Avoid These Folks
It’s hard to figure out everything that needs to happen for your practice to run effectively (i.e. technology, operations, marketing, staffing, finance, etc.)
If you are looking for sensible, guidance, you don’t need to fumble around on YouTube or Google. Don’t hesitate to get guidance from knowledgeable, unbiased experts.
There are some trustworthy folks out there for sure. And some of them can be found speaking at legal conferences.
But most of the people you find roaming around those conferences should be avoided, such as…
The CLE Ethics Scold, who says…
Did you realize that the ethics rules were changed?
And some verbiage in a comment now REQUIRES that you PAY ATTENTION TO TECHNOLOGY!!!
This is VERY SERIOUS!!
What does this mean in practical terms?
Well, it means you better GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER buster!!!!
What? You have a question!?
‘Do I have any helpful advice about HOW you should use technology?’
NO!
Most certainly NOT!!!!
My job is to fill the room with sanctimony.
You can figure out how to use technology on your own as far as I care.
Ze Website Artiste, who says…
I make ze pretty websites. So, so lovely websites.
You too want ze lovely website, yes?
I make yours so beautiful Michelangelo would cry when he see it.
I have no idea how to build a website that makes you more money. But that is not what you should worry about.
Money is a mere collective fiction.
Art, now that is what we’re put on earth to create. To dance to dream to sing…
To convey a strong narrative theme.
Yes, this is what matters most…
The power of art. I believe in this with all my soul.
But, most of all, I believe in the power of ze beautiful website.
Don’t you?
Waggy-Tail Startups, who say…
Are you in the vast majority of lawyers who don’t use practice management software?
Well I have some really good news.
Guess what my company sells? Yes, how did you know?
Okay look, stop rolling your eyes!
Our practice management software is truly better than the other 200 existing options out there.
So it’s a really good thing you didn’t decide to use PMS before now.
A really, really good thing. And here’s why…
Unlike all the other options, ours is truly all-in-one.
We call it…*drum roll*…
Law Firm In A Box™
I think that explains it pretty well.
But if not, here’s the key point: our software will do EVERYTHING for you.
Just install the software and your law firm will begin to run by itself.
Your firm will be 100% automated.
Amazing, right!?
Just make sure that, after you install the software, you watch ALL of the training videos.
We have about 147 of them so far.
They’ll help you configure all the preference settings.
How many hours will it take to watch the videos?
You know, I’m not sure.
Honestly, I’m just a software guy.
And the reason I created this thing is because I heard that lawyers have lots of money to spend on software.
You do have lots of money, right?
The Pompous Visionary, who says…
I have one big superpower: I know where the practice of law is going.
Best of all?
I’ve learned how to monetize this superpower.
I write provoking books and give stirring speeches.
I have a Scottish accent and I’m not afraid to use it.
Especially when lawyer groups call to ask if I can speak at their events.
I charge $25,000 a pop. YOWZA!
So how do I help the average solo or small firm lawyer? Well, actually I don’t.
My target audience is event planners with big budgets. And besides…
I’m not a plumber.
I’m a visionary.
The Fear-Mongering Security Expert, who says…
Be afraid, be very afraid… of technology.
What? You’re not yet a quivering blob of jelly?
Not a problem. Spend a few minutes with me, listening to terrifyingly vivid descriptions of all the ways you can be beaten up in the dark alleys of the Internet.
The more I talk, the more panicked you’ll become.
If you listen to me for more than an hour, you’ll decide not to use computers anymore, especially not ones connected to the Internet.
But don’t worry, I’ll recommend some safe solutions. Android is safe, especially if you pay us to tell you how to set everything up.
I don’t like Apple products, so you shouldn’t either.
Why do I not like Apple?
Don’t worry your pretty little head about why. Just listen to me and be afraid.
Very afraid.
The Social Media Ditz, who says…
I really believe in the power of social media. And by the end of my talk, you will, too. #youwilltoo
By the way, could you post what I just said to Twitter? (And please retweet #RT)
I tweet dozens of times a day. Because that’s how you #do it!!
#lawtech #law #socialmedia4lawyers #lovingit
Social media is truly amazing. Instagram. Facebook. Snapchat. LinkedIn. Pinterest —GOD HOW I LOVE PINTEREST!
Almost as much as I love #twitter
I’ve had a lot of reporters reach out to me just based on my use of Twitter.
I can go on and on about how much social media has helped my #practice (and that’s what I’m going to do for the next 59 #minutes by the way).
Which reminds me about this true story…
So…because I’m a patent attorney, I was tweeting a lot around a Shark Tank TV episode, and I got a message from someone who said “I think you’re a cool lawyer. I’m going to invent something so I can work with you.”
See what I #mean?
Very powerful.
#trending #ILoveHashtags #PleaseRT
The SEO Gigolo, who says…
Are you desperate for more clients? How desperate, exactly?
If you’re recklessly desperate, that’s perfect. Let’s talk.
We’ll set up a website for you and sprinkle it with magic “SEO dust.” Within days, you’ll start getting calls from prospective clients.
Now, these won’t be stellar candidates—and more than a few wrong numbers—but hey, your phone’s ringing!
That is, until it stops ringing. But we’ll keep charging you the same monthly fee.
And remember: we gave you a great looking website as part of the deal.
