Attorney Justin R. McCarthy of East Longmeadow, MA
By Mark G. Auerbach
Many law school graduates dream of joining a practice or working in the legal department of a corporation and business. Others, like Justin M. McCarthy, like the idea of hanging out their own shingle, like Atticus Finch. McCarthy, a Western Massachusetts native, who graduated from Western New England University and Roger Williams University School of Law, went the solo practitioner route, after working for another attorney.
“I didn’t want a boss,” says McCarthy. “I’ve never felt comfortable taking directions from other people, so it made sense to start my own company.”
He launched The Law Office of Justin R. McCarthy in 2010, in East Longmeadow, MA. McCarthy has handled all types of legal matters in courthouses throughout Hampden and Hampshire County, MA. He specializes in property law abd is a title examiner for Land Court and title insurance agent for Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company. He has also taught Judicial Process and Evidence Law at Western New England University and frequently volunteers as legal counsel for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.
Learning the business side
There was no course work in the business aspect of running a legal practice in law school. “Law school focused on the academic side of the law,” says McCarthy. “There were no classes that discussed the practical aspects of practicing law or running a business.” So McCarthy had to develop his own methods of running a business.
[amazon_link asins=’1119476216′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingi0d-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ecd62b6e-7e12-11e8-a1ad-fb589efb99c0′]“The best marketing tool for me has been Facebook,” says McCarthy, who frequently posts short videos about various aspects of choosing an attorney. His videos also run on his YouTube channel. “My friends see my posts every day. So, if they need a lawyer, hopefully I’m the first one that comes to mind.”
As for his office, McCarthy says, “You can’t run a law office without Microsoft Word, Adobe, and Quickbooks. I use all three on a daily basis. I have no employees. Instead, I work with independent contractors (e.g., bookkeepers, paralegals, etc.). These people do a great job.”
McCarthy believes “If you want to succeed, you need to build good relationships with your fellow attorneys.” Other advice he’s learned along the way from colleagues and experience: “A colleague once said, ‘Don’t be a slave to your phone and email.’ I get phone calls and emails all day every day. I’ve learned to schedule a certain amount of time each day to answer correspondence.”
McCarthy’s not afraid to take chances. “Lawyers are overly cautious. They’ll often discourage you from taking on cases that are outside of your area of expertise. However, I believe that taking cases from all areas of the law makes my practice more interesting. It also helps me develop my skills as an attorney,” says McCarthy, who also adds, “Write down your goals. Every day, week, month and year should start with a list of goals you want to accomplish.”
And that’s succeeding in small business.
For Justin McCarthy’s website: http://jrmccarthy.com/index.html
For Justin McCarthy’s blog: https://jrmccarthy-law.com/
For Justin McCarthy’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Law-Office-of-Justin-R-McCarthy-373911045954144/:
For Justin McCarthy’s YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuBipjZNgQnHN_soWNrUSiQ
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Mark G. Auerbach is principal at Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, a Springfield, MA, based marketing, public relations, development and events consultancy. You can find more information about Mark at Facebook and LinkedIn.
