Top Lawyers: Alexis Austin of Right Law Group On The 5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law

An Interview With Chere Estrin

Independence — Maintaining my independence, sometimes in spite of what common wisdom says, has been critical in my success. When I first opened my law firm, multiple “seasoned” attorneys in town told me that I would not make it past the first year without following in their footsteps. They said I had to partner with another attorney with more experience to build my reputation, and I had to market in a certain way in order to get clients to call. I listened to their advice, but my gut was telling me that I could build something different — something better.

The legal field is known to be extremely competitive. Lawyers are often smart, ambitious, and highly educated. That being said, what does it take to stand out and become a “Top Lawyer” in your specific field of law? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law”, we are talking to top lawyers who share what it takes to excel and stand out in your industry.

As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alexis Austin, Right Law Group.

Alexis Austin is the CEO and Managing Partner of Right Law Group, a Colorado Springs criminal defense law firm she founded in June of 2018.

Before founding Right Law Group, Ms. Austin was a Deputy District Attorney in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. She left the D.A.’s office to become a partner in a well-respected criminal defense firm in Colorado Springs. During her time there, she learned what it takes to run a successful law practice. Armed with that knowledge and a desire to start a firm wired for the 21st century, she set out on her own and founded the Right Law Group. Right Law Group has since become one of the top criminal defense firms in Colorado Springs by specializing in enhancing the client’s experience through leveraging technology.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is the “backstory” that brought you to this particular career path in Law? Did you want to be an attorney “when you grew up”?

I grew up in a small town on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee called Barren Plains. I did a lot of community theater when I was younger, and some of my favorite older actors and mentors that I made in the theater were attorneys. I decided at a young age that I wanted to be an attorney too because I wanted to be like them.

Fast forward to college, where I forgot my childhood dreams of being a lawyer, and instead I decided to go on a journey of self-discovery. I double majored in Philosophy and Psychology, and at the end of my college career, I realized that I was perfectly poised to either become a professor or go to law school. The little girl in me remembered all the lawyers I had idolized in my community theater days, and I decided immediately that law school was the path for me. I took the LSAT as soon as I had my realization. I was accepted to a number of law schools, ultimately choosing to attend the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, and I have never looked back.

While in law school, I did a number of legal clinics and internships trying to find the best career for me. I loved litigation and working on my feet, so after I interned with a local district attorney’s office, I then applied for a position as a prosecuting attorney after law school. I worked as a Deputy District Attorney for about 4 years, and then I realized that I could do more good and help more people by representing them rather than prosecuting them. I have been in criminal defense ever since.

Can you tell us a bit about the nature of your practice and what you focus on?

I own Right Law Group, a criminal defense law firm in Colorado Springs, CO. If I were to sum up our criminal defense practice in one sentence, it would be: “We help good people get their lives back on the right path.”

We specialize in helping good people who have made a mistake or two get their lives back on track. All of our litigation attorneys were previously district attorneys who decided to help their community by going to the “other side” to help everyday people who get into a little trouble with the law.

We also tend to work with a number of military service members because we are located near so many military bases. My favorite clients to work with are people who are struggling with PTSD and end up getting charged with a crime as a result of that struggle.

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?

The three most important character traits to my success are 1) integrity, 2) independence, and 3) tenacity.

Integrity — To me, integrity means always doing the right thing, and I believe in the practice of criminal law this can be an incredibly difficult goal to achieve. However, when I opened Right Law Group, my aim was to change the way criminal law was practiced. That starts with holding my firm and my clients to the highest level of integrity I can.

For that reason, I named the firm RIGHT Law Group. It is not named after me; it is named after an ideal I hold strongly. As a criminal defense firm, we protect our clients’ rights, but we do it in the right way. We never trade our morals or our convictions for a “good resolution” to a case. We only take on clients we believe we can help and who are motivated to help themselves. I also firmly believe that in order to practice in the right way, I and my team must have respect for our peers, Judges and court staff, members of law enforcement, our clients, and ourselves.

