As I’ve written in Solo by Choice and discussed at my blog, a well drafted, ethically compliant retainer agreement is a lawyer’s most important tool in guarding against grievances, setting client expectations and generally, helping to create a profitable pratice. Without a retainer, some bars won’t even let you collect your fee. And if
Real Life Marketing Lesson: Are You Charging Clients Like American Airlines?
Not surprisingly, many American Airlines customers expressed significant outrage over the airline’s recently announced plans to charge passengers additional fees for checking bags and for certain services related to reservations. Indeed, the news may have irked you as well. But before you start venting, ask yourself whether your billing policies “nickel and dime” your clients
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
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
How Dr. Doolittle’s Pushmi-pullyu Can Help You Attract and Keep Clients
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Remember the two headed Pushmi-pullyu from the children’s classic, Doctor Dolittle? What you probably didn’t realize back then is that the Pushmi-pullyu serves as an apt paradigm for providing information to your clients. I unveiled this concept last week in my presentation at the ABA Tech Show 2008 on “Using Technology to Retain Clients.”
A Solo At the Supremes
Over at The WSJ Law Blog, there’s a nice profile of Richard Diaz, the Florida solo who represents Michael Williams, a defendant who is challenging the constitutionality of a federal child-pornography statute in United States v. Williams. Last week, Diaz argued the case before the Supreme Court.
But despite his moment of glory
Beware the Mis-named Non-Refundable Retainer
UPDATE – In December 2008, the Michigan Supreme Court reversed this decision and held that the non-refundable retainer passed ethical muster because the agreement was unambiguous. See here .
Thank goodness for lawyers who are willing to risk a disciplinary sanction to retain $2500 of money that any objective observer would recognize as unearned and
Walmart v. Neiman Marcus Pricing for Legal Services
Over at my Legal Blog Watch Beat, I posted about the Walmart v. Nieman Marcus pricing dichotomy, initially described by Mike Sherman of Law for Profit. Now many of you have heard about this model before: basically, you have a choice between selling lots of legal services (volume practice) at a narrow profit
Do Something You Stink At…And Become A Better Lawyer
Yesterday, I spent a beautiful Saturday outdoors, helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity as part of an Energy Bar Association pro bono service project. I have to admit that I didn’t seek this project out: my decision to participate was a spur of the moment response to an email that came through
Real Life Marketing and Client Service Lessons, Courtesy of Jet Blue
Even after practicing law for 18 years, underneath my general air of confidence and my excess precaution with much of what I do lies a deep fear that at any minute, I could screw up in a major, big time way. But now, courtesy of Jet Blue, there’s a lesson from the school of