Jim posts: “One of the hardest things about the private practice of law is the number of hours most lawyers work. TV shows and movies about lawyers don't show the long hours reading published opinions and deposition transcripts. (And rightfully so, it just wouldn't be entertainment.) When you work too much, the rest of your life suffers, including important relationships. The Summer issue of LawPro Magazine was just released on the web yesterday. Its focus is Work and Wellness. I'd be very happy to mention this great feature even if they hadn't included a reprint of an essay from yours truly. Do a good deed today and pass this link along to a friend. We all can benefit from thinking and reading about maintaining better balance in our lives.
I'd also like to publicly thank LawPro and PracticePro for placing their content on the web freely available to everyone instead of locking it behind a policyholder's only password.”
Active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips Blog, 29 June 2006
Posted by Tom Collins: “Howard Mudrick lists the following obstacles that can stop the planning process in its tracks.
Partners may be spending too much time and energy focusing on internal matters. This tends to happen when partners have not reached consensus on basic philosophic issues. If the partners can't get beyond this problem, the firm usually falls behind its competitors.
Some partners may not fully understand the economics of their practices. They may have a tendency to set economic goals without regard to whether the firm's client base/capacity for growth can support those goals. They may focus on cutting overhead rather than on increasing gross revenues.
They may not understand how their practice management habits impact the firm's financial success. Even if they do, they may not be willing to change those habits, including:
• Work selection.
• Pricing, billing and collections, including write-downs of time and write-offs of accounts receivable.
• Delegating to other partners and associates and properly supervising work that has been delegated.
• Specialization.
• Keeping time and turning it in.
• Using systems.
• Doing work on time.
• Communicating with clients regularly.
Some partners may not understand the necessity of having a strong, well-managed organization to implement strategic goals. They assume that, regardless of internal issues that are not resolved, there should be no reason that the firm would not be successful in implementing a plan.
Some partners may not understand the importance of decisions that must be made regarding the practice itself. Even if they do, they may be unwilling to make decisions that cut or curtail a given practice, especially if they are involved in it.
If any of the above situations are present in your law firm, the first step toward taking control away from fate as the future determinate for a law firm is to eliminate the obstacle.
The above insightful points were extracted from a paper by Howard L. Mudrick, president HM Solutions. Mudrick is president of HM Solutions, Inc., a Dallas based management consultancy to the legal profession. Howard Mudrick, a CPA and a former partner at Hildebrandt, has more than 20 years experience consulting with law firms plus on-ground experience in financial management positions with midsized law firms. For a copy of Howard Mudrick’s paper, Will Fate Plan Your Future or Will You?, email HLMudrick@aol.com"
Source: morepartnerincome, 28 June 2006 Via Patrick J. Lamb’s In Search of Perfect Client Service, 28 June 2006
Posted by Tom Mighell: “It took awhile, but Dennis and I have finally released Episode #4 of the Kennedy-Mighell Report -- this one is a Web 2.0 Primer for Lawyers. Hopefully we were able to explain a little bit about some new Web technologies, and how lawyers can take advantage of them. Give it a listen.”
For the active links, go to
Source: Inter Alia, 28 June 2006
Evan Schaeffer posts: “Here's a well-known tip that bears repeating. No matter how many thousands of documents your case involves, begin as soon as you can to pare them down to a single box. Near the end of the case when you're preparing your exhibits for trial, force yourself to stick to the rule: no more exhibit than will fit in a single box.
Even if you think your case is just too big, the one-box rule is still a good organizational technique that will help you visualize the essence of your case. Lawyers implement the one-box rule in different ways, but the most common is to keep a running list of "hot documents." It's these documents that go into the box. Later, after discovery is complete, you can pick the top 25 for a "hot hot" list.
If you're working on a team, the top 25 documents can all be given a unique name, which will make them easier to discuss among the group: "the break-up memo," "the death list," or whatever catchy title most aptly reflects the tenor of the document. These are the documents from the single box that you'll return to most frequently during trial.”
Be sure to read Evan’s blog regularly, its that good!
Source: The Illinois Trial Practice Weblog, 29 June 2006
In the news: “Many law firms outsource oversight and support of computer networks to managed services providers. Note the huge potential benefits: expert help, predictable costs and freedom for the firm to focus on its core competency, practicing law. But you don't get many huge returns in life without commensurate risks. Before entrusting your systems to hired help, make sure you've considered certain issues -- response time in emergencies, confidentiality, software vendor management -- before you sign the contract.”
Read full text
Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 30 June 2006. Copyright 2006. ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.
From the e-newsletter: "Wex is an ambitious effort to construct a collaboratively-created, public-access law dictionary and encyclopedia. It is sponsored and hosted by the Legal Information Institute [LII] at the Cornell Law School." Searchable, or browsable by category. Contributors are evaluated by LII before being authorized to add material. "In general [LII prefers] formal legal education and give preference to legal academics and distinguished practitioners."
URL: http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/21990
Source: LII Librarians' Index to the Internet. NEW THIS WEEK for 29 June 2006. Copyright 2006 by Librarians' Index to the Internet, LII. Subscribe <http://lii.org/search/file/mailinglist>.
