Jennifer LaRossa

Jennifer E. LaRossa is one of the original owners of Morrison, LaRossa, Price & Iturrioz, Attorneys at Law, APC. She joined the firm as a partner in 1998 and was part of its’ operations for 6 years before she became a partner. Through this firm, Jennifer has more than 15 years of experience in family law, minor counsel and mediation. Jennifer holds a B.A. in psychology from Loyola Marymount University. She also has a Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law. In the past two decades while she has practiced law, Jennifer has managed to settle most of her cases out of court. Her track record on this front is a testament to her ability to give her clients working solutions, and not simply drag them through the justice system for personal gain. Besides handling day-to-day cases, Jennifer is also a member of several legal associations that help advance her interests and those of her clients. She is a member of the Long Beach Bar Association, and the State Bar of California. In the past, she has been a member and even headed several organizations that include the Long Beach Barristers Association, the Joseph A. Ball/ Clarence S. Hunt Inns of Court among others. She takes pride in being a very ethical and fair attorney. She is a dedicated attorney with a special affinity for cases related to minors and other family law matters. She is also enjoying estate planning and she has added this to areas of expertise.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

The firm was started by my father and I joined him several years later. We were Morrison & LaRossa for many years. My brother-in-law became an attorney and he joined us. He is Jeff Price. Our family law practice grew rapidly and Martha V. Iturrioz joined us. We say she is our Cuban sister. My daughter, Alexandria LaRossa, is starting law school in the fall of 2020 and she will be joining the firm soon. Hopefully one of my sons, or nephew, will also join us. I would say law runs in the family.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I am the managing partner here at MLP&I. My day involves new client meetings, client preparation, overseeing the employee’s workload and preparing documents and letters. To make my day productive, I delegate cases to the other attorneys as I see fit.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Whenever I come across a good idea, I run it through my colleagues at the firm. If it makes sense, we proceed to implement it. We are striving to be a strong influence online now.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I am excited by the increased boldness of women to speak up against sexual abuse. The #MeToo movement is a good example of this progress. Such movements will make our work as family lawyers much easier going into the future. Plus, I am a strong advocate of supporting women against domestic violence. I love to protect them and help them survive and have peace. By far, the children involved in these divorces are my passion. My goal is to help families divorce fairly and kindly. The children should be able to be children and not suffer emotionally.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I am a perfectionist and very concerned with communication with our clients. I am constantly updating my skills. By using up-to-date legal knowledge, I can serve my clients in the best way possible.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would urge my younger self to focus on one thing and give her best at it. Mastery of one line of work is essential in beating the competition. Always try hard, be diligent and never give up on what you believe is fair and reasonable.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I believe technology will disrupt the legal profession in the near future. Most people think this is still far off. However, I have already seen it happen, with artificial intelligence slowly taking up some of the work done by junior lawyers.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I always ensure that my clients are satisfied. I would recommend all entrepreneurs to try this technique. It is the key to winning return clients. Communication is key. Clients must understand the process. Family law is extremely emotional. I try to advise my clients to make the best business decisions possible and not make decisions based on emotions.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

An aggressive customer satisfaction strategy has been instrumental in taking our law firm to the next level. You must provide realistic expectations for your client. We do win many cases by settlement with a favorable outcome. When we take a case to court, we are overly prepared and extremely knowledgeable with the law. You can’t lose that way. The majority of the cases I handle are settled out of court.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I have been lucky to have my dad as my mentor. He taught me professionalism and kindness. This has helped me avoid catastrophic mistakes that most entrepreneurs go through.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Mmmh that’s a tough one. The best way to get clients is to promote your business amongst your peers. Make sure you follow up with new potential business leads and see how you can help them and tell them how they can help you.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I gave $100 to a charity that caters to orphaned children. I did it because I love children and I believe they should be protected.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I adore using the program Slack. It helps with daily office communication and organizing tasks.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I highly recommend Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. It’s a book that reminds parents of their role in the success or failure of their children.

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote is People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents. It’s a powerful quote that everyone, not just entrepreneurs, would find useful. The best motivation to achieve always comes from within.

Key Learnings:

• Focus
• Motivation
• Mentorship
• Hard work
• Professionalism
• Ethics