Independence — Maintaining my independence, sometimes in spite of what common wisdom says, has been critical in my success. When I first opened my law firm, multiple “seasoned” attorneys in town told me that I would not make it past the first year without following in their footsteps. They said I had to partner with another attorney with more experience to build my reputation, and I had to market in a certain way in order to get clients to call. I listened to their advice, but my gut was telling me that I could build something different — something better.

I launched Right Law Group with a few clients, no financial safety net, and a vision that a firm based on principles and compassion could be a success. I did not do as many new lawyers do and network with every person I could think of, nor did I take just any case that came through the door. I stayed true to my values and my idea of building a criminal defense firm based in technology and customer service.

My firm has been open for 4 years, and we are the fastest-growing criminal defense law firm in our area. We are well known for having excellent customer service, and our clients get some of the best legal representation around. I threw out conventional wisdom and did things my own way, and because of that independence, I have experienced more success than I dreamed was possible.

Tenacity — In any kind of business, you will have highs and lows. You will not always be able to see growth or improvement immediately, but if you continually push yourself and your team forward, you will be able to look back and see the gains you have made.

The past two years have really shown me the power of tenacity like nothing else. During the height of the pandemic, when other firms were closing their doors or reducing their teams to skeleton crews, I was determined to push forward. I embraced the new opportunities this worldwide change presented. I was able to take on a higher case load because courtrooms moved to virtual environments, which allowed me to be in multiple counties in a single day — a feat that normally would have required hours of drive time.

In addition to the ways in which the court system changed, I had already built my firm on a paperless, virtual platform, so while other law firms were struggling to transition their teams to work from home, my team was already up and running. We actually tripled in size during the pandemic because we were able to push forward with our innovative legal platforms and non-traditional hiring methods.

Do you think you have had luck in your success? Can you explain what you mean?

I do not believe in luck. I believe that if you hold a goal close enough, and focus enough energy and work toward it, you will achieve it. That’s the way the universe works, but the key is making sure you are clear on your goal.

Some people say that they have “bad luck”, when in reality, they are not putting enough thought into what their deepest desire is and what fear could be impacting their ability to achieve that goal. Sometimes people think they have a goal, but their main concern is comfort above all else, so they will not achieve the dream goal that would take them out of the comfort zone to which they have become accustomed.

Other times we self-sabotage, then lie to ourselves and say it was just bad luck. Luck has nothing to do with it. Success only comes when you have the self-awareness to get real with yourself, your goals, and your willingness (or lack thereof) to achieve that goal no matter what.

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 do not think there are many areas of law in which going to a top-tier school is required for success. If your goal is to join an elite firm that only hires Harvard graduates, then yes, where you go to school matters. However, short of that type of firm, where you go to school and frankly how well you do in school, matters very little once you earn your degree. What matters more are your experiences, the connections you make, your drive, and your willingness to work.

Law school is good for one thing — it teaches you how to think like a lawyer. Everything else comes from hard work, determination, knowing what you want to get out of a career, and experiences you allow yourself to have in different legal environments.

Based on the lessons you have learned from your experience, if you could go back in time and speak to your twenty-year-old self, what would you say? Would you do anything differently?

I don’t like to dwell on the past because I believe that every experience, I had was necessary to make me the person I am today. Had I not floundered in law school and contemplated dropping out, I would not have learned the value of goal setting and perseverance despite my misgivings and fears.

One thing I wish I had been told was to get as much experience in as many different practice areas as possible. I believe that every law student should work in at least 3 different legal environments before choosing their career, and they should be open to changing that path later down the road should the opportunity arise.

I would also tell my younger self to document everything. Document processes and document how other lawyers approach cases, even if they are not the types of cases you plan on working on yourself. There is so much knowledge and experience surrounding you in law school, and it is an absolute waste not to soak up every bit of information you can. The most helpful information I learned in law school, by far, was found in experiences not textbooks.

This is not easy work. What is your primary motivation and drive behind the work that you do?

I want to build something of which I can be proud, and I want to show other people that your lowest point does not have to be the end. Many times, your lowest point is necessary to launch your path to greatness. Had I not experienced the process of failing and rebuilding, I would not be equipped to show grace and empathy to a member of my team who is struggling with something, nor would I be able to work with clients who come to our firm at their lowest point being charged with a criminal offense.

