Lawyer and Harley Davidson enthusiast, Steven A. Miner II is the principal partner at the Miner Law Firm. Based in Barrington, Illinois, Steven practices in five counties and is licensed to practice in the Federal Court in the Northern District of Illinois. Steven always knew he wanted to be a lawyer and grew up going with his father to the courtroom.
Steven’s path to law school started as a young child. Steven accompanied his father to court and learned the basic fundamental skills that take some attorneys their entire career to develop. Once he graduated high school, Steven attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy. Steven then buckled down and studied for the LSAT, worked for his father and then attended John Marshall Law School where he graduated and received his Juris Doctor.
After law school, Steven was able to take what he learned from his father and open his own practice. Steven offers his clients a wide variety of legal services including but not limited to, family matters, adoption, landlord/tenant cases, felonies and misdemeanors, traffic offenses, residential and commercial real estate transactions, probate, business and contract law, and many more.
Steven A. Miner II has always been someone who is willing to do the right thing and happy to defend and advocate for something he believes in. Steven prides himself in standing up for anyone who is in need of legal services and wants to do what is right, even when no one else is willing to do so.
When Steven isn’t in the courtroom, you can find him riding his motorcycle. Steven finds riding relaxing and meditative. It allows him to refocus and be ready for court the next day! For more information, please visit Steven on Twitter!
Our Interview With Steven A. Miner II:
What’s the most important thing we should know about you?
Steven A. Miner II: The most important thing to know about me is that I treat representing my clients very seriously. The problems or challenges my clients face do not merely stop existing at the close of business each day. Their problems or difficulties continue to exist until a solution is devised. I pride myself on making sure that each client knows that I understand that and that I am there for them when they need me.
Name the most impactful lesson you learned from failure.
Steven A. Miner II: Never quit and keep going forward. You have to dig deep within yourself and find a reason to keep pushing yourself to achieve that goal.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Steven A. Miner II: I would say becoming an attorney. It has allowed me to meet a lot of wonderful people and hopefully make a difference in the lives of many.
What did you waste the most time on when you were first starting your career?
Steven A. Miner II: I wouldn’t say that I “wasted” time, but I definitely spent an abundant amount of time preparing and re-preparing for what are seemingly simple things now. I would mentally rehearse what I wanted to say in Court on something like a simple status matter. I think that I did so out of fear of saying the wrong thing or sounding unintelligent as a new attorney at the time.
Name a tool you use for work that you can’t live without.
Steven A. Miner II: Unfortunately, my phone. I am on it all the time.
What is your favorite hobby and why?
Steven A. Miner II: Riding my motorcycle both with my wife and sometimes by myself. The best aspect of riding for me is that I put my phone in a bag and do not look at it. Riding allows me to escape work for a while and enjoy the moment.
What excites you the most about your industry right now?
Steven A. Miner II: I would say the overall evolution of the law itself. Fortunately, the law is adapting to the progression of society in some regards, and I would contend that the progression enables easier resolution of cases where antiquated legal concepts that were relevant many years ago, may not apply to the current societal norms.
What concerns you most about your industry right now?
Steven A. Miner II: The influx of the internet and websites like LegalZoom are starting to create more problems than necessary (in my opinion).
What’s the greatest risk you’ve ever taken?
Steven A. Miner II: I am not a risk-taker per se. Anyone that knows me well would say that I always “do my homework” and investigate a decision before I make it.
Name one small habit that positively impacts your productivity.
Steven A. Miner II: eBay. I generally go on it at least three or four times per day, sometimes to even browse. I typically have zero intention of purchasing anything that I look at (usually nice cars), but it is nice to look (and dream).
What tips do you have for getting a seat at the table?
Steven A. Miner II: Work hard and put in the time, it will pay off.
What book has made the biggest impact on your life?
Steven A. Miner II: Two books have had an impact on my life. The first is Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell and the second is The Operator by Rob O’Neill. Both books discuss the mental fortitude needed to complete a seemingly impossible challenge. According to Luttrell and O’Neill, no matter how difficult something may seem, if you just do not quit, you will make it.
Do you value intelligence or common sense more? Why?
Steven A. Miner II: Both are equally important. Someone who is book smart but has no common sense cannot work through a problem because they may only see the world within strict parameters. However, someone who is street smart but lacks intelligence may not be able to see the subsequent pitfalls of a decision. The intelligent person should be able to recognize what they have been taught. Both intelligence and common sense intricately work together.
What would you consider to be the perfect day?
Steven A. Miner II: A motorcycle trip with my wife to nowhere particular and no phone service. I simply enjoy being in the moment.
What Law School Doesn’t Teach You: Helpful Thoughts About Building Your Clientele Basis
Lawyer and Harley Davidson enthusiast, Steven A. Miner II is the principal partner at the Miner Law Firm. Based in Barrington, Illinois, Steven practices in five counties and is licensed to practice in the Federal Court in the Northern District of Illinois. Steven always knew he wanted to be a lawyer and grew up going with his father to the courtroom.
Steven’s path to law school started as a young child. Steven accompanied his father to court and learned the basic fundamental skills that take some attorneys their entire career to develop. Once he graduated high school, Steven attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy. Steven then buckled down and studied for the LSAT, worked for his father and then attended John Marshall Law School where he graduated and received his Juris Doctor.
After law school, Steven was able to take what he learned from his father and open his own practice. Steven offers his clients a wide variety of legal services including but not limited to, family matters, adoption, landlord/tenant cases, felonies and misdemeanors, traffic offenses, residential and commercial real estate transactions, probate, business and contract law, and many more.
