A lot of law firms spend good money to generate leads through marketing, advertising, promotions and networking, in both online or offline venues. But most of that money is lost because of inconsistent and unsystematic intake when a lead actually contacts the firm to express interest in its services. Lead intake is what you do when you’re in front of, on the phone or online with a lead or prospect—which, to be clear, includes, or should include, the act of qualifying and converting the prospect to a client. Unfortunately, too many lawyers get it wrong.

Here are four common client intake mistakes—along with tips on how you can avoid making the same ones. Get it right and you’ll succeed in converting more leads to clients. … READ MORE

Younger lawyers often wonder where to begin their marketing efforts. Without a notable track record of experience or expertise, and lacking contacts in a position to send business, the odds can seem insurmountable. If you are part of a firm, however, you have many potential marketing opportunities—they just happen to be internal. READ MORE

Wise lawyers know that contemporaneous timekeeping is essential to the success of any fee arrangement—and to the overall financial success of your law firm. Lawyers who reconstruct their time weekly tend to lose 25 to 30 percent of their time, and those who enter time on a monthly basis can lose as much as 55 to 70 percent.

To illustrate, assume an attorney is billing at $150 per hour and doesn’t capture 15 minutes a day. READ MORE

You’re a litigator—when people need you, they find you, right? But until they do, they don’t think much about you. All your usual business development tactics seem doomed to fall on deaf—or, at the very least, uninterested—ears. So, how do you market litigation services? For this month’s “Ask the Experts,” we passed that question on to Legal Marketing Association members Amy Adams, Tina Emerson and Stewart Hirsch. … READ MORE

We all like to talk—at least most of us do. In real life, our conversations flow, with one person talking, others replying, the original speaker responding again. We keep track of the flow in our minds—all in one place. When we recall our conversation, we remember the flow—who started [...]

In Thrive: A New Lawyer’s Guide to Law Firm Practice, Desiree Moore guides law firm associates through the maze of firm life: the hierarchy, assignments, getting work organized and completed, and generally behaving like a lawyer who aims to succeed. Plus, her tips-filled book aims to ease anxiety with good [...]