A few weeks ago, Scott Greenfield bemoaned the demise of quality of continuing legal education (CLE) (if there ever was such a thing). As Scott observes, most CLE today consists either of panels of experienced lawyers who show up prepared with nothing but a bunch of war stories or fluff programs on marketing or ipad
2012
Solos & StartUps: A Match Made in Heaven Or Clients from Hell?
Solos and startups seem like an ideal match. Most obviously, startups don’t have the cash to hire in-house counsel or expensive mega-firms and solos can offer competitive rates and flexible service. Solos also have the ability to better understand and accommodate the demands of start-ups since solos are essentially start-ups themselves. For these reasons, experts…
Using Your Retainer Agreement to Generate Positive & Deter Negative Client Reviews
Increasingly, consumers are exploring client reviews on sites like Avvo as part of the process of hiring a lawyer. Though it’s hardly scientific evidence, over the past few weeks alone, I’ve heard several examples of lawyers who attracted fairly decent cases as a result of their presence on Avvo or Yelp and the positive feedback…
The Starting a Law Firm Calculator
Although I question the value of business plans , starting a law firm without even a vague idea of anticipated revenue sources or expected expenses is foolhardy. To help guide the law firm planning (or prediction) process, I’ve developed, with the help of my computer-savvy husband, a basic calculator to list and total your costs…
Why I Don’t Focus on the Hardships of Starting a Law Firm
Starting, or more accurately, sustaining a law firm is hard. Scott Greenfield hammers the point sharply but accurately; Sam Glover more mildly but equally accurately. So why don’t I?
As a longtime blogger focused on solo and small firm practice, and author of Solo by Choice, I’m the first to admit that I, like…
Solo Practice Post-Mortem Part III: Would He Have Made It and Was Soloing a Bad Idea?
A Departing Solo’s Post-Mortem on the Practice That Didn’t Cross the Finish Line (Part I)
Editor’s Note: Sometimes solo practice doesn’t work out. Recently, a member of one of my listserves shared one of the best and most objective post-mortem analyses of a solo practice that didn’t quite make it to the finish line. Despite increasing momentum towards the end of the second year, the author (who has a family…
Companion Post to the Solo Practice That Didn’t Finish (Part II): The Marketing Plan That Started to Work
Editor’s Note: In the previous post, the solo lawyer who is transitioning out of his practice mentioned that his online marketing efforts were starting to bear fruit. In this post, there’s a description of the activities that started the turn-around. Don’t get the wrong idea – online marketing isn’t a silver bullet since if…
Are You a Nobody Until You Win Your Case?
Noted video-expert and medical malpractice attorney, Gerry Oginski criticizes a Jacoby & Meyers television commercial that concludes with the voiceover:
You’re a nobody until you win your case.
Gerry comments – and I agree – that the ad isn’t particularly effective marketing since calling potential clients “nobodies” may instill hard feelings at the outset.
Though…
The Ethics of Legal Subscription Services
Via Jordan Furlong’s twitter stream, I learned about Legal Care, a UK-based legal subscription service. The Legal Care package costs 14 pounds/month and includes free template documents, a will pack, document review service, 25 percent discount on fees if a solicitor is needed and a guaranteed response to emailed inquires within an hour, 24/7.…