Top Lawyers: Radiance Harris of Radiance IP Law On The 5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law
An Interview With Chere Estrin
A value over time mindset: From my experience, clients are willing to pay for value and outcomes rather than time spent. Most clients are not fans of the high-billable-hour model. It’s best to focus on the value you provide, rather than the time it took you to do it. As you become a more experienced attorney, it may take you less time to complete certain tasks; therefore, you’ll get paid less if you’re focused on time instead of value. At my law firm, Radiance IP Law, we provide value-based pricing.
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 Radiance W. Harris, Esq.
Radiance W. Harris, Esq. is an award-winning trademark attorney, bestselling author, and speaker. As the founder and managing attorney of Radiance IP Law, she helps emerging businesses protect, monetize, and grow profitable brands with trademarks. She has successfully represented startups and multinational corporations across diverse industries and has been featured as a legal expert in a variety of publications, including Forbes and The New York Times. Previously, she worked at one of the world’s largest law firms representing Fortune 200 brands.
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 knew I wanted to be a lawyer when I was 15 years old, and I became the first lawyer in my family. After graduating from Swarthmore College for undergrad and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law for law school, I started my legal career at the world’s largest law firm where I counseled and represented Fortune 200 companies on all aspects of trademark law. After working at a BigLaw firm for several years, I transitioned to a smaller, reputable intellectual property boutique law firm for a little over a year and did the same kind of work. Although I enjoyed the work that I did, I was not a fan of the traditional rigid law firm or high billable-hour model, and neither were clients. Therefore, without a business plan, clients, savings, or a real backup plan, I launched my law firm, Radiance IP Law, to offer big law firm experience and highly specialized trademark law expertise to small and emerging businesses at flat rates.
Can you tell us a bit about the nature of your practice and what you focus on?
My practice is focused primarily on trademark law — specifically, trademark strategy, prosecution, enforcement, and licensing.
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?
The three character traits most instrumental to my success were determination, preparation, and balance.
In high school, I made up my mind that I was going to be a lawyer, and you couldn’t tell me otherwise. Every choice that I made moving forward was to accomplish that very goal. I’ve been determined from a young age. I can honestly say that most of the things that I’ve set out to accomplish in my life, I’ve achieved or am on my way to achieving because of my determination.
In addition to determination, preparation has been very important to my success. I will never forget postponing a 9th-grade history assignment until the evening before it was due, then struggling through the night to complete my assignment by the deadline. From that one experience, I vowed to never again wait until the last minute to complete anything. Some might say that I over-prepare, but I don’t think that there is any such thing as being overly prepared.
As for balance, I believe that my experience as a student-athlete from age 10 through college taught me how to balance my personal life, sports, and academics. Therefore, once I went to college and law school, and then started my career as a lawyer, I already had the skill set to achieve a reasonable work-life balance, which can be a challenge in the legal profession.
Do you think you have had luck in your success? Can you explain what you mean?
I didn’t have luck. I had (and still have) God. My faith has played a major role in my success. I’ve always worked really hard at school and work, but where I fell short, I believed that God carried me through. For example, I graduated from law school during the 2009 economic recession. The summer after my second year in law school, I was offered a highly-coveted associate position at a top major law firm, and I was able to start the position shortly after taking the bar exam. Most of my classmates graduated without any job prospects or were forced to take jobs that they were overqualified for. In addition, many of my colleagues who were offered similar law firm positions either had them delayed for a year or two or rescinded altogether. Some may call it “luck” that everything worked out for me during such a time, but I know that it was God’s hand at work.
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 believe that where I attended undergraduate school and law school did have some influence on my success. When I was in high school, I chose to go to Swarthmore College because it was the top liberal arts college in the country and was known for its academic rigor. I knew that going to a top-tier college and getting good grades there would put me in the best position to attend a good law school. In addition, the academic rigor at Swarthmore College prepared me for the academic rigor of law school. I was accepted into the University of Maryland School of Law, which was my top choice for law school, and I did very well while there. While most of my classmates were struggling and sleep-deprived in law school, I was living my best life. I actually had the best time in law school. I honestly believe that attending the college and law school that I did put me in the best position to obtain a big law firm job straight out of law school during the 2009 economic recession.
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 would tell her that anything and everything she envisions for her life is possible. She only needs to believe that it is possible and take unwavering action towards her goals. I didn’t realize the importance of your mindset in life and business until recently. While I wish I had realized this much sooner, I honestly would not do anything differently. I do not live with regrets — everything happens for a reason as it should when it should.
This is not easy work. What is your primary motivation and drive behind the work that you do?
I am motivated and driven to do the work that I do because I truly enjoy it, and I want to help as many people and businesses as I can.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I am working on getting my bestselling book, Trademark Like A Boss: The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide to Protecting Your Brand, into every intellectual property law clinic and entrepreneurship program in the country. I think any student interested in intellectual property law and/or entrepreneurship will learn a lot of practical information about trademarks from my book.
Where do you go from here? Where do you aim to be in the next chapter of your career?