Posted by Nicole Wong: “Google is deeply committed to providing a healthy and trusted online environment for all of our users, and especially children. While the Internet provides an amazing opportunity for people to connect with useful information, some online material poses serious risks to children and families, and some online behavior violates the law and should be eradicated. Child pornography, in particular, is a horrific and vicious crime. Today, I testified before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about Google’s efforts to keep kids safe online. Among the initiatives that I highlighted:
- Google has a zero-tolerance policy on child pornography. We prohibit any advertising related to child pornography. When we become aware of child pornography anywhere in our search engine or on our site, we immediately remove and report it to the appropriate authorities.
- We work closely with law enforcement to help track down child predators, and respond to hundreds of child safety-related requests per year.
- We help families stay safe online with tools like SafeSearch, which enables users to filter adult content from search results. We also promote online safety through our support of the WiredSafety education campaign.
These are just the beginning. We believe that much can be done to combat child exploitation online, and are committed to doing our part to protect the Internet as a safe place for all.”
The active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: Google Blog, 27 June 2006
From the e-newsletter: “Each month FindLaw for the Public highlights a legal topic. As Americans hit the road for summer vacations, the topic for July is Traffic Tickets -- with information and resources on traffic violations, how to fight a ticket, and much more.
Browse the Traffic Tickets Center
Source: FindLaw’s PUBLIC ADVISOR. 29 June 2006. Copyright © 2006 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.
In the news: “Because it's sometimes unclear to companies when the duty to preserve electronic data will arise, its deletion poses a real risk. A proposed amendment to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(f) is intended to provide a safe harbor for firms that, through automatic document-deletion systems, unwittingly trash data that should be preserved in case of litigation. Attorneys John F. Baughman and H. Christopher Boehning consider how safe the safe harbor really is.”
Read full text
Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 28 June 2006. Copyright 2006. ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.
Genie Tyburski posts: “ The U.S. Attorney General this week charged Leonard P. Luchko and Mark C. Eister, formerly on the staff of the Pennsylvania Senate as computer technicians, with allegedly conspiring to obstruct justice. "The indictment alleges that Luchko, Eister, and other persons, both known and unknown, engaged in a systematic effort to destroy e-mail communications and other electronic evidence stored on the Senator's computer equipment in order to thwart a federal criminal investigation involving the Senator and other persons and entities." While the indictment does not name the Senator, other news reports reveal that the investigation involves Senator Fumo's office.
RELATED: 2 computer aides to Sen. Fumo charged formally
Philadelphia Inquirer, 28 June 2006
RELATED: PA Senate Technicians Arrested for Obstruction
TVC Alert Research News, 1 June 2006
Active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: TVC Alert Research News, 29 June 2006, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, http://www.virtualchase.com/tvcalert/transfer.asp?xmlFile=jun06/29jun06.xml
Posted by Anthony Cerminaro: "Operating systems and applications can always be reinstalled, but your data is unique--making it the most important thing on your computer or network. Here's a look at 10 ways you can protect that data from loss and unauthorized access.
#1: Back up early and often...
#2: Use file-level and share-level security....
#3: Password-protect documents...
#4: Use EFS encryption...
#5: Use disk encryption...
#6: Make use of a public key infrastructure...
#7: Hide data with steganography...
#8: Protect data in transit with IP security...
#9: Secure wireless transmissions...
#10: Use rights management to retain control..."
Read more in this article from TechRepublic.
The active link to the article is available at the source site listed below.
Source: BizzBangBuzz, 22 June 2006
Nathan Burke posted: “While spending the last four days moving from one apartment to another, I had a lot of time to quietly think to myself. In doing so, I came up with a question that I challenged myself to answer:
How is marketing different from gambling?
Think about it. When you gamble, you spend money on a chance that you’ll get a desired outcome; one that pays you more than what you’ve spent. Let’s say you decide to buy a scratch ticket. The cost: $5. But, if you’re lucky, you could win $10, $20, $100, even one million dollars!
Marketing is very similar. You spend money on your web site, your brochure, advertisements, etc. hoping that you will attract enough new work to offset the expense.
What’s the difference?
Offhand, the first difference I see is that when you buy a scratch ticket, you know that you have a chance. There is a finite number of prizes, and all you have to do is get lucky. In marketing, you’re not assured of any prize whatsoever.
So is gambling better than marketing? No. That’s not it at all.
Here’s the other difference, and it is absolutely crucial to understand: You can change the variables.
Using our scratch ticket example, think about what a player is able to do to improve the chance of winning. The answer: not much. You can buy more tickets, but that’s about it. But in marketing, you can change the entire game. If your ad isn’t attracting any new clients, you can always change ads. Or, you can advertise in a different place. Maybe you’d do better by spending more on online PPC advertising, allowing you to specifically target your potential clients.
Sometimes marketing feels like gambling. But if you dedicate the time and resources to understand the game, marketing becomes a game of skill; not just a game of luck. “
For more interesting insights, read the blog!
Source: lawfirmblogging.com, 27 June 2006
Jonathan Stein posts: “I received an opposition to a motion recently. I had written what I thought was a well written motion. It was concise, used proper grammar and had an easy to follow format. I had four main parts (introduction, background, argument, conclusion) and lettered subparts within each main part. It was a thing of beauty.
