Your success as a small law firm is just as dependent on your skills as a litigator as it is on your ability to successfully manage your small business. It’s time to change your mindset from being an attorney to an entrepreneur.
Learn how to build the business systems to set your practice up for sustainable success. This brand new eCourse helps you organize your priorities, establishing goals and creating an achievable action plan.
The eCourse includes:
• Live course instruction (all sessions will be recorded for future viewing)
• Bi-weekly mastermind sessions (will not be recorded and will include course registrants and instructors)
• Instructional materials, including videos, handouts and readings
One-on-one coaching sessions are available for an additional fee. The coaching package includes five 30-minute coaching sessions with an experienced practitioner. Please note that there are a limited number of coaching spots available. Coaching spots will be filled on a first come first served basis.
What You Will Learn
• How to align your finances to achieve your firm goals
• How to define your target audience for marketing efforts
• How to create a sales system
• How to create an intake system
• How to optimize your office workflows and integrate AI solutions
Course Agenda
Week of January 13th The Cases: Selecting Winners
Learn how to identify the types of cases you want to accept and determine which cases to decline.
Instructor: Christina Roseman and Ron Burdge
Date: January 13 at 2 pm ET
Week of January 20th Mastermind Session on Case Selection
Date: January 22 at 2pm
Week of January 27th Marketing 101: Who Are Your Clients?
Determine who you want your client(s) to be and create a communications and marketing plan to reach these clients that conveys how you could assist them.
Instructor: Russell Dombrow
Date: January 28th, 2025 1pm ET
Week of February 3rd Mastermind Session
Moderator: Russell Dombrow
Date: February 4 at 1pm ET
Week of February 10th Sales: Turning Interest into Intake
Learn how to develop a pitch system that will turn prospectives into clients.
Instructor: Michael Cardoza
Date: February 12 at 2pm ET.
Week of February 17th Mastermind Session
Moderator: Michael Cardoza
Date: February 19 at 2pm ET
Week of February 24th Optimizing Your Intake System
Learn how to optimize your intake system once you have your ideal client and a case you want to take.
Instructors: Christine Anderson Ferraris and Melissa Huelsman
Date: February 26 at 2pm ET
Week of March 3rd Mastermind Session
Date: March 5th at 1pm ET
Week of March 10th Workflow Optimization 101
Learn how to create systems to serve your clients with top-notch representation without burning out yourself and your team.
Instructors: Samuel Albert and Dave Maxfield
Date: TBD
Week of March 17th Mastermind Session
Date TBD
Week of March 24th: Spring Break
Week of March 31st Using AI to Increase Optimization
Learn how to identify specific areas where AI can add value (e.g., document review, legal research, client communication.
Instructors: Sarah Ritchie and Subhan Tariq
Date: April 1st at 2pm ET
Week of April 7th Mastermind Session
Date: April 8th at 1 pm ET
Week of April 14th Using Financial Metrics to Drive Your Goals
Discuss what finances you need to make your vision a reality.
Instructors: Suzanne Iazetta and Matthew Vocci
Date: April 16th at 2pm ET
Week of April 21st Mastermind Session& Wrap-Up
Moderator:
Date: April 22 at 1pm ET
Course Instructors
Known nationwide as a leading Lemon Law attorney, Ronald L. Burdge has represented thousands of consumers in “lemon” vehicle lawsuits and actively co-counsels and coaches other consumer law attorneys on how to win their cases.
Michael F. “Mike” Cardoza is a California Consumer Financial Protection Attorney who helps people regain control of their financial lives by getting the upper hand on creditors, debt collectors and credit reporting agencies. Trained as a trial attorney in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mike Cardoza has tried countless cases in federal and state courtrooms. Mike founded The Cardoza Law Corporation in order to share the truth about consumer credit and finance with clients and to be their “partner in prosperity.”
Russell Dombrow is an attorney and the owner of the Dombrow Law Firm in Syracuse, New York. He focuses his practice on dealer fraud, debt collection defense, foreclosure defense, and credit reporting issues throughout New York State and in federal court. Russell is also a 2022 graduate of Joshua Cohen’s Student Loan Law Workshop. He graduated from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2006. Russell has been a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates since 2018. He has won multiple awards from the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Central New York Volunteer Lawyers Project for his role in presenting Continuing Legal Education programs and pro bono legal services.
For over eighteen years, founder Christine A. Ferraris has worked relentlessly in the legal arena to help those hurt by fraud. As a business owner herself for most of those eighteen years, she understands the challenges small-business owners face.
Melissa A. Huelsman is the principal of Law Offices of Melissa A. Huelsman, P.S. Her practice involves plaintiffs’ civil litigation in the areas of predatory lending and mortgage loan servicing, foreclosure defense, fraud, and foreclosure rescue scams. Ms. Huelsman is a founder and vice chair of the board of directors, Northwest Consumer Law Center, a nonprofit dedicated to the representation of consumers on financial issues and she sits on the board of CENTS, financial literacy nonprofit. She was named King County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in 2006 and was previously recognized by VLS as one of its Volunteers of the Year. She has been interviewed by foreign and domestic journalists regarding predatory lending, mortgage loan servicing, foreclosure rescue scams, and wrongful foreclosures, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and others. Ms. Huelsman received her B.A. in English from California State University at Fullerton in 1993 and her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles in 1997.
