“Your Honor, this is a motion to vacate the most recent order and request for rehearing. Unfortunately, our failure to appear was caused by a calendaring error in our office.” How embarrassing. Yet, “calendaring” or “docketing” (depending on your jurisdiction) errors happen regularly. Some of the causes of these mistakes can be eliminated by avoiding certain phrases when communicating about date and time setting.

You know that feeling you get when, brilliant as you almost always are, the words refuse to organize themselves into anything more than just ordinary? When the to-do list on your desk threatens to rise up and take over? When it seems that, in trying to please too many, you have pleased absolutely no one?

Getting it done. That's where good ideas can fall short. Making a list of action items is one thing. It’s another to start — and finish — checking those items off. Earlier this year, I rounded up a list of attorney “to-do’s” from law practice experts across the country. As we head toward the close of 2015, that advice (collected here in a pithy infographic) is seeming particularly relevant. Here are a few of my favorite tips. Keep them in mind as you stare down your own end-of-year to-do's and make plans for the new year. READ THE REST

When it was all over, I took a few days off. When I returned, the managing partner wanted to see me. I entered his office ready to be fired. It was the first big case I had led, and there had been quite a few problems.

In law as in child-rearing, your clients need you to do certain things for them. They need your love in the form of guidance and counsel. They need you to be the expert in their needs, to guide them through the best course of action, and to execute at your highest skill level. They do not need you to spend your time working on things below your skill level. Here are five tips to improve client service through hiring freelance attorneys.

If you are just opening your practice or can’t afford to hire a private investigator when you need one, consider applying for a subscription to an investigative database such as TLOxp, and do your own investigating. TLOxp’s database is made up of public records, publicly available information and proprietary information, including credit headers. TLOxp can be used to:... READ THE REST

Recently, a lawyer who said he'd "been given the chance to meet with my dream client" asked for help preparing for that meeting. He allowed that, "they're not adding any new panel counsel yet, but I was still given the opportunity to meet with the decision-maker!" Many of you may have experienced this kind of elation at gaining an audience with a coveted prospect. You may also have experienced disappointment when nothing came of it. ... READ THE REST

What’s the “bare minimum” technology a lawyer needs to start up a solo law practice today? For this month's Friday 5+ Tech Tips, we asked practice management tech experts Jim Calloway, Heidi Alexander, Catherine Sanders Reach and Carole Levitt for their best advice for startups. READ THE REST

Recently, I was talking with a lawyer who had been referred a very nice piece of business right in her practice sweet spot. She said to me, “I don’t even know how they heard of me.” Putting aside the suggestion that she ask to find out, it got me thinking about how important credentials are in attracting legal work. Sure, we all talk about the importance of relationships in business development, including building our networks and cultivating contacts. But the fact is that the world is changing and, with it, the ways that clients select counsel. Clients have new ways of finding information and like to do their own research. Why Your Credentials Matter ... READ THE REST

Website hosting basics are important to anyone with a website. Sure, the topic is about as thrilling as discussing dental hygiene, and the details may seem confusing when you start talking with your website designer and IT person. You need to understand what you are buying and what to watch out for, though, because bad hosting choices can lead to slow websites, security issues and miserable tech support. And that adds up to a waste of your time and money. READ THE REST