The opposition - not so much. It has four main parts, but the argument rambles on and on and does not address the points in my motion. Of course, it might, but they don't follow any format so it is hard to tell. It makes the same point about 4 times using the same words. This is very difficult reading.
When you are writing a motion or an opposition, or any other legal paper, make it easy to follow and easy to read. I won't tell you how to write it, I leave that to people like Lisa Solomon who get paid to write. And if you are not a good writer, hire Lisa. But this is just difficult.
The basic rule: if it is hard to read and hard to follow, you lose!”
The active link is cited below.
Source: The Practice, 28 June 2006
Sabrina posts: "In an 11-11 vote today, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation defeated the Communications, Consumers' Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (otherwise known as Net Neutrality).
• Senate Panel Narrowly Rejects Net Neutrality - Broadband equality proposal may be dead for this congressional year.
• Related postings on net neutrality
For active links, go to
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici. 28 June 2006. Copyright ©2002-2006 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved. Subscribe <http://www.bespacific.com/mt/subscribe.html>.
From the ResourceShelf Team: “If you’re into creating diagrams (think Visio), Gliffy.com is a new web-based app (beta, free with pricing plans coming soon) that offers many of the same features in a web environment. From flowcharts to floor plans. We haven’t had a chance to check this one out yet but will soon. Looks useful and interesting. Examples here.
See Also: This RS Post Has Links to Several Excellent Web 2.0 Application Directories”
Active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: The ResourceShelf, 29 June 2006
From the ResourceShelf Team: The 100 best products of the year
“We rated each candidate on its design, performance, and specifications. We generally did not consider price in our evaluations; instead, we looked for products that represent the cream of the crop. But in compiling our list, some products were such great bargains that we couldn’t ignore them. Of course, ranking laptops and Linux distributions in one place is tricky, but we used the same scoring system for each candidate and assessed them as consistently as we could. This year we have also assigned each candidate an “impact” score, to recognize significant products that changed the technology landscape. And last, we ranked every World Class award winner by its final score, creating our list of the year’s top 100 products.”
[Their] Source: Computerworld
For the active link to the article, go to
Source: The ResourceShelf, 29 June 2006
Posted by JD Hull: “Here's a simple way to get a litigation client to stay on with your firm for non-litigation work. Trial lawyers are constantly making mental notes about how lawsuits either arise or are made complicated and expensive by imperfect if legal conditions which need corrective action at the client's shop. These defects usually lurk in day-to-day business practices. It could be a confusing employee handbook, a potentially faulty environmental storage practice, or ambiguous language in a standard contract or purchase order terms. Early on in the engagement, and after you have considered the subsequent repair rule, inform the general counsel about the problem or imperfection (which is usually dead-on obvious to everyone) and tell her that other departments in your firm would be glad to help fix it. If the client doesn't need or want your help to fix the problem, that's fine. The point is that you are looking out for your client in the long-term--in the non-litigation areas of its business--and that your firm cares enough to say something and offer to help.”
For other interesting tidbits, read Dan’s blog at
Source: What About Clients?, 23 June 2006
Silvia Coulter posted: “There are those of us who love competition and those of us who prefer gaining new business because we are great lawyers. As told many times, being a great lawyer will help KEEP business but clearly it takes much more to get new business. We've been saying this since 1987 and yet, it's still new news to many. But before we dismiss being a great lawyer out of hand completely, here's where being a great lawyer helps get new business:
• Your bio: write your bio for the reader not for you! The visitor to your bio page on the website or the reader to the bio you hand out at meetings should gain an immediate awareness about the depth of your experience based on two sentence, bulleted tidbits about your successes.
• Your results: create a mini ad about you that you will use during meetings with others. Make it a one page overview that has logos from all your client companies; all the deals you've done or all the cases you've won. For solos and small firm practitioners, create a one page fact sheet that showcases your skills. These are far more interesting than lots of boring brochures that do not target a particular client's needs or showcase your specific successes.
• Your clients: create a "Client Testimonials" sheet that has quotes from your clients about your work. Your can either use their name and company (with their permission) or you can simply write under the testimonial "estate planning client;" or "CFO, technology company."
Get the point? Just good work won't alone get you clients; but look at all the ways you can leverage the relationships and experience to help drive new business.
Go for the Gold and grab some client and market share!”
For more great ideas, visit Silvia’s blog at
Source: The Legal Compass, 24 June 2006
From the GAL: “One of the true pitfalls of the hourly billing system is that it creates disincentives to do those things that may be the most important for your firm. Focusing on billing a certain number of hours per year, or if you’re a partner, making sure the associate attorneys bill some minimum number of hours per year, distracts you from the things that may be more critical from your firm’s success. These certainly include matters of strategic planning, execution of case strategy and management of team members. Somehow, lawyers who are managing to get their 50 hours of billable time in per week forget there are much bigger issues in play. When success is defined by hours, not outcomes, it doesn’t take too long before people forget where the real end zone is for their clients.
