It’s always interesting to me how many lawyers still think a successful law practice centers on knowing lots of legal principles. The reality is, that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s true that you know how to read analytically, how to quickly assess, review and assimilate case law and statutes. You have a good appreciation of the sheer depth and complexity of legal analysis. These things are necessary but insufficient.

Last month, I was asked to speak at BlogPaws, a national conference for pet bloggers. (Yes, I got to take Rosie the basset hound with me.) I was part of a panel that presented a three-hour workshop called "Legal Dos and Dont's of Blogging and Social Media." This time, I deployed some new techniques to maximize the impact of our talk, and I think they worked.

For almost 14 years, I’ve answered my telephone at the South Carolina Bar and taken questions from lawyers and their staff. Questions about case management software are probably in the top three reasons for calls. (I used to distinguish between practice management software, which includes front- and back-office functions, and case management, which has front-office […]

In Part 1 of "Purge Toxic Clients," we walked through how to identify a bad client. Today, having identified them, let's look at how to actually end the relationship. When ending a client relationship, you have three goals: 1) Politely explain the situation; 2) Be professional — you never know where people will be five, 10 or 15 years in the future; and 3) set clear expectations of what to expect from you next.

You can create a video that simply exists on your website, or you can create legal videos that help you capture new clients and cases. While there is no magic formula to creating effective legal video content, there are general rules and guidelines you can follow to ensure that your video is positioned for success. If you’re venturing into the realm of video marketing for the first time (or if you’re looking to fine-tune your content to achieve the best results), here are five common characteristics of highly effective legal videos.

Question: How can I get my partner to cross-sell me to her great contacts? One of the toughest nuts to crack in a law firm is getting that important introduction to someone else's client. You know they need your expertise and experience, and you're positive it would be good for the firm. Too often, though, your partners hold their clients so close they lose sight of what those clients may need from others. Here's advice from the Legal Marketing Association's Adam Severson and Lisa Simon.

With so many choices (and new features being added constantly), shopping for practice management software can be overwhelming. So, we asked the practice management technology experts for a little perspective. First, what’s their best advice on making the decision, especially for smaller firms considering switching programs or investing for the first time? Then, what’s the […]

Years ago, someone told me about an accounting firm’s business development training philosophy. The firm had developed a continuum from 1 to 10, where “1” was something like “Would recognize me on the street,” and “10” was something like “Take family vacations together.” They asked the professionals to list their top contacts and indicate where each one fell on the continuum. After this exercise, the firm advised the accountants that their goal should be to move each contact up one number per year.

When Jeff Sherr was introduced to Slack, it struck him as a better way to capture and share those “short explosions of ideas” that happen after conferences and other events. You know when you’re out to dinner, talking with people, and new ideas start popping up? “Some of the best innovative ideas happen at those dinners,” says Sherr, who is the training director for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, and a leader in the National Association of Public Defenders.

Key performance indicators (KPIs), or performance metrics, are receiving some attention in the legal field. KPIs enable businesses to make data-driven decisions, and I, too, believe that KPIs are the next big thing for lawyers and law firms. Mantras like “measure or perish” have been bantered around many legal events over the past couple of years. However, measuring utilization and profit per partner are not the focus of the new breed of KPI. Instead, the focus is shifting from measuring inputs like available hours to measuring outputs that include value.