We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dw Duke a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

DW, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being a business owner force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Owning a law firm has both advantages and disadvantages. I spent much of my career in a large Los Angeles law firm. The benefit to a large law firm is the wide range of resources from which to draw. For example, it was easy for a large firm to calendar events because they always had someone available to cover the hearing. Another benefit, of a larger firm, is that there are many associates and partners to draw on for ideas. There is often greater freedom to take on expensive cases because the firm may have more resources to cover the costs.

There are also disadvantages to working in a large law firm. For example, business decisions are a joint effort, making it difficult to accomplish anything. A person needs to constantly take into consideration other viewpoints in the firm which can delay or even cause missed opportunities. Owning one’s own firm, without the necessity to constantly deal with partners, is very attractive as is the ability to set your own schedule and to come and go as you please.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My work as an attorney pursued a relatively normal route. When I was in college I played in a rock band. While I enjoyed that career, I always knew that when I finished college I would enroll in law school and would not be pursuing music. After I finished law school I played in several bands but not as vigorously as in college. Upon passing the bar I joined a large firm in Los Angeles where I practiced in professional liability defense. Eventually, I left with one of the firm’s partners and we formed a firm in San Diego. We dissolved that firm and I opened the Law Office of DW Duke. I had several partners over three decades but have generally preferred being the sole owner of my firm.

I have a second career, which is writing. I write biographical novels, books for high school students, and law books. I began writing when I was in grade school. I found it an interesting way of communicating over time and distance. I discovered that writing allowed me to reach a large number of people with a message or idea. Initially, I wrote law books but soon learned that no one reads law books except for lawyers and judges. In order to reach a much greater reading audience, I began writing novels. My novels always have a message of history or morality.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe the most significant factor in building my reputation was doing a great job for the client and helping the client realize his or her objectives in a meaningful way without incurring an unreasonable expense. Also, my activities as a writer and a motion picture producer have enhanced my reputation. In time, I began receiving referrals from the California State Bar and a certified referral company. This provides more than enough to keep me busy in my law practice.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Maintaining and teaching the staff to have a spirit of empathy is the most important element in a successful practice. If you represent your clients because you truly care about their well-being, you are in a much better position to help them. If you learn this simple truth the clients will naturally come to you because they know they will get a good service from someone who cares about them.

Contact Info:

• Other: www.holocaustfighter.com

  www.thedukelegacy.com

Image Credits

Michael Elderman