I know when my firm is too busy because, even though we aren’t focused on billable hours, the most important items can still get lost in the shuffle. These last two weeks have been good for our firm because the workload is down. Most firms would say this is a bad thing. I say that these periods are critical for law firm growth and market positioning. When else would you ever find the time to attend to such important matters as client relationships, process redesign, strategic brainstorming with staff and new technology deployment.”
Other good insights are available at
Source: The Greatest American Lawyer, 26 June 2006
Posted by Bonnie Shucha: “In the wake of moves by two big-name tech bloggers, Law.com has an interesting article on how to value a law firm blogger.
Note the response by Kevin O'Keefe:
"These recent moves should be wake up calls to law firms with high-profile lawyer bloggers. Many of your high-paid marketing and PR people have not a clue about the power of blogging and the marketing value of these blogging lawyers.
"Not only are such lawyers a source for new work, but they can also bring the firm into this century when it comes to effective Internet marketing by being a mentor to other lawyers learning to blog. Don't appreciate what these bloggers are bringing to the firm and you are going to loose them, their rainmaking and much more."
For the active link, go to
Source: WisBlawg, 26 June 2006
Ron Friedmann posted: “Offshoring continues to be a hot topic. My next post will feature a good article covering the issues. Meanwhile, excited utterances and I have updated our list of legal market outsourcing and offshoring users and providers.
We assemble this list based on our reading and suggestions we receive. The updated list includes several companies new to the list as of June 2006.
Moreover, some of the companies originally listed appear either to have stopped offering legal services or ceased doing business. We have placed these companies on a second table (scroll to the bottom) based on visiting the URL we originally identified and now finding the page inactive or not seeing any links to legal services. We did not try to determine if these companies are operating under different names or web sites.
Based on the number of new players in India, it appears that offshoring is still generating a great deal of interest. Based on the number of apparent “exits,” however, it is not clear how big the demand really is.”
For active links visit the source site listed below.
Source: Strategic Legal Technology, 26 June 2006
Sabrina posts:
• "Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts: Start of Hurricane Season Finds Courts Learning from Past
• Agencies make [Continuity of Operations] COOP, disaster recovery even higher priorities"
For active link, go to
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici. 27 June 2006. Copyright ©2002-2006 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved. Subscribe <http://www.bespacific.com/mt/subscribe.html>.
Adriana posted: "One of my favorite attorneys, from one of my favorite firms in Tampa writes in:
Hi Adriana, like many people, I am an incorrigible cutter and paster (at least he knows he's not alone). But when I paste text from other sources into an Outlook message, I often have trouble changing the font so that it is consistent with the rest of the message. Sometimes it works when I just block the pasted text and change the font and/or size. But often, it isn't that simple. That method doesn't always actually change the font - it will stubbornly stay in its original form after I block it and select another font. I have to re-cut and paste or change where the block starts and ends to try to trick Outlook into changing the fonts. Any suggestions?
If you share this problem, read Adriana’s detailed response at
Source: I Heart Tech, 27 June 2006
Michelle Golden posts: “If you haven't checked out MindJet's MindManager, you may be missing out on what will become your favorite software EVER. I confess, I haven't been this excited about software since I was first introduced to Lotus 1-2-3, version 1.0 back in the 80's. (Have I just given away my age?)
I want to state now that this is not a paid or requested endorsement. It is pure product passion.
MindManager has enormous potential and capabilities, but it is also super easy and extremely intuitive. I use it everyday for:
• note-taking
• article or presentation outlines
• brainstorming
• facilitation
• website site maps
• process documentation
• to do lists or project outlines
• strategic or marketing planning
• anything!
And I'm only on the tip of the iceberg with regard to its potential uses.
It exports to Word, PowerPoint, etc and it interfaces with Outlook! As if it weren't amazing enough on its own (which it is) other companies like Gyronix have products that make it even more powerful. You owe it to yourself to check MindManager out because whether you are a linear thinker or an abstract thinker, it will help you. (and they have a free trial!)
To give you an idea of one way I've used it, I am sharing (FREE!) a map of Individual Marketing Plan elements--an activity suggestion sheet for professionals--that I use with CPA and law clients. Let me know what you think of the document and also of MindManager after you check it out!
Download firm_plan_elements_exp.pdf"
For active links, go to
Source: Golden Practices, 27 June 2006
Robert posted: "Jurors who lie or conceal information on their jury questionnaires are causing problems in the courts. Should jurors' backgrounds be checked more carefully? Would deeper checks benefit lawyers? Would they discourage potential jurors? Join my co-host J. Craig Williams and me on the legal-affairs podcast Coast to Coast as we discuss these questions with:
** Professor Randolph N. Jonakait, professor at New York Law School and author of The American Jury System.
**Dr. Phillip K. Anthony, CEO of DecisionQuest and a highly sought after expert on trial consulting.
Click the play button (or choose another way to listen).
>>Play in Windows Media Player
>>Download the MP3 (registration required - right click, "save target as")
To subscribe to the program feed, use the Coast to Coast RSS feed.
Active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: Robert Ambrogi’s LawSites, 23 June 2006
Larry posts: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half,” said department store merchant John Wanamaker. Now, thanks to ALM Media we have the report, "An Analysis of Advertising and its Effect on Law Firm Revenue Growth."
