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
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
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
In the nearly ten years that I’ve been blogging at MyShingle, solo and small firm practice has never really been what you’d call buzz-worthy. Sure, there was that time when the economy first tanked that suddenly solo was the new soho , or when it seemed as if every blog on the beat – from
Much of the work that I do as a lawyer today involves issues that weren’t even around ten years ago. So I was excited to see this recent post from Jordan Furlong on some of the roles that lawyers might play as the more traditional legal positions shrink: It’s an interesting list:
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Starbucks isn’t the only salvo for home office lawyers in search of a cure for cabin fever. Thanks to this neat little site, Desksnear.me, lawyers who want a change of scenery from their current work environment, or who need a place to bill time while on the road or at
Last week, I attended the COLPM’s Futures Conference 2012 here in Washington D.C. to learn where the practice of law and the legal profession are heading. For once, I got more than I bargained for as panel after panel of technology experts and thought-leaders and in-house counsel openly shared the problems with today’s law firms,
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’re familiar with the perennial debate over whether social media or personal referrals are the best way to grow a business. Those who hail from the referral-based school of marketing contend that social media is a waste of time, attracting tire-kickers and dud clients. Meanwhile, those who
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
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.