My ultimate goal in life is to make the lives of those around me better — whether that is automating a technical task that will save time for my team, guiding someone into making a better life decision, or simply offering an ear to someone who needs to be heard. If I can continually support and help those around me, I will fulfill my mission in life.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

One of the things no one tells you about being a business owner is that once you own one business, you want to own more! I am currently in the very preliminary stages of opening another law firm with a friend of mine to do an entirely different type of law. I am also in the brainstorming stage of building a coaching business for criminal defense firm owners.

I also just set up a Facebook group for entrepreneurial lawyers to join and share ideas about automations and processes to streamline their criminal defense firms. Lastly, I am in talks with my chief technology officer about building a custom practice management platform for my existing firm so that we can truly tailor the team and client experience to our goals and values.

Where do you go from here? Where do you aim to be in the next chapter of your career?

As a young professional, there are a number of chapters left ahead of me! My success in the next chapter will be on the personal front. I’m getting married this year and plan to start a family in the years to come. Professionally, I want to have a few businesses under my belt by the time I reach 50, and I would like to learn more about real estate investment. I do not believe in retirement as a goal. My goal is to continually learn, grow, and experience as much of the world as possible.

Without sharing anything confidential, can you please share your most successful “war story”? Can you share the funniest?

My most successful “war story” was a military veteran who was suffering from PTSD and desperately seeking medical help. I came to know the client after this person ended up with multiple felony charges against them, in an attempt to commit suicide. They were going to lose all of their VA benefits, their family was about to leave them, and they would be labeled a felon for the rest of their life. I was also very worried they would follow through with their previous suicide attempt and end their life.

I was able to work with this client and really get to know them on a personal level, which allowed me to convey who they were as a person, not a criminal file, to the DA. By showing the tragic personal history they endured and their exemplary service record, I was able to show that this criminal incident was a cry for help, not an intentional act of violence or a reflection of the client’s true personality. Because of my advocacy, I kept this client out of prison, and prevented any conviction from entering their record (not even a misdemeanor). I was also able to get them set up with therapy. It was an absolute honor to serve that client.

Ok, fantastic. Let’s now shift to discussing some advice for aspiring lawyers. Do you work remotely? Onsite? Or Hybrid? What do you think will be the future of how law offices operate? What do you prefer? Can you please explain what you mean?

Our firm is modeled to work with the team’s needs. We have the ability to work in the office, which our litigation attorneys prefer, or remotely. I suppose that qualifies us as a hybrid model, but truthfully, the only people who ever need to be in the office are the attorneys.

In criminal defense, we have to be in the courthouse 70% of the time, so it helps to have an office in which to meet with clients. However, for all of our paralegals, legal assistants, client relations team, and other supporting roles, everyone is free to work from home or remotely. Half of our support staff doesn’t even live in the same state as our practice!

I believe the future of law offices will be to move towards a hybrid model, rather than a traditional office model. The shifting nature of the job market demands this. With so many potential employees requiring more flexibility with hours and working locations, I believe that a firm must have remote options to remain competitive.

I also believe that moving to a remote or hybrid model opens more opportunities for finding exceptional talent that a traditional model would otherwise not have allowed. For example, I was able to hire some of my remote full-time employees from very large corporations because I offered better pay and more flexibility. Because of this, I get the benefit of having happier employees who come with a wealth of specialized customer service training.

How has the legal world changed since COVID? How do you think it might change in the near future? Can you explain what you mean?

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that we must be ready for the unexpected, and the legal landscape is no different. Court is now held over Zoom, clients and attorneys don’t meet face-to-face, often for months, and legal networking is largely in digital spaces. Since the start of the pandemic, everyone has had to be nimble both in our professional and personal lives. And to be frank, COVID is still disrupting in-person events and workspaces, and will likely continue to do so.

What’s to come? I don’t think anyone can definitively say. What I do know is that firms need to plan ahead: optimize your marketing efforts with tools like call tracking and form tracking, and update and streamline your client intake technology. These are all great ways to set yourself up for success.

