Hidden Gems: Meet Jazzy Rippy and Ameena Sheikh of LADIES IN LAW®

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jazzy Rippy and Ameena Sheikh. They share their story with us below:

Jazzy D. Rippy and Ameena R. Sheikh (pronounced “shake”) are the Co-Founders of LADIES IN LAW®, a minority, woman-owned law firm in Downtown Detroit. The funny thing is neither Jazzy nor Ameena are from Detroit. Jazzy hails from Cleveland, Ohio, and Ameena is from Lexington, Kentucky. However, both consider the Motor City their home with the entire LADIES IN LAW® team living in Downtown Detroit! 

Following law school, Jazzy and Ameena’s paths crossed while working at a prestigious business law firm in Downtown Detroit, Bodman PLC. After honing their skills at the firm but realizing that large corporate law was not their passion, they ended up leaving the firm but initially went in separate directions. 

Jazzy pursued her dream of entrepreneurship and started her own law firm geared toward helping individuals. Ameena’s adventurous spirit took her to California, where she became licensed to practice law and worked for a small boutique law firm in Los Angeles. Ameena eventually returned home to Detroit and teamed up with Jazzy to form LADIES IN LAW® in January of 2019. 

LADIES IN LAW® specializes in Legacy Planning – the process of protecting, preserving, and controlling your assets, finances, businesses, and health decisions, during your lifetime and after. This is done through Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney. LADIES IN LAW® makes Legacy Planning accessible through attainable pricing, educational outreach, and a streamlined process. Their target clients are middle-class individuals, such as those in the education, manufacturing, and engineering fields who typically work a 9-5 job that provides retirement benefits, have families, and have accumulated some assets. 

LADIES IN LAW® has been recognized as a leader in the legal field by Marquis Who’s Who America, National Trial Lawyers Top 40 under 40 Michigan, and Expertise.com. Jazzy and Ameena have been featured in The Michigan Chronicle, Detroit Legal News, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, BLAC Detroit, and Close Up Radio with Doug Llewelyn. Both Co-Founders graduated magna cum laude in the top 10% from their law schools, The University of Toledo College of Law and Wayne State University Law School, respectively. 

Both Jazzy and Ameena value diversity and giving back to their community. Jazzy is on the board of the Michigan Arthritis Foundation, assisting with its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Ameena is a board member of Figure Skating in Detroit, a non-profit organization serving girls of color by combining leadership and academic programs with figure skating training. 

In her free time, Jazzy enjoys writing poetry and creating music. Ameena enjoys ice skating and playing with her 4-lb yorkie, Barney. Together, they enjoy checking out new restaurants, concerts, and events around Downtown Detroit. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Externally, we face the challenge of people not understanding that Legacy Planning is attainable. It is something everyone needs and deserves and that they should do it before it is too late! We are working to overcome this challenge through our mission – to make Legacy Planning accessible to the masses through attainable pricing, educational outreach, and a streamlined process. In other words, we take an accessible approach with our services. 

ATTAINABLE PRICING: We offer comprehensive packages to meet our client’s Legacy Planning needs at a fraction of the normal cost. Our Legacy Plan packages start at $400, and we offer pay-later installment plans for clients’ convenience. Reducing our prices 70% has dropped our revenue initially, but we understand that our services reach an untapped market area, which will eventually enable us to scale into other states. 

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH: We also work to demystify the seemingly complicated topic of Legacy Planning. Much of our time and resources are dedicated to educating clients and the community at large about Legacy Planning and its importance. The extensive time and resources dedicated to educational outreach and marketing is a large upfront investment. But without this, we are not able to reach our target audience. 

