Episode 356 — Warning: These Industry Titans’ Insights Might Change How You Run Your Firm
Welcome to a special edition of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, celebrating five years of game changing conversations, industry-shaping insights, and bold leadership in the legal world. To mark this milestone, we’re kicking off a retrospective series that dives into the minds of the most forward-thinking, trailblazing leaders we’ve featured over the years.
In this episode, we’re taking a look back to highlight the strategies and decisions that helped our top guests carve their own paths to success. There’s no single way to build a thriving law firm — but the stories you’ll hear are proof that with the right mindset, consistent execution, and belief in your vision, success is within reach.
You’ll hear from:
- Eric Chaffin: Co-founder of Chaffin Luhana, a nationally recognized law firm. Known for his work as a federal prosecutor and his dedication to using his experiences to motivate and help others through his legal practice.
- Rex Elliott: A prominent attorney at Cooper Elliott, a firm known for representing the underdog and making significant impacts in trial law. His journey is fueled by connecting his past experiences to achieve success and aid others.
- Randi McGinn: An accomplished trial lawyer, recognized for her approach to “transformative law,” where the focus is on making impactful changes beyond just monetary settlements in cases.
- Laura Wasser: A top divorce attorney in the country, known for her discretion and ability to handle high-profile celebrity divorce cases with a focus on realistic expectations and professionalism.
- Ben Crump: A nationally renowned civil rights attorney, often involved in high-profile cases that address systemic injustices, inspired by Thurgood Marshall and motivated by advocating for equal opportunities and justice.
Whether you’re an attorney seasoned in the courtroom or a burgeoning leader in the industry, you’ll find valuable perspectives and actionable insights to fuel your own success story. Join us as we uncover the diverse strategies and mindsets that propel legal visionaries to redefine what it means to lead, inspire, and succeed.
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Show Notes:
Eric Chaffin: Turning trauma into a drive to help others. “When I first started working through my trauma. I started in January 2015. I started meditating January 8th, 2015. Within the first year of that, I really started coming to terms with things that were coming up for me… I took those feelings and turned them into a drive to help others. It’s what motivates me to go to law school. It’s what motivated me to be a federal prosecutor. It pushed me to be my very best at times, so I could be the best for my clients, for the government, for the victims.”
Rex Elliott: Connecting the dots backwards. “I can go back in my life like Steve Jobs said, when you connect the dots backwards and I can look at things that happened in my life that I thought were bad at the time, that turned out to be incredible lessons and gifts for me, that led me on to great things.”
Randi McGinn: The power of transformative law. “I realized early in my practice that it’s not about the money. It’s about making a difference. In every case, we find a way to make a change so that this doesn’t happen to somebody else. We’ve gotten about 40% of the defendants we’ve sued to make changes over the years. It’s a litmus test of who you’re dealing with. If they won’t make changes, fine, we’ll go get you.”
Laura Wasser: Building realistic expectations in family law. “You really have to build realistic expectations in family law. You can have the most sophisticated, successful, intelligent head of a studio or an investment banker come to you and say, I don’t know anything about divorce law. And you’re like, well, of course you don’t. Why would you? It’s a totally foreign place for these folks, and it’s dealing with the most raw and important emotions they have regarding their significant other, their children.”
Ben Crump: Inspired by Thurgood Marshall. “And I decided right then, at nine years old, when I grow up, I’m going to become an attorney like Thurgood Marshall and fight to make a better situation for people who live in my community, for people who look like me to have equal opportunity, a better opportunity at the American Dream.”
Connect with Michael
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