Click the link, complete the form and you'll have the PDF report. I wish I had evidence like this when I was the marketing director of a large law firm. I was dealing with a marketing partner who was a combination troglodyte and bully, who zeroed out my advertising budget. I explained that the firm had bought ads for many years in a row -- if only to announce a new office, partner or charitable donation -- and that we could save a lot of money by planning, and purchasing a schedule of ads. He insisted on proof that advertising worked.
"Firms that make a commitment to advertising have higher growth rates," states the new four-page report. ALM conducted a series of research analyses throughout 2005 to quantify advertising effectiveness — to measure whether an increase in law firm ad spending leads to an increase in law firm revenues. Their industry-wide findings measured the relationship between law firms’ advertising spending and their revenues by comparing firms that advertise and those that do not. Among the findings:
• Firms that make a commitment to advertising have higher growth rates.
• Financially successful firms advertise.
• Firms that advertise make more money than those that don’t….”
The article is continued at
Source: Larry Bodine’s Professional Services Marketing Blog, 27 June 2006
Jonathan Stein posts: “So one of the four phonebooks in our area came out last week. I flipped through the attorney ads. Holy cow. They are almost all the same. I wonder if the phone company has one guy on staff who designs all of the attorney ads? I don't know, having never been in the yellow pages. Heck, they don't even call me and ask if I am interested, which is probably good for all of us, since I am not interested.
It turns out that this little rinky-dinky phone book is $5,000 per month for a full page ad. That is $60,000 per year. And most of the PI attorneys have the same words in their ad. One guy is different: he has a coupon for a free consultation. Of course, he offers everyone a free consultation, so I guess the coupon is useless.
To me, this once again shows the value of a program like Ben Glass's marketing program. It is different, unique and will set you apart in your community. I follow Ben's advice and it works. I just don't understand why more attorneys won't think outside the box in marketing their practice. What is the worst that can happen?”
For the active link, go to
Source: The Practice, 26 June 2006
Posted by Tom Collins: “Among the discussions during the June ALM Law Firm Business Forum was the emphasis on branding.
The topic crept into presentation after presentation, including those that would otherwise appear completely unrelated. It arose time and again as essential to law firm continuity—long-term success. It also arose as an expression that law firms can no longer depend solely on ineffective attorney rainmaking. And finally, it appeared as a strategy to entrench the firm’s culture and core beliefs. I was impressed by the faculty's understanding that “who we are” makes a difference.
Angelo A. Paparelli of Paparelli & Partners said it this way: “Branding can become a self-fulfilling phenomenon. The more a firm succeeds in establishing a distinctive brand, the more probable it is that like-minded attorneys will apply for employment with the firm, and that clients who want or need a particular type of branded legal services will search out the firm for help.”
I was also intrigued by a case study reported by the faculty that illustrates how slippery the branding slope can be. A particular law firm was undergoing a branding program to make sure that the brand clearly communicates the firm’s value proposition. The firm’s current website emphasizes the firm’s courtroom successes. But when targeted prospects were surveyed, those prospects indicated that winding up in court was considered a failure. Potential clients valued quick resolution of issues over successful court trials.
The reported case is an example of what Peter Drucker called the “wrong quality”—when we get so caught up in what we are technically capable of doing that we build products and services that are out of synch with what the marketplace wants to buy. It is also reminiscent of a prior post, “Too Good, Too Expensive and Too Inconvenient."
Defining "branding" isn’t easy. I would define it as matching your unique qualities with problems that your defined market wants to solve and then finding a way to convey that through image and style. Branding also involves deciding what you are not and the business you will not pursue.
• The first step is to define your strengths
• Second, match those strengths with problems the prospects want solved
• Next, define your market as narrowly as practical with an eye toward market leadership
• Lastly, invent a way to combine your strengths, the market you are addressing, and the benefits your customers will realize into a “brand”—a combination of the visual, audio, print and style that conveys that message.
It is not an easy task, but for more partner income it is one worth pursuing.
The active link is available at the source site listed below.
Source: morepartnerincome, 23 June 2006
Kevin O’Keefe posts: “Jeff Jarvis picked up on an Ad Age cover story about blogs opening doors for new jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.
In the last two weeks, Robert Scoble, Om Malik and Thomas Hawk quit their jobs in favor of pioneering careers. Big deal. So did probably hundreds of other Americans, right? But unlike the former three, the latter hundreds didn’t find their opportunities by first becoming household brand names online.
Messrs. Scoble, Malik and Hawk-respectively, a Microsoft technologist, a Business 2.0 magazine writer and an investment-adviser-turned-photographer-may be relatively unknown names in the general populace. But they are among the elite in the blog world.
Lawyers and others in professional service businesses looking to literally create a name for themselves, get blogging. Give yourself 18 months to 2 years and you'll be in control of your own fate. In the days of mergers, closing offices, and kissing some tail to make partner, that ain't all bad.
You're not going to be a Scoble or Malik. That's okay. You can have great success anyway.”
