Do you have a neat idea for a unique kind of law firm that breaks precedent? Or perhaps, like many of my solo lawyer friends, The Billable Hour here or here, you’ve come up with a non-legal side business. If so, then surf on over to Anita Campbell’sSmall Business Trends to learn about
Operations
Billing Alternatives For Solos
Here’s an article from the ABA Journal entitled Billing by the Slice, which offers some alternative billing ideas by and for solos. With “billing by the slice,” lawyers bill for a case in stages – a practice used by Ted Waggoner of Rochester Indiana. From the article, Waggoner describes that:
he might tell a…
Whatever You Call Yourself, Please Don’t Sign Your Pleadings This Way
It’s the perennial question for lawyers starting a law firm – what do you call yourself? As I wrote here over two years ago, Enrico Schaefer maintains that the term “solo” is inaccurate. And more recently, the topic has been discussed on Solosez. As for me, I’ve always regarded the term “solo” as a…
Interested in Being A Legal Research and Writing Contract Attorney? Look No Further….
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of sharing the podium with national legal research and writing contract attorney expert, Lisa Solomon, where we presented a program on contract lawyering from the persepective of both the hiring attorney and the contract attorney. The hour long program, which is now available for purchase here,…
See You In Philadelphia, I Hope!
Like my friend Susan Cartier Liebel (I think that I can call her an expert on building a solo practice), I’m also headed to Philadelphia for the ABA’s Second Annual National Solo and Small Firm Conference. I’m moderating a panel on using or finding work as contract lawyer with Lisa Solomon and I…
Don’t Just Step Off the Partnership Track; Bypass It Entirely
I’m not sure whether any of you remember the TV show LA Law . Sometime in the second or third season, the firm’s young associate, Abby, was told that she wasn’t partnership material so she left to start her own criminal defense practice. A year or so later, Abby had established her reputation as a…
Wear Your Scarlet H Proudly
As I wrote in my upcoming book, back in 1993 when I started my law firm and worked primarily from home, I often felt as if I had a huge scarlet “H” emblazoned on my chest. Back then, I jumped through all kinds of hoops to prevent clients from discovering that I only had a…
Jobs At Biglaw Limited – So Why Is This News?
This Wall Street Journal story about how lawyers from the lower ranks of lower tiered law schools have a tough time finding jobs has been getting lots of coverage, such as in thiscommentary by Susan Cartier Liebel; a round up of law professor blogs and this discussion at the WSJ Law Blog.…
Reid Trautz to Give His “50 Top Tips” to DC Bar…Though the DC Bar Makes It impossible for People to Hear About It!
On Friday, September 21, 2007, former DC Bar law practice management expert and nationally acclaimed speaker Reid Trautz will be presenting a newly revised version of the perennial favorite,
50 Hot Technology Tips, Tricks & Web Sites for Lawyers. Ordinarily, you’d have to pay several hundred dollars to sign up for an ABA conference…
Inspired Solo Announces New Blawg Service
My colleague Sheryl Sisk Schelin at The Inspired Solo blog (which has a great new look; I’m in the process of a facelift here at MyShingle as well) just announced a new venture: her Blawg in a Box package that helps busy solos get started on the road to blogging. Check out the new service…