The Business Side Of Law: Brian Joslyn Of The Joslyn Law Firm On 5 Things You Need To Create Or Lead A Successful Law Firm
An Interview With Eric Pines
A lawyer needs to have skills in marketing, finance, operations, human resources, and all other administrative areas of a business and possess grit and the ability to keep going even when things seem hard to start a successful business. Before I started my own business, I gained lots of experience by working at a law firm, helping out with cases, working on various tasks around the firm, and getting exposure to running a law firm. I had seen my father run a business, but I sought exposure to this specific kind of work to understand what it takes to run a law firm.
Law school primarily prepares lawyers for the practice of law. But leading or starting a law firm requires so much more than that. It requires the entrepreneurial skills that any CEO would need to run a business; How to manage personnel, how to hire and fire, how to generate leads, how to advertise, how to manage finances, etc. On the business side of law, what does an attorney need to know to create a successful and thriving law practice? To address these questions, we are talking to successful law firm principals who can share stories and insights from their experience about the “5 Things You Need To Create Or Lead A Successful Law Firm”.
As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Joslyn. Brian is the owner of the Joslyn Law Firm, and in his pursuit for justice, he has become one of Ohio’s most recognized and skilled criminal defense attorneys. His success has been heralded by many reputable organizations including Columbus CEO Magazine naming him as a top lawyer, The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys selecting him as one of the ten best criminal lawyers in Ohio, Additionally, Super Lawyers a rating service for outstanding lawyers, selected Brian as a rising star in Ohio for attaining a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Brian is also included the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and has earned the AV Preeminent award which is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills and ethical standards by their peers of attorneys and judges.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you ended up where you are? Specifically we’d love to hear the story of how you began to lead your practice.
My father ran a manufacturing plant, Joslyn Sterilizer, out of my childhood home in New York. The processes around sterilizing hospital equipment he invented are still used today by hospitals worldwide. Growing up in my family business paved a one-way path toward entrepreneurship for me. I knew that I would be working for myself, although I was not set on what my business would be. It wasn’t until one night in college that I first-hand experienced police brutality, spending a night in jail, and the aftermath of false accusations against me. Through my personal experience with the criminal justice system, I have developed a strong affinity for criminal law, which ultimately lead to my career as a criminal defense attorney. I am passionate about advocating for others whose lives depend on a judgment, and I am 100% committed to making a difference in their lives.
I’m a huge fan of mentorship throughout one’s career. None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Who has been your biggest mentor? What was the most valuable lesson you learned from them?
My biggest mentor is my father. My parents were both entrepreneurs, so I grew up with the mantra, “you don’t do business, you live business.” Watching my father and mother handle all business in-house — from hiring employees and meeting with clients to managing operations — made it second nature for me to operate as a business owner. I was a Business Administration, Finance, and Marketing major in college, so for every class I took, I asked myself: “How am I going to apply this to my own business?” I wanted to be a business owner first; then, I had the drive to become a Criminal Defense Attorney through personal circumstances. In my first year of law school, I was already creating business manuals and my website and brand, purchased toll-free numbers, rented virtual office space, and purchased $40,000 worth of marketing services and products as an investment for when I graduated from law school. Because I had everything ready to go, I was able to hire my first associate attorney within the first six months of founding my firm, and things took off quickly from there.
From completing your degree to opening a practice and becoming a business owner, your path was most likely challenging. Can you share a story about one of your greatest struggles? Can you share what you did to overcome it?
