Business Dream Competition The Business Plan. JMJ Law Firm 1002 N Flores Street San Antonio TX Jacquelyn M Joaquin, Owner

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1 Connections Business Competition The Business Plan JMJ Law Firm 1002 N Flores Street San Antonio TX Jacquelyn M Joaquin, Owner On this date: (February 21, 2017)

2 Connections EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There is always a need for legal counseling and services, therefore JMJ Law Firm will be at the service of the people of San Antonio. Many people are not aware of the rights they have, therefore as a lawyer my duty is to serve as an advisor as well as an advocate for the people of San Antonio. JMJ Law Firm will ensure that every individual's constitutional rights are protected and every individual has the opportunity to seek the legal recourse that best suits their needs. The aim of the firm is not only to be a profitable business, but also be a center in which clients can feel reassured that they are receiving the best legal services necessary no matter the socioeconomic background. Every individual no matter their race, sex, gender, nationality, ethnic background or physical ability has rights under the law and JMJ Law Firm will take every feasible measure to protect the rights of individuals and represent them in legal matters. In the city of San Antonio there are certain licenses and certifications required to start a law firm. To begin, one must earn their Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in law, from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. Most law schools require that possible attendees have their bachelor s degree from an accredited college or university and a certain LSAT exam score (164 for Notre Dame University school of law) before applying. After being accepted into the school of law it will take three to four years to complete graduate school depending on the plan one is taking. Before one can practice the law one has to pass the bar exam and get their license according to their state. By law, lawyers must complete a certain number of hours (fifteen hours for the Texas state bar) of annual Continuing Legal Education (C.L.E.) seminars that takes place after their initial admission to the bar. C.L.E. credits consist of various topics: ethics, diversity training, elimination of bias, professional responsibility, basic skills, substance abuse, prevention of malpractice, and attorney-client disputes. In order to maintain their U.S. license to practice law, one must meet the number of credits that needs to be completed according to their state by the last day of your birth month. Jacquelyn Joaquin graduated from the Notre Dame University School of Law in 2025 and has over three years of training in the field of Law through a summer internship in Chicago, Illinois. Through the internship Jacquelyn was able to acquire the tools and skills needed to succeed in her post-graduate professional life. With Ms. Joaquin s exceptional experience within the Law field, her potential to build a loyal client base law firm that will be specialized in the way of giving back is anticipated within three months time.

3 Connections I. The Business A. Description of business B. Marketing C. Competition D. Operating procedures TABLE OF CONTENTS II. Financial Data A. Start-Up Costs Summary B. Capital equipment and supply list C. Business Material Checklist III. Performance A. Business Card Report IV. Commitment A. Commitment to Business

4 Connections I. The Business A. Description of Business i. A lawyer is a certified legal problem solver, who is licensed to give legal advice, represent others in litigation, and other legal proceedings. ii. JMJ Law Firm would be a center for legal services that serves people living in and around the San Antonio area. Located North Downtown, JMJ Law Firm is ethical, responsible, and honest. We will serve our clients with extended respect and will work on our client s cases diligently. Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Probates, and Wills JMJ offers legal services from family law, personal injury, civil litigation to real estate. JMJ Law Firm will view each client as unique with unique hardships which demand unique approaches/solutions. Our purpose would be to provide the San Antonio area with a trustworthy and approachable law firm that guarantees the best for you and your family. B. Marketing i. Since JMJ Law Firm will be a family and personal injury law firm for the entire family, there would be no definite age, gender, or ethnic group that this company would provide service to; however, the following image is a summary of who JMJ Law Firm expects to serve based on focusing advertisement in Southside San Antonio. The following pie charts demonstrates the people in that area are lowincome families, therefore JMJ Law Firm will make negotiations with clients over payment plans.

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6 Connections ii. iii. Every day people get married while others get divorced, so there will always be a need for an attorney to represent clients in divorce proceedings. Accidents also take place every day at work or on the road so there too will be a need for attorneys to represent injured clients. To address the socioeconomic disparity among clients, a percentage of the cases will be either pro bono or at a discounted rate. The marketing plans include advertising in television and internet platforms. The initial consultation will be advertised as free and some clients will receive a discount according to the source of the referral. Payment plan options will also be advertised as a way of allowing clients with limited budgets more options. In terms of cost for my services, my civil litigation fees are charged by the hour at the rate of $ Personal Injury fees are 33 1/3 percent when settled.

