Please share your success stories! Forum

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silenttimer

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Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:13 am

Please share your success stories!

Post by silenttimer » Wed Apr 03, 2013 1:42 pm

I saw something similar to this done on ATL a few months back, and thought I would try the same here. Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here. It would be nice if you could share:

1. Your school rank (i.e., T10, T14, T15, T30, etc.).
2. Your class rank.
3. Your current student loan balance.
4. What you did upon graduation, and what you are currently doing.
5. Your current salary range.
6. How you got there.
7. Whether or not you're happy.
8. Quick advice for graduating students or recent grads on how to get to where you are.

Please take it seriously, as I think this could be valuable. But if you're going to troll, please make it somewhat funny (and not mere offensive).

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typ3

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Posts: 1362
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:04 am

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by typ3 » Wed Apr 03, 2013 3:19 pm

silenttimer wrote:I saw something similar to this done on ATL a few months back, and thought I would try the same here. Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here. It would be nice if you could share:

1. Your school rank (i.e., T10, T14, T15, T30, etc.).
2. Your class rank.
3. Your current student loan balance.
4. What you did upon graduation, and what you are currently doing.
5. Your current salary range.
6. How you got there.
7. Whether or not you're happy.
8. Quick advice for graduating students or recent grads on how to get to where you are.

Please take it seriously, as I think this could be valuable. But if you're going to troll, please make it somewhat funny (and not mere offensive).

1. T30
2. Top 1/4th
3. $0.00 (Full ride scholarship)
4. Running day to day operations for a niche construction / services / engineering company (fire alarm, integrated security, environment monitoring, smart houses, cyber security) for a variety of F500 rural manufacturers (food, plastics, agriculture), agribusinesses, bio-fuel companies, hospitals, schools, and homeowners nationwide.
5. $6 figure+++ with performance bonuses and deferred stock options. Monthly take home around $20k + commission and bonuses.
6. Summer job, networking not through the law school or career services
7. Yes.
8. To quote my iBank wallstreet friend "The best manager and business in a crowded field will never beat the worst manager and business in a growing or new field." There are lots of opportunities in the Midwest away from the traditional large cities (North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska) that pay better but the salmon keep trying to make it big in the city when the opportunities aren't there. It's a lot easier to be a big fish in a small pond than vice versa, also the COL is a lot lower and opportunities are limitless with little motivated, talented, and highly educated competition.

If you want my honest advice, chuck your JD and go find a construction or services company that has a good RMR model, industrial plumbing, industrial mechanical or low voltage with service / inspection contracts. There are not educated and talented people going into these fields atm so you have unlimited upward mobility right now. Then you'll be able to eventually buyout the business and roll up regional competitors or just grow organically. Go the opposite direction of the herd and you'll find green pastures.

utlaw2007

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Posts: 783
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:49 pm

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by utlaw2007 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:03 pm

silenttimer wrote:I saw something similar to this done on ATL a few months back, and thought I would try the same here. Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here. It would be nice if you could share:

1. Your school rank (i.e., T10, T14, T15, T30, etc.).
2. Your class rank.
3. Your current student loan balance.
4. What you did upon graduation, and what you are currently doing.
5. Your current salary range.
6. How you got there.
7. Whether or not you're happy.
8. Quick advice for graduating students or recent grads on how to get to where you are.