One of the hardest struggles in my career has been the COVID-19 pandemic. We have continually been growing fast since I founded Joslyn Law in 2011, which means overhead expenses of around $1 million per year. My employees are my friends, I know them and their families personally, go to their birthday parties, they come to mine, and I greatly value my positive relationship with them- I take care of them, they take care of me. When the pandemic hit in 2020, courts shut down, police stopped arresting people, and phones didn’t ring, which meant no more work for Criminal Defense Lawyers like my employees and me. They got scared about what would happen to them: Would they be let go? What would happen to their families? How would they be able to feed their kids and themselves? I was scared for them because I knew this would be a tough decision to make. I feared that no new cases would equal me not being able to pay my employees. I asked myself: “Do I bleed out the company financially and keep everyone on, OR do I shut the practice down temporarily to keep operating reserves healthy and eventually keep the possibility to re-open the firm, which means letting people go for an unknown period? I didn’t know the correct answer, but I decided it would be best to keep finances relatively healthy to make a re-opening possible. I applied for the Paycheck Protection Program and other loans and was able to rehire all my employees, who had been living on unemployment benefits, after six months in late 2020. This decision made it possible for me to keep growing exponentially after the worst of the pandemic without facing financial ruin.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant in your own life?
My favorite “Life Lesson Quote” are two quotes my dad always used to say: “Positive gets positive, negative gets negative” and “Problems + Solutions = Opportunity.” These two quotes influence how I operate as a business owner and Criminal Defense Attorney because they offer the perspective that anything is possible if you a) have the right attitude towards problems and b) see the solution and not the problem. As a business owner, I constantly make decisions, and sometimes I must take risks. When I approach any issue with a positive attitude, I know I can only win. These two quotes capture the entrepreneurial spirit at its core, which is most relevant to me as a business owner.
This is not easy work. What is your primary motivation and drive behind the work that you do?
I grew up sheltered and never had any experience with police up until this one night in college. I had just worked out at the gym and was on my way to a friend’s house, holding a carton of milk in my hand. As I walked down the block and turned around the corner, I saw a street party that seemed to be getting out of hand. Police were present, and they started clearing the streets. When I turned the corner, a police officer hit me in the head. When he pulled out teargas and sprayed it right next to my head, I fell to the ground. I did not know what was happening, and I was dazed and incapacitated. Seconds later, more officers came running down the street towards me, punching me, and kicking me in the head. I just heard a cracking sound, which later I found out was my skull, while they were continuing to body slam me. The next thing I knew, the officers carried me to the police van with my arms constrained with four zip ties behind my back. They threw me in the wagon, sprayed a little more mace into the interior, and slammed the door. A girl already in the truck looked at me wide-eyed and started screaming, which scared me. I later figured that she must have screamed because blood was all over my face.
At the hospital, police interrogated me even though I requested counsel and refused to sign any documents. After I tested negative for drugs and alcohol, the doctor wanted to administer an anesthetic to staple my head wounds. The police declined the medication. As a result, the procedure took place without any numbing agent. During intake at the jail, officers laughed at me and called me “Zipper Head.” They washed my bloody clothes to destroy the evidence of the assault. I was formally charged with five false counts of assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, failing to leave the scene of an emergency, rioting, and disorderly conduct.
Ultimately, I was acquitted of all charges at trial. I started working for a law office following the trial, where I stayed for five years, assisting with cases and developing a deep understanding of criminal law. My personal story is the primary motivation behind all I do and being able to represent people in the same city I was falsely accused is an honor and a driving force behind all of it.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Besides working on continually expanding my practices in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, OH, I am expanding my practice to divorce and family law. I recently hired a former judge to join the team, and I am excited to grow my client base exponentially by implementing various business practices, such as a marketing plan and strategy. We have received many requests for domestic-related issues, so we decided to expand in this direction.
Fantastic. Let’s now shift to discussing the business of law. Can you tell us a bit about the nature of your practice and what you focus on?
My firm focuses on criminal defense and DUI law, and represent clients from all walks of life; students, white and blue collar professionals, professional athletes, celebrities, police officers, FBI agents and even other criminal defense attorneys.
You are a successful attorney. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? What unique qualities do you have that others may not? Can you please share a story or example for each?
