. companies seeking to hire foreign workers and multinational companies transferring foreign employees and executives to the U.S. She also represents foreign investors and serves as immigration counsel to a corporate services law firm with particular emphasis in assisting European interests in the United States. In addition, Christina helps individuals achieve their immigration goals including obtaining work visas, family-based visas, and citizenship.

Previously, she practiced as a litigator at Sidley Austin, where she defended companies in complex federal and state litigation, including multi-district litigation. has significant experience working with students and was an Adjunct Faculty member at the DePaul College of Law. Originally from Canada, Christina came to the U.S. in F-1 student status and naturalized in 2006.

RC Immigration Group LLC: https://rcimmigrationgroup.com/
Christina’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-coleman/

KATIE VANNUCCI, FAMILY-BASED IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY

Katie Vannucci

Katie is a shareholder at the Law Offices of Robert D. Ahlgren and Associates, P.C., Chicago, Illinois, practicing exclusively in immigration law. In 2015, Kathleen was recognized by AILA as a Michael Maggio Pro Bono Honoree for her dedicated efforts to promote justice and provide access to counsel, and for her proven tenacity in the fight to end family detention as part of the AILA Artesia Project. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the AILA Chicago Chapter.

Katie was published in the 2016 and 2020 Edition of Illinois Adoption Law published by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education; her chapter focused Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. She also serves on Loyola University Chicago School of Law’s Board of Governors and is a volunteer coach for their moot court program.

Law Office of Robert D. Ahlgren and Associates: https://www.ahlgrenlaw.com/lawyer/kathleen-m-vannucci/
Katie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-m-vannucci-04abb97

 

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.

When to Hire Law Firm Staff

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portrait of focused group of lawyers working in office

Solo and private legal practices often find themselves asking the perennial question of when to hire law firm staff.

You landed that case, the one with the prestigious client who could bring the firm a good deal of future work. Your firm’s attorneys are ready but this engagement will require hours of researching memoranda and creating reports and the client doesn’t want to pay the hourly rate of a lawyer for these kinds of activities. Realistically, you only have time to directly address the issues that need your expertise anyway.

A paralegal is key to your success. Hiring full-time staff would solve the problem, but do you have the time to find the right people? And can you justify the cost?

Contracting paralegal and legal admin services from an alternative legal services provider (ALSP) like Amata Law Office Suites could save you time and allow you to present impressive costs for high-quality work, ensuring this client continues working with your firm. And potentially getting you some referrals for work well done.

When to Hire Law Firm Staff, and When to Outsource From an ALSP

Time Management

Hiring the right paralegal for the project involves vetting the candidate’s expertise in the area of need. Are you confident you can find the right person for the job? Time is money; every hour you spend recruiting a capable paralegal is a billable hour lost. Once you make the right hire, onboarding that person also takes time. A full-time individual needs to become acquainted with everyone in your practice, your current clients as well as other support staff.

By contracting with an ALSP like Amata Law Office Suites, you’ll find professional, previously vetted, support staff (secretarial and paralegal services) ready to partner with you on an as-needed, pay-as-you-go basis. Developing relationships with Amata’s professional paralegals ensures you have the best person available for the client’s needs when that client returns with another project.

Monetary Considerations

Cost of Experience

Employing full-time certified paralegals and/or legal admin staff increases both your direct and indirect costs.

Direct expenses like…

  • salary
  • payroll taxes
  • employee benefits (such as insurance)

And indirect costs that increase as staff increases such as…

  • office space
  • equipment
  • software licenses

If you want a solid member to join your team, it’s going to mean much higher salaries as well. The Amata paralegal team, for instance boasts an average of 27 years of experience (as of 2020) and they specialize in certain areas of law. Expertise means they can excute items quickly and accurately for your clientelle, but that costs more money than an entry level paralegal. For solo and private practice firms, taking on the salaries that accompany this level of support and experience is not an option.

Since ALSPs charge for work done, however, you can receive this experience at a cost that is affordable. Plus, an experienced team can execute documents quickly. It may only take a staff member fifteen minutes to complete the work you need, which means you’re only billed for those fiftenn minutes. And you can bill your clients back for the work.

Cost of a Bad Hire

But the after-hire expenses represent only part of the cost. The U.C. Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment estimates recruiting costs for a new employee can range from $2,000 to $7,000. Ongoing expenses include the employer’s portion of FICA, 7.65% of the employee’s annual salary, healthcare coverage, unemployment insurance, and retirement benefits.

