Columns

You passed the bar and got your first job in a law firm. Congratulations. Now it’s time to start becoming a rainmaker lawyer. “Whoa,” you say. “Slow down. Become a rainmaker lawyer? I still have to become a real lawyer. You know, one whose work ...

During a recent jury trial, counsel was provided with completed jury questionnaires including names, ages, home addresses and places of employment. In addition to using traditional research techniques found in public records, to what extent may ...

Ever wonder why some writers get all the attention online? Their posts get shared, their personal brands grow, their email lists swell, and their fortunes rise as their content receives an outsized share of eyeballs. It’s easy to dismiss ...

New Year's resolutions, like eating healthy or spending more time engaging with friends and family, are quickly abandoned when you're under constant scrutiny at work. (There's nothing like a civilized “Hunger Games,” right?) But you do have some ...

The best rainmakers are often great networkers. That doesn’t mean they are necessarily good schmoozers or enjoy working a room; in fact, many do not. It does mean they know and connect a lot of people. Many lawyers think of networking as ...

Raise your rates? What is an hour of your time worth? Some might say, “Whatever the market is willing to pay.” How did you decide your hourly rates? How do you make more money? The two obvious ways are work more hours or charge more money. ...

Oh, balderdash! I just read that using profanity enhances team building in the workplace. Say what? Apparently, a vocabulary of four-letter words brands you as part of the “in” group in the information technology industry, and the practice is ...

In my December post, “A Pre-Year-End Checklist for Solos and Small Firms,” we ran through the major systems of a law practice and took stock of concerns to attend to in the new year. (If you missed it, be sure to go back and get the downloadable ...

Several pundits declared 2017 “the year of artificial intelligence,” and with good reason. AI has entered our lives in so many ways, from how we interact with our phones to Amazon knowing what we’re likely to buy. But when it comes to legal ...

Too often, “client-focused” content translates as “let me tell you what you need, ” followed by “please don’t interrupt, I’m still talking.” One of the most exciting trends in law firm content is client-driven content — that is, stories about ...