Please take it seriously, as I think this could be valuable. But if you're going to troll, please make it somewhat funny (and not mere offensive).
1. T15. I'll disclose I went to UT Law since it is somewhat obvious to the most observant.
2. median
3. My current balance is $67,000. That's what it was when I left law school. I was sick for most of the time between graduation and now, so I haven't had a chance to pay it off. It's still in deferment.
4. Upon graduation, I was very ill with an incredibly rare illness. I was completely incapacitated. This happened right when I passed the bar.
5. I own my own law firm. And it's somewhat new. So my amount of revenue fluctuates wildly. I imagine it will stabilize as time marches on and I solidify my hold on the market. But my revenue is anywhere in the low 6 figure range to the 7 figure range. It just depends on the cases. I'm a plaintiffs lawyer. Just one case could render tens of thousands of dollars or 1 million plus in contingency fees alone. But you must actively work hard to put yourself in position to get these cases.
6. After my health returned to normal, the economy had tanked. I knew I wanted to be in the courtroom. But no small firm was hiring unless you had 2-5 years experience in a particular field. So I decided to go it on my own to make money some kind of way. And because I felt I was a better businessman than most lawyers. Lawyers are poor business people.
7. I am very happy. I love it. What I'm doing, I didn't think was possible for me. I always wanted to do it, but I just didn't think it was realistically obtainable. With God, all things are possible. You better believe that!
8. The hourly fee structure is a terribly inefficient way of making money. There's no risk so it's a safer option. There's really no such thing as volume, either, because there are only so many hours in a day. Flat fees are better because they work well with volume. You can become highly efficient at handling cases which will allow you to handle more in the same time frame, thus allowing you to make more money. And there is no risk. The key to flat fee cases is that you have to have volume to make a lot of money. Contingency fees are the best because they are the same percentage regardless of the work you put in. And when one snags large cases, the pay days are HUGE. Contingency fees are incredibly risky. But there are ways of mitigating that risk. And the reward is the highest because of that risk. Obviously, you have to have the skills to enter into this arena. They can be learned. They can't be learned in such a way as to make you the best, but they can be learned to make you adequate. And adequate is sufficient.

As for owning a law firm, it's just like any other business. You have to be a better business person than lawyer, although being a great lawyer doesn't hurt for obvious reasons. You just have to remember that you are selling legal services. You have to go out and meet unmet demand for your area. Spend as much time marketing as you do practicing law, perhaps even more. This entails crafting marketing plans that are incredibly efficient and effective.

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slawww

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Posts: 657
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:44 pm

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by slawww » Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:45 pm

utlaw2007 wrote:
silenttimer wrote:I saw something similar to this done on ATL a few months back, and thought I would try the same here. Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here. It would be nice if you could share:

1. Your school rank (i.e., T10, T14, T15, T30, etc.).
2. Your class rank.
3. Your current student loan balance.
4. What you did upon graduation, and what you are currently doing.
5. Your current salary range.
6. How you got there.
7. Whether or not you're happy.
8. Quick advice for graduating students or recent grads on how to get to where you are.

Please take it seriously, as I think this could be valuable. But if you're going to troll, please make it somewhat funny (and not mere offensive).
1. T15. I'll disclose I went to UT Law since it is somewhat obvious to the most observant.
2. median
3. My current balance is $67,000. That's what it was when I left law school. I was sick for most of the time between graduation and now, so I haven't had a chance to pay it off. It's still in deferment.
4. Upon graduation, I was very ill with an incredibly rare illness. I was completely incapacitated. This happened right when I passed the bar.
5. I own my own law firm. And it's somewhat new. So my amount of revenue fluctuates wildly. I imagine it will stabilize as time marches on and I solidify my hold on the market. But my revenue is anywhere in the low 6 figure range to the 7 figure range. It just depends on the cases. I'm a plaintiffs lawyer. Just one case could render tens of thousands of dollars or 1 million plus in contingency fees alone. But you must actively work hard to put yourself in position to get these cases.
6. After my health returned to normal, the economy had tanked. I knew I wanted to be in the courtroom. But no small firm was hiring unless you had 2-5 years experience in a particular field. So I decided to go it on my own to make money some kind of way. And because I felt I was a better businessman than most lawyers. Lawyers are poor business people.
7. I am very happy. I love it. What I'm doing, I didn't think was possible for me. I always wanted to do it, but I just didn't think it was realistically obtainable. With God, all things are possible. You better believe that!
8. The hourly fee structure is a terribly inefficient way of making money. There's no risk so it's a safer option. There's really no such thing as volume, either, because there are only so many hours in a day. Flat fees are better because they work well with volume. You can become highly efficient at handling cases which will allow you to handle more in the same time frame, thus allowing you to make more money. And there is no risk. The key to flat fee cases is that you have to have volume to make a lot of money. Contingency fees are the best because they are the same percentage regardless of the work you put in. And when one snags large cases, the pay days are HUGE. Contingency fees are incredibly risky. But there are ways of mitigating that risk. And the reward is the highest because of that risk. Obviously, you have to have the skills to enter into this arena. They can be learned. They can't be learned in such a way as to make you the best, but they can be learned to make you adequate. And adequate is sufficient.

