I have to confess that when I initially heard about New York’s proposed gag rule on attorney advertising, I suspected that it was just another way to perpetuate the biglaw/smallfirm double standard by targeting forms of advertising like websites and weblogs that have proven especially beneficial for small law firms. And indeed, Dennis Kennedy
Operations
That’s My Client…I Knew Him When…
It’s not often that practice areas like family law, primarily the province of solo and small law firms merit attention from a legal commentator of Dahlia Lithwick‘s stature. But Lithwick tackles issues like the problems with an adversarial family court system and how well you really know your clients in her op-ed piece in…
Take an Expert’s Advice on Price
I may be a solo who runs an established blog for other solos. I’m an expert on my own practice and what works for me. But I’m the first to admit that what works for me may not be optimal for others. So if you want to get a broader perspective on matters like pricing…
Have an Octopus Carry Your Files
I don’t usually post about products that I’ve not tested personally. But this new file carrying strap, The Octopus which creator Jessica Hirsch brought to my attention, looks so neat and elegant that it seemed worth mentioning. Basically, the Octopus is a more sophisticated version of a book strap, which is how some of my…
Hey Biglaw – A Reprisal
Yesterday brought two Supreme Court decisions granting last minute relief to two death row prisoners. And equally important, at least one of the cases brought vindication to solo practitioners who handle death row appeals. Clarence Hill, defendant in Hill v. McDonough (holding that a defendant can bring a Section 1983 challenge to lethal injection…
Three Friday Freebies for Solos
Here are three, terrific freebies for solos that have come through my email in the past week or so. They are:
1. Lisa Solomon of Question of Law and The Billable Hour has posted the free webinar that she organized a few weeks back, Blogging for Lawyers, featuring Grant Griffiths. And state tuned…
Judges Applying the Biglaw/Solo Double Standard
Sure, I don’t like when the state bar grievance committees apply a double standard between biglaw and solos when it comes to lawyer discipline or ethics rules on networking. And I understand when many ABA honchos are completely out of touch with solos’ abilities or that biglaw attorneys on the NACDL Board who want…
The $50 Consult
According to this post over at Larry Bodine’s Professional Marketing Blog, at least one firm isn’t following the conventional wisdom of charging what everyone else does – and they’re making money in the process. As Bodine describes, Wessels & Pautch, a small, employment defense firm offers unlimited phone consults for $50 a month. Not…
Competing On Price – Why Not?
Most marketing gurus counsel lawyers not to compete on price. So I wasn’t surprised to see that advice at the core of this article by Susan Cartier-Liebel, To Solos: Don’t Discount Your Worth, Connecticut Law Tribune (June 5, 2006). Personally, I disagree. I see no way for a new solos to get a foot…
More on the Ethics of Leaving A Law Firm
As more lawyers depart large firms to strike out on their own, the ethical issues relating to departing attorneys gains more attention. Here’s another article on the topic, Practicing Ethics: Switching Jobs, NY Lawyer (5/26/06). The article focuses on the following three issues:
* When and what can be told to clients? Most lawyers…