- law dawg
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Unless you’re a government worker or in-house, chances are high that your compensation is better when you have a book of business. So, how do you get one? How did you get yours? What advice do you have for someone just starting out? Should they be attending bar section meetings, should they be oversharing on LinkedIn, or should they be out on the golf course? Is advertising the key for everyone or is that specific to certain practice areas? Is it really just about who you know? Once you’re more established, does the flow keep coming based on your reputation or do you still have to work at it? What worked for you and what would you have done differently or what would you differently if you were starting out today?
Does anyone know if Judge Sturman is still on leave? And if so, when does she intend to return?
She will be back by the end of the month.
Yes. We continued a hearing until she was back in early September.
Justice Michael Cherry was there today
Depends on your area of practice. But for civil litigation, join LRIS/LRS. $50 a year and they send you referrals. Sure majority are dog meat. But you learn how to do client intake, evaluate cases, make connections and referrals with new clients and build cases from the ground up. I worked at a medium sized firm where every associate was required to be a member because the firm wanted associates to learn the skills of client intake and building their own cases.
Why the down vote? Post seems reasonable and admits most cases are dog meat.
I think website and referral services are not a main source. The real source of work is going to come from who you know. You have to know people that know you’re a lawyer doing the kind of work you do. And then top of mind awareness. As much as I hate the linked in posts, putting yourself out there with regard to your practice means people think about you when they need something.
Grind every day, do excellent work, never overcharge your clients, be available and make customer service your #1 priority, and you must try jury trials if you want a book of civil litigation clients…..it’s a tough mountain to climb but way better than taking work from another attorney.
It can be nice, if you work in a narrow area of law that not many other people handle. If you are going to be Business Dispute Esq. have fun get in line. There are areas where the “bar” consists of a handful of practicing lawyers with varying degress of skill and the supply of cases far surpasses available attorneys to handle those cases. I will give his one example for anyone hungry, civil rights. Many many cases, not nearly as many local lawyers. Check recent verdicts it is often out of state attorneys.
And there’s a lot of “hacks” in this area too unfortunately. Sometimes it takes these cases 6-9 months to really get going because you see astute defense attorneys in this area go through a couple rounds of motions to dismiss because the Plaintiff attorney does not know how to properly delineate the client’s causes of action, they bring in improper parties, or other more obscure legalistic reasons.
The federal judges are accommodating in situations like this but it makes the Plaintiff attorney look like an amateur because they have to amend their Complaint a few times, and it also gives defense counsel a good idea the skill level of the attorney. I’ve seen attorneys who have 20+ years of “experience” in this area go through 3-4 amendments of their initial Complaint and get beat down from here to Sunday before litigation really even begins.
Brother (or sister) most senior equity partners, managing partners, etc of large national/regional insurance defense firms either never tried a jury case or tried extremely few. They are administrators and rainmakers, not workers
Is the eighth judicial district court portal down?
It’s working for me. Try clearing cookies for that site.
I’m in my 30th year. Did ID for first 12 years and have been doing personal injury for going on 18 years. I’m a solo and I’ve never advertised at all except for a very basic website (without search engine optimization). I don’t have lunch with chiropractors or doctors who primarily treat injury victims. Instead, I served on the boards of a couple of affinity bar organizations, served on the board of my kids’ school, coached soccer, and was involved in my church.
I have a small but reasonably nice office and I have one staff member (who I pay very well and does a great job). My wife does my billing, book-keeping, and disbursements. My office is ridiculously easy to manage.
In year one as a solo, I took home about $90,000.00. Since then, my average net annual personal income has been right at about $700,000.00 or so.
More than 80% of my cases come through former clients, personal contacts, and referrals from other lawyers. I don’t make as much as some of the billboard lawyers or lawers who get in bed with dirty doctors; but I sleep well, I’ve never had a bar complaint, i take 4 weeks off per year, and my clients never have to chase me down because I did not answer their call. For me, that’s better than driving a Bentley.
If you are making $700k a year, you could afford to drive a Bentley… IJS
If he’s active in church he’s probably got 6 kids and is giving 10% to the lawd. That eats into your bottom line. Or so I’m told.
1:24 here. I only have two kids and I’m not in THAT church (although even though it’s not compulsory, I do tithe). Both my kids got cars and bachelors degrees on me. One just got a masters on me. No student loans.
You sound like the kind of lawyer who sleeps with his bookkeeper! 😉
Interesting story out of LA regarding a $1.8 million bill from Gibson Dunn for two weeks of work. They point out that the hourly rate is around $1,300. Are you aware of anyone here that has a rate above $1,000?
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-08/law-firm-hired-by-the-city-in-homelessness-case-bills-1-8-million
The law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, billed about $1.8 million for its first 13 days of work through May 30 — twice the entire two-year contract amount.
Ivor Pine, a spokesperson for the city attorney, said in an email that the “firm and its lawyers exceeded our expectations and delivered exceptional results,” adding that they’re continuing to work with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher on the case and would be pleased to do so again.” REALLY??? Is Ivor looking for a job?
I believe that comes out to about $17,000 an hour, if the matter is worked on continuously during business hours during those 13 days. So apparently more than a dozen lawyers worked on nothing but this for 13 days, all day every day. I’m sure the invoicing was very honest.
Brett Axelrod has put in her fee apps for the Rhodes case that her rate is over $1000 an hour
Frank Schrek
solicit automobile victims at the scene and pay tow truck drivers to threaten victims to work with me.. duh
got myself a team of enforcers for a reason