As for owning a law firm, it's just like any other business. You have to be a better business person than lawyer, although being a great lawyer doesn't hurt for obvious reasons. You just have to remember that you are selling legal services. You have to go out and meet unmet demand for your area. Spend as much time marketing as you do practicing law, perhaps even more. This entails crafting marketing plans that are incredibly efficient and effective.
I'm glad to hear that you're no longer ill, and congrats on your successful firm! If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to get clients and build your business without any prior experience? I'm a 0L, but I'm curious.

utlaw2007

Silver
Posts: 783
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:49 pm

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by utlaw2007 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:58 pm

slawww wrote:
utlaw2007 wrote:
silenttimer wrote:I saw something similar to this done on ATL a few months back, and thought I would try the same here. Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here. It would be nice if you could share:

1. Your school rank (i.e., T10, T14, T15, T30, etc.).
2. Your class rank.
3. Your current student loan balance.
4. What you did upon graduation, and what you are currently doing.
5. Your current salary range.
6. How you got there.
7. Whether or not you're happy.
8. Quick advice for graduating students or recent grads on how to get to where you are.

Please take it seriously, as I think this could be valuable. But if you're going to troll, please make it somewhat funny (and not mere offensive).
1. T15. I'll disclose I went to UT Law since it is somewhat obvious to the most observant.
2. median
3. My current balance is $67,000. That's what it was when I left law school. I was sick for most of the time between graduation and now, so I haven't had a chance to pay it off. It's still in deferment.
4. Upon graduation, I was very ill with an incredibly rare illness. I was completely incapacitated. This happened right when I passed the bar.
5. I own my own law firm. And it's somewhat new. So my amount of revenue fluctuates wildly. I imagine it will stabilize as time marches on and I solidify my hold on the market. But my revenue is anywhere in the low 6 figure range to the 7 figure range. It just depends on the cases. I'm a plaintiffs lawyer. Just one case could render tens of thousands of dollars or 1 million plus in contingency fees alone. But you must actively work hard to put yourself in position to get these cases.
6. After my health returned to normal, the economy had tanked. I knew I wanted to be in the courtroom. But no small firm was hiring unless you had 2-5 years experience in a particular field. So I decided to go it on my own to make money some kind of way. And because I felt I was a better businessman than most lawyers. Lawyers are poor business people.
7. I am very happy. I love it. What I'm doing, I didn't think was possible for me. I always wanted to do it, but I just didn't think it was realistically obtainable. With God, all things are possible. You better believe that!
8. The hourly fee structure is a terribly inefficient way of making money. There's no risk so it's a safer option. There's really no such thing as volume, either, because there are only so many hours in a day. Flat fees are better because they work well with volume. You can become highly efficient at handling cases which will allow you to handle more in the same time frame, thus allowing you to make more money. And there is no risk. The key to flat fee cases is that you have to have volume to make a lot of money. Contingency fees are the best because they are the same percentage regardless of the work you put in. And when one snags large cases, the pay days are HUGE. Contingency fees are incredibly risky. But there are ways of mitigating that risk. And the reward is the highest because of that risk. Obviously, you have to have the skills to enter into this arena. They can be learned. They can't be learned in such a way as to make you the best, but they can be learned to make you adequate. And adequate is sufficient.

As for owning a law firm, it's just like any other business. You have to be a better business person than lawyer, although being a great lawyer doesn't hurt for obvious reasons. You just have to remember that you are selling legal services. You have to go out and meet unmet demand for your area. Spend as much time marketing as you do practicing law, perhaps even more. This entails crafting marketing plans that are incredibly efficient and effective.
I'm glad to hear that you're no longer ill, and congrats on your successful firm! If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to get clients and build your business without any prior experience? I'm a 0L, but I'm curious.
Thanks for the congrats!