I want to continue helping companies protect their trademarks. I want Radiance IP Law to continue to grow and expand. I want to explore more opportunities to teach trademark law. I really enjoy teaching, and I think that would be the next chapter of my career.
Without sharing anything confidential, can you please share your most successful “war story”? Can you share the funniest?
I love when big companies try to challenge my clients. It’s funny when big companies think that because I own a small firm representing smaller clients that we will just roll over and back down on a challenge. When I worked in BigLaw, I used to represent the “big dogs” so I know exactly how the game is played. Sorry, we’re not backing down that easily.
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?
My law firm, Radiance IP Law, has been a remote/virtual law firm since its inception. Because trademark law is a federal law practice, we work with clients nationwide as well as internationally. That being said, there hasn’t been a benefit or need for a physical law office location. My staff work remotely from home or wherever. We’ve been able to efficiently, productively, and professionally serve our clients by leveraging technology. The law office of the future will be more virtual and technology-driven with alternative working and billing arrangements.
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?
COVID forced the legal profession to embrace a remote/virtual law practice and workforce much sooner than it may have wanted to. With COVID, most businesses had to pivot and adapt to technology and remote work, or risk going out of business altogether. From this experience, I think legal practitioners were able to see how you can effectively run a remote law practice with a technology-driven infrastructure. Not only is it more convenient and efficient, but the cost savings can be significant.
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?
Over 50% of my business comes from referrals. Networking is still very important today, but a lot more networking is happening online now. I think people enjoy the efficiency and convenience of connecting with others without having to leave the comfort of their home or office. Of course, I think networking still happens in-person, too, but not to the extent it did pre-COVID. Before COVID, most people would not hesitate to attend in-person networking events. Post-COVID, I think people are more considerate and strategic about whether to attend.
Based on your experience, how can attorneys effectively leverage social media to build their practice?
Attorneys can and should leverage social media by sharing valuable content consistently and establishing themselves as thought leaders and experts in a particular area of law. I mostly use Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and roughly 28% of my business comes from social media. In 2020, I committed to consistently posting and showing up on social media, and it has increased my revenue significantly since then. Utilizing social media is an easy way to build the “know, like, and trust” factor amongst potential clients and referral sources and showcase your knowledge and expertise.
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.
5 Things You Need to Become A Top Lawyer in Your Specific Field of Law
- A specific niche: Don’t be a jack of all trades but a master of nothing! It is best to choose a specialty and become an expert in your field. Focus on your strengths, and be the best at what you do. While I have over a decade of experience and expertise in trademark law, copyright law, licensing, and a wide range of commercial contracts, I’ve positioned myself as a trademark law expert.
- Consistent online marketing: If you are not utilizing digital media (internet, social media, etc.) to build your business, you are missing out! While it is not necessary to be on every platform, focus your marketing efforts on at least two (2) social media platforms where you will be able to interact and engage with your ideal client and post daily. Also, review Google alerts for your name, firm name, and relevant topics a few times a week. Write one blog or article weekly or bi-weekly. Share an interesting article with a prospective client or referral source at least three (3) times a week. Send out a monthly email newsletter.
- Excellence: While this seems obvious, showing up with excellence and providing exceptional service is often taken for granted. Your past and current clients are your best sales agents. If you “wow” them, make them feel important, and offer them unmatched value and service, this will inevitably lead to repeat and new business opportunities. This is where “word of mouth” offers a huge payoff.
- A target client: If you are marketing to everyone, you are marketing to no one! You need a target client. If you are struggling with finding and/or building stable clientele, sit down and create a bullet point list of the top qualities you desire and look for in your ideal client. Once you identify your ideal client, then you should create a list of where you will find them and make it a priority to go where they are. In addition, ask any past and current clients what keeps them up at night (i.e., what their problems are), listen to their responses, and then use that to educate your target clients on how you can personally help them and give them peace of mind.
- A value over time mindset: From my experience, clients are willing to pay for value and outcomes rather than time spent. Most clients are not fans of the high-billable-hour model. It’s best to focus on the value you provide, rather than the time it took you to do it. As you become a more experienced attorney, it may take you less time to complete certain tasks; therefore, you’ll get paid less if you’re focused on time instead of value. At my law firm, Radiance IP Law, we provide value-based pricing.
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. :-)
I would love to have a private lunch with Oprah Winfrey. She’s one of the richest women in the world and has met the most famous people in the world. It would be an honor and privilege to be in her presence and hear her wisdom.
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: Chere Estrin is the CEO of Estrin Legal Staffing, a top national and international staffing organization and MediSums, medical records summarizing. She is the Co-Founding Member and Vice-President of the Organization Legal Professionals providing online legal technology training. Chere has written 10 books on legal careers, hundreds of articles and has been written up in publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Trib, Newsweek, Entrepreneur, Above the Law and others. Chere is a recipient of the Los Angeles/Century City Women of Achievement Award, a finalist for the Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year award and a Los Angeles Paralegal Association Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient She is a former administrator at an AmLaw 100 firm and Sr. Vice President in a $5 billion company. Reach out at: chere@estrinlegalstaffing.com.
