As the saying goes, there’s nothing new under the sun. What law profs and thought-leaders tout as “the future of law” — from non-lawyer representation or nonlawyer ownership of firms and form-based, assembly-line style or virtual law practices (for the record, not all virtual practices follow this model) — have their roots in legacy models
When it comes to post-law school learning, most lawyers think of continuing legal education or CLE. And while it’s important for lawyers to stay fresh on law-related developments in their respective practice areas, in these dynamic times, lawyers — and particularly solos — need to learn other skills as well. While large firm lawyers or
Because I’m an avid blogger, for years, I resisted sending an electronic newsletter as part of my law firm marketing portfolio. If potential clients wanted a sample of my legal analysis, they could follow my blog, I reasoned. Plus, I assumed that my newsletter would get lost in the hailstorm of big firm client alerts
On several occasions, I’ve described myself as a practical technologist, mastering and adopting new technology tools on a strictly need-to-know basis to serve clients. So for me, having the latest, greatest gadget was never as important as being an early adopter of tools like client portals or webinar platforms or blogging so that I
Free stuff abounds for lawyers starting or running a practice. From document sharing platforms to conference call services to websites to legal research, the cost of running a law firm is nosediving. Free products are also proliferating; my
Ten years ago yesterday, I pushed the “enter” key and launched MyShingle.com on to the World Wide Web. I didn’t know what to expect, but I fell in love with the medium and my solo/small beat so I just couldn’t stop. But this blog has been so much more than just a place to write
Last call for the 21st century retainer agreement, scheduled for its final run on December 18, 2012. Register here – http://21stcenturyretainerdec.eventbrite.com/. The $49 fee is an amazing value, with a webinar and ebook and 14 pages of contract clauses included – but as a gift to readers and in celebration of MyShingle’s upcoming 10th
Editor’s note: Tomorrow night is the first night of Chanukah, one of my favorite holidays not because of the presents but what it stands for. Chanukah inspired one of my favorite posts in nearly a decade of blogging, and if you didn’t catch it last year, here it is again.
Tonight marks the
When I’m asked how solo and small firm lawyers can compete with Legal Zoom, my view is that free is the best revenge. Now that legal forms are digitized, it’s only a matter of time before they’re available free everywhere. If forms are free, companies like Legal Zoom have nothing left to sell —
It’s December, the month in which a blogger’s fancy turns to holiday gift guides. Last month, Reid Trautz published his 8th Annual Holiday Gift Guide, but you’ll find more ideas at Allison Shields’Legal Ease gift guide and tech-focused suggestions at Niki Black’s Sui Generis and a round-up of links to gift ideas by