Suzanne Iazzetta is the Directing Attorney for the Consumer Law Unit. Suzanne is also an adjunct law professor at University of California at Irvine, teaching a course/clinic in Consumer Law. Suzanne has been practicing since 2005, and is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and California. She previously clerked for Judge Katharine S. Hayden of the United States District Court, District of New Jersey, and practiced civil litigation and bankruptcy at Lowenstein Sandler PC in New Jersey for many years. While at Lowenstein Sandler, Suzanne was granted a fellowship to work at Legal Services of New Jersey at the Newark, NJ office, which re-sparked her interest in working in Public Interest. While at LSNJ, Suzanne worked in the housing unit, assisting low-income clients obtain section 8 vouchers and defending voucher holders against HUD’s attempts to terminate the vouchers. Some of the areas of law that Suzanne has worked on in her career are consumer law, bankruptcy (business and personal), housing/eviction matters, foreclosure defense, FDCPA, FCRA, TCPA, and UDAAP claims, and debt collection defense. Suzanne also was a staff attorney for a chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee in New Jersey, and has had her own solo practice since 2012.
Dave Maxfield runs a boutique consumer protection practice in Columbia, South Carolina. He has represented thousands of individual consumers in cases against banks, credit reporting agencies, and insurance companies, obtaining a verdict of over $480,000 in a furnisher credit reporting case exclusive of fees, numerous six-figure settlements, and in 2019 concluded a vehicle churning class action with total settlement value exceeding $21 million. A self-described “Systems Geek,” Dave became obsessed years ago with how law firms might use Lean methods and technologies pioneered by the manufacturing world to run more profitable practices. In 2018, with co-author Larry Port, Dave wrote the ABA top-selling book, The Lean Law Firm, a manual for translating lean and agile methods into a simple, month-by-month template that law firms can use to become more profitable. Besides co-hosing The Lean Law Firm podcast, Dave consults with other law firms to help them transform their practices through Lean methods. As an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, Dave teaches both Consumer Protection Law and “The Lean Law Firm Lab” classes.
Sarah Ritchie serves as the Paralegal and Office Manager of John Steinkamp & Associates, bringing over a decade of experience, particularly in lawsuits under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). As the firm’s national footprint has expanded, Sarah has taken on a liaison role, coordinating with law firms and clients across the country, bridging complex legal communication with a tech savvy approach. An innovator in legal technology, she recently spoke at the Consumer Rights and Litigation Conference on the ethics of AI tools in litigation. Sarah combines her extensive legal expertise with cutting-edge technological solutions, helping her team navigate the evolving landscape of legal practice.
Subhan Tariq regularly handles complex commercial litigation, with particular experience in consumer finance litigation in individual and class action cases in the areas of federal and state consumer protection laws. Mr. Tariq has successfully helped thousands of consumers exercise their consumer rights against large institutional banks, debt collectors, and consumer reporting agencies. Subhan also consults with other lawyers and law firms on blockchain automation, working towards a streamlined efficient network of client files, document automation, and cost-effective workflows.
Matt Vocci is a partner at Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC. The majority of his work relates in some way to housing. He represents tenants against landlords and property managers on a variety of cases, such as consumer protection and consumer debt collection issues, habitability, Fair Housing Act violations, illegal evictions, and personal injuries. Matt has served as class counsel on several class actions, including a recent case that resolved favorably for tenants against a large, out-of-state property management company. He is a member of the MSBA’s Delivery of Legal Services Committee Council and the ACLU of Maryland Committee on Litigation and Legal Priorities. Matt deeply believes in Santoni, Vocci & Ortega’s mission to provide high-quality legal representation to low-income Marylanders. He graduated cum laude from Temple University, Beasley School of Law in 2006.
Coaches
Raina Bayas’s 18 years of legal experience have prepared her to handle all aspects of my client’s cases. She started my legal career in Los Angeles in 2006 where she worked defending an airbag and seatbelt manufacturer against product liability lawsuits. She knows the legal game these large manufacturers play because she used to play the same game. This behind-the-scenes knowledge informs her legal strategy when dealing with the manufacturer’s attorneys. She’s also an experienced trial attorney, having prosecuted criminal cases for half a decade. Many attorneys, even litigators, spend very little time in a courtroom. For five years, she lived in the courtroom, trying significant cases with serious consequences. She knows how to win a trial. She works to provide her clients with quality legal representation, which includes telling potential clients that pursuing a case might not be in their best interest, even if that means not hiring her. She believes that an altruistic purpose can exist in the same firm with an attorney’s drive to make a living, and both interests can exist to provide clients with the outcome they desire while supporting a firm’s ability to support its staff.
Founded on the principle of ensuring fair treatment for all under the law, Cliff Carlson brings years of experience in consumer protection to the forefront. Our firm’s foundation is built upon our deep knowledge of state and federal laws designed to protect consumers. Through dedication and a career-long commitment, Cliff Carlson has been an advocate for individuals facing unjust practices by debt collectors, inaccurate credit reporting, and auto fraud. Our expertise is rooted in integrity, advocacy, and a profound understanding of consumer rights.
Russell Dombrow
Christine Anderson Ferraris
Christina Gill Roseman
Melissa Huelsman
Subhan Tariq
Matthew Vocci
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NACA would also like to thank the following members of the eCourse Development team: Ron Burdge, Michael Cardoza, Ian Chowdury, Russell Dombrow, Christine Anderson Ferraris, Melissa Huelsman, Suzanne Iazetta, Sarah Ritchie and Joseph Sternberg.
January 13, 2025
1:00 pm EST-April 22, 2025
2:00 pm EDT
Cost
Private Members: $299
Legal Aid/Public Interest/Military/Law Student Members: $200