It's somewhat of a trade secret although, I didn't reinvent the wheel. You basically have to be very aggressive about getting clients. You can't wait to let them come to you. Not unless you have 5 to 10 years to wait until you build a rep. You have to go to them. And I'm not referring to anything unethical. Every aspect of your practice areas has to be thought out. They have to be tailored to fit the needs in your area. I did choose litigation because of the income earning potential. That part was forced because it has proven to be a good foundation for earning potential, much like someone would choose to become a doctor. Then I just modified the practice areas to fit the needs of the locale. You can't always go tried and true. Tried and true doesn't present you with an area of unmet demand. The demand for tried and true areas has already been met. That's really about all I prefer to say about it. But the info I just gave is incredibly valuable and it is pretty simple as it makes a lot of sense. The trick is the application of that info. That's the part I can't disclose. But I have laid a philosophical blue print of which to follow. I could write a small book about it. There was a TON of thought that went into it. It's not something that everyone can do to the level I have obtained and will continue to obtain. I admit that. I'm not saying that I'm Joe Jamail (the richest lawyer in the country at a net worth of 1.5 billion dollars, who happens to be a plaintiff lawyer and a UT Law alumnus) But a lot of what I have obtained is obtainable if one is willing to put in the hard work and thought into creating a plan of attack. And it definitely helps to love God and let Him be your guide. I know some don't want to hear that, but from my perspective, it is entirely relevant, as well.

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nmillette

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Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 1:35 pm

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by nmillette » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:11 pm

utlaw2007 wrote:
slawww wrote:
utlaw2007 wrote:
silenttimer wrote:I saw something similar to this done on ATL a few months back, and thought I would try the same here. Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here. It would be nice if you could share:

1. Your school rank (i.e., T10, T14, T15, T30, etc.).
2. Your class rank.
3. Your current student loan balance.
4. What you did upon graduation, and what you are currently doing.
5. Your current salary range.
6. How you got there.
7. Whether or not you're happy.
8. Quick advice for graduating students or recent grads on how to get to where you are.

Please take it seriously, as I think this could be valuable. But if you're going to troll, please make it somewhat funny (and not mere offensive).
1. T15. I'll disclose I went to UT Law since it is somewhat obvious to the most observant.
2. median
3. My current balance is $67,000. That's what it was when I left law school. I was sick for most of the time between graduation and now, so I haven't had a chance to pay it off. It's still in deferment.
4. Upon graduation, I was very ill with an incredibly rare illness. I was completely incapacitated. This happened right when I passed the bar.
5. I own my own law firm. And it's somewhat new. So my amount of revenue fluctuates wildly. I imagine it will stabilize as time marches on and I solidify my hold on the market. But my revenue is anywhere in the low 6 figure range to the 7 figure range. It just depends on the cases. I'm a plaintiffs lawyer. Just one case could render tens of thousands of dollars or 1 million plus in contingency fees alone. But you must actively work hard to put yourself in position to get these cases.
6. After my health returned to normal, the economy had tanked. I knew I wanted to be in the courtroom. But no small firm was hiring unless you had 2-5 years experience in a particular field. So I decided to go it on my own to make money some kind of way. And because I felt I was a better businessman than most lawyers. Lawyers are poor business people.
7. I am very happy. I love it. What I'm doing, I didn't think was possible for me. I always wanted to do it, but I just didn't think it was realistically obtainable. With God, all things are possible. You better believe that!
8. The hourly fee structure is a terribly inefficient way of making money. There's no risk so it's a safer option. There's really no such thing as volume, either, because there are only so many hours in a day. Flat fees are better because they work well with volume. You can become highly efficient at handling cases which will allow you to handle more in the same time frame, thus allowing you to make more money. And there is no risk. The key to flat fee cases is that you have to have volume to make a lot of money. Contingency fees are the best because they are the same percentage regardless of the work you put in. And when one snags large cases, the pay days are HUGE. Contingency fees are incredibly risky. But there are ways of mitigating that risk. And the reward is the highest because of that risk. Obviously, you have to have the skills to enter into this arena. They can be learned. They can't be learned in such a way as to make you the best, but they can be learned to make you adequate. And adequate is sufficient.

