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Alternative careers for lawyers
- 1. Alternative Careers for Lawyers Basil Plastiras, Esq. John H. Corcoran, Esq. Entrepreneur and Attorney The Corcoran Law Firm www.SmartBusinessRevolution.com Please turn up your speakers!
- 2. How to Make the Most of this Webinar: • Turn up your computer speakers • Today we will do 40 minutes of presentation, 20 minutes of Q&A • Take out a pen & paper to take notes, close all other windows. • We will email out a recording of today’s webinar • Enter your email at: www.CaLawReport.com/webinar
- 3. Overview of today’s session • History of legal profession over past 40 years • Growth industries in the law & outside of the law • Good jobs for non-practicing lawyers • Examples of successful non-practicing lawyers
- 4. About Basil Plastiras • Attorney and expert witness • CEO of Parkway Properties • Owner or investor in a restaurant chain, an Aquarium, a gas station, law firm, commercial real estate brokerage, shopping centers, office buildings, and a property management company. • Formerly President of UC Hastings Foundation
- 5. About John Corcoran • Attorney and Small Business Advisor with the Corcoran Law Firm in San Rafael (Marin county, California). • Mostly serving small business, entrepreneur and real estate investor clients. • Creator of SmallBusinessRevolution.com (formerly California Law Report). • Monthly teleseminars & webinars with entrepreneurs, business owners, etc.
- 6. The Problem • A lot of lawyers are very unhappy • 45,000 law grads/year but only 25,000 new legal jobs per year • Projection of only 10% increase in number of jobs over next 10 years (U.S. Dept of Labor)
- 7. The Way Things Were • In the 1950s & 1960s there was a steady state legal economy • Changes occurred slowly and predictably • Legal careers were secure
- 8. Pace of Change Has Increased • Too much change in too short a period of time • Change is going to accelerate and …. the speed of change could induce disorientation in lots of people
- 9. The Ways Things Are “Future Shock” • With future shock you stay in one place but your own culture changes so rapidly that it has the same disorienting effect as going to another culture. • Changes are caused by accelerated/an accelerating rate of technological and social change.
- 10. The Ways Things Are “Symptoms” Majority of “social problems” are symptoms of the future shock
- 11. The Ways Things Are “Symptoms” Example: In one 5 year period, starting 1955, innovations brought us the birth control pill, universal television, commercial jet travel, and many other medical, scientific and technological innovations, which, over time, triggered deep and wide- spread changes in our sex lives, in our world views, and in how we work.
- 12. Change in 2010-2012 • Facebook • Twitter • Smart phones • Blogs • Commercial space travel • Executive suites & Airbed
- 13. How to Take Advantage of Rapid Changes in the Legal Profession • Check the demographics: individual, commercial, professional • Identify growth areas-legal, commercial, social, technological • Build skills in the newest technology, legal and otherwise • Read the latest cases and statutes to spot growth areas in law • Community involvement, activities and organizations
- 14. Perspectives of Change •Law is ubiquitous •Subject Matter Areas of the Law •Geographic Areas of Growth •Legal Industry Areas
- 15. Fast-Growing Subject Areas Within the Law •Social media •Science •Intellectual property •Cloud-based technologies •Bio-life law •Health care law •Space law •Elder law
- 16. Fast-Growing Legal Industry Areas • Processservers • lawyer networking • Document & advertising summary • video service • Expert witness • Powerpoint services presentations • paralegal •Document storage outsourcing & management
- 17. 3 Areas for Lawyers who Don’t Practice Law Education Government Business
- 18. Networking Secrets: • Identify who you need to know • Ask for advice, not a job • Learn from their experience • Get lots of contacts while you are young • The key is in maintaining contact • Stick to the nuts and bolts
- 19. 5 Things to Do to Get a Job 1. Follow the Demographics 2. Identify Growth Areas (legal, commercial, social & technological) 3. Build Skills in Latest Technology 4. Read all latest court decisions and statutes in order to spot growth areas 5. Community Involvement
- 20. Transitioning to a New Career 1. Search your background for your areas of expertise 2. Identify other people with the right kind of expertise 3. Rely on Expertise – your own and those you trust 4. If you want to start a business, develop a business plan
- 21. How to Start and Build a Non-Legal Business 1. Focus on what you know 2. Partner with people smarter than you 3. Revenue is more important than expenses 4. Use your legal skills – identify the issues, do the research & investigation, analyze the research & investigation, and articulate a business plan.
- 22. Richard Thalheimer J.D., UC Hastings Founder & former CEO, The Sharper Image
- 23. Mark Britton J.D., George Washington University Formerly executive vice president at InterActiveCorp Travel (IACT) and Expedia.
- 24. Mark Harmon J.D., UC Hastings class of 1982
- 25. Candace Davenport J.D., UC Hastings
- 26. Lee Burgess Bar Exam and LSAT Tutoring J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law
- 27. Alison Monahan The Girl’s Guide to Law School J.D., Columbia University
- 28. SUMMARY: 1. If you DO NOT want to practice law: start researching & analyzing what field is good for you. Identify those in the field and network with them. 2. If you DO want to keep practicing law, look at geographic growth areas & subject matter growth areas.
- 29. Need more help? Platinum Coaching Program Gold Coaching Program (3 (5 1-hour sessions) 1-hour sessions) $1,450 $900 http:www.ptlegal.com/Coaching.html
- 30. Q&A Basil Plastiras Contact Info: (415) 472-8100 basil@ptlegal.com www.PTLegal.com