7 iv. Connections Our marketing strategy would be to serve clients respectfully and communicate with clients personally, so that they feel the need to bring any of their legal affairs they might have in the future with JMJ Law Firm. The client might also tell another of their experience with JMJ Law Firm and that would bring a new client. In other words, building our clientele begins with the word of mouth. v. From an advertisement as little as a business card to an advertisement in the San Antonio Express News, we hope to spread the word of our company. As an added bonus, we plan to have an Opening Month Offer, which will be that your first consultation is free. Because most firms charge a high fee for consultations, we feel that this offer would catch the attention of many. After making our first impression which is to be ethical, respectful, and honest. We believe after one consultation with JMJ Law Firm one will feel that they will be guaranteed the best, meaning that they will come back to hire me as their lawyer. Other means of advertisement includes: Newsletters of churches in the Southside community of San Antonio and several televised commercials during the hours of 10:30-11:30 pm for adults who watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC. With these particular approaches of advertisement, word about the business will spread and clients will surely come in. vi. Problems that I will be facing with my services are: helping mediate and resolve disputes (in Divorces and Child Custody/Support), and fight legally to get the extent compensation for my clients of personal injury. My duty as a lawyer will be to represent clients so that they can get a fair and just settlement.

8 C. Competition Connections i. JMJ Law Firm would be competing directly against notable law firms such as, Wayne Wright, Thomas J. Henry, Jeff Davis, and Jim Adler due their long history of credibility. My business would also be competing with local firms in the area (North Downtown). They would be: The Herrera Law Firm, Law Offices of Bell & White, and Beyer Law Firm. ii. iii. The services offered at JMJ differs greatly from that offered by the competition. First and foremost, as the attorney whose initials are the name of the business, you will see my face. Opposed to those well-known attorneys who do not work personally with their client, I will. I will be with my client from the start, until the case is closed. I feel that it is also necessary as the attorney to contact my client throughout the process of their case to update them. I would not always be the one personally updating clients due to casework, however I will have either my legal assistant or receptionist contact my client. With a large population of Spanish speaking individuals, there will be times that clients come in only speaking the Spanish language. This would be no problem at JMJ Law Firm due to the fact that I, the attorney speaks Spanish fluently, my employees too would have to be able to be bilingual in order to serve everyone. At JMJ not only are we about guaranteeing the best for our clients but for the people of San Antonio. My firm will start a fund that gives 3% of its earnings of each case won to the organization Habitat for Humanity. I will also have Service Day, which requires that me and my team (employees) dedicate 6 hours of our time to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity annually. As an active volunteer for the past three years, I first handedly seen the impact of how a home transforms a family s life. As a family firm, we support the families of San Antonio, because home is where family is. The following pie chart demonstrates why it is important for a business is San Antonio should be able to speak both Spanish and English.

9 Connections D. Operating Procedures i. Head Lawyer/Owner: Jacquelyn M. Joaquin 1. As the only lawyer at JMJ Law Firm, the duties of the Head Lawyer is to act as both an advocate and advisor. As an advocate I will represent one of the parties (defendant/plaintiff) in trial by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support my client. As advisor, I will counsel my clients about their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular courses of action in personal matters. 2. As owner of the business, the duties of Head Lawyer include: Evaluating the progression of the business, performing financial roles for the business (paying expenses), recording revenue, and continuously ensuring that my employees and myself, as attorney are working in an ethical, responsible, and honest manner. 3. Aside from these, other tasks that may be performed on a daily basis include: Opening and closing the business according to its business hours Meeting with clients, if necessary, at their homes, hospitals, or prisons. Conducting research Interviewing clients and witnesses and handling other details (preparing briefs during non-office hours) in preparation for trial Explain all facts to a client pertaining to their case, whether in writing or verbally in order for the client to understand crystal clear.

10 Connections Draw up legal documents such as: wills, deeds, contracts, lawsuits and appeals. Oversee the paralegal ii. Paralegal: Sara Ibarra 1. A paralegal is an individual who has knowledge and expertise regarding the legal system, they maintain and organize files, draft documents, and conduct legal research. 2. The paralegal works as the legal assistant to a lawyer. In simpler terms, the paralegal is the right hand man/woman to the lawyer. Without a legal assistant it would take much more time to get casework finished, therefore having a paralegal is surely beneficial. 3. A typical day in the life of a paralegal might include: Assisting the attorney during trial Preparing trial notes Preparing legal briefs Conduct client/witness interviews Obtain and review legal documents iii. Legal Receptionist: Rachel Rodriguez 1. As the first person a client would see when they visit JMJ Law Firm, the duty of the receptionist is to greet clients with a smile on their face and ask them eagerly as to what it is that we can help them with, pertaining to our services. 2. The duties that should be upheld by the legal receptionist at the firm is to: Answer phone calls and make phone calls Scheduling and routing clients Respond to mail and messages Answer visitor inquiries Maintaining the waiting area and conference room Offering refreshments to clients Scanning, photocopying, faxing/filing documents

11 Connections II. Financial Data A. Start-Up Costs Summary After determining all the initial start-up costs, JMJ Law Firm would require a loan of about $100,000-$200,000 to start. There will be a Personal Investment of $6,000 made by owner Jacquelyn M. Joaquin.