As for owning a law firm, it's just like any other business. You have to be a better business person than lawyer, although being a great lawyer doesn't hurt for obvious reasons. You just have to remember that you are selling legal services. You have to go out and meet unmet demand for your area. Spend as much time marketing as you do practicing law, perhaps even more. This entails crafting marketing plans that are incredibly efficient and effective.
I'm glad to hear that you're no longer ill, and congrats on your successful firm! If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to get clients and build your business without any prior experience? I'm a 0L, but I'm curious.
Thanks for the congrats!

It's somewhat of a trade secret although, I didn't reinvent the wheel. You basically have to be very aggressive about getting clients. You can't wait to let them come to you. Not unless you have 5 to 10 years to wait until you build a rep. You have to go to them. And I'm not referring to anything unethical. Every aspect of your practice areas has to be thought out. They have to be tailored to fit the needs in your area. I did choose litigation because of the income earning potential. That part was forced because it has proven to be a good foundation for earning potential, much like someone would choose to become a doctor. Then I just modified the practice areas to fit the needs of the locale. You can't always go tried and true. Tried and true doesn't present you with an area of unmet demand. The demand for tried and true areas has already been met. That's really about all I prefer to say about it. But the info I just gave is incredibly valuable and it is pretty simple as it makes a lot of sense. The trick is the application of that info. That's the part I can't disclose. But I have laid a philosophical blue print of which to follow. I could write a small book about it. There was a TON of thought that went into it. It's not something that everyone can do to the level I have obtained and will continue to obtain. I admit that. I'm not saying that I'm Joe Jamail (the richest lawyer in the country at a net worth of 1.5 billion dollars, who happens to be a plaintiff lawyer and a UT Law alumnus) But a lot of what I have obtained is obtainable if one is willing to put in the hard work and thought into creating a plan of attack. And it definitely helps to love God and let Him be your guide. I know some don't want to hear that, but from my perspective, it is entirely relevant, as well.

I needed this..not the career advice so much but your faith is refreshing! Thank you and Good Luck in everything!

User avatar
Br3v

Gold
Posts: 4290
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:18 pm

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by Br3v » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:11 pm

utlaw2007 wrote:
slawww wrote:
utlaw2007 wrote:
silenttimer wrote:I saw something similar to this done on ATL a few months back, and thought I would try the same here. Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here. It would be nice if you could share:

1. Your school rank (i.e., T10, T14, T15, T30, etc.).
2. Your class rank.
3. Your current student loan balance.
4. What you did upon graduation, and what you are currently doing.
5. Your current salary range.
6. How you got there.
7. Whether or not you're happy.
8. Quick advice for graduating students or recent grads on how to get to where you are.

Please take it seriously, as I think this could be valuable. But if you're going to troll, please make it somewhat funny (and not mere offensive).
1. T15. I'll disclose I went to UT Law since it is somewhat obvious to the most observant.
2. median
3. My current balance is $67,000. That's what it was when I left law school. I was sick for most of the time between graduation and now, so I haven't had a chance to pay it off. It's still in deferment.
4. Upon graduation, I was very ill with an incredibly rare illness. I was completely incapacitated. This happened right when I passed the bar.
5. I own my own law firm. And it's somewhat new. So my amount of revenue fluctuates wildly. I imagine it will stabilize as time marches on and I solidify my hold on the market. But my revenue is anywhere in the low 6 figure range to the 7 figure range. It just depends on the cases. I'm a plaintiffs lawyer. Just one case could render tens of thousands of dollars or 1 million plus in contingency fees alone. But you must actively work hard to put yourself in position to get these cases.
6. After my health returned to normal, the economy had tanked. I knew I wanted to be in the courtroom. But no small firm was hiring unless you had 2-5 years experience in a particular field. So I decided to go it on my own to make money some kind of way. And because I felt I was a better businessman than most lawyers. Lawyers are poor business people.
7. I am very happy. I love it. What I'm doing, I didn't think was possible for me. I always wanted to do it, but I just didn't think it was realistically obtainable. With God, all things are possible. You better believe that!
8. The hourly fee structure is a terribly inefficient way of making money. There's no risk so it's a safer option. There's really no such thing as volume, either, because there are only so many hours in a day. Flat fees are better because they work well with volume. You can become highly efficient at handling cases which will allow you to handle more in the same time frame, thus allowing you to make more money. And there is no risk. The key to flat fee cases is that you have to have volume to make a lot of money. Contingency fees are the best because they are the same percentage regardless of the work you put in. And when one snags large cases, the pay days are HUGE. Contingency fees are incredibly risky. But there are ways of mitigating that risk. And the reward is the highest because of that risk. Obviously, you have to have the skills to enter into this arena. They can be learned. They can't be learned in such a way as to make you the best, but they can be learned to make you adequate. And adequate is sufficient.

