(Show Notes) The Successful Business and Practice of Law: Judie Saunders - How I Built a Firm Representing Victims of Abuse

HOST: Greg Garman

On this episode, I’m talking with Judie Saunders, a lawyer who specializes in the most difficult of cases: sexual, physical, and psychological abuse cases. Today we’re talking about the changes that need to happen within the legal practice and other professions to help abuse victims and prevent abuse in the future. We also cover the topics of the evolution of the legal practice, Judie’s business model, what led her to this work, and her new book (which is available for preorder now).

Judie works with extremely difficult subjects and topics but she’s found a way to do it while making the world a better place. To top it off, she’s done it with a business model that works. Judie founded The Law Firm of Judie Saunders in order to give a voice to those who have been mistreated, abused, and overlooked. She has worked for over twenty years to prosecute crimes against children, defend the constitutional rights of criminal defendants in private practice, and represent abuse survivors in both criminal and civil court.

The Successful Business and Practice of Law is brought to you by LAWCLERK. This is a place where we can have conversations with lawyers who have achieved outsized success, those who are building innovative business models, and those who are simply doing things differently. We may also cover how technology is changing what we do. The main focus, however, is on how we run our businesses and practices in order to make them better.

My name is Greg Garman. I have been practicing law for over 25 years, in the area of restructuring and bankruptcy for companies of pretty good size. I am also one of the proud co-founders of LawClerk, a company that matches attorneys with freelance lawyers. Unlike the hurtful stigma, we at LawClerk know that lawyers really do make the world a better place. Our business at the end of the day, collectively, is protecting the rule of law.

Talking Points:

●      How the business of law works alongside doing genuinely good work

●      The foundation of Judie’s firm and how it first started

●      Who fails in these cases and where does the legal profession stand? 

●      How to address abuse cases

●      Judie’s business model

●      What are the obligations of a lawyer?

●      Evolution of the legal practice and the changes that Judie is making

●      The purpose of podcasting in the business of law

●      The story behind A War on My Body

●      The future for Judie and her law firm

Resources/Links:

Judie Saunders, Attorney for Abuse Survivors: https://www.jsaunderslawfirm.com/

Legally Brief presents the Child Athlete Abuse Podcast: https://www.jsaunderslawfirm.com/podcast

Preorder The War on My Body: https://www.diangelopublications.com/books/a-war-on-my-body

LAWCLERK: official website

Quotes:

“The concept of being an entrepreneur, being on my own–my own cases!–that was fascinating to me.” – Judie Saunders

“If we continue to break individuals through the trauma of psychological and sexual abuse, none of us are safe. The very foundation of everything will be broken.” – Judie Saunders

“How we treat individuals ripples.” – Judie Saunders

“I think we’re all bound that the first duty that you owe is to the client.” – Judie Saunders