Active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: Real Lawyers Hav3e Blogs, 25 June 2006
From the e-newsletter: “In a motion filed on June 21, 2006, the U.S. Attorney's Office accidentally released information that it had sought to keep confidential through redaction. The mistakes that the U.S. Attorneys made - and the ways to avoid them - are important lessons for anyone who ever works with Portable Document Files (PDFs.)”
Read full text
Source: FindLaw’s MODERN PRACTICE. June 2006. Copyright © 2006 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.
In the news: “Many lawyers and software procurement officers for law firms are surprised to find out that open-source software is licensed just like the programs you get from Microsoft or IBM. The problem prospective firms face is that OSS licensing is often freighted with confusing terms and quirky conditions. Columnist John K. Waters unpacks the sometimes contradictory language to limn a few guidelines. Now that open source is here to stay, it's time to learn the rules it's run by.”
Read full text
Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 27 June 2006. Copyright 2006. ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.
Genie Tyburski posts: “Jenny Kanji and I presented 60 Sites in 60 Minutes at the 2006 annual meeting of the Special Libraries Association on 14 June. The Legal Division sponsored the program. Actually, you will find about 80 sites represented here. And we got through most of them!
RELATED: Web Tools 2006
The Virtual Chase, 12 June 2006
(Gary Price and I presented Web Tools 2006 at the 2006 annual meeting of the Special Libraries Association on 12 June. The Legal Division sponsored the program. You will find numerous resources, software utilities and services useful for research.)”
For active links, go to
Source: TVC Alert Research News, 27 June 2006, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, http://www.virtualchase.com/tvcalert/transfer.asp?xmlFile=jun06/27jun06.xml
Jim posted: “The subject line of this post is obvious in many ways, but there's really some depth behind it. In all of our endeavors, we are generally satisfied when we get what we expect. (Well, that may not be true for the pessimists, but this post isn't about them.)
Therefore it is important to the attorney-client relationship to do your best to make sure that the client has realistic expectations. It may be tempting when the new client is retaining your services to err on the side of "closing the deal," but it is a poor long term plan. When the client predicts an unrealistic result, it is tempting to say "Well, retain us and let's see" or "Possibly." But be careful. It is appropriate to explain that there are many undetermined facts and/or questions of law. But starting the attorney-client relationship with a client who believes that they are likely to get certain relief when that isn't that case is going down the wrong path. You can leave the predictions to the psychics. But you can't leave a new client with a false belief.
Equally important are client expectations about how the attorney-client relationship will be managed. Modern technology allows us to be available to clients around the clock. That might even be acceptable if you have only one really well-paying client (who would have to sleep and have a life of their own.) All of us need down time and all of us have shifting priorities. Our clients need us to be there for them when it is required, but not on every whim. Patricia A. Yevics, Director of Law Office Management for the Maryland State Bar, has a great article entitled "Taming the Beast: Managing Client Expectations in a 24/7 World" in the June 2006 issue of GPSolo magazine. She has great advice on establishing client's expectations about communications with your office.
Those great folks at PracticePRO have a great feature on dealing with the difficult client. It has four parts, including the brief summary at this link, which will take you to a fourteen page paper on the topic. There are also two extremely useful forms in MS Word format. One is an "administrative" document outlining how the law firm operates, including many topics such as hours of operations, how to make appointments and why you shouldn't just "walk in" to see your lawyer. The other Word document details billing rates and practices in plain English. (Well, Canadian.) It is hard to overstate how beneficial these documents could be if customized to your practice and given to every client.
Readers of this blog are seeking law practice tips. Well, here's a huge one. Read all of the information linked about--twice. Schedule a meeting with your staff and discuss how you help your new clients have realistic expectations. With the guidance of the forms noted above, draft handouts that will be given out to every new client in your two largest areas of practice. Implement the policy and set a review date for six months from now.”
For active links, go to
Source: Jim Callowawy’s Law Practice Tips Blog, 20 June 2006
Ed Poll posted: “Today, new technology seems to move at the speed of light. Coming hard on the heels of LawBiz’s recent entry into podcasting, we’re hurtling headlong into webinars. Our first webinar, An Introduction to Business Competency for Lawyers, is based on my recent book, Business Competency for Lawyers: A LawBiz Management Special Report. The webinar will help you understand the essential ways in which your practice is a business as well as a profession.
In the webinar, I’ll cover the importance of business planning and the components of a business plan, including a marketing plan and a financial plan. I’ll talk about how to evaluate your firm’s business performance and the crucial element of cash flow management. I’ll discuss billing rates and cycles, and will explain some of the pricing options available to lawyers (including hourly, fixed fee and value billing). Since billing is only part of the equation, I’ll also address collections. Finally, I’ll take attendees through some case studies in understanding business competency, analyzing the real costs of e-mail and capital investment. Although business competency is important for lawyers in firms of all sizes, this webinar is focused on the needs of the small firm and solo practitioner…”
The post is continued at
Source: LawBiz Blog, 23 June 2006
In the news: “Why do so many lawyers use automated time-and-billing systems for little more than the entry of time slips? By failing to exploit the full potential of these programs, firms miss out on opportunities for well-informed decisions on everything from compensation to capital expenditures for equipment. Consultant Ross Kodner emphasizes the need for at-a-glance performance indicators. His suggestion: a "financial dashboard" that can present data in an understandable, useful and reliable way.”
