Lone Star Lawyers

By: Daniel Hare: Founder of the Texas lawyer search firm Varsity Search
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  • Summary

  • If you are a young lawyer in Texas looking for ways to help you achieve your career goals, this podcast is for you. We'll talk with some of the top attorneys in Texas and find out what has been the key to their success. As a bonus we'll have fun by taking deep dives into our favorite legal movies!
    Copyright Daniel Hare
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Art Career Success Economics Personal Success
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Episodes
  • Monday Mentors with Waco Estate Planning Attorney Kristen Mynar

    Monday Mentors with Waco Estate Planning Attorney Kristen Mynar
    May 2 2022
    Kristen Mynar, a board certified estate planning and probate attorney and partner with Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee in Waco, joins us on today's show. Kristen talks about maximizing your mentors, caring about your clients, and what she looks for when hiring (hint: it's not on a resume!).

    Her firm/practice

    Offices in Waco, FW, San Antonio, Austin
    Most of the attorneys specialize in something, and there isn't much they don't do
    Her typical client has high-net worth and a closely held business, so you wind up working with them both on the estate planning and business related issues.
    Board certified as soon as she could, five years after starting practice
    Law is always changing so always have to stay on top of it; changing administrations can have an impact certainly so watching for whether new laws get passed at the federal level
    Current exemptions are at all-time highs but set to expire and be cut in half in 2026.
    Waco is a great community; friendly/competent lawyers; way more money here than you would think, and those people keep their money here.
    Does a lot of work with partners in the other offices, as well as with clients in the small communities around Waco. Also succession planning for client businesses.
    Estate Planning can touch a lot of practice areas

    Advice to lawyers in practice

    Her grammar was a problem in the beginning! So she got red inked on everything for three years.
    She had great mentors and was a sponge. She listened/learned. Did push back when it looked like there was more than one way to do something.
    Fortunate to have someone who wanted to teach her how to practice.
    Much of her practice is drafting/writing, and she kept making the same mistakes at first. So she made a list of all the mistakes she would typically make, and then before submitting anything to the partners would go over that list to see if she had made any of those mistakes.
    Learn to compensate for yourself
    Be humble
    Take a minute and think about it! See if you can figure it out. The reader should be able to tell that you at least thought through it.
    RE: Business development: just be out in the community and make sure people know what you do. Offer to go speak to different groups. Do a good job and care about the client!

    Advice to Lawyers On The Lateral Market

    Not a big believer in resumes.
    In interviews, looking for personality. Are you a person that I want to practice with? Personable? Easy to talk with?

    Rapid Fire Questions

    Name one trait/characteristic you most want to see in an associate: ability to use their brain
    What habit has been key to your success: keeping my time every day
    Favorite app/productivity tool: N/A - all apps are anti-productive
    What would be listed first on the interest line of your resume: mothering, (low-carb) cooking, lounging
    Favorite legal movie: Bowl? The Case for Christ

    Thanks again to Kristen Mynar for joining us on today's show!
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    44 mins
  • Movie Verdicts - Erin Brockovich

    Movie Verdicts - Erin Brockovich
    Apr 1 2022
    Erin Brockovich is an outstanding 2000 film based on a true story about a woman who never gives up, doesn't take no for an answer, and helps get justice for an entire town. Robert and Daniel are joined by special guest Hope Mustakim to break it all down!

    Check out Hope's Waco ISD campaign page! https://www.hope4wacoisd.com/
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • Monday Mentors with Houston Trial Lawyer Spencer Edwards

    Monday Mentors with Houston Trial Lawyer Spencer Edwards
    Mar 28 2022
    Spencer Edwards, a shareholder and trial lawyer with The Hudgins Law Firm in Houston, joins us on today's show. Spencer talks about how to conduct yourself in trial, being eager to learn, and demonstrating work ethic in an interview.

    His firm/practice

    97 Baylor Law grad (25 years of practice)
    Catastrophic Injury / Wrongful Death trial lawyer (though hasn't tried one since 2019 due to COVID)
    COVID has essentially created a backlog of cases and trials, and that hasn't stopped new cases from coming in
    Has a case set for trial March 1st
    The shift in the judiciary has made an impact on the practice (R to D in Harris County), which initially meant actual trial lawyers were on the bench which was helpful. But now, there has been a shift in competence, experience, and consistency as well, which creates a different dynamic
    More high dollar verdicts in recent years has injected uncertainty on the defense side in valuing cases as well as emboldened plaintiff's lawyers

    Advice to lawyers in practice

    Remember that you are going to work with/against lawyers/judges again, so don't be a jerk!
    Chill
    No need to be super aggressive
    Only takes one moment to damage your reputation
    Throw inside if you must, but don't throw a beanball!
    If another attorney does that to you, however, you have to be willing to push back, especially in front of the jury
    If rules of procedure/evidence don't apply, then they aren't going to apply, so don't be the only one confined by them
    Also have to be prepared for rulings against you, even if they are clearly wrong
    Do it with a smile on your face; don't lose your cool; don't try to embarrass the judge; you can get makeup calls!
    Keep perspective
    You are going to lose cases, even some you should have won (you'll probably win some you should have lost)
    Don't let losses devastate you
    Exude confidence in the courtroom; act like you feel like you can/should win
    Don't be afraid to ask dumb questions / pride is dangerous to a young lawyer
    And ask why
    Don't make the same mistake twice
    If something needs to get done right now, that might not be the best time to push back/challenge/ask why...just do it! Find the right time/context.
    The best way to develop business is to do good work; and then watch the way lawyers at your firm develop their business and imitate that
    Learn how to talk on the phone! Older partners/clients expect it and are used to it

    Advice to Lawyers On The Lateral Market

    He's not a big resume guy!
    At their firm, a couple of younger lawyers review all the resumes and decide who to interview, and so he rarely sees the resumes. Also, law schools vary with their grading scales, so it is hard to compare candidates based on that
    Impressed with work history (even in high school and college) that demonstrates work ethic
    Important to bring up these things in an interview if you realize it could help you, since these items are likely not on your legal resume

    Final Thought

    From Professor Matt Dawson's speech to his law school graduating class: "I'm a smart guy, but that's not why I have been successful. I am successful because I have always worked hard. Don't get outworked. Don't let the other side beat you by outworking you." Great trial lawyer advice.

    Rapid Fire Questions

    Name one trait/characteristic you most want to see in an associate: Eager to learn
    What habit has been key to your success: Get some sleep
    Favorite app/productivity tool: Whiteboard
    What would be listed first on the interest line of your resume: Baseball / Astros
    Favorite legal movie: My Cousin Vinny

    Thanks again to Spencer Edwards for joining us on today's show!
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    46 mins

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