Subscription-based law firms are shaking up the legal practice in BIG ways. Many actions that lawyers complete, drafting documents, reviewing files, monitoring trademarks, etc. can be paid for on a subscription model and Mathew Kerbis wants to convince you of this. 

And you will believe him. Kerbis, as he prefers to be called, even shared the magic of subscription-based legal service with his employer. The insurance defense company ultimately decided to keep their billable hour requirements, but this did not deter Kerbis. 

Transparent pricing, transparent agreements, and having the feeling that you could do this; you could be a subscription attorney, is Kerbis’ model. Imagine not being billed when your attorney is researching an issue. This a task that could be 80% of the time spent by an attorney while working on your case. Kerbis does not bill for this task because he will take that research and use it for his Knowledge Base which allows him to serve more clients who could potentially have that same question.

"Engagement agreements are an earned fee immediately, the opposite of a retainer fee, where the client is billing against the retained money," explains Kerbis.

Chair of the Law Student Division of the ABA (like being president of the group and traveling to learn more about law students). Then ran for Chair of the Young Lawyers Division. The entire purpose was to find ways to innovate the legal practice and find ways to make members of the American Bar Association, Kerbis was a member of the young lawyers' division founding podcast team. Learning to record and edit and release podcasts. Took all that knowledge and used it to teach others bout subscription-based legal services. 

Kerbis started his podcast, The Law Subscribed, to inform others about subscription-based legal services and to use his background in performing arts. The Law Subscribed is all about bringing the subscription model to legal services. 

Kerbis relies on tech tools, like Calendly and time-blocking, to ensure that he prioritizes time with his family and away from work responsibilities. Working hard, working with technology, working on tasks that you enjoy, and managing your schedule in the way that you want to, makes running your own business a better option than the comforts of working a typical 9 to 5 job.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS 

00:00 - INTRO: Welcome to You Are A Lawyer hosted by Kyla Denanyoh

00:35 - Welcome to the podcast, Mathew Kerbis. 

00:47 - You actually prefer to be called Kerbis. Would you tell the audience about yourself?

01:55 - I went to law school intended to work in transactional law, but podcasting has helped me when transactional law is too much writing (re: boring)

02:15 - With your litigation background, was hosting the podcast, The Law Subscribed, an easy transition for you?

03:14 - I think that having a child is a really big eye-opening situation. Would you share more details about billable hours and why you wanted to get away from that demand?

05:45 - And you’re running your own law firm full-time?

06:00 - It is wild that leaving a 9-to-5 to run your own business, even if working 20 out of 24 hours, could be less work than working at a law firm with billable hours.

07:41 - Did you learn how to time block, or block scheduling, from billing your time at the law firm, or studying in law school?

09:55 - I asked about time blocking because I did that in law school and now, I live by checklists and reminders. I think time blocking is really beneficial. 

12:36 - Planning your schedule and time blocking sounds like stress and anxiety management. 

13:01 - Kerbis, what made you go to law school?

14:59 - A professor sparked your interest in the law. And when you were in law school did you know that you wanted to be a litigator?

17:01 - It sounds like being a litigator was a stair step to the career that you have now.

17:14 - I call the podcast You Are A Lawyer because I truly believe that everything you do in life will be viewed through the lens of a lawyer. Law school has a way of re-wiring the brain. 

17:49 - Let’s discuss the Law Subscribed Podcast and The Subscription Attorney LLC. Which came first, the podcast or the business?

19:35 - People thought that the subscription model was really cool but didn’t understand it.  

21:10 - What does it mean to have an attorney with the subscription model? Are you on retainer for every client?

22:20 - Subscription-based legal services are not retainer agreements. Subscribers with The Subscription Attorney sign engagement agreements because subscribers get immediate access to resources and Kerbis’ calendar which makes an engagement agreement an earned fee. 

26:05 - Is the subscription package a national service or would you make referrals to lawyers in a different state?

27:14 - A brief explanation of fractionalized in-house counsel, which does not only include business transactions. If Kerbis is unable to assist you with a family law or adoption matter, subscribers will be referred to other lawyers.

29:08 - On your website, subscriptionattorney.com mentions legal services for freelancers. Is there anything specific that you offer that a typical retainer agreement would not offer a freelancer?

32:29 - The Subscription Attorney provides access to legal services for small business owners and freelancers who would normally be priced out of the market for most legal services.

33:46 - A small business is defined as a business that makes less than two million dollars a year. The fact that you could earn big money and not have access to competent legal counsel is ridiculous. 

34:31 - Kerbis, is there anything else you want to share with the audience about why you attended law school or the practice of law?

35:51 - OUTRO: Thanks for listening to the episode and rate this podcast. 

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IMPORTANT LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Book a call with The Subscription Attorney LLC: https://subscriptionattorney.com/

Law Subscribed Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/law-subscribed/id1586707101

Chicago Bar Show: https://www.chicagobar.org/chicagobar/CBA/Programs/Bar_Show_Main_Page

American Bar Association: https://www.americanbar.org/membership/

Thinking Like A Lawyer Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/above-the-law-thinking-like-a-lawyer/id976331027

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LISTEN TO LEARN

• Why fractionalized in-house counsel is the future
• The importance of time-blocking your calendar
• Best tech tools for solo law practitioners
• Every attorney sending client information through email could be committing client malpractice
• Why legal services for freelancers is an important niche market

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WHAT WE DISCUSS

• Podcasting is a wonderful medium for lawyers because of the performance aspect of 
• How business owners can minimize surprises and control their time
• Lawyers (especially litigators) often enjoy the performance of law. 
• The differences between engagement fees and retainer agreements