And what is the cost of a bad hire? The U. S. Department of Labor recently listed the average cost of a bad hiring decision at a minimum of 30% of the individual’s first year salary. In legal work, your service is your brand; a bad hire can turn away clients and leave you repairing a damaged reputation. It can also bring more of a headach to you as you try to manage inexperienced staff, versus having an experienced staff member who is only an asset.

Hiring Takes Work!

Unless you practice employment law (and are already well versed), you, as an employer of full-time staff, must now also stay current on HR policies. The legal requirements change from time to time; medical benefits need explanation and annual review, sexual harassment training is required by certain states. Plus, personnel problems can arise. Managing a larger staff adds complexity. You can avoid this work by contracting an ALSP like Amata Legal Office Suites to handle work instead of hiring yourself.

Before you decide to hire a full-time paralegal, legal admin, and/or receptionist, consider how your firm can benefit from contracting with an ALSP.  Gain the trust of that important client while saving time, money, and work by contracting with Amata Legal Office Suites. We provide impressive office spaces, and well-vetted paralegal and legal admin services. Contact us today for more information about our services.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Bill Belmont: This Investigative Firm Knows How to Help Attorneys. It was Built by One. | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Bill Belmont was a trial attorney, investigative attorney, worked in law enforcement, and nearly became an FBI agent before starting his investigative firm. He jokes he founded The Belmont Group with one goal in mind: to make more money so that his wife wasn’t relegated to the ‘hillbilly’ lifestyle he enjoyed.

Bill has considerable experience investigating civil and criminal matters in a wide range of industries including finance, fashion, entertainment and real estate. And he puts client relationships first, even over the money he claims he started this firm to earn. Jokes aside, helping people in tight situations is the real reason he started this work.

Life at an investigative firm isn’t all Ray Donovan. But it is fun.

Why Bill enjoys the latest stage in his ever-morphing career:

  • “Well, like every Jewish kid on Long Island. I wanted to be a cop…” (01:22)
  • How team sports help attorneys conquer their jobs (13:20)
  • Matrimonial cases. Ray Donovan. Catfishing situations. And more. (17:05)
  • Life is about the way you frame it (31:48)

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

More than an investigative firm founder, Bill still loves the legal profession.

“I’m really a life coach when I think about it, right? My job is to motivate people to do the right thing. That’s what I do. I bring motivation to people so they can see the light and avoid the more complicated aspects to [their situation].”

“I always try to tell young people in the profession, both lawyers and investigators – I go back to my old law school and I try to mentor as much as I can – never chase the dollar. Chase the relationship.”

“I love the legal profession. I can’t stand when people talk about ‘Oh, I’m a recovering attorney.’ No buddy, that’s your problem. The legal profession is an amazing profession. I have friends I grew up with and who I went to law school who are doing a thousand different jobs: I’m an investigator, they’re in finance, some have their own businesses. But the one thing that’s great about the law is that thread runs through everything you do. There’s nothing you do in life, professionally, that doesn’t have some aspect of the law to it. So it’s a great, great activity.”

BILL BELMONT, INVESTIGATIVE ATTORNEY & FOUNDER OF THE BELMONT GROUP INVESTIGATIVE FIRM

Bill Belmont

Bill has over 30 years of experience in the investigation, due diligence, and security field. In addition to having worked as a law enforcement officer and trial attorney, he served as Director of Operations for the New York office of Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations.

He has overseen the management of hundreds of corporate investigations involving fraud, workplace misconduct, brand protection and theft of trade secrets. Additionally, he has managed hundreds of investigations for national and international law firms and has developed and implemented due diligence protocols for dozens of financial institutions to ensure the integrity of their investments. He provides clients with pre-incident consulting, including vulnerability surveys, threat assessments and crisis management plans and procedures. Furthermore, Bill provides security consulting services to clients for personal and private events.

Bill oversees the implementation of increased security measures for many corporate clients. He serves as a member of crisis management teams, assisting with contingency plans for critical occurrences, such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, computer network penetrations, business interruptions and incidents of workplace violence.

www.thebelmontgrp.com
Bill’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williambelmont/

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.

The Struggle for Diversity in Law Firms is Real. These Legal Experts Share Their Stories and Strides

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Leslie Davis

What People Aren’t Addressing About Diversity in Law Firms

The statistics are harsh. According to the ABA National Lawyer Population Survey, lawyers of color represented just 14% of all lawyers in 2020. And that percentage has grown less than 3% over the past decade. 

While the legal industry has further emphasized diversity and inclusion, it’s still branded as one of the least diverse professions. Specifically, only 5% of lawyers are Black; 5% are Hispanic; 2% are Asian; and 0.4% are Native American. 