12 Connections A. Start-Up Costs Summary

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14 Connections A. Commitment to Business i. Despite what most twenty-five year olds would normally be doing like going out to the movies, going out to eat at Olive Garden, binge watching Netflix at two in the morning, or going shopping - I would be going to the courthouse, conducting research and preparing briefings at two in the morning, or simply going my law firm to clean. Although this may seem like a very stressful job, it would not be for me. It would be living out my passion, which is helping people. Once I lay in bed after a long day filled with writing, reading, consulting, etc. I would be able to go to sleep knowing that my work will bring peace, tranquility and justice to my client and their family. ii. I realized throughout composing my business plan that all businesses must take risks in order to succeed. As the owner of this business, I am willing to take any necessary actions in order to make the business successful. Although it is always best to have a back-up plan in case something going wrong in the course of action of my business, I truly don t see that happening at JMJ Law Firm. The reason being, my firm will run by design, not by default. Running by design through purpose, dreams, actions, consistency, and by plan. Opposed to running by default where my business would be no more than average. I will set a goal for my business to achieve every so year for the purpose of becoming more successful. iii. In the event that my business may begin falling behind in its initial revenue expectancies I will do anything in my power to revive the business (working longer hours, letting go of my paralegal with the intention of giving back their job as soon as the business picks up again, and giving myself no paycheck to pay for the expenses necessary to keep JMJ Law Firm in business). In the event in which my firm were to be going through rough times, I would dig into my savings account to take out all the money I have saved from being a former prosecutor for the state of Texas for two years, I will use my savings towards maintaining my business.

15 Connections On a personal note: My purpose in life is to be an asset to society. I want to help others anyway I can. With the power of the education that I would receive in law, I will use my knowledge for the greater good of the people who seek help, whether that be legal advice or services. I will see my work as rewarding. Having a client walk out with a smile on their face because they got the justice that they needed would bring a smile to my face. At the very young age of ten I was introduced to the legal system due to my parents having to hire an attorney to sue a plastic surgeon for malpractice. Although, my parents did not win their case, the attorney they hired made sure to do as much possible to meet the wishes my mom had wanted. She wanted to get the surgeon to hear what he did wrong by bringing him to court (which normally does not happen with well-known surgeons). In 2013 my family needed legal help again, when we went through a very difficult situation where my dad was set-up for bribery. Due to the extreme unexpectedness for this event to happen my mom had to hire an attorney right away. However, the one she hired ended up being a fraud. This attorney asked for a large amount of money upfront, and my parents had no choice but to pay it. Unfortunately, because the attorney was not working diligently on my dad s case my mom hired another attorney therefore firing the other. On the contract my mom signed with her previous attorney it stated that if needs are not met by three months then a full refund will be given back to the client, however that did not matter to the attorney. The attorney refused to give my parents money back simply because he did not want to. This was my first encounter as to how some lawyers overuse their power of the law, and work for selfish reasons. After going through these events it caught my interest on how the legal system works. As of my freshman year to as right now my junior year I have chosen the law endorsement track at my high school. With the classes of principles of law, law enforcement 1, law enforcement 2, courts and corrections and also interning at the Law Offices of David A. Ayon, I hope that these things that I am learning will serve greatly to help me to pursue my goal of becoming a lawyer. Another one of my goals is to follow through with this business plan once I graduate law school and have gained experience working as a lawyer and open my own firm. Hopefully, one day I will be sitting down at my desk in my law firm looking back at this business plan and smiling telling myself that grit brought me here.

16 Connections The following is a list of promises that I pledge to do for the single objective that is the success of JMJ Law Firm: 1. I promise to treat my employees fairly, and generously. I want my employee s to feel comfortable with sharing their issues with me, and hopefully we can find solutions to any and every one of these issues. 2. I will spend revenue on only necessities that are needed to keep the business running efficiently and so that it may grow. 3. Success is a result by the work contributed by everyone who works for JMJ Law Firm. Therefore, I will hold meetings once every two-week period to have followups to see where we are on a case to make sure we are on track and we are on the same terms. Because myself the lawyer and attorney and my employees work as a team in order to succeed. 4. I will put my business before anything else. No distractions, simply dedicating all my time and effort to my case work. Whether it is staying at the firm after opening hours to conduct research, prepare briefings, or completing any other paperwork. JMJ Law Firm: Guaranteeing the best for you and your family through justice