I’ve always liked the saying “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” I think lawyers often make this mistake when approaching business development opportunities. Facing with pitches or presentations to clients, they typically come at it from one direction — why the prospect should select them or their firm instead of another alternative. Their “tools” are credentials and experience. In reality, that approach may not be effective or even appropriate, depending on where the client is in the decision-making process. Without knowing the prospect’s situation, you will not be able to make a compelling case for getting hired.

Finally, law is beginning to shift: new business models, intriguing new ways of delivering legal services, emerging markets driving new demand. But what does it all mean for your law practice? A few things going forward: You will have more, different and growing kinds of competition (ouch!). The demand to keep changing up how you do things will persist. Feedback from clients and potential clients should carry more weight. You’ll always be working on your business and finding better ways to meet your clients’ needs and wants. If you want to stand out, it’s time to build some new skills — and a fresh mindset.

It is said that new lawyers only face two challenges when opening their own practices: not knowing how to practice law and not knowing how to manage a practice. Other than that, the rest is easy. Other than that, the rest is easy. In recent years, a number of “incubator” programs have sprung up to provide recent law school graduates with the training and infrastructure to launch solo practices while encouraging them to offer reasonable rates to modest means clients to address the access to justice crisis.

There are places where you can tell a joke and places where you definitely shouldn’t. Generally, the courtroom is not the first choice for stand-up comedy. Unless you’re Paul Farahvar. Farahvar took improv classes at Chicago’s Second City comedy school to improve his courtroom game. “Originally, I took improv classes and did comedy to loosen up,” says Farahvar. The classes definitely helped — maybe a little too much. Today Farahvar, still a practicing litigation attorney in Chicago, is also a full-time stand-up comic.

Good improv comics have an ability to walk onto a stage and connect with an audience effortlessly. It may seem like this is because of their innate acting talent, but that's only part of it. Improv training gives these actors a toolbox of learned skills that allow them to bring their talent to life on stage. These same skills work just as well on the business stage as they do in a theater.

With spellcheckers and online grammar guardians such as Grammarly, proofreading has become a nostalgic pastime for some writers. But proofreading is more than spotting typographical errors; it is a chance to impartially consider usage and sentence construction. Like mindfulness, proofreading contributes to peace of mind.

The internet is really helpful at listing common ways people waste their money. But legal technology spending is a bit trickier to control than your gym fees or cable bill. Even when it's just you and your laptop. So, where are law firms losing money? Today, legal technology experts Heidi Alexander, Sharon Nelson, Catherine Reach, Nora Regis, Deborah Savadra, John Simek and Courtney Troutman point to the biggest money-wasters in law offices — and share their tips for spending wisely.

In a country with increasingly diverse demographics, effective marketing must appeal to but not insult any group. Sticking to One's Own. People may be most comfortable consulting a lawyer in their own demographic, but that isn’t always possible. The more specialized your practice area, the more important it is for all potential clients to feel comfortable retaining you. Your marketing efforts may reflect your own cultural biases, sometimes in ways you may not realize. Certainly, you will want to reach out to potential clients who you know will view you as simpatico. But think hard about what you can do to appeal to others.

Much has been written about clients’ reactions to escalating legal costs, but what are the implications of a client challenging individual billing entries? It may not be about billing at all, but about how well your operating style aligns with your client's. Here are a few common billing challenges to set the stage.

Athletes often discuss the fact that each time they advance to the next level the game “speeds up.” The leap from high school to college ball is a significant one. Players are bigger, faster and stronger, and the game moves at a more rapid pace. College to pro is even more drastic, as things move at dizzying speeds. You’ve just turned pro. While there were smart, insightful people in your law school class, you're now participating on a professional playing field at an entirely different level.