New Solo

As an attorney, you do great work, you get results for your clients, but do you ever feel invisible? Getting your name out there and letting people know what you do is still important, no matter how good you are, and it doesn’t have to be expensive or take up all your time. Guest Karen Korr is a veteran legal communications professional and an expert in legal media relations, public relations, marketing, and branding who helps lawyers get their name out there, build relationships, and make a lasting impression.   Of course, it starts with being consistent and being human. But it’s been said most of us don’t remember something until we see it 15 times. So, making your firm visible is important, whether that’s in a news release, or social media, or sponsorships, or advertising. The secret is, it’s not that time consuming or costly. It just takes some knowhow. Hear Korr’s tips for letting your light shine, tips you can start using today to make your firm top of mind. Visibility lets clients know about the great work you do and the problems you solve. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected].  Topics: It’s not enough to do good work. If nobody knows, how does that build your business? Guest Karen Korr is a legal communications pro who gets legal professionals the attention and recognition they deserve. Awards, rankings, social media, advertising, and networking do matter. Many lawyers avoid that part of building a business because they think it’s too time consuming or expensive. The secret? It’s not. How do you write an effective news release? What do reporters and influencers want to know in the first paragraph. What does using a generic (hint, “Gmail”) email address say about your firm?   Resources: Super Lawyers Best Lawyers LinkedIn Bluesky X Eventbrite Reddit Businesswire PR Newswire ABA Techshow 2026 Special thanks to our sponsors CallRail, ALPS Insurance, Wyzer Staffing, and LEX Reception.

Guest Andrew Schierberg is a former police officer and a police chief who opened his own solo law firm two years ago and has been growing it ever since. What does he miss from his first career, and what has he learned as a lawyer? As the firm has evolved, there has been some rebranding and the addition of new attorneys, employees, and tech tools. Today, Schierberg specializes in elder law at his firm Stages Elder Care Law. Hear how Schierberg has learned to hire associates so he can focus on “buying back his time” to grow the business. Understand your strengths, find areas where your time is wasted, and delegate or apply tech solutions to make your firm run more efficiently. Schierberg picked a niche – elder care law – and has made it his home. It’s what he cares about, helping seniors and families create estate and care plans and address all of those “what ifs” as they arise. Hear how he adapts everything from his corporate colors to his daily wardrobe to make clients comfortable and create a strong, memorable, and trusted brand. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected] Topics: We’re checking in on Andrew Schierberg who finished his first career as a police chief and then opened his own law firm two years ago. Time wasting pinch points can siphon off your energy and productivity. Identify those areas and address them. Finding a niche service area can set your firm apart and create a sense of satisfaction that keeps you focused and helps you work on important, big picture goals. Resources: The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers’ Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and SuccessLawmaticsABA Techshow 2026Gyi Tsakalakis legal marketingLunch Hour Legal Marketing with Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad SaamMycase“How to Buy a Domain Name,” CloudflareLife Care Planning Law Firms AssociationActionstep legal softwareClio Cloud Conference 2025Clio Legal Trends ReportMicrosoft Lift

Checking in with returning guests Dean Blachford and Ella Sui, who started the Blachford Tax Law firm in Ottawa, Canada in 2021. Blachford is the tax lawyer and Sui is the clerk, paralegal, and more, forming a small tag team specializing in Canadian tax law. This is a fun episode because before they hung out a shingle, Blachford and Sui listened to the entire New Solo podcast library, building an understanding of a solo practice as host Adriana Linares and her guests discussed the challenges, and solutions, new practitioners encounter. Soon after they opened, the duo joined Linares for a podcast to share what they found to be the most impactful episodes. So, how did that work out for Blachford and Sui? Four years later, hear what they learned from New Solo and how they put it all to work their firm. Bookkeeping, accounting, systems and processes, collections, clear goals, and careful documentation are all part of the firm’s success. The firm considered hiring a junior attorney but instead leaned into tech by hiring a remote assistant (in the Philippines) and a human resources consultant. And (of course) this wouldn’t be a New Solo podcast with a whole bunch of cutting edge legal tech solutions. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected] Topics: Guests Dean Blachford and Ella Sui started their New Solo practice by listening to the catalog of New Solo episodes. Four years later, hear how that worked out and how they learned to incorporate processes, procedures, remote help, and the latest tech. In a small firm, it’s important colleagues’ workloads. People may not always tell you when they are overloaded. Know when it’s time to bring on help, whether in person, with a remote assistant, or through better technical tools and programs. Don’t wait to document and establish clear processes, and stress those to new assistants. The things you put off early never get done. Document and follow your processes in the moment, don’t procrastinate. Mentioned in This Episode: New Solo podcast, prior episode, “Marco Brown’s Eight Commandments for Getting Paid” New Solo podcast, prior episode “Ernie The Attorney: A Tech Whisperer Shares His Legal Tech Secrets” Loom Zoom Clips Clio Introducing ChatGPT Adobe HubSpot SharePoint LastPass RingCentral Tactiq Calendly ABA Techshow 2026 Clio Cloud Conference 2025

