There are so many places to socialize online and way too little time. How can you make all of this socializing more efficient? That's what this post is about. First, a discussion of several social media management applications designed for the user who wants access to all platforms in one place. Second, my personal opinion about how to best approach social media in general.

Two coaching situations recently occurred in close proximity to each other and the contrast was striking. In the first, Attorney A, a partner, was interested in building a niche practice in an industry in which his largest client operates. We identified an industry association of which he had not been aware, and that group, coincidentally, had a meeting coming up in his city. He sent an email to his practice group head requesting the funds to attend ($500). On our next coaching call, I asked how the meeting had gone. He said, “I didn’t go.” When I asked why not, he said, “Because the firm wouldn’t pay the registration fee.”

At LexThink 2014, Gwynne Monahan started her six-minute speech on the given theme, "The End of Irrelevance," with a creative analogy: Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Here's her take on how data can transform the way you look at, well, just about anything.

Mitch Albom, who has been regularly employed as a sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press, has written songs for Warren Zevon and penned a few books, one of which is "The Five People You Meet in Heaven." Now, I’ve never read that book (per my mostly ironclad rule that I don’t read any books published after 1952 — what’s up Thomas Hardy?), but its title has given me some inspiration for this post. In fact, I like the idea so much, I’m doubling down on it: Imma give you 10 clients you’ll meet at the vestibule of Hell, Virgil describing the paces to you. (So, I guess I got next Friday covered, too, then.) The envelope please ... top 10 worst clients ... READ MORE

Question: Must we really spend money on a slick print brochure for our law firm when nearly everyone gets their information via the Internet? How can we use printed pieces most effectively? Law firm marketers Tina Emerson, Jim Jarrell and Kevin Sullivan — this month's experts from the Legal Marketing Association — fill us in on how law firms are using brochures these days. ... READ MORE

In her "Get to the Point" columns, Teddy Snyder has led us all to question our writing and speaking habits (and our hot dog acumen). In particular, "Lawyers' Top Three Grammar Goof-ups" inspired a lively LinkedIn discussion around the writing mistakes that irritate you most. So, with apologies to David Allan Coe, Steve Goodman and John Prine, here's another grammar issue that sets readers’ teeth on edge.

We are so used to instant gratification when it comes to communication — instant messaging, texting, all-access all-the-time smartphones. We can’t even get away from it when we travel, especially now that more and more flights are Internet connected. For goodness sakes, Parks Canada is even talking about making Wi-Fi available at national parks!

Perhaps you’ve found yourself asking, at some point, “Just what is ‘NewLaw’? More importantly, why should I be remotely interested in it?” Having recently set out to catalog dozens of entities that have been or could be described as NewLaw, I came up with a working definition. “Any model, process, or tool that represents a significantly different […]

Ah, spring is in the air! The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping and I have just received annual invoices from the two business organizations to which I belong. Between the two, I just paid about $500 for the opportunity to list my firm as a member organization and attend their events to shake hands and exchange cards with strangers. As a solo firm owner, about half of my job is networking. Like many lawyers, I’m constantly talking to people — in-person and virtually — in the hopes that I will be top-of-mind when they need legal advice. As I've said here before, networking is a process, not an event, and you have to keep showing up to build the relationships that will eventually turn into business. To renew or not renew? ... READ MORE

It was my worst nightmare as a young lawyer.