Whenever I get a call from a client who has a matter too small to justify my rates or referral to another attorney service, I’ll try to suggest alternatives. In fact, like many lawyers, I keep a list of contact information and websites for legal aid and pro bono groups, law school clinics, small claims
Biglaw is Selling Connections. Can You?
In the past, I’ve recommended Meetup.com as a resource for solo and small firm lawyers seeking speaking engagements. Meetup.com makes it easy to find one of thousands of groups that meet locally and which might have an interest in hosting a legal speaker on a relevant topic.
Though I know of many solo and
Do Legal Flat Fees Encourage Freeloading?
Updated September 1, 2022
When I posted this a dozen years ago, many lawyers feared flat fees because they assumed that freeloading clients would take advantage. But there are ways to guard against that with some of the information provided in The Legal ClauseIt . But there’s another issue too: lawyers also exaggerate the freeloader
Client Confidentiality Is Paramount, But Communication Matters More
Back in the day when I started my law firm and handled court appointed criminal cases, my first meeting with my clients usually took place in the noisy, cramped holding cell behind the courtrooms. On warm days especially, the cells teemed with waiting defendants and I’d have to yell my client’s name loudly so they’d
Jet Blue Be Nimble…But Can You?
By now, you’ve probably read about renegade airline Jet Blue‘s unlimited travel pass that allows customers to fly free between any of the airline’s 56 national or international destinations as many times as they want between September 8 and October 8, 2009. Naturally, some deride the offer as a gimmick for JetBlue to make
Spaghetti 2.0 and Law Practice – Customizing for Clients
Via Jeff Berman of Lawyer Marketing Sync, I discovered this video clip of Malcolm Gladwell discussing how Prego spaghetti sauce successfully took on Ragu by offering customers a few different sauce options – chunky, spicy and a third (which I can’t now remember). Today, we consumers are accustomed to different varieties of products. But
If the White House Can Chat With Constituents, Why Can’t You Do The Same With Your Clients?
Just as then-candidate Obama’s campaign offered solo and small firm lawyer valuable marketing lessons on using social media to speak to and genuinely engage clients, likewise, his presidency continues to serve as a valuable source of ideas. As you probably know, today, President Obama conducted an online town hall, eliciting questions from the public
Stephanie Kimbro – Virtual Law Office Provides Real World Benefits for Clients (and Me)
From the first day my virtual shingle went up, the web-based virtual law office technology has allowed me to work with clients of moderate income levels in a more efficient and convenient way for both the clients and myself. I won’t pretend the motivation for opening my virtual law office (VLO) was for the greater
Tips on Meeting Clients At A Virtual Office
For many solo and small firm lawyers, virtual office space offers the optimal compromise between an entirely home-based operation on the one hand, and renting full time office space on the other. A virtual office arrangement, which may include a mailing address, receptionist service and per diem use of office or conference room space, enables
Greatest American Lawyer’s Rejoinder to the Well Drafted Retainer
In a response to my earlier post, The Well Drafted Retainer, my blogging colleague Enricho Schaefer ponders whether the traditional retainer is outdated. Schafer argues that the complexity of retainer agreements complicates relationships with clients rather than facilitating them. Schaefer explains that his firm memorializes the attorney-client agreement with an email listing the