Your Law Firm As a Family Business

Back in the day, farmers always hoped for at least one son who could provide free labor to keep the farm running. Likewise, today’s lawyers can also ask their children — or other family members — to lend a hand in the family business.

I’ll confess that I’ve done so on more than one occasion. Years ago, my older daughter helped me cut this video entitled, Your Blog on Social Media.

And I encouraged my younger daughter to take a course on graphic design and Adobe Photoshop so Screen Shot 2015-03-19 at 12.31.41 AMshe could help me mock up different logo ideas for my firm and other businesses.  My computer geek husband installed the Slashcode platform for me years ago that I could start MyShingle. 

Of course, I’m not the only lawyer who’s consigned family members to pitch in. A few years back, Three Geeks & A Law Blog  posted these neat, hand-drawn videos created by big law attorney Richard Hsu and his talented artist daughter, then 13.

Do any of your family members help out with your practice? And what special skills have they shared? Looking forward to your comments below.

6 Comments

  1. D. Todd Smith on March 19, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    My wife works as our firm administrator and handles all our insurance and benefits. Her experience in management for a major hospital has been very beneficial.

    I’m looking to put our 13-year-old son on the payroll to help with presentations and videos. He has a YouTube channel with hundreds of subscribers and is getting very good with Final Cut Pro. I just have to look for the right opportunity to use him.



  2. Tamar Cerafici on March 20, 2015 at 9:21 am

    My siblings and I worked in my Dad’s solo practice: at 6 years old, I started with dusting duties on Saturday mornings; by 7 I was vacuuming. At 8, and through my teenage years, I helped him file and clean his home office. During law school, I helped him research and write briefs. when he retired his practice and began teaching, I was his substitute. In turn, when I opened my own practice in Idaho, he was “of counsel” from his office in Utah. Virtual practice in the ’90s! I have enlisted cousins and a niece and a nephew for research projects while they were in law school, and I have continued to partner with a nephew as he starts his practice. Three generations of lawyers, and now my nephew’s kids are helping him in the office!



  3. Tamar Cerafici on March 20, 2015 at 9:21 am

    Todd, Why not use him to produce video blogs for you?



  4. D. Todd Smith on March 20, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    Thanks for the suggestion, Tamar. I have been talking to him about doing that and also about producing a podcast. He’s a whiz at the tech stuff, so I know he can do it. The question is whether I can.



  5. petercabrera on March 21, 2015 at 9:37 am

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  6. myshingle on March 21, 2015 at 9:59 am

    This comment is totally irrelevant – and it is clear that you have someone posting spam comments for you at various sites. Please remove your comment or I’ll be posting about this.



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