These three character traits, I am convinced, got me as far as I have gotten today:
1. Be highly energetic: My father operated his business, Joslyn Sterilizer, out of my childhood home. The experience of being exposed to the daily operations was nothing special to me at the time, as I didn’t know any different. My father taught me that “you don’t do business, you live it.” To do this, you have to be aware that business never sleeps, and neither do you (so to say). There is always something to get done, a phone call to be made, or decisions to contemplate.
2. Be persistent: Through my personal experience with police brutality, I have learned that showing persistence is crucial to achieving any goal. If I hadn’t been persistent when I was facing false accusations against me, I would have lost the trial and landed in jail. By being persistent, I was not only acquitted of these charges but was also able to pay my way through law school with the settlement money I received from the city of Columbus, OH.
3. Be solution-oriented: If I hadn’t been solution-oriented during the first months of the pandemic, which was probably the most challenging time for my business, I wouldn’t have been able to re-hire all my employees or continue operating my business as I had been before COVID. By making the strategic decision to temporarily let all my employees go to save operating reserves, I regained business and continued day-to-day operations without facing major drawbacks for my business.
Do you think where you went to school has any bearing on your success? How important is it for a lawyer to go to a top-tier school?
I have a strong opinion about this. I do not think that Ivy League or top-tier law schools provide better education to their students than any other school in the country. The law taught in schools does not change: textbooks and materials are the same, and everyone has to take the bar exam.
Managing being a law practitioner and a business owner is a constant balancing act. How do you manage both roles?
When the doors of the courts close for the day, it is time for me to start working on everything else relating to my business. Until I fall asleep, I work out finance projections and advertising strategies or discover new clients. My wife and I run the firm together, and she oversees the administrative side of the business. She screens applications while I make sure we market to the right audiences to generate more business, all after hours. This also means having less time for my family. I am an entrepreneur through and through, though sometimes I wish I could “close business” after business hours to be more present with my loved ones.
Can you help articulate the entrepreneurial skills a lawyer needs to run and lead a successful law firm?
A lawyer needs to have skills in marketing, finance, operations, human resources, and all other administrative areas of a business and possess grit and the ability to keep going even when things seem hard to start a successful business. Before I started my own business, I gained lots of experience by working at a law firm, helping out with cases, working on various tasks around the firm, and getting exposure to running a law firm. I had seen my father run a business, but I sought exposure to this specific kind of work to understand what it takes to run a law firm.
As a business owner you spend most of your time working IN your practice, seeing clients. When and how do you shift to working ON your practice? (Marketing, upgrading systems, growing your practice, etc.) How much time do you spend on the business elements?
As a Criminal Defense Attorney, I work on business-related things until I go to sleep at night. After the courts close, I spend about 4–5 hours per day working on creating marketing plans, answering emails, creating financial projections, and everything else I do not get to during a day in court. Being a Criminal Defense attorney is not a desk job, so everything besides preparing for cases and defending clients in court comes after everyone else goes home for the day.
Can you share some specific, non intuitive insights from our personal experience about how a leader of a law firm should:
● Manage personnel: I treat my employees like I treat my family, and just like in every family, everyone should have some skin in the game. Over the years, I have learned that it is essential to let the people who work for you feel like they are part of the success in paying them money and incentivizing them with some percentage of profit-sharing.
● Hire and fire: Our hiring process is extensive, so we hire the best people. Once hired, I pay our employees way above industry average, which is a massive factor in preventing high turnover rates, besides fostering a healthy work environment. I have never had to terminate a long-term employee, which is a big win in the 11 years of operating my business.
● Generate leads: I spend a good amount of my time developing ideas on how to grow my business. An essential factor in this is what feedback I get from my clients and where I see the need for expansion. I will consider all these things and be sure to create a process and strategy of how to get to where I want to be.
● Advertise: The good old days of generating leads through yellow pages are over. Nowadays, law firms need a robust online presence to thrive. Law is a competitive industry, so making sure I create industry-relevant content is one of the most critical strategies to advertise what I do as a Criminal Defense Attorney. In the past ten years, my firm has handled over 30,000 cases which is by far more than average. Advertising costs money, and attorneys should invest a good portion into advertising to create their digital footprint.