STREAMLINED PROCESS: The entire process of working with us is straightforward and transparent, making it easy for clients to meet their Legacy Planning needs with minimal effort and time. We only require an hour of the client’s time to create their custom Legacy Plan. We created an automated, virtual process from scratch, which was a necessary obstacle for our business model. Internally, we are more like a start-up company than a traditional law firm, which is exciting but also challenging at the same time. We are looking to do something that has not been done before, so we are creating the blueprint as we go. Our automated processes and systems streamline our services and keep them cost-effective yet scalable at the same time. Further, we are culture-driven and have challenged ourselves to find employees that fit our culture as opposed to just looking at someone’s experience. This, in turn, has caused us to take a much longer time to expand our business but is well worth it in the long term. For example, we took a chance on a very smart recent college grad in Political Science who built out our entire automated process despite not having a technological background. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
LADIES IN LAW® is a full-service Legacy Planning law firm from start to finish. We draft Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney and offer maintenance plans to ensure these documents remain up-to-date. We also provide document execution, trust funding, and notary services. 

Legacy Planning is all we do, so we are true experts in this specialized practice area. Further, we are actively breaking down historical barriers which prevent people from accessing Legacy Planning. We do this through our virtual process, attainable prices, and flexible payment options. Also, being women and minority-owned, we appeal to clients who are looking for someone relatable to protect their personal Legacy. 

Our unique selling point is that we make Legacy Planning very accessible through attainable pricing, educational outreach, and a streamlined process. Our pricing is a fraction of the market cost, complete with flexible payment options. We ensure a transparent and educational process for our clients and the community to learn more about Legacy Planning. Additionally, as we provide start-to-finish virtual services, we are truly accessible to anyone. Our clients get the best of both worlds: full virtual accessibility and direct communication with a specialized attorney assigned to their file. Lastly, our client-friendly systems allows us to maintain consistency, a high volume, and quick turnaround. We require less than an hour of the client’s time, and we handle the rest. 

Features: 

• Full-Service: We provide full-service Legacy Planning services from start to finish to keep our clients fully covered and protected. With us, our clients should not have to worry about probate court.
• Virtual Capability: Our entire process can be completed virtually for clients, from the initial consultation to receiving and later updating their documents. This is especially important for clients who may be bound to their home for various reasons.
• Accessible: Our services are priced at a fraction of the market cost, making them attainable for most people.
• Flexible: We offer flexible payment options and meeting options via Zoom, phone call, or in person.
• User-Friendly Experience: Our digital processes and platforms are easy to navigate for clients of all skill levels.

Benefits: 

• Legacy Protection: Our services enable clients to protect, preserve, and control their Legacy during their lifetime and after. 
• Generational Wealth: Legacy Planning is a critical tool for asset protection, financial planning, and creating generational wealth.
• Avoiding Court: Legacy Planning can keep people out of court and fighting over assets.
• Saving Money: We save clients money both upfront with attainable prices and down the line by avoiding probate court.
• Peace of Mind: We give our clients peace of mind knowing their affairs are in order, their loved ones are protected, and most importantly, their hard-earned Legacy continues.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
LADIES IN LAW® is forming unique business-to-business (B2B) partnerships with financial advisors, CPAs, and insurance agents to mutually benefit our clients. 

For example, we have a marketing partnership with a financial advising firm whose clients are primarily teachers. Their income does not typically enable them to afford the market price of Legacy Planning. Nonetheless, this financial advising firm recognizes that their clients need comprehensive Legacy Planning that falls within their budget. LADIES IN LAW® is specially positioned to fill this need for their clients as well as other individuals across Michigan. 

Pricing:

• Power Package: $400 (Medical Power of Attorney, Advance Medical Directives, Financial Power of Attorney)
• Protection Package: $750 (Will, Medical Power of Attorney, Advance Medical Directives, Financial Power of Attorney)
• Control Package: $1,450 (Living Trust, Will, Medical Power of Attorney, Advance Medical Directives, Financial Power of Attorney)
• Unity Package (For Couples): $2,250 (2 Living Trusts or Joint Trust, 2 Wills, 2 Medical Powers of Attorney, 2x Advance Medical Directives, 2 Financial Powers of Attorney)
• Specialty Trusts and A La Carte options are also available

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theladiesinlaw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theladiesinlaw/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theladiesinlaw
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/theladiesinlaw
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRKf9QaQeRKdGed-ycXoKQ

Image Credits
Bryce Mata