Join Oscar and Scott this week as they discuss the process Scott went through to add the niche practice area of College Disciplinary Law to his legal practice.

Listen to find out how Scott determined if this was a viable practice area. Here are some of the considerations you must evaluate when looking to add a practice area to your law practice;

- Is there a need/market for the niche?
- Is this practice area an authentic extension of my practice and of myself?
- Can I provide value for clients?
- How will you get clients in this area?
- Do you have the time you have to put in?
- Do you have a passion for this area?
- Do you have the skills or is there a steep learning curve?
- Can you distinguish yourself in this new area?

We will check in with Scott from time to time to see how the practice is progressing and discuss the challenges he faces.

This week Sam Glover from Lawyerist.com joins us. Sam is the founder of Lawyerist.com which provides daily online content about the practice of law, touching upon subjects such as practice management, tech and marketing.

Sam is a strong advocate of attorneys being technologically competent. He joins Oscar and Scott and they discuss the necessity of attorneys having an understanding of such varied topics as;

- How to communicate securely with clients
- How to safely use public wifi
- An attorneys obligation to advise clients as to the security of their communications
- how lay a foundation to admit social media into evidence
- the duty to google
- how to use Word and Dropbox
- how files are encrypted

They also discuss how you can add value to the attorney client relationship by advising clients how to keep their data and communications safe.

Please visit Sam at Lawyerist.com
Download Sam’s checklist of the knowledge and skills that make up the basic technological competence for lawyers at https://lawyerist.com/downloads/basic-tech-competence/

It’s painfully obvious to state that the modern lawyer trying to grow his practice needs a great website. So why do we devote a whole podcast to the subject? Because it’s no longer enough to get a domain name and throw up a basic template law firm website. You have to tailor your site to the demographic and client base you are trying to get as clients.

Oscar & Scott talk about the thought process and planning you need to get into before you even start talking about the actual design of the site. The hosts discuss Search Engine Optimization and how SEO has changed over the past few years. The podcast provides specific advice and ideas on how to make your website appealing to your potential client base. Essential website areas discussed during the show are:

- What should be on the home page
- Photos
- A Thought-Out Tag Line
- Blog
- Contact Information

Episode 26 - Mentoring and Coaching

What does it mean to have a mentor? Most people think of an elderly person who provides sage advice and guidance to a young protégé. And while that certainly is one aspect of mentoring, in this podcast the hosts discuss that he benefits that all lawyers – young or old; experienced or fresh out of law school – can obtain from a mentor. Scott and Oscar talk about their own personal experiences mentoring lawyers and also discuss how they found the people they rely on to bounce ideas off of or to simply help vent their frustration. The hosts discuss how to find a mentor and approach them about filling that role. For lawyers trying to reboot their practice having a person they trust and can count on to help them through the process is an invaluable tool.

Best places to find a mentor/coach:

(A) Your social circle of lawyers or business people you know, admire and trust;
(B) Bar association;
(C) Law school;
(D) Family           

Leaving a firm to start your own practice is a scary proposition. In this episode Oscar and Scott give vital steps you should take that will lead to a successful practice.

1. You must start planning far in advance by thinking about the makeup of your practice (type of practice, type of clients, type of law) and looking at the viability of each possibility.

2. Will you be able to bring in enough business to support your practice?

3. Start setting up your support system of mentors and get a feel for what solo and small practice life is like.

They also talk about how right now might actually be the best time to start a new practice.