Interview with Melody Kramer, Founder of Legal Greenhouse

Melody Kramer is a 15-year San Diego resident and a 20+ year veteran trial lawyer with a vision of creating fundamental change in the legal profession, changing the way lawyers learn their craft, run their law firms, and interact with their clients. Melody’s most recent professional accomplishment is the acquisition of her previous business, FreelanceLaw by Montage Legal Group in January 2015. The service and site, FreelanceLaw.com, was created to be a nationwide online resource to connect law firms with freelance legal professionals, supporting growth in the legal industry.

Hera Hub founder Felena Hanson was excited to profile Melody for her podcast “She Means Business,” an interview-style show featuring female entrepreneurs and their fascinating startup stories, uncovering their secrets to success and their advice for current and future entrepreneurs. Since FreelanceLaw’s recent acquisition, Melody continues to work on several projects. Her latest venture is as the founder of Legal Greenhouse, which offers innovative legal solutions to businesses, individuals, and lawyers.

Melody’s greatest missions is to work towards bettering the legal profession and the poor perceptions of lawyers. One aspect of the industry that she is strongly averse to is the concept of billable hours. According to Melody, “Billable hours are a vicious taskmaster encouraging lawyers to abandon life outside the office in the quest of squeezing the most hours and money out of the day. It discourages efficiency and has no correlation to ‘quality’ of the work product.” She is not alone in this sentiment. A New York Times article entitled The Tyranny of the Billable Hour expressed similar opinions, sharing that the system benefits neither the client nor the lawyer, yet nothing is being done to change the absurd  process: “A 2011 survey by ALM Legal Intelligence, an online data service, found that alternative fee arrangements accounted for only 16 percent of revenues at the nation’s largest law firms in 2010.”

In addition to starting her newest business, Melody is finishing her book “Why Lawyers Suck and What You Can Do About It,” slated for release in Spring 2015. The goal of her book is to remove the fear of working with lawyers and the negative connotations that coincide. It draws from her own experience and the experiences of non-lawyers in their dealings and navigations through the legal system, addressing needs and unveiling the enigma that is the law profession. Melody is very excited to continue serving the San Diego business community through all of her endeavors.

Click below to hear the full interview.

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Felena is a long-time entrepreneur and marketing maven.  Her latest venture, Hera Hub, is a spa-inspired shared workspace for female entrepreneurs. This as-needed, flexible work and meeting space provides a productive environment for women who primarily work from home.  Hera Hub members have access to a professionalspace to meet with clients and to connect and collaborate with like-minded business owners, thus giving them the support they need to be prosperous.  Cost-effective monthly membership options are suited for freelancers, independent consultants, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and authors.

Hera Hub is much more than just a shared workspace; it’s a community of like-minded entrepreneurial women who find the additional resources, such as special classes, workshops, and one-on-one support essential for their business growth. The first San Diego location is conveniently located in Sorrento Valley.  By the end of 2012 Hera Hub will have additional locations in Mission Valley & Carlsbad.

Felena is passionate about education, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of San Diego and her MBA from California State University Dominguez Hills.  She taught Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and at California State University Dominguez Hills for the MBA online program for eight years. Felena was most recently rewarded for community efforts, as she was awarded the “Women Business Owner of the Year Award” by the local chapter of the National Organization of Women Business Owners.