Looking ahead, firms should utilize platforms that help ensure their marketing spend is going to good use. For example, I rely on the marketing software platform CallRail to get actionable insights into what marketing campaigns are driving potential clients to contact my firm — and which are not. These insights give me confidence to spend my marketing budget on the efforts that drive business.

We often hear about the importance of networking and getting referrals. Is this still true today? Has the nature of networking changed or has its importance changed? Can you explain what you mean?

I think the question of whether networking and referrals are important largely depends on the type of practice. The more critical question a lawyer should ask themselves when thinking of marketing to potential clients is: “Where is my ideal client located?”

If you are a business lawyer, your ideal client will likely be found on LinkedIn, BNI groups, and your local small business associations. If your client is a criminal defendant, like mine, they’re likely searching on Google as soon as they are charged and relying on Google reviews from previous clients to make a snap judgment decision as to which firm they want to hire.

Before you spend hours and money investing in your referral networks or building up a marketing campaign, the first area in which you improve is very simple: your intake process. All the marketing and referrals in the world will do you no good if you don’t answer the phone as soon as it rings. Once you have someone answering your phones around the clock, the next step is to ensure the people who call are getting answers to their questions. If you can help them solve their problem, great! If you cannot, refer them to someone who can. Once you have mastered that fundamental skill of intake, then you can start looking for more ways to reach your ideal client.

Based on your experience, how can attorneys effectively leverage social media to build their practice?

In the legal space, the most effective marketing channel is often based on the practice area. I’ve found that clients in the Criminal Law market often utilize Google My Business and Google Ads, whereas clients searching for Estate Planning or Family Law generally come through organic channels or referrals. All this is to say, knowledge is power when it comes to leveraging your marketing channels — and the easiest way to accumulate knowledge is through data.

Almost half (48%) of small to midsize law firms reported that their clients found them through organic social media, according to new research from CallRail. Firms can attribute clients acquired to social media and other channels through tools like call tracking and form tracking, which provide detailed analytics on which keywords, marketing campaigns, and ads drove their best leads and conversions.

If you are looking to leverage your social media to build your practice, you need to know your lead to client conversion numbers. The only way you obtain those numbers is through tracking with a platform like CallRail. Without knowing this data, you are essentially winging it and throwing money away when it comes to growing your firm because you don’t know how many leads you need to generate to scale revenue!

Excellent. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law?” Please share a story or an example for each.

Everyone has different tips and tricks for how to become the best in any area. And while there is no magic combination to get you to the top, there are certain things that will help cultivate the right mindset to get you further ahead. To achieve A-level status as a top lawyer in your specific field of law, I encourage you to follow my “A-TIPS”.

Utilizing my “A-TIPS” will help you achieve success in your given practice of law:

• ACTION-ORIENTED: Put in the work and you’ll see the rewards. Sometimes the hardest part of gaining momentum is just taking that first step. To be a successful lawyer, you must be willing to always take action, move forward, and understand that forward movement sometimes involves stumbling through mistakes.
• TOOLS: Give your team the tools needed for success, and they’ll achieve it. Simply having a great team is not enough. You have to give them parameters by which they can measure their own success and growth. You also have to make sure that you are giving them every opportunity to work efficiently by eliminating busy work and redundancy.
• INVEST: Just wanting to be the best is not enough. There must be a purpose, a drive to your passion. Once you know where your passion lies, you need to invest time in your passion.
• PLAN AHEAD: You can never be too prepared. While you cannot prepare for every eventuality, you can make sure you are prepared for the inevitable highs and lows that come with owning a business.
• SOLUTION-DRIVEN: In my firm, I make it a priority to teach my team to be solution driven. No good comes from dwelling on a problem without any intention of solving it. Having a solution-driven approach requires you to look at every issue with a certainty that a solution exists — all you have to do is find it.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

If I could meet Elon Musk, I would be over the moon (pun intended). I am continually fascinated with the new and innovative ways in which Elon explores the world around him. The trait that I most admire is that he is not confined to any one area or business but is constantly looking for ways to grow his businesses and his understanding of the universe. I admire that passion for continual learning and hope to live my life in the same manner.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!