In response to a listener email from a law student who asked “Would the podcast hosts go to law school if they could do it all over again?,” Scott and Oscar give the proverbial lawyer’s answer “It Depends.” They discuss their answer to that question in detail and also talk about the state of the current marketplace for lawyers. The hosts point out that they would definitely go to law school again at the same price and with the same student loan debt they did when they went, but would have to think hard about taking on $250K in debt to go now. They discuss that due to the current market (better but still not great) folks should only go to law school if they can (a) get into a top tier school or (b) get into a middle level tier school with little or no debt. The easy answer to the question posed is that they both would not go again if they could only get into a lower tier school and receive no tuition assistance or scholarships. If listeners find themselves in the latter situation, the hosts discuss that they need to put everything aside to graduate near the very top 1% while simultaneously networking to have valuable internships and connections during your law school career. In conclusion, the host recommend NOT going to law school if you are doing it as a “default” or want to “hope for the best” thinking maybe the market will turn around. While both Scott and Oscar enjoy their practices in today’s world, the field of law is a much different place and law students need to know that extra effort, planning and energy is required to be successful upon graduation.

It’s the hardest thing about the practice of law as a solo or in a small firm – getting properly compensated for your time. But it’s also the secret to having a quality practice that you don’t resent. In this episode, Oscar and Scott discuss some of the reasons why clients balk at paying and what lawyers can do to make sure that the bills you send out come back with checks. While it once again boils down to maintaining the two core principles at the heart of what we always talk about – authenticity and value – the hosts offer some concrete tips and suggestions to keep your balance sheet on the upside. • Set expectations early - about fees, billing and communication • Have a properly drafted, clear retainer agreement • Communicate regularly about fees and about the matter they’ve entrusted to you • Provide detailed and easy-to-read bills • Don’t allow yourself to fall too far behind

This episode focuses on what law schools do to manipulate their rankings and appear more worthy to incoming law students. Scott and Oscar talk about schools who pay for high rankings in “Best of” lists that may appear on internet searches but have no true substance behind them. Some lower tier schools are not allowing their students at the bottom of the class to even take the Bar exam to hopefully inflate their Bar passing rates as well. The hosts point out that many of these tools, trick and tips are also used by legal marketers to try and convince lawyers to engage in their marketing systems. Law students and lawyers alike should take care to look behind the phony statistics and promises (which are usually easily identified) and do your homework. In both legal education and the practice of law there are few shortcuts. Nice shiny objects that may look good at the start soon wear off and leave you out in the cold. Make sure what you are doing and investing in has value and is genuine.

Oscar opens the show telling a story about how he happened to run into a long-lost relative while traveling in Chile. He came across his relative because he was engaging some local folks in conversation and one thing led to another. The hosts talk about lawyers need to keep their eyes and ears open for opportunity. You make your own luck – by having an open mind and always having a business-oriented perspective, opportunities will come your way. Take the chance- reach out to people, set up meetings, have lunch, coffee, - run ideas by them, ask them about their business, run things by each other you never know where it will go. We are so often in contact with people who can help us in our practice but we walk past them every day because we won’t take that first step. The main point is that you can’t wait for opportunity to knock on your door, you have to have the initiative and take a chance to go and get it yourself.