Maryland Attorney

Maryland Attorney Interview (Platform: Needles)

The interviewee is an experienced Maryland attorney who has been practicing for roughly two decades now and over the last couple of years has taken on the challenge of running his own firm. He has a growing practice that despite its infancy has already grown to a staff of five. Speaking with him I was able to get his thoughts and opinions on technology in the legal world and how it has affected him and his firm.

Disclaimer: Please note the interview has been condensed and edited to remove natural redundancies, idiosyncrasies, and traditional pleasantries inherent to a conversation. Questions and responses may have been combined for a more concise message and format, as well as trimmed down when deemed helpful in delivering a clear message to the reader. All changes have been made with the desire to display the core message of the interviewee’s responses. For the purpose of this interview the interviewee has requested to be anonymous. However, prior to the posting of this interview, the interviewee has reviewed the interview and approved the changes so as to confirm they have not been misrepresented.

What role would you say technology plays in your firm?

MD Attorney: Significant, our case management system is cloud based.  We funnel everything through that system, and it tracks all of our deadlines. A lot of the ways that we work on generating cases is technological meaning, SEO, social media, etc. Our intake platform allows us to have clients e-sign retainer agreements while we’re on the phone with them.

Would you say that you’re trying to make more of the transition to a mostly digital system or do you feel that paper still has a big role in how you run your practice?

MD Attorney: I wouldn’t say big. It has a role in the sense that I do like to have certain things that are on paper, for litigation files. For example, my pleadings binder, when I go to court, I need a hard copy the pleadings binder. There are certain things that technology cannot do, it’s essential, but there are certain things that have to be in hard paper form; however, the amount of things that fall in that hard paper category get less and less.

How would you say that implementing technological changes such as legal software platforms, CRM, affect the way your firm operates?

MD Attorney: It’s fast, more efficient. For example, the intake side, there would be times that we take in-take forms that our clients had to come in to sign and fill out. Sometimes we would have to mail the forms to them. Sometimes you’re actually generating the forms yourself and emailing them to clients. Which takes time and the longer that it takes to get a client a retainer agreement, the more opportunity they have to explore other options or change their mind as opposed to the platform we have right now. Auto populate an entire intake thing once I put information for the client into our system and then immediately texts and emails it to the client and then has them sign it electronically. So instead of waiting in some cases days, sometimes even hours right now, I can have it done in minutes.

Would say that automation has been a game changer for your firm?

MD Attorney: Yes.

What aspects do you automate that you just automate the intake, or have you done start doing like automated drafting and processing? I know Maryland has its e-filing system and they’ve done a lot with that. So, have you, what processes have you managed to automate?

MD Attorney: So we use electronic filing where we can and where we’re required, which is all the counties in Maryland, except for, three. Our case management system is a platform on which we run the entire practice, so everything gets tracked electronically. Every person in our office has access to the case management system. At any given point, somebody can pull up the file and know exactly what’s going on, what all the deadlines are, etc.

In terms of the marketing side of it, technology and social media specifically has been a little bit of an equalizer in the marketing world, bigger firms are able to spend inordinate amounts of money on TV, radio, buses, billboards, in areas that I can’t compete in because I don’t have the resources, but social media can be done a lot less expensively and so provides an opportunity for smaller firms to compete and as long as they have an understanding of how to use technology and the best way to do it.

What is the what is the current size of your firm, including like your assistants and everything like that?

MD Attorney: Right now, we have three paralegals, and we are adding an attorney next month.

Are any of your employees virtual and would consider virtual employees in the future?

MD Attorney: None of my employees are virtual, but maybe I would consider it in the future. My hesitancy is due the fact that during COVID, we had some people take advantage of it. Generally speaking, we prefer people to be in our, especially with new people having started, it’s easier to train new people.

What made you choose needles as your platform?

MD Attorney: When II started my practice, it was with a paralegal who came over with me from my last law firm and we used needles there, so it was just something we get familiarity with.

You use the automation for the CRM? Do you also use automation for drafting as well?

MD Attorney: No.

How would you rate your experience with needles as a platform?

MD Attorney: We love needles.

What challenges do you think affect you as a firm owner? Switching from practicing in a firm to now owning your own practice, what challenges do you feel you face?

MD Attorney: There’s no backstop. You’re trying to wear three hats instead of one and it’s a really the biggest challenge. Meaning, prior to this, when I was an attorney at a law firm, I was just practicing law and now I’m practicing law, running a company, and generating business. So that’s really the biggest one.

What challenges do you think affect other solo boutique and otherwise firms that you communicate with so other attorneys that you’re in communications with, What kind of experiences or challenges do they typically say that they face as well?

MD Attorney: I mean, I think probably the same thing. Really, the toughest part is just having steady pipelines.

As an attorney with a growing practice, what advice would you give to smaller firms who are looking to expand and grow?

MD Attorney: Be prepared for the ups and the downs and don’t treat either with too much. Don’t try not to get too high with the highs and too low with the lows.

Last question, what advice would you give when it comes to handling the new influx of clients, staff, and responsibilities that comes with growing your practice?  You’ve mentioned that you have three hats that you wear, so what has been your big takeaway in that situation?

MD Attorney: In terms of finding the right balance? I’ll let you know when that happens. There are times when my office manager who’s one of my paralegals will come in and, make sure I understand that I’ve been spending a little too much time on the marketing side. They will remind me that I need to go back to the law side and then, you know, vice versa.