“It makes me recognize that there’s a lot of work to be done,” said Leslie Davis, CEO of the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF).

The industry may need an overhaul when it comes to diversity, but resources are available. Founded in 2001, NAMWOLF works to promote diversity within the legal profession by advancing successful relationships among its roughly 200 member firms. In 2010, NAMWOLF launched the Inclusion Initiative, an effort that aims to increase corporations’ retention of minority- and women-owned law firms. By 2014, 30 corporations were involved in the initiative and spent $212 million with diverse firms.

Davis joined the NAMWOLF community earlier this month after spending more than 25 years as a lawyer and litigator in the Chicago area. In 2014, she was honored at the Chicago POW! Awards for showing “game-changing leadership in business and their communities.” Davis represented the 5% of Black U.S. lawyers as well as another bleak statistic. As a partner, she represented one of the less than 2% of Black partners in Big Law.

“It wasn’t easy, but I was fortunate and blessed to have great mentors, sponsors and people who cared about my trajectory,” Davis said.

Some attorneys have cited a lack of mentorship and cultural isolation as reasons why they left their firms. Davis said she always tried to make herself available to lawyers of color, acknowledging that she was often one of few Black women in her positions who could provide the insight and guidance that fellow Black lawyers needed.

Why Promoting Diversity in Law Firms Matters

For entertainment law attorney Odell Mitchell III of Thirdinline Legal LLC, incorporating diverse voices into law firms is very important. During his time as a solo practitioner, he said clients have expressed comfort in working with him, and some have admitted that he’s the first young, Black lawyer to whom they have spoken.

“The level of representation that I get to provide directly for people, especially young Black men, is something I don’t take lightly,” Mitchell III said. “People appreciate me being who I am.”

Family law and criminal defense attorney Chelsey Robinson of Owens & Robinson can also speak firsthand on the importance of representation. 

“I have had situations where opposing counsel referred to me as ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey,’” she said. “I find that very degrading. It shows that we need more diversity training. Because a lot of times, we’re not aware of biases.”

While training is important, Circuit Court of Cook County Judge Erika Orr thinks the answer is simpler than implementing various initiatives.

“The only way you get diversity and inclusion is to have a diverse and inclusive workplace,” she said. “The key is to recruit from everywhere, not just from select schools.”

Before becoming an Illinois judge, Orr operated her own firm from Amata Law Office Suites, Chicago’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and six Class-A downtown offices. Mitchell III and Robinson call Amata home as well. 

Amata’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Amata offers premier legal support, including live receptionists and an experienced paralegal team. Orr, Mitchell III and Robinson commend Amata for filling these roles with diverse individuals and for highlighting diverse voices through its various communication channels. Amata’s CEO, Ron Bockstahler, also sits on the board of directors of the Justice Renewal Initiative, a program geared toward helping young men and women transition out of the criminal justice system.

“When you have groups like Amata, who interact with lawyers and law firms on a daily basis and see the need for change, … it’s impactful when they decide to get in the fight and make a difference too,” Davis said.

During her time as NAMWOLF CEO, Davis wants to see the statistics improve. She hopes to provide more opportunities for minority- and women-owned law firms to work with corporations as well as public and private companies.

“It’s a great responsibility and honor to be doing work on a daily basis that’s been so important and meaningful to me throughout my whole career.”

At Amata, we know there’s more work to be done to empower lawyers of color. Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our six Class-A law firm office spaces and consider joining the Amata community to learn how we can help. Or keep the conversation going by contacting us at [email protected].

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Lori Levin: From Gov. Prosecution Work to Running a Solo Practice | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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We’re going to use the phrase ‘from this to that’ a lot because Criminal Defense attorney Lori Levin’s experience is expansive. She started as a prosecutor in the state’s attorney’s office and in 2009 decided to go private and open her own firm. Running a solo practice meant learning lessons about how to operate both as an attorney and a business owner.

Now Lori calls her criminal defense solo work the most fulfilling stage in her career to date, and she sees the positive changes the courts are making for her clients.

Lori’s amazing experiences in her career and insights from running a solo practice in Criminal Defense:

  • From Prosecution to creating a new court in Illinois (03:49)
  • Running a solo practice: From business acumen to mental health (20:53)
  • State of the criminal system today (31:25)
  • What Lori Levin wants to see changed in the business of law (38:33)

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Learning your worth as a solo practice attorney…even when you’re already an experienced lawyer.

