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A half hour CLE slide show presentation to law students and also intended for new lawyers, explaining tips and practices on how to make a living handling Consumer Law cases in the United States, presented at the University of Houston Law Center in 2012.
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The Economics ofConsumer Law Practice
Houston 2012
Ronald L. BurdgeThe Law Coach .com
© 2012 RLBurdge
Do Good
© 2012 RLBurdge
Do Good
You have to
Do Well
If you want to
© 2012 RLBurdge
Planning Nowfor a Practice Later
“Personal Life” Social Media
- vs –
“Law Life” Social Media
Rules to Remember
Knowing Your Numbers
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tips on Starting a Practice
Tips on Starting a PracticeTips on Starting a Practice
Starting a Consumer Law Practice Without Clients
(and Without Starving)
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #1 on Starting a PracticeTip #1 on Starting a Practice
Read
Jay Foonberg’s
Book
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #2 on Starting a PracticeTip #2 on Starting a Practice
Market yourself to other lawyers
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #3 on Starting a PracticeTip #3 on Starting a Practice
Avoid costly phone book display ads
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #4 on Starting a PracticeTip #4 on Starting a Practice
Get an easy-to-remember
phone number
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #5 on Starting a PracticeTip #5 on Starting a Practice
Publish a Professional Announcement
In local bar newsletter
and newspaper
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #6 on Starting a PracticeTip #6 on Starting a Practice
Write articles
on Consumer Law
for bar newsletter
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #7 on Starting a PracticeTip #7 on Starting a Practice
Give speeches to
Bar Organizations
and civic groups
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #8 on Starting a PracticeTip #8 on Starting a Practice
Hire a support staffer
who has the aptitude
to research people and records
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #9 on Starting a PracticeTip #9 on Starting a Practice
Set up your own web site yourself
And use a catchy name and then blog, blog, blog, blog
Work Social Networking
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #10 on Starting a PracticeTip #10 on Starting a Practice
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 1
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #11 on Starting a PracticeTip #11 on Starting a Practice
Pick an easy-to-find location
for your new office
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #12 on Starting a PracticeTip #12 on Starting a Practice
Set up your office in same Building
with other attorney offices,
For referrals and mentoring
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #13 on Starting a PracticeTip #13 on Starting a Practice
Pay referral fees in cookies
to referring attorney’s secretary
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #14 on Starting a PracticeTip #14 on Starting a Practice
Write a column
on Consumer Law
for local newspaper
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #15 on Starting a PracticeTip #15 on Starting a Practice
Limit contingency fee cases
to ½ your case load
© 2012 RLBurdge
Tip #16 on Starting a PracticeTip #16 on Starting a Practice
Remember: the best advertising you will ever get is from a happy client.
Make your client’s case your case … make it personal.
© 2012 RLBurdge
Bonus Time !
© 2012 RLBurdge
www. The Law Coach .com
© 2012 RLBurdge
www. The Law Coach .com
© 2012 RLBurdge
www. The Law Coach .com
© 2012 RLBurdge
The Practice of Law ?
© 2012 RLBurdge
Riches to Rags
© 2012 RLBurdge
Riches to Rags
TheKingofTorts
Melvin Belli
© 2012 RLBurdge
Rags to Riches
© 2012 RLBurdge
Rags to Riches
© 2012 RLBurdge
Old RuleOld Rule
$ in$ in-Bills paid outBills paid out
== $ Left Over $ Left Over (your profit)(your profit)
© 2012 RLBurdge
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
It’s a Business
Run it like one
The Name of the Game: Profit
© 2012 RLBurdge
“What do you mean, my paycheck will be a little late this week?”
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
Be a Lawyer
Not a Business Manager
© 2012 RLBurdge
TheProblem
Solution?
New Rule
Hire a Business Manager
And Pay them Well
© 2012 RLBurdge
SCORE.org
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
Have a Budget
And Live by it
© 2012 RLBurdge
Time Management Matters
© 2012 RLBurdge
Time Gobblers
Confusing Priorities
“Paper” Shuffling
Interruptions
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
Have a Budget
And Live by it
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
Know Your “Break Even” Number
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
Know Your Daily Numbers
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
Recalculate Your Hourly Rate
Reverse Calculate it
© 2012 RLBurdge
Know Your Numbers
EGN / IGN = Hourly Rate
Expense Generating Numbers
Divided by
Income Generating Numbers
= Hourly Rate© 2012 RLBurdge
Expense Generating Numbers
Taxes Rent
Salaries Telephone
Utilities Debt Retirement
Supplies Equipment
Repairs Advertising
Maintenance Insurance© 2012 RLBurdge
Income Generating Numbers
Total Firm Billable Hours
Whose hours ?
© 2012 RLBurdge
Total Firm Billable Hours
Attorney
Paralegal – Law Clerk
Secretary
© 2012 RLBurdge
Weight the Rates
0
0.25
0.5
0.75
1
AttorneyParalegalSecretary
© 2012 RLBurdge
Weekly Billable HoursWeighted
RateAvailable
HoursBillable Hours
Attorney 1 45 45
Paralegal .5 40 20
Secretary .25 20 5
Total 70© 2012 RLBurdge
Reverse Calculating Hourly Rate
Example:
1 Attorney - $100 k Salary
1 Paralegal - $42 k Salary
1 Secretary - $30 k Salary
© 2012 RLBurdge
Reverse Calculating Hourly Rate
Expense Generating Numbers
Divided by
Income Generating Numbers
= Hourly Rate
© 2012 RLBurdge
Expense Generating Numbers
Taxes Rent
Salaries Telephone
Utilities Debt Retirement
Supplies Equipment
Repairs Advertising
Maintenance Insurance
= $7,000© 2012 RLBurdge
Reverse Calculating Hourly Rate
$7,000 + 15% = $8,050 (EGN)
Divided by
70 – 15% = 59.5 hours (IGN)
= $ 135.29 Hourly Rate
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
It’s a Business
Run it like one
The Name of the Game: Profit
© 2012 RLBurdge
New Rule
The Cost of Losing Billable Time:
15 min/day = 1.25 Hr/wk
= 65 Hr/yr
65 Hr x $150 ………... = $9,750
© 2012 RLBurdge
Bonus Time !
© 2012 RLBurdge
Top 3 New Rules
To Really Succeed
1. Be a Lawyer, not a Manager
2. Know Your Numbers
3. Give it Back
© 2012 RLBurdge
You have to
Do Well
If You want to
Do GoodHouston 2012
Ronald L. BurdgeThe Law Coach .com © 2012 RLBurdge
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