As for owning a law firm, it's just like any other business. You have to be a better business person than lawyer, although being a great lawyer doesn't hurt for obvious reasons. You just have to remember that you are selling legal services. You have to go out and meet unmet demand for your area. Spend as much time marketing as you do practicing law, perhaps even more. This entails crafting marketing plans that are incredibly efficient and effective.
I'm glad to hear that you're no longer ill, and congrats on your successful firm! If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to get clients and build your business without any prior experience? I'm a 0L, but I'm curious.
Thanks for the congrats!

It's somewhat of a trade secret although, I didn't reinvent the wheel. You basically have to be very aggressive about getting clients. You can't wait to let them come to you. Not unless you have 5 to 10 years to wait until you build a rep. You have to go to them. And I'm not referring to anything unethical. Every aspect of your practice areas has to be thought out. They have to be tailored to fit the needs in your area. I did choose litigation because of the income earning potential. That part was forced because it has proven to be a good foundation for earning potential, much like someone would choose to become a doctor. Then I just modified the practice areas to fit the needs of the locale. You can't always go tried and true. Tried and true doesn't present you with an area of unmet demand. The demand for tried and true areas has already been met. That's really about all I prefer to say about it. But the info I just gave is incredibly valuable and it is pretty simple as it makes a lot of sense. The trick is the application of that info. That's the part I can't disclose. But I have laid a philosophical blue print of which to follow. I could write a small book about it. There was a TON of thought that went into it. It's not something that everyone can do to the level I have obtained and will continue to obtain. I admit that. I'm not saying that I'm Joe Jamail (the richest lawyer in the country at a net worth of 1.5 billion dollars, who happens to be a plaintiff lawyer and a UT Law alumnus) But a lot of what I have obtained is obtainable if one is willing to put in the hard work and thought into creating a plan of attack. And it definitely helps to love God and let Him be your guide. I know some don't want to hear that, but from my perspective, it is entirely relevant, as well.
This may be a stupid question, but why wouldn't you want to give more detail about your process? Afraid other people would do the same and cut into your business? I guess that's a possibility but unless you have some crazy new business model I doubt someone (assuming they are even geographically close to you) would randomly start copying you because they read about it on TLS. Definitely don't post more than your comfortable with though, and I second the congrats!

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slawww

Silver
Posts: 657
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:44 pm

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by slawww » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:22 pm

utlaw2007 wrote: Thanks for the congrats!

It's somewhat of a trade secret although, I didn't reinvent the wheel. You basically have to be very aggressive about getting clients. You can't wait to let them come to you. Not unless you have 5 to 10 years to wait until you build a rep. You have to go to them. And I'm not referring to anything unethical. Every aspect of your practice areas has to be thought out. They have to be tailored to fit the needs in your area. I did choose litigation because of the income earning potential. That part was forced because it has proven to be a good foundation for earning potential, much like someone would choose to become a doctor. Then I just modified the practice areas to fit the needs of the locale. You can't always go tried and true. Tried and true doesn't present you with an area of unmet demand. The demand for tried and true areas has already been met. That's really about all I prefer to say about it. But the info I just gave is incredibly valuable and it is pretty simple as it makes a lot of sense. The trick is the application of that info. That's the part I can't disclose. But I have laid a philosophical blue print of which to follow. I could write a small book about it. There was a TON of thought that went into it. It's not something that everyone can do to the level I have obtained and will continue to obtain. I admit that. I'm not saying that I'm Joe Jamail (the richest lawyer in the country at a net worth of 1.5 billion dollars, who happens to be a plaintiff lawyer and a UT Law alumnus) But a lot of what I have obtained is obtainable if one is willing to put in the hard work and thought into creating a plan of attack. And it definitely helps to love God and let Him be your guide. I know some don't want to hear that, but from my perspective, it is entirely relevant, as well.
Thanks for the info! I won't be a 1L until August, so my knowledge about how firms work is non-existent, but maybe eventually I'll be able to make some use of your info. Thanks!