“I was in the planning group to help start the first felony mental health court, diversion court, in Cook County, at 26th Street – it’s now spread out throughout the county and throughout the state…. It was really amazing how, the help with drugs…the people who had co-occurring disorders wound up getting on the right path and how their lives were turned around. And these were folks to 30 years ago, might have gotten locked up or the criminal justice system might have thrown them away. And now they wind up getting jobs getting help. And it really was rewarding.”

“I was lucky that I was an experienced lawyer, [that] when I opened up my own practice that I knew how to practice law. So, then the issue was learning how to operate a business…. I had another experienced defense attorney pulled me aside and say ‘Lori, we’re in a business and you need to bill,’ and the first time that I quoted somebody what I was worth and they said yes it was refreshing.”

“I’ve been doing this for a long time. And I think I’ve learned from that that I need to put a premium on my mental health. I think that when I was just prosecuting murder cases it got to me in a way that I didn’t appreciate until I stopped prosecuting murder cases…. I try to make sure that I’m grounded, that I do things that will take me away from the law, at times, and I’m very lucky that I have a really good support network.”

LORI LEVIN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE SOLO PRACTICE ATTORNEY

Lori G. Levin is a forceful advocate for people facing charges in Criminal and Juvenile Court as well as those being investigated by the Department of Children and Family Services and/or appealing DCFS findings. After a long career in public service, Lori opened her private practice in 2009. She has successfully defended persons in Criminal and Juvenile Court as well as in DCFS administrative appeals, not only in the Circuit Court of Cook County but also in the collar counties.

Lori spent many years as a prosecutor and supervisor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, positions that have given her substantial insight into the inner workings of the criminal justice system and valuable knowledge to shape her clients’ defense tactics.  The Governor of Illinois appointed Lori to be the Executive Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, an agency dedicated to improving the Illinois criminal justice system. Today, as a Chicago and North Shore criminal defense attorney, Lori Levin passionately fights to secure justice for her clients.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/criminaldefense1/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicagodefense
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriLevin

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

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Legaltech News: Flexing Their Market Muscles, ALSPs Can Elicit Tech Discounts For Small Firms

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Read the full piece here or below:

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Jamie Rubin: Running a ‘Lean & Mean’ Boutique Law Firm | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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InfoLawGroup LLP has offices across the U.S. and covers three major areas of law – advertising, privacy, and technology – but they aren’t a huge firm. They are a boutique law firm and practice in a niche market, where those three practice areas overlap. Jamie explains how their niche powerhouse of firm was built and how they optimize their team’s broad and specialized knowledge.

Finding the ‘sweet-spot’ at your boutique law firm:

  • The intersection of 3 practice areas (01:51)
  • Optimizing firm IP and building a forward thinking law practice (22:02)
  • BBQ & Jamie’s team “Silence of the Hams” (35:30)
  • What Jamie Rubin wants to see changed in the business of law (43:53)

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The power of a boutique law firm in the modern day.

“Everyone in our firm, can do advertising law, and do privacy law and can do technology law, as siloed practices—some of us have a little bit more focused in one area than the other….And a lot of our clients need us to meet in the middle. The sweet-spot, everything that we do today for our clients, combines all three of those elements….It’s still a niche practice, a boutique practice. But to be able to provide that advice, all three of those areas at the same time, [comes] as a real benefit to our clients.”

“We spent a lot of time and energy, making a decision to use cloud based services for our system. And that was the first thing we had to do to help eliminate some overhead when it came to physical office space and fostering the ability to generally be on the road, and still work seamlessly. Because we travel a lot. I mean, this is not so much about working from home, as it is being able to work seamlessly everywhere.”

“We kind of took a big firm practice and turned it into a boutique. And our firm is primarily comprised of former Big Law attorneys, plus a number of executive level associate general counsels at companies, some retailers, and so we bring a perspective…that’s both Big Law trained plus in-house lawyer, to provide…down and dirty, practical advice.”

JAMIE RUBIN, Partner at Boutique Law Firm InfoLawGroup LLP

Jamie Rubin is an advertising, technology and privacy lawyer who works with clients to bring their advertising, promotional and entertainment campaigns from concept to execution. Jamie’s practice covers the spectrum of traditional and emerging advertising and entertainment issues.

He works on national and digital advertising campaigns, celebrity spokesperson agreements, sweepstakes and user-generated content promotions, social networking and viral marketing matters, claim substantiation, mobile applications and beyond. Jamie is a frequent speaker and author on new media topics and is recognized as a Leader in the Field for Media & Entertainment by Chambers Partners.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/infolawgroup-llp
Website: www.infolawgroup.com

 

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.