Play Left Fullback: How Challenging the Status Quo Will Help America’s Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Build Better Practices, Be Heroes to their Families, and Restore America’s Trust in Lawyers

by Ben Glass

Life is about exercising choices! So, you read recently that many lawyers are depressed and unhappy about their profession. Pick up almost any bar journal and you will read about how “leadership” is putting together more educational programs, so you can learn how to be happier in your chosen profession. I’ve got news for you. There are a ton of us out there who have fun, make money, and enjoy being lawyers all without screwing up our personal lives. You should read this book if - Are the owner of a small law firm and don’t have any hang-ups about talking about your law firm in terms of enhancing profits. - Like strategizing about how to build a real business that brings you joy and happiness. - Are okay with only choosing clients you actually like working with. - Believe that building a workforce that looks forward to Monday morning sounds like something you’d like to do. Don’t waste your time on this book if - Think that being the best lawyer in town entitles you to anything. - Believe that the path to prosperity in the legal field is “do good work and they will come.” - Are resolutely against viewing your law firm as a profit-making machine. - Think that any one book will turn your life around in a week or so. The choice is yours.

256 pages, Hardcover

Published March 24, 2020

Reviews

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chalk it up to naivete, but I am still really surprised by the amount of woosah guru-ism that proliferates the lawyer "education" industry. I guess I assumed that our professional education and training would shield us from exposure to the same old tropes and ploys that have made the self-help section of the bookstore completely useless. And yet, here we are.

Out of the 256 pages that make up Play Left Fullback, I'd say maybe 20 -- and I'm being generous -- have relevant, informative, and maybe even borderline-inspiring content. The rest are mostly just weird efforts to humanize himself ("I adopt kids! I ref soccer!") followed by unadulterated shilling for his lawyer marketing program (which has a very confusing website -- he sells a ton of generic "learn to market" products for thousands of dollars, but also offers a "membership" that appears to cost about $300 up front with a monthly fee of about $200). Push come to shove, it is clear that this book is just another weapon in his Direct Response Marketing arsenal, except you actually have to pay for this one instead of getting it free in exchange for your email address (although there are plenty of opportunities to get "free" advertising material peppered throughout the book).

It's just disappointing for a solo or small-firm attorney looking for genuinely helpful material. This isn't the book. You'd be better off watching a Youtube clip of Tony Robbins and setting $20 on fire.

[Carol A Cadiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Play Left Fullback goes far beyond "here is how to grow a law firm and get clients". What many books on the subject fail to get right is the mindset. Author and practicing attorney Ben Glass "gets it" and delivers a series of brilliant messages in his latest book. The book is heavy on the autobiographical side and is very engaging- my deepest respects to the author. Mr. Glass explains his philosophies which in turn, have helped him to grow successful businesses. With his gifts, he teaches others how to grow their firms AND to how to live their best lives. There are many lessons to be learned from this book. I highly recommend this book to any small business owner (not just lawyers). Pick up one for yourself and one for a friend, you'll be glad you did.