This month’s profile is on Richard Stevenson, a remarkable attorney who has accomplished a great deal in a very short period of time. In 2005, Mr. Stevenson won the Medal of Excellence in Bankruptcy by the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Bankruptcy and Trusts, the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for academic achievement in Bankruptcy and Trusts and the Jefferson Medal for academic achievement in Bankruptcy.
Mr. Stevenson graduated from law school magna cum
laude and shortly thereafter set up his own law firm,
specializing in bankruptcy law and, more recently, debt
collection abuse.
Here are the questions I asked Mr. Stevenson
during his interview:
Q: What are some of the challenges you had to overcome in order to set up your
own law firm?
A: As you can imagine, starting one’s own practice is a big step and fraught with
many challenges. My initial challenges included: where do I locate my office,
should I rent my own space or share space with an established practitioner; what
field of law should I focus on, or should I take whatever comes in the door; how
much do I charge for my services; how do I advertise. And the biggest one – how
will I survive financially until my practice becomes self-sufficient.
Life as a solo is a constant roller-coaster ride. A solo needs to not only be
proficient in the practice of law but also in running a business. There is a constant
awareness that next month may bring in no money, while the month after may put
you at the top of the world. Despite the challenges, however, there is really
nothing that beats the ability to control one’s own destiny – to have the freedom
and flexibility to take only the types of cases that interest you. Q: What are some of the resources that were the most useful to you in setting up
your own practice?
A: The Small/Solo Practice Section at the San Diego County Bar Association, the
National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy and the CEB publication entitled
“How to Start and Build A Law Practice” by J. Foonberg.
Q: How did you build up your clientele?
A. Through the Lawyer Referral Service and the Findlaw Directory. Initially, my
website was not receiving much traffic through Findlaw but since I made the
design for Findlaw redesign my website a few months ago, I have been receiving
clients from there. I am also getting referrals from my existing clients and other
attorneys.
Q: What advice would you give to attorneys who want to set up their own
practice?
A. My advice to other attorneys considering opening their own practice would
be to put considerable thought and planning into such a decision. You have to be
the type of person that can thrive without the collegiality and camaraderie that can
come with working in a firm or government agency. I would suggest going to the
meetings of the Small/Solo practice section for opportunities to meet other solo
practitioners and learn from the mistakes of more experienced solos.
Q.What do you find most rewarding about being an attorney?
A. I represent consumers in bankruptcy cases, as well as cases pertaining to
abusive debt collection and errors on credit reports. What I find most rewarding
is being able to help real people deal with real-world problems, to help people
obtain peace of mind and a fresh start in life. The most rewarding experience is
getting that deeply heartfelt “Thank you” from a client who sees you as the one
person who listened, the one person who could bring them relief from the crisis he
or she was facing; to know that, as an attorney, you have the power to have a
truly positive influence on another person’s life.
Q. What do you attribute your success to?
A. I would attribute my success thus far to having a true passion for what it is I
do. I am sincerely motivated by my desire to help people and I do my best to
treat everyone with respect. I have been an employee before- been everything
from a bus boy to a paralegal and I don’t consider that I am any better or more
important than anyone else I meet simply because I have a law degree. I am here
to provide a needed service to my clients and, hopefully, make a living in the
process.
I also feel that my participation in YNLD has helped me succeed. Being active in
YNLD gives me an outlet to connect to other younger/newer lawyers and allows
me the opportunity to contribute to their success. Giving back is important to me
and I truly believe that the more you give of yourself, unselfishly, then the more
enriched your life becomes.
Q. How do you manage to achieve everything that you do?
A. Hmmm… that is a good question. Organization is a very important component
and I have some good practice management software. Yet, I think the bottom
line is I do my best to live a balanced life. I promised myself I would not become
a workaholic as I have witnessed the devastating effects that has had on members
of my own family. Instead, I try to keep manageable work hours, not take my
work home, and enjoy the beauty and abundance that living in southern California
provides.
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