● Manage finances: I keep a business plan on hand as a working document to manage finances wisely. It is important to know your budget and spend less than what you are receiving as a business owner.
Ok, thank you. Here is the main question of our interview about the business side of law. What are your 5 Things An Attorney Needs To Know In Order To Create A Successful And Thriving Law Practice. (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. Digital Footprint: Every attorney should create a strong digital footprint. Starting with posting relevant content on their website blog to optimizing SEO and applying best practices to keep their website up-to-date is a priority to stick out of the crowd and grow an audience and, therefore, a client pipeline.
2. A business plan: Every business needs a business plan, but for busy lawyers who spend whole days in court and cannot partake in the daily operations during regular business hours, it is important to have guidelines to follow and adhere to so there is a direction the firm is going in.
3. Grit: To succeed in the ever-demanding world of law, justice, and entrepreneurship, you must possess grit. You have to keep moving and keep trying to make things happen and grow your business. Sometimes you will find that an approach you thought through is failing, but you have to get going to achieve your goals.
4. Know your finances: Law is a business. Reduce your expenses, but you pay for what you get in some ways, so value quality over quantity.
5. Be independent: Don’t start your firm with a partner, but rather try to build things independently. That certainly does not mean that you do not need help from anyone, but when it comes to the core functions of your business, you should try to do it yourself. It is easier to make executive decisions when there is just one Principal.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
If there were a movement I could inspire, it would be called “Work with Care.” There is a difference between attorneys who care and those who “only” do the work and do not personally relate to their clients. As an attorney, I take pride in what I do and encourage others to do the same. This mindset goes beyond the legal profession but should count for everyone working with and helping people. If everyone cared more and emphasized more with the ones they are helping, it would affect their business positively and makes them feel better. Attorneys should TRY BETTER, BE BETTER, AND DO BETTER. We have a massive influence on the course of people’s lives, and that should be the primary concern when working with clients.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
People can read about my work here: https://www.criminalattorneycolumbus.com/ & https://www.criminalattorneycincinnati.com/ & https://www.daytonohlawyer.com/
I have also published a very compelling article regarding racial disparities in marijuana related arrests, that is available here: https://www.criminalattorneycincinnati.com/the-largest-racial-disparities-in-marijuana-possession-arrests-across-the-u-s/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
About the Interviewer: Eric L. Pines is a nationally recognized federal employment lawyer, mediator, and attorney business coach. He represents federal employees and acts as in-house counsel for over fifty thousand federal employees through his work as a federal employee labor union representative. A formal federal employee himself, Mr. Pines began his federal employment law career as in-house counsel for AFGE Local 1923 which is in Social Security Administration’s headquarters and is the largest federal union local in the world. He presently serves as AFGE 1923’s Chief Counsel as well as in-house counsel for all FEMA bargaining unit employees and numerous Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs unions.
While he and his firm specialize in representing federal employees from all federal agencies and in reference to virtually all federal employee matters, his firm has placed special attention on representing Veteran Affairs doctors and nurses hired under the authority of Title. He and his firm have a particular passion in representing disabled federal employees with their requests for medical and religious reasonable accommodations when those accommodations are warranted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA). He also represents them with their requests for Federal Employee Disability Retirement (OPM) when an accommodation would not be possible.
Mr. Pines has also served as a mediator for numerous federal agencies including serving a year as the Library of Congress’ in-house EEO Mediator. He has also served as an expert witness in federal court for federal employee matters. He has also worked as an EEO technical writer drafting hundreds of Final Agency Decisions for the federal sector.
Mr. Pines’ firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has offices in Baltimore, Maryland and Atlanta, Georgia. His first passion is his wife and five children. He plays classical and rock guitar and enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and biking. Please visit his websites at www.pinesfederal.com and www.toughinjurylawyers.com. He can also be reached at eric@pinesfederal.com.
