Launching Lawdragon Means Work Around the Clock

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Katrina Dewey


Chief Executive and Publisher

Lawdragon Inc.


Background:

Former editor of the Los Angeles Daily Journal


Biggest Challenge:

“Now that we’ve created the business the challenge for the year is how far, how fast and how good can we be.”


Education:

B.S., Illinois State


University;

J.D., University of Chicago



The Business Journal occasionally checks in with Los Angeles executives and asks them to describe their day. This week Katrina Dewey of Lawdragon Inc. describes her routine:


I have very few typical days. I went from my job as the editor of the Daily Journal, an L.A. daily legal newspaper where there were daily deadlines and a set routine, to running Lawdragon, which is an online media company covering the legal profession where every day is completely new.


We provide listings and evaluations for free to those searching for information about lawyers and we charge a nominal amount to attorneys for listings. We write stories about lawyers from Maine to Alaska so I exist in all those time zones. Three of our employees and one of my partners, Robin Davidson, are based in New York. Since she and I established this business two years ago we cover all 24 hours with her on the East Coast and me on the West.


I get up around 5 in the morning. Even before coffee I check in with Robin. I spend the first hour of my day e-mailing with Robin, clients and people we cover on the East Coast. I’m putting out the early fires and being responsive to those interested in Lawdragon.


We moved our office downtown in December 2005. I walk to work around 7. It’s a little unusual but it’s great and takes about 15 minutes.


We also have a print magazine. First it was a quarterly and this year it’ll be published every other month. Many days I’m editing stories for the magazine or going over the research on the lists of best lawyers and judges.


Other days I’m more involved with the marketing and strategic direction of the company, from conference calling with my partners or getting advice from lawyers on what direction the company might take. I embrace challenges but I didn’t think I could anticipate how many different things I could be doing on any given day. It goes from having lunch with a top trial lawyer in New York, attending a class at Harvard Law School, to talking with venture capitalists and coming up with advertising strategies. Often that can happen in the same day.


I’ve been home for three weeks now, which is the longest that I’ve been home for over a year. Last year I flew to New York and Boston at least once a week for three months because it was very important for us to build on the recognition we had as journalists from the Daily Journal. In March we will be issuing our first issue on law schools, so to get the word out I’ve visited Harvard and Rutgers.


Our first list was the “500 Leading Lawyers in America.” It included lawyers from entertainment, justices of the Supreme Court, plaintiff lawyers an eclectic selection, all with the common thread that they were considered best in the practice. Those we highlighted in the magazine had pictures and one sentence descriptions for each. We followed with the “500 Leading Judges in America.” People started knowing about us that way. We’re in the process of compiling the “500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers”.


We wanted to create a business that would be the next generation of legal media. Over 250 lawyers have listed their services with us and we have 60 law firms that advertise in our print magazine. You need to make an investment in new media if old media is going to play a role in the future.


It’s a seven-day-a-week job. It requires an amazing amount of patience. We work from 6 in the morning to 10 at night. It’s a rare day if I’m not sending an e-mail at 3 a.m. about something I’m obsessing about. But I do it because I love it. It’s rarely as exhausting as it sounds. And you have victories that keep you going.



Jade Takahashi

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