Civil Litigation

When David Lat went to law school and launched his legal career, he expected to have a traditional legal career. But within a few years, the desire to write and explore topics that were of interest to him and, as it turns out, many other people led David down a non-standard path. In Episode 44 of Lawyerpreneur, David Lat and I talk about the early days of Underneath Their Robes, the predecessor to Above the Law. He tells the story of why he decided to come out from behind his anonymity, and how that led to Above the Law. David...

In Episode 43 of Lawyerpreneur, Amanda Doucette (who blogs and podcasts about tax issues under the title, “The Tax Chick”) joins me to discuss a number of topics. One of her focuses in her law practice is distinguishing the value of her services to her clients — what does that mean and how do you do it? We talk about the transformative experience Amanda has had in working with a business coach. As has been a running theme through a number of recent interviews (like Episode 41 with Lisa Lang), we talking about the importance of surrounded yourself with like-minded...

In Episode 42 of Lawyerpreneur, Damien Black and I discuss laying the foundation for effective processes and communication, the importance of delegating tasks, the value of early and effective case evaluation, and building a book of business. This is the second of two episodes of Lawyerpreneur that features me as the interviewee. This episode first aired on Litera TV’s program “Inside the Firm” in December 2020. If you’d rather watch than listen, you can find Damien’s interview of me on Litera’s YouTube channel. Laying a Foundation for Effective Processes and Communication You can listen here or on your favorite podcast...

In Lawyerpreneur Episode 41, Lisa Lang and I discuss why it’s important for in-house lawyers to continue to develop their personal brand. Lisa talks about the value to in-house counsel to see the marketing and branding that outside counsel and vendors are doing. We talk about how the business relationships that are formed through marketing, personal branding, and business communities can evolve into personal relationships. We discuss the opportunities that branding and marketing give you to practice your expertise in public. And finally, Lisa Lang talks about being fulfilled in your career, even when it takes turns others think or...

You may have noticed that I haven’t written on the blog since October. That’s not because I haven’t been writing. I’ve been writing a great deal. But all of it has gone toward my next book, Level Up Your Law Practice. I’m really excited about the book. I think it’s the best one I’ve written yet — although admittedly, it would be odd if I didn’t think that. Here’s the elevator pitch for Level Up Your Law Practice: A healthy mindset gives you defensive measures to absorb criticism and manage your fears, and provides the foundation on which you can...

My article “Jurisdictional Limit for Civil District Court Cases Increased” is in the September 2019 issue of CLM Magazine (p.49). The article discusses the cap increase for civil district court cases in Alabama that went into effect on September 1, 2019. If you’d like to read the article, you can do so here: CLM National: September 2019.

Okeoma Moronu recently had me on her podcast “The Happy Lawyer Project” to discuss time management and productivity, making yourself indispensable within your law firm, influential books that I’ve read in the past year, and of course, my new book, Stop Putting Out Fires. You can listen to the interview wherever you normally listen to podcasts or at Okeoma’s website.

I did an interview with the ABA about how daily, intentional learning can help you improve your practice. In the interview feature, they’ve also included some excepts from my book, Building a Better Law Practice: How to be a better lawyer in just a few minutes a day.

Jared Correia and I talk about why I’d rather be Lex Luthor than either Clark Kent or Peter Parker, how to get comfortable as a lawyer, be cognizant of your knowledge limitations, and methods of improving your craft in this month’s Legal Toolkit Podcast.