Recently, I realized that after five and a half years, I’ve been blogging longer than many people have been reading blogs. And while I’ve collected quite an archive, who has the time to sit down and read hundreds of old posts. So rather than let them fade into oblivion, I’ve repackaged a few in an
April 2008
Do They Always Dance With the One Who Brought Them?
Many small firms wonder whether they should offer free or low cost legal services to start-up companies or small businesses in the hopes that those companies will generate more lucrative business as they grow. Sounds great in theory, in many cases, once those baby start-ups mature, they may dump you for a more established law…
Shingular Sensation Warren Caswell Has Mandatory Life Sentence Declared Unconstitutional and Reverses Conviction Based Solely on Hearsay
Back in January, I created the Shingular Sensations series, intended to spotlight a significant victory or accomplishment by a solo. Shingular Sensation posts are not vanity pieces, but rather, interviews that I carefully design to glean lessons to help other lawyers.
This installment of the Shingular Sensation series belongs to Georgia solo, Warren Caswell. …
Who Owns the Revolution?
Chuck Newton has a thought provoking Guest Post over at Grant Griffiths’ Home Office Warrior that discusses the propriety of a blogger taking credit as one of the originators of the so-called "work at home" revolution. As Newton points out, the work-at-home revolution dates back to Revolutionary Times themselves, when esteemed folks like Thomas…
Solo by Choice is FINALLY Back in Stock on Amazon
For those who have been patiently waiting, Solo by Choice is finally back in stock here on Amazon. Whether you’re on the fence about solo practice or looking to incorporate 21st century trends like technology, outsourcing and alternative billing into your practice or trying to select a practice area, you’ll find a wealth of…
Required Mentoring for New Lawyers- What Do You Think?
According to this article, the Florida Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism recently adopted a recommendation that would require every lawyer admitted to the Florida Bar – 2000 of them annually – to obtain a mentor during the first year of practice. The Commission has now asked a special blue-ribbon committee to study ways to…
The Perils of the Volume Practice – and Ways to Avoid Them
Scott Greenfield’s post at Simple Justice about solo immigration lawyer, Frank Liu’s disciplinary problems highlights the perils of the volume practice. Referencing this New York Times article, Greenfield describes how Liu’s carelessly written form briefs (where he sometimes neglected to change the sections describing the facts) ultimately landed him in hot water with the…
A New Kind of Powerpoint
After a few recent presentations that were so dull that I nearly snoozed through them myself, I picked up a copy of Cliff Atkinson’s Beyond Bullet Points for some new inspiration. Atkinson’s main point: treat a presentation like a Hollywood production. While that’s a tall order with a topic as dull as regulation, I decided…
Starting Non-Conventional Solo Practices and a Free Marketing Call
Some lawyers start their own practice, but rather than specialize in traditional legal work, opt for or incorporate alternatives like contract lawyering, mediation or lobbying. If you’re interested in how to build a practice in those areas, consider these resources:
Lisa Solomon, a nationally recognized contract attorney who practices as Question of Law offers some…
Contests as a Way to Attract New Clients
I came across this Press Release about a Clean Tech competition that’s awarding $600,000 in prizes to early stage clean energy innovators. And guess what? The awards include not just cash but also in-kind services offered by accounting, public relations and law firms – in this case, tech counsel to the “stars,” Wilson Sonsini.…