This is my presentation for the American Bar Association, Section on the Environment, Energy and Resources "Quick Teleconference" for Young Lawyers interested in starting an agriculture or environmental law practice

1. How To Start an Agriculture &
Environmental Law Practice
American Bar Association’s Section on the Environment,
Energy & Resources (“SEER”) “Quick Teleconference”
April 9, 2013
By Cari B. Rincker, Esq.

2. This Will Be My Story
• I’m no expert
• I did some things right
and some things wrong
– lessons learned
• There’s no one right
way to start a law
practice
• You’ll have to find what
works for you
• Hopefully I can help
you find YOUR story.

3. This is My Story
• Grew up on a beef cattle
farm in Central Illinois
• A.S. in Agriculture from
Lake Land College
• B.S. in Animal Science
from Texas A & M
• M.S. in Ruminant
Nutrition from University
of Illinois

4. This is My Story
• J.D. from Pace Law School (2007)
– Certificates in Environmental Law & International
Law
• Worked as a Contract Attorney in NYC (2007-
2008)
• Associate at Budd-Falen Law Offices in
Cheyenne, Wyoming (2008-2009)
– Environmental Law, Property Law, Land Use &
Federal Lands

5. This is My Story
• I read books about starting a
solo law practice
– Jay Foonberg, “How to Start and
Build a Law Practice”
– Carolyn Elefant, “Single By
Choice”
• I started following blogs about
starting a law practice
– Carolyn Elefant, “My Shingle”
• I spoke to lawyers who had
their own law practice

6. This is My Story
• I had a vision. It was
still a bit fuzzy but I had
a general plan.
• An agriculture law
practice would
capitalize on my
strengths, passions,
reputation and
professional contacts.

7. This is My Story
Moved back to NYC in 2009 to
start my own law practice
– Wanted to do food,
agriculture & environmental
law & live in NYC
– Appreciate the autonomy &
freedom of having my own
practice
– Licensed in New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut &
Washington D.C.

8. This is My Story
• When I first started my practice, I worked as a
contract attorney while juggling my part-time
practice
– When you start, have a plan for income
• Part or Full-time work
• Savings
• Spouse or Family
– How will you manage clients during business day?
– I did the New York “hustle”

9. This is My Story
• Initially, I used my home
address at my apartment on
the Upper East Side but
within my first year I
obtained a virtual law office
downtown by Wall Street
– Professionalism
– Meeting with Clients
– Safety
– Consistency (moving
residences)

10. This is My Story
• One of the first things I did was get a website
and other basic marketing tools
– Name of practice
– Domain name
– Email
– Business cards
– Letterhead

11. This is My Story
• If you are using a Virtual Law Office, are there any
special ethical concerns?
– For example, New Jersey used to have a requirement
that letterhead and business cards state “By
Appointment Only”
– New Jersey also used to require that clients know
where my “bona fide office” was located
– New Jersey has since changed these rules

12. This is My Story
• I formed a Professional Limited Liability Company
immediately
– In hindsight, I would have waited to do this this but
I’m glad I have it done
– New York has a publication requirement (cost me
$1400 to comply in New York County in addition to
filing fees)
– When I started my practice, I didn’t have a lot of
personal assets to protect
– Corporate formalities / additional administrative
overhead
– What choice of entity is right for you?

13. This is My Story
• After forming my Professional Limited Liability
Company, the next thing I did was go to the
bank
– Federal Employer Identification Number
– Operating Account
– IOLTA Account
• Take information about what your state requires- not all
business bankers understand IOLTA/IOLA
– Business Credit Card

14. This is My Story
• After my bank and business entity was in order, I needed
malpractice insurance
– Took recommendation from New York State Bar Association
– Best guestimate on practice area percentages – be conservative
on higher risk areas
• Environmental law
• Oil & Gas
• Mineral Rights
• Hazardous Materials
• Intellectual Property
– Needed a “back-up lawyer”
– Some malpractice insurance companies
will allow financing – pay over 9 mos.

15. This is My Story
Started my practice with:
– PC Laptop
– File Cabinet
– Ground Line
– Cell Phone
– Printer
– Microsoft Office Suite
– In hindsight, I should have invested in an
accounting program immediately
• I now use PC Law

16. This is My Story
• Now, I just need clients.
• My first step with marketing was
to get involved with social media
– Twitter (@CariRincker
@RinckerLaw)
– Facebook Business Page
(facebook.com/rinckerlaw)
– Food & Agriculture Law Blog
(www.rinckerlaw.com/blog)
• Preferred blog within my website
rather than separate site My Twitter background –
• Wordpress platform matches my website
• Awesome SEO
– LinkedIn

17. This is My Story
• The next marketing step was to update attorney
listings
– Justia
– Avvo
– As many attorney listings that I could find; correct
online listings
• Helps with search engine optimization in multiple
ways
– Backlinks
– Practice area searches

18. This is My Story
• I got my first clients
– Attorney Referrals
• Take Home Lesson: When you first go out on your own, tell
all your lawyer friends
– I posted an Advertisement on Craigslist.com
• I only posted on Craigslist for a few months – no longer use
it
• Helpful for per diem lawyers or lawyers seeking freelance
work
– I tried cold calls to lawyers
• I hated it – didn’t last long
• Works for some people

19. This Is My Story
• I joined email listserves for
lawyers
– Solosez
– New York State Bar
Association
– American Agriculture Law
Association
• I joined professional
organizations
– Bar associations
– Trade associations
• I got “out there” to let
myself be known.

20. This is My Story
• I found mentors.
• I started business networking.
• I took on work in other practice
areas.
• I got experience when I could.
• I had speaking engagements.
• I wrote, a lot.
• I had leadership positions with
agriculture organizations
• In 1 year, I had a full-time law
practice and quit working as a
contract lawyer.

