Writer. Speaker. Attorney. Teacher.
Recommended reading
Online learning has become mainstream, growing on popularity with the use of courses, Ebooks, and more.
Books
The Happier Attorney Ebook
Work less hours & double your income.
Book available in paperback or kindle edition.
Tidy Up or Simplify
The Difference Is What Will Change Your Life
Book available in paperback or kindle edition.
Soon She Will Be Dead
A comprehensive guide to losing your parent without losing your mind.
Book available in paperback or kindle edition.
What attorneys are saying about the books
"This book not only helps the new lawyer (also applicable to other businesses) address the total time an event will take and thereby better inform the client and structure the matter. By spending less time on hourly, billing, and focusing early on the entire process, Brita Long offers and overall path to client, office and personal satisfaction. Even if you do not want to bill flat rate, or are merely considering doing a few matters as flat rate, this book helps you determine how to value, structure, flow and terminate the client or project have taken on."
"I finished it, and it was so life changing I bought a copy for a friend! Finish it"
"I purchased this to help me make my practice more efficient, whether or not I intended to fully implement flat fee billing. The book is an excellent read - concise, practical, useful and straightforward. As an attorney we know what we should do often but don't take the steps to do it. This book has a very straightforward frank tone from one attorney to another on how to improve your practice. The mechanics for how to implement flat fee billing are provided in a concise straightforward, and practical way, that provides a useful outline without lots of unnecessary reading. It was a short read but has re-inspired me with regard to the practice of law. In addition, there are many other useful tips relating to efficiency that are not strictly related to flat fee billing. I am starting out my week re-inspired this week and it is already going better after I just finished this book. Highly recommend.
I just had someone I don't know call and ask what my trademark flat fees are, I told him. He said it was too much and I should do it for less because he'd be sending me 10-20 clients per month. I told him my fees were based on the value I provide, that the value takes time, and that there are a lot of reasons LegalZoom is so cheap. You get what you pay for. With me you pay for all the advice and careful planning so your application is successful and covers the appropriate goods and services. I thought of Brita Long talking about how great flat fees are based on the value we provide and decided I was a little offended by someone asking me to work for less to function as a trademark mill. I'm so grateful for this group helping me to be strong about my flat fee value!
A huge case settled and OC is finally outta my hair about it. Also booked my plane ticket to Hawaii. Trip wouldn't have been possible without Brita Long and her showing me how I can live a happier attorney life.
I want to say a big THANK YOU to Brita Long and this group for helping me have confidence in setting my patent registration flat fees this past week and not lowballing them just because I'm new to patent practice. I kept all your posts and comments about value, overall experience, and personal goals in mind and then uses the AIPLA survey to see what the range of fees patent attorney charge is (they break it down into quarterlies and a few percentages) and decided where I felt the right place for my fees was in that range - NOT the lowest part! I may not be the most efficient patent attorney yet, but I know I will give good value from the beginning based on how my non-patent practice has gone.
"I just finished reading this book and I've learned a great deal on how to start charging flat fees instead of the traditional hourly fee. I am most excited about not having to send a bill at the end of the month and receive a call from a disgruntled client. For attorneys who wish to switch to a flat fee method or if you are an attorney and want a better understanding on charging flat fees, this book is a must read!"
"Seriously! Everyone practicing law needs to read this book. I think there would be far fewer unhappy attorneys. The idea of abandoning the billable hour is absolutely radical to some, but every argument she's making makes sense. The clients I have suggested it to appreciate the transparency, and I save so much time and feel much less irritated about doing tasks knowing that I will be compensated for them. I don't have to argue with clients about bills after they go out which ruins my entire day and eats up time I can't bill. No more forgetting to track time then seriously underestimating the time I spent. She writes in a clear, conversational yet authoritative tone that's easy to follow and an absolute breeze to read."
Recommended reading
These are the books that I have received a great deal of value from reading. I don’t subscribe to everything said in any of them. Books are ideas. Nothing more and nothing less. So, take what you want from them and if an idea doesn’t land with you then feel free to disregard it.
Other reading
- The Gap and The Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success - Dan Sullivan
- The Core Value Equation: A Framework to Drive Results, Create Limitless Scale and Win the War for Talent - Darius Mirshahzadeh
- Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded): The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems - Daniel G. Amen M.D.
- You 2: A High Velocity Formula for Multiplying Your Personal Effectiveness in Quantum Leaps - Price Pritchett
- Tidy Up or Simplify: The Difference Is What Will Change Your Life - Brita Long
- Soon She Will Be Dead: A Comprehensive Guide to Losing Your Parent Without Losing Your Mind - Brita Long
- How to Get More Law Firm Clients: Without Losing Time & Money or Getting Screwed By a Marketing Company - Andrew Stickel
- Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action - Simon Sinek
- One Last Talk: Why Your Truth Matters and How to Speak It - Philip McKernan
- Sparrow in the Razor Wire: Finding Freedom from Within While Serving a Life Sentence - Quan Huynh
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones - James Clear
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
- The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self - Martha Beck
- Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It - Chris Voss
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life - Mark Mason
- The Engagement Ring: Practical Leadership Skills for Engaging Your Employees - Lee Ann Pond
- The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment - Eckhart Tolle
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) - Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success - Darren Hardy
- The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles - Steven Pressfield
- You, Inc.: The Step by Step Guide for Finding a Business Within You - Travis Rosser