Nicholas Wooldridge is a Las Vegas Criminal Defense Attorney who has mastered his craft while other attorneys are still trying to find the coffee machine.
Raised in Nevada, Mr. Wooldridge reached the zenith of the criminal defense world by blending a drive for excellence with compassion and wrapping both in an appropriately aggressive courtroom style.
Mr. Wooldridge has represented a cross-section of clients, and his client roster reads like a who’s who. Clients such as the Boston Marathon bomber, international cyber-criminals and global white-collar criminals to local, street-level hustlers.
No issue is too humble, or too large, for Mr. Wooldridge to see the best reasonable outcome for each of his clients.
In 2003, Mr. Wooldridge graduated from the University of Nevada with honors. Then, he sharpened his legal skills in the courtroom jungles of Manhattan where only the best succeed. Mr. Wooldridge did more than succeed — he made New York City his town.
More than just a lawyer with knowledge of arcane rules of law, Mr. Wooldridge establish key relationships with other defense attorneys, prosecutors, district attorneys, and judges. The network Mr. Wooldridge developed benefited his clients and their search for justice.
How did you get started in this business? What inspired you to start this business?
As a teenager growing up in Nevada, I witnessed —first hand — injustice at the hands of law enforcement. I saw lawyers as being the only force able to right the balance and scales of justice for people. It didn’t take much more than that for my life’s track to be laid down.
How did you get your first customer?
A referral. A friend in New York had a friend who had been unjustly arrested. They were handed my card and called me the next day, and two days later all the charges were dropped.
How do you make money?
As a defense attorney I serve people who have been caught up in a sweep by overzealous cops o Also, sometimes good people make mistakes. I bill by the hour, but I also do a lot of pro bono work.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
About a month. New York City isn’t a cheap place to live, and even though I started seeing clients almost immediately, it was about a month, maybe slightly less, before I saw a profit.
What business books have inspired you?
There have been several business books that I’ve read and enjoyed. But I think “inspiration” has become from reading the works of layers from earlier generations. Clarence Darrow, for example, comes to mind. There’s also a book a collection of Abe Lincoln’s letters wh he wrote while he was practicing law in Springfield that resonated.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
Other than my charm and good looks? I care about people, and I hope that comes across to them. If it does, then that is my ‘key’ to success. I think people can tell a genuine person from a phony — and no one wants more phoniness in their life. There’s too much of that already.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
I’m an attorney. The future is looking great. America may be the most litigious nation on the planet. There’s no sign of that going down. As a criminal defense lawyer, my job, unfortunately, is pretty much secure. As long as there are people, there will be crime.
What excites me? The increasing volume about social justice which is going on in America. For too long people have been addicted to the Kardashians and their smartphones. But now with the new administration in Washington, there is starting to be a deeper discussion about crime and justice. I don’t think that conversation will end anytime soon, rather get stronger.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
There’s been many as I’ve watched clients achieve justice in the courts. The most personally satisfying moment, so far, was when I opened my law firm in my hometown.
What is a recent purchase you have made that’s helped with your business?
I don’t know. I’m not going to give a free-endorsement no matter how beneficial a purchase has been.
I’ve found some quality legal dictation software that is helpful, and I’ve bought a really nice contact and project management program that is geared towards attorneys and multi-lawyer firms.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works well to generate new business?
Other than references? Probably the blog on our website. We’ve been fortunate to find an excellent content provider who keeps our blog posts current and up-to-date. He’s achieved a good mix of credible legal information for consumers as well as more esoteric things like Supreme Court decisions and how they may impact Nevada residents. He spices all of that up with the occasional off-the-wall legal situations that come up like the time a man got his tie caught in a slot machine while trying to rob it. Things like that.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
While it hasn’t been in the “past few months” the toughest decision was to leave New York City and return home.
In New York, I worked closely with Arkady Bukh, a high-powered and dynamic criminal defense attorney who represents international white-collar crime, cyber crooks and he was one of the lawyers involved with the Boston Marathon Bombing case which I was also able to help with.
Arkady became a good friend while there, and I still miss working with them. I guess I’ll miss that for a long time.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
No. Never. I never doubted it. First, there’s always a market for attorneys. As long as there are persons, there will be a demand. Second, I can’t fail. If I fail then someone innocent goes to jail. That thought keeps me on my toes and makes me approach each day with a fresh sharpness and acuity of the great responsibility I have to my clients.