Read full text
Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 26 June 2006. Copyright 2006. ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.
From the e-newsletter: “**Public Defense Systems
http://www.llrx.com/features/publicdefense.htm
Ken Strutin's guide highlights a selected collection of resources about public defense systems in the United States. The focus is on key studies, reports and reference materials published on the web.
**Pathfinder on the Generic Pharmaceutical Industry http://www.llrx.com/features/genericpharma.htm
Sarah Spear's guide is for individuals interested in the generic pharmaceutical industry, and includes descriptions of and links to current laws, regulations, cases and news-worthy articles concerning the industry.
**Commentary: Who Really Benefits From the Death Tax http://www.llrx.com/extras/deathtax.htm
Beth Wellington scrutinizes the politics behind the fight to repeal the estate tax, and provides analysis from advocacy groups, journalists, and politicians.
**The Tao of Law Librarianship: The Truth About Blogging http://www.llrx.com/columns/tao6.htm
Connie Crosby offers her perspective on the benefits for lawyers and librarians that may be derived from blogging. Blogging can certainly expand your horizons, connections to others in the community regardless of location, and often, your own expertise.
**Reference From Coast to Coast: Our Uncodified Puzzlers http://www.llrx.com/columns/reference47.htm
Legal research experts Jan Bissett and Margi Heinen construct a research trail of examples that faciliates how researchers can efficiently locate the text of uncodified legislation.”
Source: Pacifici, Sabrina. “New on LLRX.com for June 2006.” Copyright © LLRX TM, Law Library Resource Xchange, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://www.llrx.com/subscribe.htm>.
Kevin O’Keefe posts: “Lawrence Lessig posts that to get a clue on the Net Neutrality debate, just watch the sides lining up on each side.
The pro-NN contingent is filled with the people who actually built the Net — from Vint Cerf to Google to eBay — and those who profit from the competition enabled by the Net — e.g., Microsoft. The anti-NN contingent is filled with the entities that either never got the Net, or fought like hell to control it — telecom, and cable companies.
Also per Lessig, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, now has video to emphasize how important net neutrality is. As Lee says,
When I invented the Web, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission. Now, hundreds of millions of people are using it freely. I am worried that that is going end in the USA.
Net neutrality, as I understand it, means keeping the net neutral so as to prevent better Internet access being given to the transfer of the data of service providers (such as websites) who have agreements with companies selling broadband access than is available for service providers who don't have such agreements.
Lawyers, now empowered with blogs allowing them to publish in ways never before possible, should be rallying to the support of net neutrality. Without it, such lawyers free and open access to content distribution (free speech) could be jeopardized.”
For active link, go to
Source: Real Lawyers Have Blogs, 22 June 2006
Ernie posts: “Powerpoint is a tool. In the hands of most it's a blunt instrument yielding bloody results. In the hands of the artisan it's an orchestral fireworks display.
There are a couple of paths to improving your presentations. First, hire the design team that Al Gore used in creating An Inconvenient Truth. Second, read Presentation Zen and study the styles of Godin,Lessig, Kawasaki and Takahashi. Using images is important no matter what style you use so read this post about where to find good ones. (Thanks to Michelle Golden for sending the aforementioned information).
Active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: Ernie the Attorney, 26 June 2006
From the blog: "Thanks to my colleague Dan Pinnington in Ontario Canada, I was recently introduced to a blog just for Time Matters. It’s loaded with helpful tips by noted legal technologist and Time Matters expert Wells Anderson.
A recent post dealt with the issue of backing up the Time Matters database separately from the firm’s regular back-up. Not in lieu of, but in addition to the firm’s regular back-up. The information provided in the post provides step by step instructions, with screen shots. If you’re a Time Matters user you should definitely visit this blog regularly, or subscribe.
I realized that I have been routinely — for years — backing up my QuickBooks databases separately from my routine daily backup for exactly the same reason.
If you’re using any software program which creates large databases, whether it is case management, time & billing, document management, litigation support, Access or whatever, take the extra care and time to program in a separate back-up on a regular basis.
Remember, the only reason you back up is to ensure complete and speedy recovery in the event of some technological disaster. That means that you do whatever it takes up front regularly, without trying to skip steps or save a few minutes, so that you can recover later as seamlessly as possible.
Like insurance, you hope you never need to use the results of your very conservative and comprehensive data preservation methods, but if you ever do, even just once, you will be glad you paid the premium, or took the extra precaution, all the preceding years.”
The active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: Law Practice Management, 20 June 2006
Posted by Grant Griffiths: “Apple has introduced some great ads recently showing the advantages of owning a Mac vs. a PC. I have often asked the question when it involves blogging, why aren't you blogging? Well, it is now time to ask a simple question, about Mac vs. PC. Why not a Mac. I am serious!!
I don't see any reason now to not use a Mac in any law office. Take a look at the new ADs and ponder the question.”
[As a former Mac owner, I concur. I intend to switch back as soon as I can afford it!]
The active link is available at the source site listed below.
