- By Gilien Silsby
- Photos by Maria Iacobo
Pioneer of the telephonic court appearance system
speaks at USC Law
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| Mark Wapnick, Class of 1972 |
Mark Wapnick ’72 believes that some of his best ideas have come out of frustrating situations.
In 1995, the real estate and business attorney came up with the idea for CourtCall as he sat in traffic during a 40-mile trip back from court. His appearance had lasted fewer than five minutes, but his entire trip cost him several hours of driving time and hundreds of dollars for his client.
“I thought there had to be a better way,” said Wapnick, who shared his story with the USC Law community during the March 2 installment of the “Conversations with the Dean” speaker series, hosted by Dean Robert K. Rasmussen. “I wondered why couldn’t we have done this by telephone? It was only a two-minute appearance.”
An entrepreneur at heart, Wapnick began investigating ways to launch his CourtCall business that does just that – allows attorneys to call into the court from their offices and participate in hearings and other court matters just as they would in person.
With a mix of skill and luck, Wapnick and his business partner landed their first contract in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Nearly 15 years later, CourtCall has handled nearly 2 million appearances and serves more than 1,500 state and federal courtrooms in 42 states.
“I like to think that we were too dumb to fail,” Wapnick said. “We didn’t realize the hurdles and obstacles we would face.”
Wapnick secured investors, tapping into the Trojan Network.
“We didn’t have money, but that’s where the Trojan connection paid off. I went to the people I knew. I called my most successful Trojan buddy and he agreed – without question - to invest.”
Wapnick also learned lessons along the way. If he could do it over again, he would secure funding for the first 36 months rather than just the first 18 months of operation.
“It was touch-and-go there for a while,” he said. “Courts do not make decisions quickly. I remember sitting on my bathroom floor with my wife and she asked me if we were going to lose our house.”.
They made it through the first few challenging years, and slowly began to secure more and more judges and courts. Today CourtCall is the most successful telephonic court appearance system in the nation. Competitors have come along but either gone under or been bought out by CourtCall.
Wapnick said he believes most of his success is due to his work as an attorney. “I’m really proud that we’ve done something that has changed the way people practice law,” he said.
Wapnick’s USC Law education gave him several skills he continues to use today in business. “The critical thinking and writing were invaluable,” he said. “There’s no education better than at USC Law.”
Wapnick’s long-time friend and fellow USC Law student, Jack Baker, attended the session. " I recently saw Jack at the Scholarship Luncheon where he was a featured speaker. He heard about my conversation with Bob Rasmussen and told me he would be here. I didn't think too much about it, but there he was. It meant a lot. Jack has been the glue that has held our class together over the last forty years. He is a great guy who really represents USC so well."
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