Ah, the joys of niching down! Specialization in a particular field of law has numerous benefits, from enabling attorneys to focus on building their experience and expertise to marketing themselves as a true authority.
As you know, the 10 most common legal practices in the US are Intellectual Property, Family, Tax, Personal Injury, Criminal, Civil, Bankruptcy, Immigration, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Corporate laws.
Most of the 1.33 million lawyers in the U.S., as of 2020, concentrate on these 10 legal fields of expertise. It comes as no surprise that half of these practices are business-related. After all, they don't call it 'Corporate America' for nothing!
But what of the super-niche lawyers? We've shared our thoughts on the pros and cons of niching down as a differentiator. We’ve also discussed this on the Personal Injury Mastermind (PIM) podcast with Steven M. Levin, a trailblazer in nursing home litigation way before it was even a thing. Since then, we’ve been inspired to share a few more stories of some of the US' market-leading niche dominators and how they got to where they are today!
1. John Adams
Niche: Environmental Law
According to Rolling Stone, if the earth had a lawyer, it would be John Adams. John has been at the forefront of promoting environmental protection through legal activism. He has published three books in the field of environmental protection.
He worked as a Federal Prosecutor in the Southern District of New York for five years before joining a group of young lawyers from Yale to create the NRDC. The organization was the first national advocacy group for environmental protection through the legal system.
Under Adam’s leadership, NRDC passed the Clean Water Act, which allows citizens to sue polluters directly. Their other top achievements include the banning of lead in gasoline. Plus, coal plants are required to reduce their pollution-causing emissions and protect a breeding ground of gray whales near Baja in California from industrial development — the list goes on and on.
John and his organization, NRDC, sue government agencies on a regular basis for inaction on environmental protection issues. He is fearless in taking vast and powerful corporations to court when the state or federal government is reluctant to act. He even earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 for his dedication and passion for environmental protection.
2. James Bostwick
Niche: Medical Malpractice
James Bostwick is one of the most respected lawyers in the United States in this field. He has represented aggrieved parties in numerous cases of medical malpractice and personal injury. James is also a Certified Malpractice Specialist by the American Board of Professional Liability.
He has over 50 years of experience in complex medical malpractice and secured numerous rulings that have set the standards of this medical malpractice law. In 1979, he secured the largest claim ever over medical malpractice verdict in United States history. His entrepreneurial spirit has since seen him breaking records, mostly his own. In 2018, he secured a settlement of $14 million over a neonatal brain injury just before trial — a record-breaking number for a case that didn’t end in court.
James is a member of the most exclusive trial organization in the world — the Inner Circle of Advocates. He has been repeatedly named the 'best lawyer' in America since 1983. The California Bar Journal also named him one of the best 4 trial lawyers. He has been featured in several publications such as Newsweek, Town and Country, and Forbes as one of the top trial lawyers in the United States.
3. Joel Mendler
Niche: Elder Law, Estates and Wills
Elder law is a specialized field of legal practice intended to meet the needs of older and disabled clients. Cases around this field achieve clients' and their families' goals — high-quality but less restrictive care for their loved ones.
Joel Mendler is one of the best-known lawyers in the United States specializing in Elder Law. Various organizations have named him among the best in the field since he started his legal profession in 1968. Mendler is a board-certified tax specialist and an estate planning and estate administration specialist by the Louisiana State Board of Legal Specialization.
He's a proven authority on the implementation of estate plans — drafting of wills, trusts, and advance directives. He also takes care of administering family estates and provides directions on how to manage long-term care needs, such as those related to government benefits.
Mendler is a member of some of the most reputable lawyer organizations in the U.S. These include the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the New Orleans and Birmingham Estate Planning Council, and the American Bar Association Sections on Taxation, Real Property, and Trusts and Estates.
He has been named one of the top lawyers in New Orleans since 2013 for his achievements in elder law and trust estates. He has also been named one of the top lawyers in the United States in elder law, trusts and estates, and non-profit or charitable law for more than 30 years.
4. Chris Green
Niche: Animal Law
Chris Green is the Executive Director of the Animal Law and Policy Program of the Harvard Law School. He was the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Animal Legal Defense Fund and former Chair of the American Bar Association’s TIPS Animal Law Committee. Chris has been instrumental in promoting animal rights in the United States. This empathetic attorney is best known for persuading the three most prominent airline companies in the U.S. to stop transporting endangered animals hunted for trophies, helped defeat Ag-Gag legislation in a number of states, and passed the ABA resolution recommending that all legislative bodies in America criminalize the possession of dangerous wild animals.
