@Prutschi

Edward Prutschi

Toronto Criminal Lawyer

Partner, Adler Bytensky Prutschi

Author of “The Crime Traveller,” Precedent Magazine

Blawger on Slaw.ca

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Today we’re tweeting w/ Toronto crim lawyer, occasional blawger at Slaw.ca & author of “The Crime Traveller” for Precedent @Prutschi

1. @Prutschi thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @Prutschi?
   Criminal defence lawyer. Amateur travel writer (@CrimeTraveller). Tech geek. Father. The order depends on the day.
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2. Tell us about your law practice.
   We have 3 partners, 3 associates and a student. Together, we defend shoplifting to murder and everything in between.
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3. What type of clients do you represent?
   My “typical” client is hard-working, middle class, and has never been in trouble with police before.
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4. And what is the single most important legal issue affecting that “typical” client?
   Combination of access to justice (legal fees are expensive) and bail conditions (which are often worse than the potential sentence).
   That was cheating. I chose two. Sorry. :)
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5. Happy to let it slide… Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
   I acted for a mortgage broker in a multi-million $ mortgage fraud. His career was obviously on the line. Acquitted.
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6. Congrats to both of you. Why do your clients hire you?
   Clients take comfort from our combination of experience, professionalism, tenacity and compassion.
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7. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   Clients must trust my professionalism while still being a partner in the litigation. I need honesty & realism in order to help them.
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8. What’s the most active area of your practice at the current time? Is that typical?
   Domestic assaults and impaired driving (#DUI). These are common, vigorously prosecuted, and form a big chunk of our work.
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9. What led you to start your own firm with your current partners?
   We all hail from big commercial firms. We were looking to help clients when the stakes were highest – criminal law.
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10. Well it sounds like it was the right move. How do you market your practice?
    Mostly by referral from non-criminal lawyers. Word of mouth from satisfied clients. And our website – www.CrimLawCanada.com.
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11. How do you describe what you do to people you meet at a cocktail party?
    I keep the system honest so that if you’re ever caught up in it (& don’t assume you won’t be), u can count on a fair trial.
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12. You blog occasionally at Slaw.ca (http://bit.ly/d5IoHs). Who do you write for? Why should they read it?
    Slaw is mostly lawyers but I consider my audience anyone interested in mature discussions on difficult criminal law issues…
    …I challenge people to think critically about how our system works and what “fairness” means in the broadest sense.
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13. Are there others in your firm as plugged in to Web 2.0 as you are? Was that a conscious decision?
    As the youngest partner, I’m a natural fit for Web 2.0. The others ignore it but our incoming student (@JoelWelch) is on board.
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14. What specific impact on referrals and/or client engagements, if any, have you realized from Web 2.0 activities?
    Impact has been indirect. Web 2.0 has helped garner media attention which in turn has led to name recognition and client calls.
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15. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    I think about my brand constantly but it only takes 10min/day to tweet something meaningful or 2hrs/mth to develop a good blog post.
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16. Good points. Let’s switch gears: What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    In criminal law it’s the government’s misguided “get tough on crime” policies. They make great sound bites but terrible law.
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17. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
    Lawyers will catch up to where the rest of the world is today technologically. Of course that will still leave us 10yrs behind. ;)
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18. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    Be a travel journalist/photographer and call myself The Crime Traveller. Oh wait. I already do that. @CrimeTraveller.
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19. I thought that sounded familiar…. How do you want to be remembered?
    As someone passionate about justice and committed to fairness who was respected equally by crown prosecutors, judges and clients.
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20. What do you do when you’re not working (or traveling or taking travel photos or writing about travel…)?
    Play with my daughters or blow off steam through my love of video games (my home office sports an #XBox, #PS3 and #Wii).
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21. Sounds like fun…. What advice can you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
    Network constantly. Understand your brand. Leverage new technology/media. Treat every person you meet as a future referral source.
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22. And our final question for you: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    Take every practicum/clinical opportunity you can. Seek out courses taught by practitioners. Volunteer in the field.

That’s good advice. Thank you very much for tweeting with me today; I enjoyed learning about you and your practice.

Thank you for the interview. It was great sharing the twitterverse with your followers today.

