Courtney Radick
Oswego, NY
1. What are your areas of practice?
I am a general practitioner, but my practice
currently focuses on Workers’ Compensation, Matrimonial and Family Law,
Criminal Defense, Personal Injury and Criminal and Civil appeals
2. Describe a typical day for you?
No day is the same, which is something I love
about my practice. I will either start
my day in the office or go straight to court from home, depending on where I
need to be and what time. On any given
day I could be meeting with clients and/or attending hearings. On certain nights of the week I participate
in my bowling league (although I do get in trouble for answering work e-mails
in between frames).
3. Where do you practice? Do you have a stand-alone
office or home office?
I practice in an office, which was an old home
and converted in the 1960s. We saved the
partially spiral staircase, which children love to run up and down.
4. What is the most rewarding thing about having
your own practice?
The freedom to adapt to the needs of the day. If I need to leave early for a personal
matter, I can adjust my schedule. If
there is a blizzard/lake effect snow event in the forecast, we can accommodate
the needs of our staff. If it is a
special occasion, the whole office can make time to have lunch together.
5. What are some of the challenges about having
your own practice?
Being in a small firm, we are all very
busy. Sometimes our schedules require us
to be in 2 (or more!) places at the same time and being able to cover for one
another can sometimes pose a calendaring problem.
6. What are your must-have tech tools/apps?
I am not very technological, but my iPhone is
crucial to my every day practice. I
still maintain a hard calendar, but when I am away from the office I need to be
able to check e-mails, text and call clients and my staff, as well as look up
information on the Internet. A good and
reliable copier and printer are obviously key.
Lately, I have found a lot of value in our scanner, as it allows me to
e-file many documents, as well as e-mail clients and the other attorneys in a
more efficient and timely manner.
7. How do you market your practice? How do you find
new clients?
In our local community, we primarily rely on
word of mouth referrals. We do advertise
in the local business magazine and other small periodicals. We have a Facebook page and several members
of the firm have various social media profiles.
8. When and where do you interact with other
attorneys?
Mostly at the various courthouses between
cases. Of course I go to NYSBA events
and local bar events.
9. How do you stay informed with legal
news/developments?
Reading the NYSBA Bar Journal, attending CLEs
(even though I don’t need the credit), social media updates, e-mails with the
latest case law updates and I am involved in various sections that have active online communities.
10. If a fellow attorney decided they wanted to
start their own practice, what is the one thing they should know?
If you do not already have a reputation
established in your community, it may take some time for your practice to get
up and running and be successful (i.e. for money to start coming in). However, if you are dedicated to making a
name for yourself and are dedicated to your practice and clients, you will see
the rewards of your efforts.
