Even the best writer can sometimes confuse words that sound almost the same — call them sound-alikes. A prior post reviewed many of the most common pairs. Here are some more.

One of the downsides of traveling is that email keeps coming in while you’re gone. Although I had an awesome time doing The Undeniable Tour earlier this year, and speaking at the Ungagged conference in London, my inbox turned into a nightmare while I was away. I prefer to keep the population of my inbox at 25 or less. That way I can see all pending messages on one page. I get easily overwhelmed and distracted if I feel like too many pressing issues need my attention. When I got back from London, I had nearly 300 messages in my inbox. Bah! It was time to get a handle on this. ... READ THE REST

Go to law school. Work hard. Get a job at a big firm. The road map for becoming a successful lawyer used to be fairly predictable. But these days, many talented lawyers, uninspired by the BigLaw hierarchy, are striking out on their own. We're seeing more lawyers with entrepreneurial spirit start boutique firms or solo practices, finding new ways to deliver excellent legal services on their own terms. Carving out a distinct space for a new law practice and attracting the right kinds of clients is no easy feat. One big challenge: Without an existing big firm brand attached to your work, it’s up to you to establish yourself as a thought leader and stand out in front of peers and potential referral sources. But what does that mean? How do you find your target audience? And what makes for a true thought leader? Here are five tips for becoming a thought leader in your field. ... READ THE REST

It’s something you hear when you’re starting your career (and something you’ll hear constantly, throughout your career, if you’re a nonconformist): "You have to be more professional." Of course, that begs the question, just how does one "be professional" in the first place? Think about what your definition for professionalism has been. It’s not something you came up with yourself. No one is coloring a particularly sweet giraffe in kindergarten thinking: "How can I do this kindergarten thing in a more professional manner?" You don’t start thinking about this notion of professionalism until you start working — and not because you feel like it's the right thing to be doing, either. Someone (your first boss, a teacher priding himself on remaining grounded in "real life") started drilling the idea into your head. "Professionalism" — never was there a finer term to air-quote. ... READ THE REST

“What is the most important thing to your successful career?” Shelly asked earnestly.It was flattering to be asked. This young associate was interviewing the more successful senior attorneys in the firm to help her figure out how to manage her own legal career. But I asked her to come back later, so I had time to think on it.

If any of your clients are involved with health care, you know how highly regulated the field is. You may think you are complying with all the regulations and have lock-tight security measures in place at your firm. But you could be wrong. Consider that there have been 92 breaches involving personal health information (PHI) so far this year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights’ database. Thirty-two percent of those breaches were caused by IT incidents or hacking. Either due to lax security practices or cyberattacks, personally identifiable information such as medical records and payment history was open to unauthorized third parties. When you work with PHI, you need to keep your firm steps ahead of hackers and away from accidental data breaches — and be aware of your responsibilities. As a law firm "business associate" handling PHI, you need to understand what the government expects of you, and where you may be vulnerable. ... READ THE REST

Lawyers often lament: “I’ve been on LinkedIn for years, but I’ve never experienced any benefit from it.” What most mean is: “I’ve never gotten any work from it.” Lack of LinkedIn success is due to two factors. The first is lack of understanding of the platform’s tools. The second, more important factor is lack of understanding of its purpose. Many lawyers aspire for connections, with the “500+” designation considered a benchmark for success. But LinkedIn isn’t about building connections, it’s about building relationships. Don’t get me wrong — connections are important, but only as a means to an end. The “end” is creating meaningful, lasting relationships with your connections. And this requires more than simply extending and accepting invitations. As in all facets of life, the best way to build relationships is to give of oneself. You give your wisdom, and your connections give their time and attention. Over time, as you produce and share great content, you’ll be thought of as a resource, not a connection. So what’s the best way to expand your reach and your relationships on LinkedIn? Start posting articles using LinkedIn Pulse. ... READ THE REST

In a few months, I will celebrate my third anniversary as a solo practitioner. Without question, this experience has been the most rewarding of my nearly 16 years practicing labor and employment law. In reflecting on this arbitrary milestone, I realize that I’ve amassed a few nuggets of useful information to share with others who are thinking about taking the leap to their own solo practice. Here are seven tidbits I hope you find useful.

Business development trainer Mike O’Horo is rarely at a loss for words. His new column for Attorney at Work is dedicated to helping you find just the right business development words to use, too.  Last month in "Well Said," he explained "How to Stimulate Referrals." Today: How to say "thank you" — and maintain those good relationships.  Now that your referral source has generously plugged you into her network, what must you do to show proper appreciation and respect? READ THE REST

Before you fire those agreements off to your client in an email, there are some key questions to ask.