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@anthonybushnell

Anthony Bushnell

Criminal defense and civil litigation solo attorney

Managing attorney, The Bushnell Law Firm, LLC

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Today we’re tweeting w/ crim def & civil lit lawyer @anthonybushnell, who provides smart legal representation – for real people

1. @anthonybushnell thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @anthonybushnell?
   Thanks Lance! Attorney, dad, believer in a good and merciful God, thus trying to treat others & clients the way I want to be treated
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2. Tell us about your law practice.
   I do criminal defense and litigation, which varies from helping homeowners with contractors to dealing with unpaid wages.
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3. What type of clients do you represent?
   A lot of individuals and small to mid-size businesses. Most people are ordinary folks who get stuck with legal problems.
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4. What is the single most important legal issue affecting those clients?
   Cost of legal services and access to legal help. Most people are slow to seek #legal help; they think they can’t afford it.
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5. Indeed. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   I can’t guarantee the results in litigation or a criminal matter, but I will work my hardest and get the best I can for you.
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6. Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
   Represented a guy pro bono who had a court order put on him with no notice or process. Had to go to appeals court to fix it.
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7. Why do your clients hire you?
   I provide high-quality legal work and personal attention, but keep my rates very reasonable so real people can afford it.
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8. What’s the most active area of your practice at the current time? Is that typical?
   Litigation right now. It varies, but seems to average 60% litigation / 40% criminal. I also do some prosecution on contract.
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9. You tweet a lot re work/life balance. How do you maintain the right mix in the face of time-sensitive client needs?
   I remind myself that clients get better service when I’m balanced and healthy. Taking my family time is serving them too.
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10. That does make a lot of sense. How do you market your practice?
    Thanks. Relationships with other attorneys – trying to help each other and genuinely invest in each other. Websites and SM.
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11. How do you describe what you do to people you meet at networking events?
    I provide legal services regular people need and make a priority to keep it affordable. I can help people who some can’t.
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12. What were your goals in becoming active on Twitter? Have they changed?
    I started tweeting to connect with clients. I’ve found best & fav use is keeping up on legal news & building relationships.
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13. Besides Twitter, what other Web 2.0 tools do you regularly use to market your practice?
    LinkedIn. I also post about my practice on Facebook, but use it primarily for friendships. Just remind people what I do…
    …Minnesota Bar also has a website called www.mypracticelaw.org – like LinkedIn/Facebook for lawyers.
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14. What specific impact on referrals and/or client engagements have you realized from Web 2.0 activities?
    Honestly, I haven’t identified any. But it’s made me better at connecting and improved staying on top of law developments.
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15. There’s a lot of value in that, of course. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    1-2 hours on weekdays. I also think a lot and try to keep track of good ideas. Building something worthwhile takes time.
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16. Absolutely. Let’s switch gears: What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    We have way too many lawyers (many out of work) but not enough people get legal help. That’s broken. 1+1 should = needs met.
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17. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
    I expect we’ll have a lot of part-time and contract lawyers/solos. Hopefully apprenticeships for grads & practical training.
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18. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    I would pastor or teach. Often feel the law doesn’t let me help people with their whole need. So I tweet @be_fullyalive too.
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19. How do you want to be remembered?
    As sincere and genuine and as having helped people. People said Winston Churchill was same man in public and private. …
    …Reason I sometimes mention my faith even in professional area is I believe being healthy means being integrated. No masks.
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20. What do you do when you’re not working?
    Spend time with my kids and give them as much of me as I can. Try to remember they’ll learn most on life from my wife & me.
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21. What advice can you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
    Don’t need a job to be an #attorney. You ARE one. Go find clients and offer yourself for contract work. That advice made me.
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22. What advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    Meet all the real lawyers you can. Make sure it’s for you. Do the math and live on a budget. Get practical experience. …
    … Don’t be shy about calling lawyers to meet. They’re glad to. Work to develop yourself as a lawyer and get things done.

All very valuable advice. Thanks for your thoughtful responses today; I enjoyed tweeting with you very much.

Me too. Thanks, Lance! This was a great experience. Thank you for creating this idea for lawyers to get to know each other.

