Archive for July, 2012
START HERE: From Office Systems to Marketing
Everything a Solo or Small Firm Needs to Know to Run an Effective Practice.
Choice of Entity
The selection of the form of entity under which to practice law is different depending on whether the lawyer is a solo practitioner or in partnership with other lawyers.
Screening Clients
Whether you are a seasoned attorney or new to the legal profession, you can never be too careful in creating a systematic approach to screening clients. Establishing and implementing an effective client screening system can …
Office Systems
Not considering your website, the first impression a client usually has is the call to the office.
Law Office Software
Unfortunately, law office software is too big a topic to cover comprehensively in a short article. That written, I will do my best to give you some key tools for making good decisions about software …
Getting Paid
Lawyers, like most business people, often have difficulty getting paid for the professional services they have rendered. In theory, we have an advantage in that the ability to hold funds in trust should ensure a …
Legal Research
Are you looking for a good value in legal research? We all need information and for those of us watching our overhead, legal research databases can be prohibitively expensive. Luckily, there are some legal research resources that can help a solo or small firm get the information they need for less.
Insurance
Whether lawyers are starting a business, growing their business or transitioning business as a sole proprietor or a corporation, there are two major assets that need protection and financial investments:
Major Trends in Urban & Suburban Law Firm Office Space Design
The law firm industry is currently undergoing a significant transformation affecting both large and smaller firms, urban as well as suburban, that cuts across all subcategories of legal specialization. There are a number of issues simultaneously impacting the legal industry ranging from increased cost efficiencies, major changes in technology, cultural differences between attorney age groups, as well as the globalization of industry and commerce including law firms.
How and Why You Should Become Your Market
What do the following names have in common?
Mark Zuckerberg, Henry Ford, Evel Kneivel, Larry Sonsini, Christopher Dolan, John Wayne, Gloria Steinem, George Lucas, Clarence Darrow, Jackie Robinson, and Martha Stewart.
When these names are mentioned we …
Storytelling & the New Media Jury
In today’s courtroom, litigators’ paramount concern is keeping the jury’s focus on the facts and evidence introduced in a case. Static photos, flipcharts, chalkboards, foam core boards, and separate pages of documents will certainly help convey your points, but a modern jury expects and responds better to a more visual and dramatic experience. By riding the wave of multimedia presentation technology that is changing litigation in America, and by learning how it can apply to your practice, you will more effectively present your case in ADR, hearing, settlement conference or at trial.
Social Media Marketing
The standard ways of marketing our law practices – yellow pages, radio or TV ads – have given way to less expensive or no-cost solutions with the same or better results – social media. We …
Accepting Credit Cards
Having just decided to open a practice, where do you begin? “I guess I need one of those credit card swipe machines … I think they use a phone line, so I need one of those. Maybe I can use the same line as my fax machine …Wouldn’t it be great to accept credit cards from clients ‘on the go,’ using my phone? Or maybe through my computer?”
Civil Jury Verdicts
You must have thought I had given up on my Civil Jury Verdicts column for the Contra Costa Lawyer. I didn’t, but apparently lots of trial lawyers did, as I received no reports of trials, settlements or arbitration awards for a long time. However, recently I have received a number of reports. Thanks, folks, and keep them coming!
Inns of Court
On May 10, 2012, the Robert G. McGrath Inns Of Court had another fun meeting at the Lafayette Park Hotel. This was the last meeting of the year and Judge Rebecca Hardie’s pupilage group provided a great presentation on Yelp and the legal profession.
