Blog | Jeremy W. Richter

11 Jun

Focus on Processes not Outcomes

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Practice Management

My basement was kind of a disaster. Boxes haphazardly strewn about. Tools and equipment that had not been organized in the last 18 months, despite the best of intentions. Kids toys that had been played with and discarded. A pile of things to take to the landfill. So after months of trying not to notice the mess, I picked up and organized the basement. Now I have a tidy basement. But if I just focus on the result that now I have a clean and well-organized basement, I will turn around in a few months to discover it has devolved...

04 Jun

Authenticating Emails for Use as Admissible Evidence

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Case Management, Discovery & Evidence

Sometimes at trial, the only way to get certain facts or statements into evidence is through the emails that contain them. But this situation occurs infrequently enough that most of us don't know off-hand how to go about authenticating emails for use as admissible evidence. Fortunately, a path has been paved for this in Alabama that makes it clear how we need to authenticate emails. Authentication under Alabama Rule of Evidence 901 Alabama Rule of Evidence 901 provides the requirements for authenticating evidence. The purpose of authentication is to enable the court to be "satisfied by evidence sufficient to support...

28 May

Is There Value in Giving Work Away for Free?

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Client Management

When I launched my new book, Stop Putting Out Fires a couple of weeks ago, I ran a giveaway in which I gave out free copies of my first book, Building a Better Law Practice. Doing this cost me time, money, and arguably, may have cost me sales from people who had purchased Stop Putting Out Fires and may have later bought Building a Better Law Practice, but instead I gave it to them for free. So what is the upside of giving work away for free? Maybe I’ve instilled more loyalty among my readers. Perhaps I have built up...

21 May

Get Paid up Front: A Cautionary Tale about Getting Stiffed by a Client

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Client Management

A friend of mine named Oliver recently told me a story about getting stiffed by a client. This is a problem common to many lawyers when they either don't get a retainer or don't collect a large enough retainer before starting to work for a new client. Because of the prevalence of this issue, Oliver and others who heard the story asked me to share it. Getting stiffed by a client is likely to happen to all of us at some point, but this is just a reminder to do what you can to minimize that possibility. Here's Oliver's story:...

14 May

Be Open and Responsive to Feedback

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Practice Management

A few weeks ago, Curt Runger of Attorney Mentors sent me a text message saying that he had been seeing my posts on LinkedIn and that if I would do one thing differently, LinkedIn's algorithm would like me better and increase my visibility. I've known Curt for a while now and trust that when he tells me something, he knows what he's talking about. So I implemented the change. Over the past three years, I have never had particularly good results from sharing my blog posts on LinkedIn. Usually about 140 folks see the post on LinkedIn and a few...

07 May

Launch Day Giveaway Results for Stop Putting Out Fires

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Reading & Writing

You likely know by now that my second book, Stop Putting Out Fires (Amazon), launched on Thursday, May 2. Thanks to the support of my regular readers, my friends in LawyerSmack, and others out there who have come across it, the book has had a pretty successful first few days in the wild. While I don't know the exact sales numbers yet, I don't mind telling you that between orders and pre-orders, Stop Putting Out Fires has already sold more copies than my first book, Building a Better Law Practice, did in its first two months of existence. Reviews of...

02 May

Launch Day Giveaway for Stop Putting Out Fires!

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Reading & Writing

I can't express how excited I am about today, launch day for my new book Stop Putting Out Fires. I have been thinking about it and planning it for months now. But before I tell you about the Launch Day Giveaway, I wanted to share an email I received this week from one of the lawyers who has read both of my books: "Building a Better Law Practice helped me think big picture on case management, and Stop Putting Out Fires gives me productive ways to fix my weakness of being disorganized and making clients happier. They really work well...

23 Apr

Have a Vision for Your Practice so You Don’t Become Extinct

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Practice Management

I am near-sighted, which is really only useful for tying knots with fishing line or doing anything else that can be done within 18 inches of my face. I didn’t always know I was near-sighted. It wasn’t until I started driving that we discovered it. My mother was riding with me while I had my learner’s permit. She abruptly turned to me and asked, “Why didn’t you stop at that stop sign?” I replied earnestly, “What stop sign?” She didn’t miss a beat before announcing, “We are going to make you an eye appointment.” It wasn’t until I walked out...

17 Apr

[Appearance] Round 2 on the Lawsome Podcast

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Practice Management

Jake and Paul of the Lawsome Podcast had me back on their weekly show. In addition to discussing my new book, Stop Putting Out Fires, we talked about a variety of topics that included the stress relief of yard work, communication skills, the Enneagram, and law practice management. You can find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or you can check out the webpage for the interview for an exhaustive list of other places the episode can be found. I last appeared on the Lawsome Podcast in August 2018 to talk about Building a Better Law Practice.

16 Apr

Don’t Sacrifice Your Creativity to Your Law Practice

Posted by Jeremy W. Richter Practice Management

Over the last couple of years, I’ve written a good bit about the importance of lawyers engaging and exploring their creativity. In fact, I've gone so far as to say that when we take time away from work to devote to family, hobbies, and exercise, we will be better lawyers. I can’t understate the importance of using all our gifts, rather than suppressing them for the sake of the billable hour. Your creative expression may take the form of cooking, writing, photography, knitting, or singing; whatever it is, do not forsake it. For a decade, through high school and into...