21. This is My Story
• Business networking
– Relationships should
always be mutual
– What can you give? What
do you bring to the table?
It’s not just about how that
person can help you.
– Social capital

22. This Is My Story
• Finding Mentors
– Offer to pay them for
their time/experience
when needing help with
cases
• They might not want it
but it is a sign of respect
• You want the public to
pay you for your
brainpower, right?
– Find mentors in every
practice area

23. This Is My Story
• I purchased advertising
space with livestock
publications and
directories
– Hard to say whether it
has made a difference
– More than anything, I like
showing support for the
organizations
– Having articles published
in those publications has
been better

24. This Is My Story
• I was myself.
• I was following my passion.
• I was growing into my
brand.
• I was having fun.
• I learned to enjoy working
in practice areas that I
never thought I would
practice in
– Divorce law
– Family law
– Real estate

25. This Is My Story
• I got press.
• Good press breeds
more good press.
• Take as many
interviews as you can.
• Become a “resource.”
Photo by Lynn Irish in the
ABA Journal – June 2011

26. This Is My Story
• Leadership opportunities
breed more leadership
opportunities
• Chair of the ABA General
Practice Solo & Small Firm
Division’s Agriculture Law
Committee
– Moderated CLE’s on
Crop/Livestock Insurance, Local
Food Law, Employment/Labor
Law
– Will moderate a CLE on Food
Labeling on May 30, 2013

27. This Is My Story
• I have used Virtual Legal
Assistants and Contract
Attorneys
• I work with other
lawyers on certain cases
– “Back up” lawyers
• Economy of Scale
– Recommend reading
“Four-Hour Work Week”

28. This Is My Story
• I tried a “Fridays with
Cari” Webinar series
on food, agriculture
and family law issues
– Lower attendance
– Requests to make
recordings available
– Valuable branding

29. This Is My Story
After 2.5 years in my law
practice, I took out a “big
girl” lease in Midtown
Manhattan
– Brick and mortar office
– Additional overhead
– Productivity & Efficiency
– Have made more money
– Developed a routine

30. This Is My Story
• I still struggle with the right balance between
billable and non-billable work
• Balancing:
– Clients
– Potential Clients
– Business networking and introductions
• BNI or business networking organizations with
nonlawyers
– Speaking Engagements
– Social media

31. This Is My Story
• Recently added Email
Marketing
– Constant Contact
– Careful not to spam
• Want to start video
blogging
• Developed a
mediation practice

32. This Is My Story
Will be teaching
“Survey to Food &
Agriculture Law” at
Pace Law School
– July 1-5, 2013
– Open to non-Pace
students

33. This Is My Story
• Recommend reading the
book “Never Eat Alone” by
Keith Ferrazzi
– I spend a lot of time building
professional relationships
– People want to help people
who help them
– Social capital is real – and it’s
valuable
– As a professional, you are
only as good as the quality of
referrals that you can give
– Thinking about starting
“group lunches” on Fridays

34. This Is My Story
• Issues I still struggle with
– Charging for initial consultations
– Flat fee vs. billable hour
– Charging for speaking
engagements
• Travel
• Speakers Fee
– How much time do I spend
marketing and networking
– Cash flow- accounts receivable
– Work/life balance
– Branding with a dichotomy in my
practice I did a better job in Year 3 with Work-Life Balance
• Food, agriculture & environmental
law
• Family and matrimonial law

35. This Is My Story
• Long-term goals
– Hire administrative & paralegal
help
– Have full-time associates
– Writing a book for farmers and
food entrepreneurs
– Work more with food trucks &
restaurants around NYC
– Do more community outreach on
my family & matrimonial side of my
practice
– Build my mediation practice
– Think more about “passive income”
– Subscription services
– Referral lists with bar associations

36. Now, What’s Your Story?
• What will be your “special
sauce?”
– Think about your brand
– Who is your target audience?
– Do you have a plan for cash flow?
– What will make your practice
unique?
– What can you uniquely offer your
clients?
• Meeting with clients at night or
weekends
• Virtual Law Office
• Unbundled legal services
• Sliding for lower-income clients

37. You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers
• It’s scary to just “jump” but trust you have the
ability to practice law
• Law schools don’t focus on practical skills but
they teach you how to learn
– You are an attorney and know how to research
– Use mentors to help guide you through the
process
• You are a business person first, and an
attorney second

38. Have Confidence, But Be Truthful
• Don’t lie about your experience to potential
clients
• It’s okay to tell a client that you have to
research something – that is what lawyers do
• Know when to say “no” if something is out of
your competency
– For example, I don’t touch farm bankruptcy or
personal injury
– But have good referrals available to help that
person or business

39. You Can Be the Lawyer You Want To Be
• There’s no more “glass ceiling”
• You can practice in the areas that you want to
practice in
– Oil & Gas Law
– Toxic Tort Litigation
– Land Use & Zoning
– Wind & Solar Farms
– AFO’s/CAFO’s
– Federal Lands

40. More Questions?
“Fridays with Cari”
Skype Convo on the
first Friday of every
month from 2-3pm ET
- Skype username:
Cari.Rincker
- Email me to RSVP
cari@rinckerlaw.com

41. Please Stay in Touch
• Send Me Snail Mail: 535 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor,
New York, NY 10017
• Call Me: (212) 427-2049 (office)
• Email Me: cari@rinckerlaw.com
• Visit My Website: www.rinckerlaw.com
• Read My Food & Ag Law Blog: www.rinckerlaw.com/blog
• Tweet Me: @CariRincker @RinckerLaw
• Facebook Me: www.facebook.com/rinckerlaw
• Link to Me: http://www.linkedin.com/in/caririncker
• Skype Me: Cari.Rincker