In all that he does, Chris Green has always advocated for animal welfare by working with relevant government agencies and non-government organizations. In 2020, he passed another ABA resolution calling on the government to train all law enforcement on non-lethal animal encounters. Green created the University of Illinois’s first Environmental Science degree. He consults on animal legal issues for diverse outlets such as CNN, Science Magazine, Fortune, NBC News, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, among many others.
5. Patrick J. Wood
Niche: Dental Law
Patrick J. Wood, a founder of Wood & Morgan, has been instrumental in giving clients a reason to smile for almost four decades. Patrick, a UCLA alumnus with a JD degree from Southwestern University, was admitted to practice law in 1978. Now active in California, Texas, and Colorado, he has carved out an impressive niche in dental law.
His firm primarily focuses on dental practice sales, lease reviews, associateships, corporate matters, partnerships, and related transactions. They also handle dental board defense, estate planning for dentists, and employment law issues. Through these services, Patrick has emerged as a thought leader in the rather narrow niche of dental law.
In addition to his legal practice, Wood also lectures extensively, delivering around 20 practice transition seminars throughout the country each year. Dental conventions, societies, and schools have all benefited from his knowledge and experience. He has written numerous articles that find a place in well-established publications like "Dental Economics" and "The New Dentist.”
Patrick's work's defining characteristics are his extensive service to the dental profession and his empathy and commitment to charitable causes. True to this spirit, the firm offers a $2,000 reduction in its practice transition-related legal fees to any dentist who commits to at least one week of dental mission work in countries outside the United States with a recognized US charitable organization. Reckoned as a dental attorney par excellence, Patrick is a niche dominator worth celebrating.
6. Kelly D. Benavides
Niche: Criminal Defense and Traffic Tickets
Attorney Kelly D. Benavides has successfully carved out a niche for herself in the field of criminal defense, with a particular focus on traffic violations. A native Texan, Kelly received her Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from the University of Houston. She then acquired her Juris Doctor from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law and began a career dedicated to the cause of justice.
Beginning in her home city of Houston, she served as an attorney dealing with municipal matters. This experience paved the way for opening her own practice at Benavides Law Firm, where she is recognized as a leader in criminal defense and an advocate for Houston drivers. Benavides’ defensive mastery hasn’t gone unnoticed. She boasts a 10.0 Superb Avvo Rating, was named among the "10 Best Attorneys for Client Satisfaction" by the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys, and is listed as one of The National Trial Lawyers' Top 100 Trial Lawyers.
Benavides is also known for her dedication to serving the community. She has held prestigious positions such as the Associate Municipal Judge for Spring Valley and Baytown and City Attorney for the City of Houston Legal Department. Furthermore, she is an active member of numerous professional associations, highlighting her commitment to constant growth and networking in her field. Kelly D. Benavides is a primary example of an attorney who harnessed the power of niching and leveraged local experience to build a powerful reputation as a community champion.
7. Randi Burgraff
Niche: Family Law
Family law can be a sensitive topic, and it takes a certain type of lawyer who can be the cool voice of reason. For Randi Burggraff, family law isn't just a profession. Working with complex family situations means securing rights for parents and children. Her personal experiences, coupled with an academic foundation in psychology and family and children services, have shaped her holistic approach to family law and contributed to her reputation as a cutting-edge family law and divorce attorney in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Specializing in high-conflict child custody issues, Randi is adept at providing representation while also advocating for parents striving to protect their children from harm. Beyond custody battles, her diverse experience extends to relocation cases, grandparents' rights, third-party rights, and property and asset division — all niches within family law itself.
Randi earned her law degree from Southern Illinois University in 2013 and was admitted to the Arizona Bar in 2014, marking the official inception of her journey to becoming a champion family law attorney. Her academic prowess and relentless advocacy have earned her numerous accolades, including the Best Advocate Award at a Trial Team competition and multiple awards for Pro Bono participation.
Randi’s passion for family law has made her an outstanding example of successfully dominating a niche, embodying the essence of commitment to her cause, and the power of personal experiences in shaping professional excellence.
8. Matthew Dolman
Niche: Personal Injury Law
Matthew Dolman, Esq., of Dolman Law Group, has set a high bar in the realm of personal injury law. The clear and remarkable success he has achieved is primarily due to his dedication to victims of negligence and catastrophic injury.
Securing verdicts and settlements in excess of $2 million, Matthew has earned a lifetime membership in both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, recognition achieved by fewer than 1% of practicing lawyers. His reputation also includes multiple recognitions as a Florida Super Lawyer, an accolade bestowed through a meticulous selection process involving independent research, peer nominations, and evaluations. His exceptional case handling extends across various Florida counties, making him an authority in his niche.
Dolman is remarkable not only in his success, but in his adaptation to the changing climate of personal injury law. By dominating first page rankings, Dolman Law Group has become a success story not only in legal prowess and the power of niching, but also harnessing the power of SEO to achieve real results.