Well, it happened. I was called a senior attorney for the first time. Somehow I went from being a baby lawyer to someone with an inkling of experience. How is that possible? I certainly don’t feel like someone with seniority. So let’s talk about it — the Imposter Syndrome in the room. Everyone doubts themselves, especially starting out in their career. But what about when you’re still doubting 6 years later? How do you overcome those negative thoughts? I’ve found that sometim

April 15, 2024 Running your own law firm can be a hard feat to accomplish. For me, it was a wonderful experience. It was exactly what I needed for the time being. However, as time moved along, I started to feel like I wasn't where I was meant to be. So when I got a call about moving to another law firm, I decided to take a leap of faith. I wasn't sure if it was the right move after I worked so hard to keep my law firm alive. However, as soon as I started my new job, I realize

April 15, 2024 Ever wondered what other people bring in their court bags? Well, for me, here is my list:  1. Laptop and Charger  You never know when you are going to need to type something up and send it to the coordinator, so I always bring my laptop (or at least my ipad) to court.  2. Pens Galore!  I am forever losing my pens, so it is always nice to have a TON of pens in my back pocket.  3. Legal Pads - More than One  Always, always bring a spare legal pad and pen for your

July 2, 2022 Passing the bar exam is HARD. So I wanted to share with you my tips and tricks to passing the bar exam on your first try.  1. Get a Tutor Some people think that you only need a tutor if you don't pass the exam the first time. I'm here to tell you that you should do everything in your power to pass the first time. It might be too expensive for some, but it's less expensive than having to pay for a bar prep course a second or a third time. I loved having a tutor. S

March 22, 2022 When I started working as a lawyer, one of the first things I needed to figure out was how to serve someone. I originally used the constable for service, because I had so many pro bono clients. However, it took a long time and took some effort to mail everything in.  After that, a friend recommended "Falcon Docs" to me. I have used Falcon Document Solutions ever since. Service of Process can be pricey, but the ease at which Falcon Docs performs the service is w

February 1, 2022 I don't know about you, but when I first started lawyering I felt very overwhelmed. There is so much to learn that wasn't taught in law school. So to help you find your ground, I have put together my favorite new lawyer "hacks."  1. Create Workflows I learned early on to keep a master checklist/notes document. Every time I learned how to do something new, I added it to this document. Now I have something to refer to whenever I need and I don't need to re-crea

January 2, 2022 This year I am changing up my "Method for Success." Thanks to my reflection on the last year, I realize I need to make some changes.  First, I need to find a way to give myself more personal interaction. One way I am going to do this is to attend more in-person events now that they are starting to come back around. Another way I am going to do this is to go to more workout classes and try to interact with more people at my office. I have a small office in a bu

January 2, 2022 The year 2021 has been a whirlwind. It had a lot of high highs and a lot of low lows. Some professional milestones I hit included taking my first intern, and hiring my first legal assistant.  Some personal milestones I hit included starting this blog and taking strides towards my personal health goals. The biggest disaster of 2021, however, was my time management. I have always been someone who is known for their time management skills. But thanks to our new

November 25, 2021 When I first started my law firm, I had to think a lot about what I wanted my "brand" to be. What values do I want to uphold? What mission statement should I use? How do I create a perfect logo? Here is what I did to create my law firm's brand.  1. Create Your Logo  Before I did anything else, the first thing I did was create my logo. If you want to create your logo yourself, I suggest using Canva. They have lots of templates that can help you with your desi

November 9, 2021 We're now in a brave new world of technology. That includes learning to use Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams. So what rules of etiquette should you follow when using these platforms? Here is my advice:  1. Background It is vital that you have a professional background. This means making sure your office is picked up, and that there are no weird personal items laying around. If you need to take a call when you're not at your office, try to find a blank wall to

November 9, 2021    It is important to invest in good business equipment as quickly as possible. It took me about a year to save up enough money to purchase a desktop and heavy-duty laser printer for my home office. It took me another year to save up enough money to purchase an additional desktop and heavy-duty laser printer for my work office.  Computer I started out using just my laptop as my computer. I eventually ordered two monitors so that I could use additional screens

September 29, 2021 Do you ever get burned out? I do. I am behind in my work while everyone else seems to be doing grand. So I thought I would have an honest conversation about what you can do if you feel like me. First, take a breath. It's very likely that other people feel the same way you do. Second, know that it's okay to reach this low. It happens to everyone, and it's only natural that this happens every so often. Third, remember that you have to put your oxygen mask on

September 13, 2021 1. Adaptability - Evolving My Systems Sometimes, you just don't know until you know. So adaptability is key in creating your operational systems. I spent the better part of a year and a half developing and evolving my processes. It took multiple cases of trial and error to find the system that worked best for me and my clients, but I finally did it (for the most part). I'm still open to new ideas, but I've at least cemented a basic operating system. I even

July 23, 2021 If you are starting your law firm, you are likely overwhelmed with possibilities. You should take the time to explore multiple software and service options. I've spent some time trying out various software and services, but I've finally settled into the software that works best for me. Here's a list of my favorite technology for entrepreneurs.  Website, Blog Host, & Social Media Scheduler: GoDaddy I have used GoDaddy as my website manager and social media schedu

June 20, 2021 If you are interested in starting your law firm, you will receive an abundance of advice from others. Often the advice centers around the best practices to keep, but what about the worst practices to keep? To help prevent others from making the same mistakes I made, I’ve compiled a list of things I did wrong when I started my law firm.  1. I took too many clients.  Back when I was a law student I took many clerkships. Each law firm I worked for had one thing in

June 1, 2021 As a modern lawyer, it is vital that you have up-to-date software and understand how to utilize technology. Here are some technologies that make a significant impact in my work life. iCalendar I love using my iCalendar as my master calendar. I take it everywhere with me, because it's easily accessible on my phone. I have colored calendars for work, personal events, tasks, deadlines, and notices.  Google Keep Google Keep is something I use for my master to do list

May 29, 2021 Starting my own law firm has without a doubt been the craziest adventure I've ever been on. I never imagined that this was something I would do until I was presented with the idea. While I was studying for the bar exam, an email about a new program came across my desk. It was called "Entrepreneurs in Community Lawyering," and it was a flagship program dedicated to closing the justice gap. It was a program to help young attorneys start their own law firms, so long

April 23, 2021 For the longest time, I found it hard to get everything done in a day. So I did some research and came up with a few ideas for better time management.  1. Time Blocking The first time management tip I found was time blocking. What this means is you take your tasks and convert them into blocks of time on your daily schedule. When time blocking, it is also helpful to try and batch similar tasks together to make more efficient use of your time. This allows you to

April 22, 2021 I don't know about you, but I felt extremely overwhelmed during the first year of my law practice. Thanks to some research and soul searching, I came up with a "Method for Success" and I want to share it with you! I use this method to stay organized and make my days more productive. 1. Digital Master Calendar I need the ability to review and add things to my calendar at a moment's notice. How do I carry an accessible calendar with me everywhere? I use a digital

April 22, 2021 I have always had a problem with paper. I constantly have paper everywhere. This year, I did a lot of research and came up with a new filing system that works to keep me as clutter-free as possible. 1. Scan The first thing I do is scan in everything, and I mean everything . I keep a personal and business dropbox where I store all of my notes and documents. As soon as I get a relevant piece of mail, or take notes from a client phone call, I scan it in and save i