Last week, we asked a handful of legal technologists to be our reporters at LegalTech New York. The scoop? Cybersecurity topped the hot topics list (made hotter still with news that another big health-care company had been breached). But security shared the LTNY headlines with Monica Bay — the long-time Law Technology News Editor-in-Chief announced her retirement. As for new product bombshells, it's relatively quiet out there, with upgrades, tweaks and collaboration among technology companies filling the news. Keeping things interesting, though, the ALM and the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics collaborated to bring in seven start-up exhibitors — and some fresh air. Now, in their own words, here's what our LTNY reporters found most intriguing. ... READ THE REST
Originally published February 12, 2015
I shocked my contacts at the beginning of the year when I announced that I joined another law firm. (I know, I never thought it would happen either.) I am now of counsel at an IP boutique firm called Venjuris in Phoenix. I still have Carter Law Firm, though, for professional speaking and writing purposes. Shifting from solo life to a multi-lawyer firm has been quite a change. ... READ THE REST
Originally published February 11, 2015
Contrary to what some social media pundits would say, conferences where people show up and interact in person have not gone away. Not only are they around to stay, but most legal marketing pundits (including yours truly) agree that attending conferences can offer valuable business development opportunities. But how do you know whether a conference will be really valuable, especially since an out-of-town conference will likely cost a few thousand dollars and the loss of billable time? Your best bet is to weigh several factors. ... READ THE REST
Originally published February 10, 2015
One of the great story lines from the movie "Caddyshack" is Carl Spackler's (Bill Murray) epic battle with the pesky golf course gopher. While the gopher proved to be a tougher adversary than Spackler expected, and ultimately outwitted the hapless greenskeeper, Spackler learned a few important lessons in his quest to rid Bushwood of the "varmint." One of them — which I discuss below — actually has relevance to this article.
Originally published February 9, 2015
The proliferation of smartphones and tablets in the workplace has dramatically changed how business is conducted, and the legal profession is no exception. Nearly everyone has a mobile device, but how many of us use these devices to their full potential? Think about how you are using your smartphone in your daily affairs. Can that same technology do even more to help you give your clients the best possible representation?
Originally published February 5, 2015
My practice focuses on franchise and entrepreneur law. A little over a year ago, I launched Franchise Euphoria, an educational podcast about franchising and business. Truth be told, the No. 1 reason I started it was to help aspiring entrepreneurs and others interested in franchising learn more about it. Sure, I thought it would benefit me as well. But I wasn’t 100 percent clear on how it would help my practice. I just knew it was an opportunity to try something different. The response and level of engagement I have received since launching has blown me away. To date, I have completed over 100 episodes, and Franchise Euphoria is a top-rated iTunes Podcast. It has been downloaded thousands of times and listened to in 82 countries and growing. Beyond the numbers, there are three significant ways that my podcasting has boosted my law practice.... READ THE REST
Originally published February 4, 2015
There’s oh-so-much talk about social media and lawyer marketing. So we decided to get some facts of our own. In our first Attorney at Work Social Media Survey, conducted in December, we asked readers about their social media habits, preferences and attitudes. More than 450 readers responded to the survey, including 340 lawyers (56% female, 44% male), weighing in on their use of social media and their perception of its value. There were some surprises, of course, along with confirmation of things we knew all along. ... READ THE REST
Originally published February 3, 2015
In 2014, I spent a lot of time focused on the future of lawyers. One highlight of that was spending time with legal futurist Richard Susskind, who was our guest at the Oklahoma Bar Association's annual meeting in November. I also met and listened to Indiana University law professor William Henderson (recently named "most influential" person in legal education). Henderson brings as much data and analysis to the future of law discussion as anyone. I myself addressed several state and local bar meetings about my thoughts on the future of law, in particular for solo and small firm lawyers. So how do I advise solo and small firm lawyers to brace for the future? Here are a few thoughts. ... READ THE REST
Originally published January 30, 2015
Do you ever feel like everything you do is for someone else — be it clients, colleagues, staff, family members, the kid at the door selling candy bars to fund his class trip — when, truth be told, you are feeling pretty darn needy yourself? Most of us feel that way from time to time, but if you can't shake it off, something must be done!
Originally published January 29, 2015 If your ideal clients are on the Internet (and if they are alive, they are), you might be missing out on a world of marketing opportunity. You can kick back and hope the random hits Google coughs up for your practice do the trick. Or you can start now and get the Internet to roll up its social media sleeves and really go to work for you. For our new 50-plus-page e-zine, “Connected: A Lawyer’s Guide to Social Media Marketing,” we asked some of the smartest legal marketers we know to survey the social media landscape and share their ideas to help you use it more effectively for client development. ... GET YOUR FREE COPY HERE
Originally published January 28, 2015
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