What advice does Don Macari give to young attorneys starting their own law firms?
Answered at 23:27 in Lessons from 40 Years in Law: Trial Preparedness, Client Trust, and Firm Growth · The Managing Partners Podcast: Law Firm Business Podcast
What advice does Don Macari give to young attorneys starting their own law firms?
Macari advises young lawyers to find an area of law they are passionate about because legal practice is not a nine-to-five job and will consume much of their time. Most importantly, attorneys must treat law as both a profession and an honor profession, but also as a business by implementing proper management structures including a CFO, director of IT, director of advertising, and human resources director. He also emphasizes that while marketing is crucial to acquiring clients, the best advertising is word of mouth, and once clients are retained, delivering excellent service and maintaining good processes ensures reputation and sustainable business growth.
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In short
Macari advises young lawyers to find an area of law they are passionate about because legal practice is not a nine-to-five job and will consume much of their time.
Don Macari, Founder and Managing Partner at Macari Law Firm · Lessons from 40 Years in Law: Trial Preparedness, Client Trust, and Firm Growth · The Managing Partners Podcast: Law Firm Business Podcast · answer at 23:27
Key takeaways
- Macari advises young lawyers to find an area of law they are passionate about because legal practice is not a nine-to-five job and will consume much of their time.
Quote to remember
“You still have to be able to personally connect with your client, and you've got to know the law, you've got to know the facts, and you've got to understand where they're coming from.”
— Don Macari
The full answer · about 3 min
Macari advises young lawyers to find an area of law they are passionate about because legal practice is not a nine-to-five job and will consume much of their time. Most importantly, attorneys must treat law as both a profession and an honor profession, but also as a business by implementing proper management structures including a CFO, director of IT, director of advertising, and human resources director. He also emphasizes that while marketing is crucial to acquiring clients, the best advertising is word of mouth, and once clients are retained, delivering excellent service and maintaining good processes ensures reputation and sustainable business growth.
Key facts
- Don Macari has been practicing law for 41 years
- Over 200 jury trials conducted throughout his career
- Founded his personal injury firm in 2000 with 12 other people
- Firm has grown from 13 people to over 100 people
- Entering 26th year as a firm (as of the episode)
People, companies and topics mentioned
More answers from this episode
- 7:55What are the key lessons Don Macari learned from over 200 jury trials in his 41-year legal career?
- 9:42Why does Don Macari emphasize personal connection and body language in client relationships despite advances in AI and technology?
- 11:39How does the contributory negligence rule in North Carolina and Virginia compare to comparative negligence in other states?
- 18:02What is the true story behind A Few Good Men and Don Macari's first trial at Guantanamo Bay?