Three years ago, I wrote a primer for Attorney at Work on setting up an all-Mac law office. For this new two-part series, in addition to updating that earlier article here, I’ve reached out to four Mac-using lawyers — Victor Medina, David Sparks, Ben Stevens and Jeremy Worley — for their insight and advice. You can read their full replies tomorrow on Attorney at Work. How Many Lawyers Are Using Macs? There are two reasons lawyers contemplate using a Macintosh in their practice. One is because they’re already using an iPhone or iPad and a Mac would complete their Apple-y experience. (Some call this the “halo effect.”) The second is that many lawyers have a Mac at home either for their own use or a family member's (e.g., for offspring attending college). They’ve become enamored with the “it just works” dependability and yearn for the same experience on their work computer. ... READ THE REST

When did we decide that the "workweek" should be defined as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.? (Okay, I know a good many lawyers work a lot more than that, but you know what I’m saying.) Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of time and what it means in terms of my work. When I was a solo practitioner, I was only in my office two or three days a week — the days I met with clients or when I wanted to be free of the distractions of home. It wasn’t uncommon for me to run the errands that most people save for the weekends or to work on community activities during the middle of the week. Since joining a firm, even though I am of counsel and have autonomy over my schedule, I feel obligated to be in the office Monday through Friday. Why is that? ... READ THE REST

When you’re pressed for time, you may feel there aren’t enough people or hours to get everything done. You can’t do it all — but whether it’s administrative, marketing or legal work, professional help is available on surprisingly short notice. Places to Turn When You Think There’s Nowhere to Turn Many resources, with a range of […]

Sorting email: The simplest steps to beat back email. Email use continues its upward climb. The Radicati Group recently reported that email use is growing at 5 percent per year and will do so through 2020. Though growth is slowing, the existing volume makes any increase problematic. Sorting email takes a lot of time each […]

With summer in full swing, it may be difficult to imagine Christmas and Hanukkah looming around the corner. But if the topic is holiday cards, it's not too soon to knock a few big decisions off your to-do list, like ... should we send digital holiday cards this year?

Who are these “enterprising lawyers”? Look for the more engaged and happier lawyers in the crowd. Deeply invested in the power of the work they do, they have ample interests beyond the practice of law as well. And they seem to have more energy for getting things done than anyone in the crowd. You probably know one — you may even be an enterprising lawyer yourself! Today, meet Victoria Aguilar, the inventive attorney behind Uncommonly Smart HR, a human resources consultancy owned and operated by her Denver law firm, The AR Group. ... READ THE INTERVIEW

Guest blogging? You are probably saying to yourself that you write enough as it is, and you couldn’t possibly take on another assignment. (And I feel your pain!) You spend most days creating documents and responding to clients, other lawyers and the court system. Plus, you probably maintain your own website and blog. Why on earth would you want to write a guest post on someone else's blog? The answer is fairly simple: credibility. By sharing your knowledge with more readers, you are establishing authority and building your practice. Guest blogging helps you achieve that in a few ways ... READ THE REST

A long time ago, lawyers earned new business by developing a reputation and building relationships. In the age of the social web, this really hasn’t changed at all.

“I won’t dignify that with a response” may sound very "Downton Abbey," but it won’t get you far when dealing with a potentially reputation-damaging crisis. Still, many litigants and their lawyers choose to handle a crisis in that way, which is not only ineffective but perhaps more harmful — to both your and your client’s reputation — than the crisis itself. Here are a few rules of what not to do in such situations — what I call the “three deadly sins” of crisis PR for defendants and their counsel. ... READ THE REST

Question: I am an attorney looking to build my brand online. So what social media platforms should I get active in, or are any of them really that important? A person could go crazy keeping up with every single social media platform. It's impossible, even if you had time. So we asked the experts from the Legal Marketing Association to tell us where lawyers absolutely need to be. Reputation Ink's Kristi Dosh says, "If you’re on no other platform professionally, you should be on LinkedIn." Barley Snyder's Jenna Wagner agrees, but adds that "JD Supra has quickly become a leading source for all things legal." And PR pro Elizabeth Lampert points to some up-and-comers lawyers should consider ... READ THE ANSWERS