Why every lawyer needs a side hustle

Practicing law is already quite the hustle, so why would any attorney want to add a second gig? Find out how one lawyer's side photography business helped him land a big (legal) client. This week, we also look at why it's important to bring your personal values to your job. But first: Check out these holiday recipes via law school cookbooks. 

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How side hustles can help lawyers

Practicing law and starting a second gig seems daunting, but Rob Chestnut, writing for Bloomberg Law, encourages attorneys to consider adding a side hustle. Chestnut’s own photography side job helped him transition from federal prosecutor to in-house counsel for eBay. But even if a side job doesn’t directly benefit your legal career, it can provide a creative change of perspective. “If you think about it, side hustles are also informal networking, and they might help you expand your legal practice or meet clients that can make you a rainmaker,” Chestnut concludes. “Or it might just get you out of a rut, help you relax, and put a smile on your face.” (Bloomberg Law) 

When lawyers bring their values to work

Dr. John Blakely, author of Force for Good: How to Thrive as a Purpose-Driven Leader, wants leaders and the companies and firms they head to look beyond money. Appearing on the Lawyerist podcast, Blakely says, “That isn’t to say that profit isn’t still an important fuel, it’s just saying, can we go further, can go beyond profit to lift our sights, to engage in at the level of purpose and making an impact in the world that goes beyond wealth creation but still includes that activity." Although the legal profession attracts value-driven people, Blakely notes that sometimes institutional procedures dominate the day to day. He encourages listeners to tap into their joy and creativity, and to the values that brought them into the career. (Lawyerist)

• Jan. 26-30, 2025: National Trial Lawyers Summit in Miami
• Feb. 15-18, 2025: American Association for Justice Winter Convention in Miami
• Mar. 24-27, 2025: ALM/Law.com Legalweek in New York

Lawyers share favorite tech tools

On a recent episode of the Kennedy-Mighell Report podcast, hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell shared a roundup of some of their favorite tech tools. For organizing the home office, they like the Magtame Tangle-Free Charging Cable and Satechi Multi Device Charging Station. On the road, they take along a PureZone Mini Portable Air Purifier. On the less serious side, they discuss digital tattoo printers and drones. Listen in for more of their favorite folding phones, tablets and more. (Kennedy-Mighell Report) 

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Say 'aloha' to your firm's personality

As the marketing and business development manager at Hawaii-based Cades Schutte, Erika Galarneau helped redesign the firm’s website. On the Passle CMO Series podcast, she recently shared how the firm incorporates its identity and locality into marketing, like allowing attorneys to wear Hawaiian-print shirts in their profile pictures. She says any firm can bring its own identity into marketing and a brand audit can help define that identity. “Even if it's not your location that you could highlight, there is going to be something,” she says. “So it's just a matter of identifying what it is and being able to make that the voice of your firm.” (CMO Series) 

Thank you for reading Raise The Bar.

Every Thursday, you'll hear from our team about the most pressing issues facing legal practices today. We'll also try to include some quick-hit reads that touch on interesting cases and precedents being set worldwide. 

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Written by Suzi Morales. Edited by Katie Parsons.