Don’t forget that. We really do care about you.
You’re frankly lucky to have someone who knows so much about SEO and online marketing.
Of course, Google occasionally penalizes our lawyers’ websites, because we don’t always follow their required rules (like not putting duplicate content on multiple sites).
Silly Google. How else are we supposed to make it easier to mass-publish on behalf of our clients?.
Don’t ever think of leaving us by the way. We own your website and all the content on it.
Oh, you didn’t read our terms and conditions closely, did you?
Well, that’s probably because you were so desperate.
The Ex-Lawyer Entrepreneur, who says…
I was a scrappy solo, but then built a firm where everyone in it knew how to use technology well. That was a big turning point.
Now I sell “interesting sounding solutions” to Bar Associations.
I’d offer it directly to lawyers, but I don’t really know how to market stuff.
I do, however, have a Ph.D. in Communicating With Clueless Bureaucracies.
For example, when a bar leader asks what my company does, I say:
“We focus on the intersection of the legal profession, the business of law & technology, and we offer consulting services, and a range of alternative staffing services for law firms with a real focus on creating operational efficiencies in law firms.”
Obviously, that’s clear as mud.
But you know what happened when I said that to the American Bar Association?
They signed up right away! Crazy, right?
Yeah, we thought so too.
So what exactly do ABA members get when they join our program?
Check back next year; we’re still beta testing a lot of cool options.
The Millennial Lawyer, who says…
I figured this crap out, so why can’t you?
I’ll tell you why.
Because you have too much hair growing out of your ears.
You think I’m arrogant, but I don’t care.
True, I may not know much about practicing law, but my army of robot lawyers will crush you and completely revolutionize the legal profession.
Did you read that article about the 16-year-old kid who built a chatbot that fixes parking tickets?
Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.
The revolution is on, geezer, and you will not be part of it.
The Amiable Journalist, who says…
I attend pretty much every legal tech conference and I know all the players.
I used to practice law and it was hard.
Now I get paid to write about “the next new thing” and it’s easy.
I’m respected by conference organizers, even when I criticize what they’re doing. They understand that I have to criticize at least one thing.
Makes sense, right?
I have to prove that I’m discriminating. Otherwise, I just look like a shill for the fawning vendors.
For example, I enjoyed the last conference. Mostly because of the good food, but that’s not enough.
So I said the food was good, but the session topics were sort of meh.
I didn’t attend the sessions mind you.
But here’s a discriminating observation I made…
“Too many of the session titles were about nuts and bolts, not about the future of law.”
So that was my one dig. Which the organizers didn’t mind so much.
After all, I did praise the sessions entitled “How to Use Virtual Reality in the Courtroom,” and “Whether Law Firms Can Accept Bitcoins.”
Those titles were really exciting.
Look, if you aren’t excited about technology you probably aren’t going to enough legal tech conferences.
You can pick up some great tips at those conferences.
For example, did you know that 28 states now require lawyers to pay attention to technology? (I’m keeping track of the exact number of states, so keep checking my website every day for updates).
Yeah, these legal tech conferences are truly the place to be.
#Law-Tech-Forever #All-Expenses-Paid #Boondoogle-in-a-Box
Would You Prefer Better Guidance?
After having worked for over a decade with hundreds of lawyers with all kinds of practices, I’ve zeroed in on three essential elements for making any kind of practice run a whole lot smoother.
1. Simplicity
The simpler your practice is, the better. But how do you create simplicity?
You start by creating systems for doing common workflows. But you also have to eliminate unnecessary complexity. When you do these two things, your practice will become exponentially easier to run.
2. Automation
This is where technology will make the biggest difference. And when you get enough solid automation going, some key parts of your practice will start to run more by themselves—without you having to be involved.
There’s a lot that you can theoretically automate, but I recommend starting with text-based automation, online scheduling services, and email-based referral marketing. That’s where you’ll get the biggest payoff the most quickly.
Once you’ve locked in solid automation in those areas you’ll start feeling a lot more relaxed and in control.
3. Mobility
When you get adept at working remotely, using cloud services, and virtual assistance, well…
Then you’ll finally start to enjoy massive freedom.
You’ll spend zero time doing drudgery and more time away from work, having fun.
Harsh Truth Time
Technology, by itself, is not going to make your practice better.
But using it haphazardly (as many lawyers do) will almost certainly make things worse, not better.
And listening to foolish advice about technology is also dangerous.
Look, technology needs to be used sensibly to fully harness its power.
And if you want to know how to use it sensibly, and effectively —in a way that leads to radical improvement…
…here is the best way that I can help you do that sooner rather than later.
LawFirm Autopilot – My Top Online Program
This is my signature program for learning to simplify, automate and outsource key aspects of your law practice. You can learn more about it here.
Lot’s of lawyers have used it to make big changes, even some who call themselves “dinosaur lawyers.”
Here are some of the things people have said about this program…
- “I can honestly say that I’m years ahead of where I would be if had not done this…” —Keith Magness
- “My practice has grown exponentially because of Ernie.”—Stephanie Quigley
- “Ernie is the man to know if you’re trying to build your practice and take it to the next level.”—Charles Irvin
The Autopilot program is self-directed so you can go through it at your own pace.
And check out what a family law attorney named Patrick thinks.