Let’s get back in touch with a favorite guests from past episodes, friend of the podcast Cassandra Koenig, formerly Cassandra Michel, founder of the amicable family law and divorce firm Aloha Divorce. It’s been a few years since we talked, and the firm is thriving (so is Koenig). How did she fare in the past four years, building her own family and a law practice? Hear how she’s built a practice and supplemented her client work with contracted, side jobs to fill in slow spots. It’s all part of running a true solo practice. Hear how Koenig new from the start she wanted to run a solo practice and stayed true to her aims, all without burning out. She’s built a firm on her own terms, focusing on helping families move on in their own direction on good terms. Her practice makes her feel happy and fulfilled, she only works with clients she feels good about, and she keeps humming along. Thinking of going solo? Koenig’s story will inspire you. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected] Topics: It can be done. Guest Cassandra Koening knew she wanted to run a solo practice, and checking in four years later we hear how she is making it work. Technology and outsourcing are key components in a true solo practice. Learn how to source and maximize tech (and as we’ve said before, don’t try to be your own bookkeeper). Not every day is packed with client meetings. Sometimes it takes a little contracted side work to keep the wheels spinning, and that’s OK. Resources: Previous appearance on New Solo, “How This New Lawyer Branded Her Firm With Aloha and Built a Happy Practice | First Flight #4” Previous appearance on New Solo, “A First Year Recap From a New Family Law Practitioner” Lawclerk.legal ARAG Google Analytics Canva marketing materials Clio Grow Calendly Otter AI Chat GPT Previous episode: “What’s New in Legal Financial Management? An Expert’s Perspective” Clio Legal Tech ABA Techshow 2026 Clio Cloud Conference 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report

Guest Jared Correia of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting helps law firms run better and helps lawyers live their best lives. In addition, he’s both an attorney and an avid podcaster and writer. In this episode Correia and good friend, host Adriana Linares, dive into how law firms can leverage video content to build their business and how to outsource tasks and maximize technical efficiencies. Correia explains step by step how lawyers can get in the video content game. Buy a tripod, fire up your cell phone, and get started. Modern platforms are your friend, from YouTube to LinkedIn, Loom to VideoAsk, even Zoom. Make mastering the art of video your goal this summer. Hear where you can find subject ideas, edit and publish, and use AI to turn recordings into articles. Plus, managing remote contract workers to streamline your business, creating “role-based access” to your files, automating tasks and workflows, and getting the most out of the software that’s already on your desk. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected] Topics: If you’re not leveraging video content to build your business, you’re probably losing out to someone who does. Make mastering video production and distribution your summer goal (hear how to get started). Make use of the newest tech tools – and learn how to use the tools you’re already paying for – to automate, streamline, manage, and outsource your daily tasks. Plus, a special guest, Legal Talk Network producer Adam Lockwood drops by to share some pro podcasting and video tips for beginners. Resources: YouTube Loom video VideoAsk Riverside.fm video editing Clio Legal Tech Smokeball TaskGate.io Notion Microsoft Teams Adobe Acrobat ChatGPT Microsoft Office tools Acuity scheduling Kevin Stratvert on YouTube ABA Techshow 2026 Clio Cloud Conference 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report Legal Late Night podcast Above The Law podcast Legal Toolkit podcast, Legal Talk Network “How Law Firms Can Leverage Video Content To Drive Business” “How Remote Staff Can Help Small Firms Punch Above Their Weight” “Helping Hands: The Value Proposition Of Remote Work For Law Firms” Previous appearance on New Solo, “Solo, But Not? Shared Office Space (Plus, Chatbots and A.I.)” Previous appearance on Legal Talk Network, Un-Billable Hour, “Separating The Wheat From The Chaff In Legal Tech (And AI)”

Take a deep dive into today’s case management and accounting tech with one of the leading voices in legal technology, Allan Mackenzie, the founding partner of the firm Efficient Legal. Moving from older systems and into the cloud can open lots of doors, affordably. Even small firms can dig into today’s modern technology to help manage documents, accounting tasks, and more. Iron out the wrinkles in your data management, connect platforms, and work seamlessly and efficiently. Case management systems have evolved to include dashboards, workflows, document assembly, phone call and text messaging systems, and even accounting tech and credit card processing. Hear what Mackenzie looks for when he sets out to build the right-sized system for a law firm, whether that’s a solo practice or a large organization. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected] Topics: Think your legal software and systems are fine because they’re what you’ve always used? Think again. Six months is an eternity in legal tech, and if you haven’t reviewed and renewed your software suite, you could be leaving money on the table. Integrate everything, including your billing, collections, and your phone calls, into every part of your firm, from information management to confidential storage and efficient search and recall. Your clients are texting more than ever. Today’s case management systems incorporate technology to securely receive, sort, and store text messages. Resources: Clio Legal Tech MyCase Smokeball CARET (formerly Zola) Leap Neos Dialpad RingCentral Ion8 Lightbulb Slack Quickbooks MyFirmData Zoho Invoice Centerbase Microsoft Teams Universal Migrator Actionstep Dropbox Dash ABA Techshow 2026 Previously on New Solo, “Winning The Battle: When It’s Time To Modernize But There’s One Holdout” Previously on New Solo, guest Peggy Gruenke, “What’s New in Legal Financial Management? An Expert’s Perspective” Previously on New Solo, guest Amanda Moore, “Money Management 101 for Solo and Small Firm Professionals” Clio Cloud Conference 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report