Steven A. Miner II has always been someone who is willing to do the right thing and happy to defend and advocate for something he believes in. Steven prides himself in standing up for anyone who is in need of legal services and wants to do what is right, even when no one else is willing to do so.
When Steven isn’t in the courtroom, you can find him riding his motorcycle. Steven finds riding relaxing and meditative. It allows him to refocus and be ready for court the next day! For more information, please visit Steven on Twitter!
Graduating from law school and passing the bar exam in the state(s) wherein you plan on practicing is a tremendous feeling. You have spent countless hours studying, reading cases, preparing for mock arguments, enduring final exams, and then prepared for the bar exam and now you have passed and are ready to commence the actual practice of law. However, there is an abundance of learning that you have to do because there are many practical implications of the practice of law that are simply not taught in law school. Those that have had the benefit of a family member, employer, or mentor who is an attorney may have shed some light on these points; however, below is just one of the practical tips about building your clientele basis. Every newly admitted attorney can benefit from this tip and will be able to expand your abilities as an attorney.
Despite what some may say; referrals are (at least in my practice) based on word of mouth and positive experiences that other clients share with their friends, family, and coworkers about the work that I have done for them. There is no denying that new prospective clients read the Google reviews that people may have posted for you or the reviews that former clients may have posted on your website or social media pages(s). Most phone calls that I receive begin with “________ person gave me your number and we are co-workers, friends, family, etc.”
There is no denying that it takes time to build your client basis and the only way to do that is to perform at the best of your abilities and do the best that you can for your clients. However, what do you do if the referral basis from your clients is not enough? You may have clients with friends and family that do not have legal problems that need to be addressed (which is great for them but not so great for you because you are trying to make a living). Thus, the question becomes, “how do you bring more people to your practice?” There are a couple of different avenues that you can consider when approaching this question and below are some thoughts to consider on the matter.
You Can Retain the Services of a Referral Network
I have colleagues that have engaged in these online “leads based” systems wherein you effectively pay for a company to provide you with leads that are potential clients that are looking for legal services in the areas in which you practice. I would contend that it is similar to a match-making forum wherein the company that sources the leads is trying to pair prospective clients with lawyers that practice in the areas wherein the client is facing a legal challenge. Personally speaking, I have never utilized these services; however, as I stated, colleagues of mine have used them and the results vary.
Attending Bar Association Meetings and Networking with other Attorneys.
I am in no way against bar association functions, I attend them when I can but seldom do these functions result in your broadening your client base. The problem (in my opinion) with these functions is that the group is predominantly populated with attorneys. You need to actually engage with people that are facing legal issues and being in a room with a bunch of legal problem solvers, albeit a good thing and you will likely gain insight or make a new contact with another attorney with whom you can refer cases; these types of functions do not necessarily result in you personally broadening your practice.
Engage in Community Functions
Personally speaking, I find engaging in events in my local community to be incredibly helpful. I have done something as simple as volunteering and in the midst of doing so, I have often engaged in conversation with other volunteers about work, family, and the like and someone inherently asks, “I have a friend/family member who is facing _______ and what do you think about it?’ or “Do you have a business card on you, so that I or they can call you to discuss the problem?” I have found that events such as these have been a solid building block to the expansion of my practice because rather than engaging in conversation with a group of attorneys at a bar association function, you are actually engaging with people and their real problems while providing a benefit to the community. You also have the positive aspect of whoever you are speaking with will likely go back and tell their family member or friend who has the problem that they met a respectful and polite attorney while at whatever community function you were at, which shows that you have compassion for other aspects of society, other than making an income. I have had multiple previous clients come to me and say that they were impressed with the fact that I was volunteering my time when we initially met, because volunteering was important to them. Clients generally feel more comfortable knowing that you share a similar set of values and ideals. Interacting with people and actually engaging in a conversation with them often pays dividends.
Being out in Public at Similar Places and Having People get to Know you
When I first became an attorney, a dear friend of mine and I would meet every Saturday night at a local bar/restaurant for dinner, catch up on our respective week, and watch whatever sports game was on depending on the season. It was not uncommon back then for other patrons and some of the staff to overhear our conversations about my discussing an argument that I had won or lost and my frustration or elation with the events that occurred. Shortly thereafter, some of the employees would come up to me while me and my friend were catching up and ask me a legal question or if I could represent them on a traffic ticket that they (or someone they know) received during the week. Apparently, word traveled quickly about how I treated my clients and the results that I was able to obtain for some of them. It was not uncommon that when me and my friend came into this particular restaurant on Saturday that other staff members or patrons would have legal questions or need my representation for something that they had gotten themselves into during the week (before we would have an opportunity to sit down).
Everyone knew that they could trust me and that I would fight as hard as I could to solve whatever problem that they were facing. I would contend that this type of client referral (word of mouth) and my emphasis at the outset of this series on the importance of establishing your reputation is what brought me those clients and helped me build the practice that I had for the first year plus that I was an attorney. Calling an attorney “cold” and without knowing anything about the attorney can be a daunting experience for a client. However, calling an attorney that people have heard about who is compassionate, caring, and diligent; especially when such praise comes from a previous client; such will payoff dividends in the end for you. However, you have to remember that it takes time. Having people seeking my representation before I walked in the door to this particular restaurant did not occur overnight. It was several months before there was a somewhat consistent stream of new clients requesting my assistance. However, (in my opinion) if you show compassion, listen to people, and demonstrate a genuine sense of caring for others; those traits will take your practice to a whole new level and expand your client base. I can honestly say that exhibiting those qualities has enabled me to expand my practice to a level that I could not have expected.
“The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinions of the author and are by no means to be referenced in any pleading, document, or to be used for republication in any platform whatsoever.”