utlaw2007

Silver
Posts: 783
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:49 pm

Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by utlaw2007 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:23 pm

This may be a stupid question, but why wouldn't you want to give more detail about your process? Afraid other people would do the same and cut into your business? I guess that's a possibility but unless you have some crazy new business model I doubt someone (assuming they are even geographically close to you) would randomly start copying you because they read about it on TLS. Definitely don't post more than your comfortable with though, and I second the congrats!
Thanks! It's not a stupid question. It's not that I think someone would cut into my business. That's not it at all. It's that I toiled for a mighty long time coming up with that business plan. It's valuable. And I do not want to just hand it over to someone freely like that.

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FlanAl

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Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by FlanAl » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:28 pm

i think its interesting that none of the posters so far are big law even though thats what this site obsesses over.

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Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by utlaw2007 » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:32 pm

I needed this..not the career advice so much but your faith is refreshing! Thank you and Good Luck in everything!
You are very welcome. And thank you for the well wishes.

It is an obligation of mine to profess my faith whenever I can, especially concerning my law practice. It's something that you rarely hear in any profession. I have no qualms about attempting to turn this profession on its head by being me. Whether I'm successful or not is besides the point. The important thing to remember, and this is just for inner peace, is to not deny yourself just to comply with what others find acceptable. Clearly, there are limits to this, but you get the point.

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Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by JXander » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:43 pm

I like this thread. Very informative to an 0L trying to make a decision on what law school to select and for others not sure if law school is worth it. Kudos to the OP.
FlanAl wrote:i think its interesting that none of the posters so far are big law even though thats what this site obsesses over.
And this.

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Clearly

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Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by Clearly » Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:22 am

You're not hearing from big law because of the OP
Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here

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FlanAl

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Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by FlanAl » Fri Apr 05, 2013 7:06 am

Clearlynotstefan wrote:You're not hearing from big law because of the OP
Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here
youd think there'd be some top half kids from fordham or some bottom quarter t14ers chiming in.

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Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by rad lulz » Fri Apr 05, 2013 7:33 am

FlanAl wrote:
Clearlynotstefan wrote:You're not hearing from big law because of the OP
Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here
youd think there'd be some top half kids from fordham or some bottom quarter t14ers chiming in.
People tend to quit poasting when they get jobs

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Re: Please share your success stories!

Post by silenttimer » Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:17 pm

FlanAl wrote:
Clearlynotstefan wrote:You're not hearing from big law because of the OP
Anyway, if you are not a traditional candidate for a "sucess story" (i.g., graduated top 10% from a top law school, with minimal debt), please share your story here
youd think there'd be some top half kids from fordham or some bottom quarter t14ers chiming in.
I wasn't going to answer my own questions and come off as tooting my own horn, but in the interest of keeping this tread going:

1. T20-30 (graduated in 2010).
2. T35-40% (no law review or journal)
3. Loan range: $90,000 - $120,000. I plan on dumping $60,000 into it this year, so I should be done with it soon. I've maxed out my 401K, and learned that I can live comfortably on $20,000 a year.
4. State level clerkship, now V50 (secondary market).
5. Salary: mid 6 figures (and between $10-20K bonus).
6. Using my former experience to target a specific practice area at my current firm. This really works. If you have experience in a particular industry, up sell that experience for a specific practice area.
7. I'm quite happy with my decision to go to law school. I'm happy with my life. For being at a big firm, my hours are not too bad. I typically work (not bill) between 55 hours per week, but there would be a month or two where I would bill around 300 hours which means 80+ hour work weeks (those suck!). I took two and a half weeks of vacation last year.
8. See my comment in number 6 above. If you want to be a lawyer, taking out $100,000 or $150,000 for a T30 school is not that bad an investment.

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