I started out practicing commercial litigation in a big firm. Think: mountains of paper, high stakes, and high stress.
At first, the cases were fascinating, so I overlooked the stress. As I climbed the ladder and made partner, I noticed more problems.
Things like: high-quota billables, petty politics, and mindless bureaucracy.
And so what initially attracted me to big firm practice felt less important. Things like:
- Making lots of money
- Having big firm stature
- Working in a fancy office
I now craved something simpler. But whenever I fantasized about going solo, I was terrified.
Could it actually work? Or would I fail and face ridicule?
I knew a lot of lawyers would think I was second-rate if I gave up the big money and my 40th-floor partner’s office. I really didn’t care about that.
But getting mired in handling tedious admin work? No, definitely not.
Yet, theoretically, computers could enable lawyers to automate low-level work and concentrate more on the interesting stuff we truly enjoy.
One day, someone showed me how to scan documents into my laptop.
And that was the moment everything changed. A light bulb went off in my head.
I realized that now I could work from literally anywhere, dramatically lower my overhead, and still deliver top-tier legal services.
I sought out more mentors who could help me learn more. And I found them online.
These folks showed me how to get a low-cost website. And how to use a virtual receptionist that was just as good as the one my big firm used, but cost almost nothing.
In short, I achieved maximum ROI with minimal overhead.
All of which enabled me to:
- work at my pace
- outmatch big firms
- easily get great clients.
My tech-driven practice became not just profitable but also FUN.
Over the past decade, technology has created even more opportunities for solo and small-firm lawyers to make big improvements.
This brings me to my new mission…