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@charlesthomas

Charles Thomas

Philadelphia Criminal Defense Attorney

Founder, The Law Offices of Charles Thomas

Author of Persuasive Authority and Philly LGBT Lawyer

Today we’re tweeting with Philadelphia criminal defense attorney and (new) solo practice evangelist @CharlesThomas

1. @CharlesThomas, thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @CharlesThomas?
   Thanks for having me! I’m a true solo doing MOSTLY crim def. I enjoy cooking and play some music too. http://is.gd/3jctX
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2. Looks interesting; I’ll have to watch it later. Tell us about your law practice.
   I was trained as a criminal def atty- that’s my bread & butter. I’m trying to add civil and LGBT rights to my practice.
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3. What type of clients do you represent?
   My crim clients come from all walks of life. LOTS of people get a DUI or a shoplifiting or into a fight. Rich & educated too
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4. What is the single most important legal issue affecting your clients?
   The inequality in the system- I have a 5 county practice. Bucks Co would jail someone where Philly would just give a fine.
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5. Wow. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   That I have a firm no-BS rule. If I say “this is the best I can do for you” I mean it. Can’t always win on this side.
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6. Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
   When I was a PD, I was set precedent about the the 1st Amend rights of parolees. http://is.gd/3jf3Q (PDF)
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7. Significant representation indeed! Congrats on that. Why do your clients hire you?
   Because I am not judgmental. Most of them are embarrassed & afraid- I get that, but I also let them know there are ways out.
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8. I imagine that’s a huge comfort for them. What’s the most active area of your practice right now? Is that typical?
   There’s no such thing. Each phone call is different. One guy gets busted with weed- someone else punched a guy.
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9. You started your career as a public defender. What led you to strike out on your own?
   I was there almost 5 years. That seems to be the point when people either a PD for life or break away. I wanted a change.
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10. How is your practice different now that you’ve got your own practice? What does it mean to your clients?
    For one thing, I have fewer felony cases. Ironically, I used to work harder on the CASES back then. Now I work on the biz.
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11. That’s very interesting. How do you market your practice?
    Entirely through social media. All my referrals come through twitter or facebook.
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12. Why did you decide to become active on Twitter? Are you achieving those objectives?
    I was an early adopter for personal purposes. I found more lawyers and made deeper connex, I saw the pro possibilities.
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13. You blog at Persuasive Auth (http://bit.ly/lvVjK) & Philly LGBT Lawyer (http://bit.ly/14ETsk) Who do you write for?
    Myself. As a Bi man I have a stake in LGBT rights. Pther blog is about legal writing, which is so awful. If clients result, bonus.
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14. You said all your work comes from SocMed. How do you manage that? What do you do to keep up the flow?
    I sub to @davidmatson ’s lead generation service where his 800 number fwds to my cell. Otherwise, it’s referrals from attys.
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15. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    Branding is a new thing to me. My website http://is.gd/3jkRb is a good start, emphasizing my caring and empathetic approach.
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16. Yes, it is. Let’s switch gears: what is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    That clients have FINALLY figured out what a ripoff biglaw is. The billable hour rewards incompetence & needless research.
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17. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
    Biglaw will shrink. Boutiques will grow. And the prison pop will increase. In 1960 PA had 7800 inmates- it’s now 51K.
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18. That’s a stunning statistic. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    I’d be a standup comedian or an actor. I’m always tempted to move to LA and start auditioning. In drag, like Swayze in To Wong Foo.
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19. Maybe that can be your next YouTube video…. How do you want to be remembered?
    A DA once called me the King of the BS Defense, meaning I would try anything to help the client. That’s how I want to be remembered.
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20. What do you do when you’re not working?
    I play my guitar and write songs. I am also writing a comic book about an insurance adjuster who saves the world.
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21. What advice would you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
    Now is the time. Find a niche, and seize on it. There is a guy in DC who ONLY does milk regs- THAT’S a niche.
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22. Is he on Twitter? Our last question for you: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    My advice: right now, don’t. New grads will be competing with laidoff assos. The readjusted salaries will not cover loans.

Thank you very much for your thoughtful responses today. This was a great twitterview.

Thank you for having me! I hope to have many conversations with people in the days to come.

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@nikiblack

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