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Episode 6: How Much Risk Are You Willing to Take?

Three Things You’ll Learn:

  1. The importance of community
  2. The responsibility of a criminal law attorney
  3. How hiring a marketing firm can benefit your business

A Certain Start

Following in his grandfather's footsteps, Shane Phelps knew he was headed for law school at a young age. With a three-year career in the Marine Corps under his belt, he was quickly accepted into The University of Texas School of Law and hit the ground running from there.

Shane is now the founder and owner of The Law Office of Shane Phelps, where he is a criminal defense attorney and leading trial lawyer. He explains that to him, criminal defense is the most interesting discipline of law due to the fact that every case is different and challenging in its own ways.

The responsibility of his position is not lost on Shane, either. He strongly believes in mentoring young lawyers and his firm offers several internships for students who are headed to law school.

Taking Risks

Shane works hard on the marketing and business development aspects of his firm, maintaining a professional brand that inspires confidence in prospective clients. He also credits his success to consistent hard work and knowing when to take risks.

“One thing I’ve learned over the past ten years is there are several decisions you make like buying buildings, like adding associates, like hiring expensive marketing firms for your website that are scary but they pay off. If you don’t take those chances your firm is never going to make it to the next level.”

Building A Community

Shane knows how stressful the legal industry can be and says it’s important to find the right balance. He advocates setting aside time for family, taking care of your physical health, and remembering the positive impact that attorneys can have in their clients’ lives.

”Involvement in the community and knowing that you’re making a difference keeps you going.”

A Lawyer-Scientist

Shane is one of around 100 forensic lawyer-scientists in the nation, a distinction he is quite proud of. With his unique experience, he’s able to use legitimate science for the benefit of justice and represent himself truthfully as being a leader in the criminal defense community.

“Being able to say that I am a forensic lawyer-scientist helps me bring in DWI cases and drug cases... and sets me apart from almost all the other lawyers in the area.”

Board Certification

He describes how important it is for attorneys to set themselves apart, both by showing compassion to clients and by continuing to gain knowledge. Shane has been board certified as a criminal law specialist since 1992 and would recommend this to any criminal defense lawyer.

“I think it’s insane for criminal defense lawyers not to be board certified in criminal law.”

Learn more about Shane Phelps:

Also Mentioned In This Episode: