Special

If you are involved in an accident in New York, you have a lot of choices to make, from the type of medical treatment you are going to receive, to the type of personal injury firm you are going to choose to represent you if you choose to make a claim for your injuries. Read more

This interview was conducted on Twitter by 22 Tweets on July 16, 2009.Read more

1. @JeenaBelil, thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @JeenaBelil?
   Former insurance co. managing counsel - downsized in ’07. Now, solo home-based litigator. I haven’t looked back.
   -
2. Tell us about your law practice.
   40% Personal Injury, 50% Insurance Coverage Litigation, 10% Other Disputes
   -
3. What type of clients do you represent?
   NYers who have been injured through the negligence of others & heath care providers who are denied No-Fault payments for services.
   -
4. What is the single most important legal issue affecting those clients?
   The complexity and instability of New York No Fault Law and Serious Injury Threshold. New court decisions come out daily
   -
5. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
   That no outcome is guaranteed and that settling a matter is not the same as losing the case.
   -
6. Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
   At my former gig, I had my name on more than 10,000 active cases in NYC & Long Island.
   -
7. Wow - significant indeed! Why do your clients hire you?
   Clients have said that they like my personal approach & that I break down the litigation process for them into bite-sized pieces.
   -
8. What’s the most active area of your practice at the current time? Is that typical?
   I’m knee-deep in bill of particulars & discovery responses. Want to help? Very typical. I’m creating the blueprints for trial
   -
9. You’ve been on both sides of the personal injury case, having worked in-house w/2 insurers. Isn’t that contradictory?
   No. It’s like an ADA going into criminal defense after a few yrs. I’m comfortable arguing either side of an insurance issue.
   -
10. What’s the *real* value of your in-house experience for your clients today?
    I offer an inside perspective on insurance claim handling, decision-making and defense to my clients….a look under the hood.
    -
11. I image that’s a very valuable perspective. How do you market your practice?
    I use high and low tech. Today, I struck up a conversation with a person in the post office who owns laundromats….
    He offered to put my cards on his bulletin boards, networking with other small biz owners, and, of course, Web 2.0.
    -
12. Besides Twitter and your blog (http://bit.ly/mTOCL), what other Web 2.0 tools do you use?
    3 FB pages, LinkedIn, JD Supra, list serves, e-zine, guest blogs, AVVO. Also, I’ll be on future episode of www.bearockstar.tv
    -
13. THREE FB pages? Hmm. What are the strategic objectives driving your Web 2.0 activity? Are you meeting them?
    Concurrently create interest in my legal services & give a peek at my personality. Folks will know me before they may need me. Yes.
    -
14. Makes perfect sense. What specific impact on referrals / client engagements have you seen from your Web 2.0 activities?
    About 50% of my clients come directly from my Web 2.0 marketing efforts.
    -
15. That’s very impressive. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
    I consider it my 2nd job & I weave it through my work day. I’m either learning something new or applying it
    -
16. Clearly that effort is paying off. What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
    In my line of work, it is the staggering amount of time lawyers spend in court waiting around.
    -
17. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
    We are going retro & techno at same time: > solos & home offices. My wish: Video-conference cases w/ judges, web-based depositions.
    -
18. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    I’d be doing stand-up comedy and starving. : )
    -
19. Good thing you went to law school, then…. How do you want to be remembered?
    As one of my daughter’s role models.
    -
20. What do you do when you’re not working?
    Adoption education and awareness, having lots of fun with my kid, getting psyched for kid number 2. Oh yeah…dinner & laundry!
    -
21. What advice would you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
    Stop saying “I can’t….”
    -
22. And our last question: What advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    Take as many clinics as you can. You will get practical experience & you will help those in need…
    and during your career, don’t forget to say “please” & “thank you”

Now you can look my attorney profile up on AVVO.com, which is an online attorney directory.  Not only do you get information on your attorney, but you get to view legal guides that I have published and my answers to posted questions. Read more

In addition to Personal Injury and NY No-Fault, I have provided legal services in the following areas:Read more