With more than 200 sessions and 200 exhibitors, the International Legal Technology Association's Annual Conference represents the leading edge of technology in the legal profession — and generates plenty of post-show attention in the blogosphere. For this week's Friday Five, we asked attorney and legal technologist Scott Giordano to bring back his impressions. ... READ MORE

If you don't know, paid search ads are the listings that appear at the very top of the page, typically in a tinted block, when you conduct a search online. Search ads can be a significant way to secure new clients for your law firm: In 2012, Google reported that in the U.S., clicks on paid search listings beat out organic clicks by nearly a 2:1 margin for keywords with high commercial intent. Search ads can also be the quickest route to a high position for your law firm on key search engine results pages (SERPs). You also get to decide the search terms that will put your ad in front of the appropriate audience, while being able to measure the ad's performance and adjust your strategy accordingly. When creating search ads, many people fall into the trap of focusing only on ad bidding. It’s not enough to simply show up for appropriate searches. You need to think about what to include in your ad to entice people — and you need to do it within stringent character and word limitations. Without powerful and persuasive ad copy, potential clients will move on. Here are some quick tips to help increase your clicks ... READ MORE

I suppose there are still lawyers and law firms out there asking themselves the question: “What is it that clients want?” Some of them continue to invest a substantial amount of money and time in detailed surveys of their existing clients, poring over the results and trying to read the tea leaves therein. Most of […]

Question: "Why should we blog? We have a website. Clients hire lawyers because of a relationship, not because they see you on the Internet. Besides, a blog can be pretty self-aggrandizing. Other lawyers in the firm think the partner who blogs is just building a following so he can go off on his own." In this edition of "Ask the Experts," the Legal Marketing Association members Tina Emerson, Jim Jarrell and Stacy Smith let loose on why a blog plus your website is a good idea — and how to best use it to build client relationships ... READ MORE

You just can't avoid talk of school this time of year. It seems everyone is scurrying along on a scavenger hunt for essential supplies and first-day fashions, or losing sleep over what our "babies" will need in the dorm room. It's all about getting ready for school. Maybe you should join in, too, and get ready to write a little learning into your fall calendar! For this Friday Five, we're looking at five big events sure to expand the outlook of your law practice. So, what's on the fall class schedule? ... READ MORE

I’ve come to like Outlook 2013 quite a bit (despite the confusing blue icon). It contains some new features that I’ve wanted, or have had to employ workarounds for, or had to use third-party software to resolve. So, I thought it might be helpful to those forced to upgrade to Office 2013, using Outlook for email specifically, to point out some ways Microsoft got it right.

When I hear the phrase “red velvet rope,” I picture a Studio 54-esque scene with a line of people outside of a night club who are either on the VIP list or hoping they're hot enough to convince the bouncer to let them through. Many of us have left our night club days behind, but author Michael Port says we still need a red velvet rope. When opening a law practice, many lawyers believe they need to take every case that comes in the door. Port takes the opposite view and recommends turning away prospects who don’t fit the profile of your ideal client.

Question: I know we're not recouping many of our law firm's costs from clients. How do you effectively manage a cost recovery program? Four members of the Association of Legal Administrators — Grace Carr Lee, Vicki Hughes, Kimberly Giertz and Rob Mattern — explain a few of their methods and offer key insights in this edition of "Ask the Experts." ... READ MORE

Here's the situation. You're stranded in a future legal market, vast and unfamiliar, and you need to launch a new legal career. Luckily, you get to start off with several skills and talents in place — but it's a limited quantity, and you'll need to choose carefully. Which ones will help you the most?

As the world moves faster (and it does, doesn’t it?), you have to move faster, too, not only to keep up, but to amaze and astound your clients in a highly competitive field. While it may not astound them, your ability to quickly create, share and finalize documents at the drop of a client’s hat […]