Maximum Mom

This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joined Erin Lecocq. Erin started law school when her daughter was 7 weeks old. Her husband at the time called law school "a hobby," so she was lucky to find support in friends she met at school. She stayed home with her baby during the day and went to class at night. Three and a half years later, she graduated law school cum laude with her daughter holding her hand. During her last year in school, she took a clinic helping incarcerated parents with their child welfare cases and knew immediately that was the kind of law she wanted to practice. A friend and Erin started a firm so they could get a contract with the Office of Public Defense, and learned more and worked harder during that time than she thought possible. It was also during this time that her marriage fell apart, and because she was told she "chose her career over her child," she ended up having to leave the job she loved to follow her ex and her daughter to New Mexico so she could have 50/50 custody. After the stress of that time, she decided she needed a break from child welfare, and ended up working for the NM Office of the Attorney General doing civil litigation where she gets to practice in state and federal court, and in the courts of appeals. She loves the new challenges that come with this work, and is thrilled she gets to spend so much time with her (now 9 year-old!!) daughter.

7:33 finding time for creative outlets
9:45 incarcerated parents
10:50 starting a firm to get a contract
18:08 inequity
20:28 vicarious trauma
25:30 an empty cup
28:35 injustice

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Bridget O'Toole.

Bridget is a millennial environmental, land use, municipal and energy lawyer and mom to a 4-year-old son. She opened her own law firm on April 1, 2023 (April Fools Day) in one of New York's most rural counties after leaving a bougie downtown boutique law firm.

She’s been practicing since 2011 and represents clients all over New York State in her practice areas.

Take a listen!

01:11 Meet Bridget

04:58 Bridget’s practice in environmental, land use, municipal, and renewable energy law

09:37 The challenges of working from home

10:35 The persistent issue of schools contacting mothers first

16:42 Bridget's work in renewable energy and her experience working with commercial fishing associations in New York State

22:44 The benefits of meditation for stress management and the importance of unplugging from technology

29:18 Bridget’s fear of what others would think if she opened an office in a rural county and how she overcame it

31:26 The value of giving trusted referrals

34:56 The lack of access to justice and technology in rural communities and how it affects her practice

39:53 The different types of insurance that are necessary as a law practice grows

41:19 The significance of joining a mastermind group and connecting with other women who have similar experiences as working moms

📹 Watch the interview here

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This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Victoria Collier.

Victoria Collier, Founder and CEO of Quid Pro Quo: Victoria is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the legal industry. In addition to building and selling her own 7-figure law firm, she has been coaching lawyers since 2008 on how to add value to their law firms.

Take a listen!

08:15 Victoria Collier discusses how having children has influenced her entrepreneurial journey and the motivation it provides to show her children they can pursue their dreams

11:50 Introduction to Victoria Collier's business, Quid Pro Quo, which assists law firm owners in selling or buying law firms, focusing on finding a perfect match between buyers and sellers

18:51 The importance of being true to yourself and finding fulfillment in your work and personal life

19:56 The dangers of pursuing growth without considering personal values and alignment with clients

24:12 The importance of preserving the culture and legacy of a law firm when buying or selling, and the need for realistic expectations and a successful transition process

29:11 Discussion on the transition timeline when buying or selling a law firm, including the importance of respecting the seller's decisions and allowing them to stay as long as they want

30:50 Exploring the importance of going beyond surface-level conversations and understanding the fears and concerns that drive people's decisions

34:31 Steps involved in working with the speaker to evaluate and position a law firm for sale, including assessing the current state of the firm, determining the desired outcome, conducting a valuation, and creating a marketing package.

37:44 Discusses the rules of thumb for valuing law firms based on the services provided and the multiple of earnings before taxes and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

38:45 Explains the concept of sellers discretionary earnings and how it involves recasting personal expenses back into the net income of the law firm.

42:18 Emphasizes the significance of financial forecasting for law firms, including the ability to analyze trends, make strategic decisions, and understand the impact on the numbers.

Connect with Victoria Collier:

• Website

Resources:

• Join the Guild Membership
• Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Instagram
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This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie joined Lara Bazelon.

Lara is a law professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she directs the Criminal & Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinics and holds the Barnett Chair in Trial Advocacy.

Before that, she worked as a deputy federal public defender and the director of a Los Angeles-based innocence project. Along the way, she got married, had two children, divorced, and worked to create a different kind of family. Advocating for criminal defendants and writing about systemic breakdowns in courtrooms and in families have always felt interrelated and important.

So often, people stay within their silos, unaware of the rich possibilities for collaboration, support, and mutual understanding. Her writing seeks to break down those barriers and ask that her readers open their minds to unexpected—even unlikely—ways of thinking about problems that may not be so intractable after all.

To learn more, check out the profiles in MM LaFleur’s Lives with a Purpose and The Sun Magazine.

4:37 they're at great risk

7:24 it sparked a huge reaction

12:01 we’re choosing what to do

16:41 opening your mind

20:28 great lesson

24:21 missing a couple of hours, she was going to learn more

29:25 how do you look at these issues

34:40 turning that mirror on yourself

38:00 is it really anything such as too much information

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie joined Nicole Loughlin.

Nicole has an entirely virtual law firm, Loughlin Law P.A. where she practices estate planning, probate administration, and personal injury in Florida. She is a solo attorney with four support staff members, three years in business, multiple six figures in revenue, a lot of systems and automation, and a profit first from the beginning. Nicole is a mom of 3 (one just born last month), room/PTA parent involved, Disney pass holder, and peloton enthusiast.

3:46 waitlisted at Stetson

6:59 estate planning and personal injury

11:58 managing your own firm

14:09 scheduling is everything

17:01 build out systems

22:45 enjoy the business side of practice

26:20 Star Wars and Marvel

30:29 remember when you used to wish for this

36:18 a life bucket of learning still to do

41:37 the possibility of where I’m going to take us next

45:41 scheduled the whole thing out

Watch the interview here.

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