Source: Home Office Lawyer, 13 June 2006
Dennis posts: “Better. Faster. Cheaper. These three words have long made up the mantra for the benefits of legal technology, at least for those trying to sell new technologies to lawyers.
However, these three words, even if proven, have never been quite enough to close the sale with many lawyers, especially for technologies that promise to change the nature of the practice or substantially alter the ways legal services are delivered.
The final barrier is often concern about the impact of technology in a system where fees are based solely on the number of billable hours worked. Simply put, if you can use technology to do what is now a twenty-hour project in four hours, haven't you just cut your earnings by eighty percent?...
Continue reading this long, informational article at
Source: DennisKennedy.blog, 21 June 2006
Posted by John Jantsch: “I had a great chat with Bryan Eisenberg, co-author of Waiting for your Cat to Bark over a recent visit to Kansas City. Bryan was on tour promoting his newest book and offers some great insight into small business use of the web. Click to listen to the podcast
The book's title is a nod to the fact that many marketers attempt to get people to do things they just don't really want to do. Waiting for your Cat to Bark shows you how to think about persuading your prospects to do the things they do want to do.
Bryan's company (run with his brother Jeffery) Future Now, Inc is all about showing web site owners how to create and structure information on web sites to make it more persuasive. They've even created their own term for this process called persuasion architecture.
I've long been a fan of their newsletter Grokdotcom. I think you'll enjoy Bryan's easy, non-techie style.”
Active links are available at the source site listed below.
Source: Duct Tape Marketing, 20 June 2006
Sue Altmeyer posts: “The Governor signed S.B. 131, making changes to liquor laws. See Governor Taft's News Release, June 20, 2006. Some of the changes include: (1) Prohibiting alcohol vaporizing devices; (2) Allowing open bottles of wine purchased at restaurants to be transported in vehicles; (3) Allows a person to possess an open or unopen bottle of wine on the premises of a D-2 Liquor Permit holder, if the permit holder is an outdoor performing arts center and the person is attending a performance; (4) Eliminates certain requirements for C and D liquor permits. See LSC Analysis.”
For active links, go to
Source: Cleveland Law Library Weblog, 22 June 2006
From the e-newsletter: “People often think [a health] intervention has to be a new drug, a new laser or something really high-tech and expensive in order to be powerful. They often have a hard time believing that the simple choices that we make in our lives every day—what we eat, how we respond to stress, whether or not we smoke, how much we exercise and the quality of our relationships—can make such a powerful difference in our health, our well-being and even our survival. But they often do.”
Read full text
Source: FindLaw’s PRACTICE PAPER. 21 June 2006. Copyright © 2006 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.
From the e-newsletter: “When lawyers give presentations, they often lack a clear point, leaving their audience bored and distracted. Consultant and attorney Joey Asher offers a challenge: Imagine that you'll be given $300,000 if, at the end of your 30-minute presentation, three people can tell you what your three core messages were.”
Read full text
Source: FindLaw’s PRACTICE PAPER. 21 June 2006. Copyright © 2006 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.
In the news: “Lateral movement of partners and practice groups has increased among big firms in recent months, and the growing trend has firms trying a variety of approaches to foster loyalty. Giving partners a vote in all "material initiatives" is critical, says one administrative partner: "If you all know where the ship is headed, you're more eager to get on the oars and take it there." But, as firms become larger and reflect a more corporate structure, issuing an oar to every partner seems to be getting tougher.”
Read full text
Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 22 June 2006. Copyright 2006. ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>
Cyber Security Tips
From the e-newsletter: "This collection of publications offers tips for non-technical computer users on online security topics such as password protection, anti-virus software, firewalls, identity theft, online trading, instant messaging and chat rooms, social network websites, "cyberbullies," wireless networks, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). From the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
URL: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/21889"
Smart Computing: Daily Tip Archive
From the e-newsletter: "Collection of brief tips on computing and technology topics covering hardware, software, Internet, digital cameras, handheld devices, and computer security and safety. Sample topics include locating user manuals, wireless mouse problems, instant messaging safety, chat room etiquette, and working with scanned images. Archive goes back to 2001. From Smart Computing magazine.
URL: http://www.smartcomputing.com/Editorial/daily/dailyarchive.asp
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/21891"
Source: LII Librarians' Index to the Internet. NEW THIS WEEK for 22 June 2006. Copyright 2006 by Librarians' Index to the Internet, LII. Subscribe <http://lii.org/search/file/mailinglist>.
From the e-newsletter: “Whether you have been the victim of a crime, or would like to learn more about preventing crime in your community, FindLaw for the Public’s Criminal Law Center offers national and state-specific crime victim and crime prevention resources. Learn more:
Crime Victim Resources
Crime Prevention Resources”
Source: FindLaw’s PUBLIC ADVISOR. 22 June 2006. Copyright © 2006 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.
Posted By Rob Millard: “My friend and colleague Gerry Riskin is reproducing his Seven Immutable Laws of Change Management on his blog.
Says Gerry to managing partners: "I guarantee that if you respect these rules, you will get the cooperation you need to effect the changes that will catapult your firm forward."
Well worth a look.”
For the active link, go to
Source: Adventures of Strategy, 16 June 2006