It feels good to put your law firm's business strategy into action, doesn't it? No more time spent dithering over whether to spend the odd $50 on a banquet ticket. No more games of "my prospect is more important than yours!" You say you don't have a plan? Wow. Really? Well, there's probably comfort in knowing that yours isn't the only law practice managing the business side of things in a reactive mode. But surely it's cold comfort — especially when you realize what a difference it can make to have a strategic plan bubbling along. READ MORE

Nothing messes with your productivity like a clogged email inbox. Fortunately, it is never too late to polish up your daily e-routine — or to trash bad habits that are slowing you down. Andrea Cannavina is an expert in teaching lawyers to do more in less time. Try out her five favorite ways to streamline your email routine and see if you can't boost your efficiency ... starting now! READ MORE

Every year, law schools crank out twice as many baby lawyers as there are job openings, and every year we hear that the traditional market for lawyers is shrinking. The United States already has more than 1.2 million attorneys, and somewhere around 700,000 jobs. What is going to happen to us? Obviously, the value of […]

It's pretty clear that the web is going visual. As Google Chairman Eric Schmidt puts it, “The content of the Internet is video.” Google is adding new ways to explore images online. Even local business listing results are becoming more image-driven. Bing is following suit. And we know the power of images in the context of the social web.

As of 1:04 a.m. EST, it's officially summer! And about darn time. Since we're feeling the celebratory summer solstice joy today, we're revisiting one of our favorite posts, with well-timed advice on ways to enjoy life's special moments (like the longest day of the year). Try these great stress-reducing ideas in the coming weeks and months and you're bound to have a more refreshing summer. — The Editors READ MORE

Taking an occasional step back to put yourself in your clients' shoes can be one of the most valuable ways to improve your client service.

A lot of law firms spend good money to generate leads through marketing, advertising, promotions and networking, in both online or offline venues. But most of that money is lost because of inconsistent and unsystematic intake when a lead actually contacts the firm to express interest in its services. Lead intake is what you do when you’re in front of, on the phone or online with a lead or prospect—which, to be clear, includes, or should include, the act of qualifying and converting the prospect to a client. Unfortunately, too many lawyers get it wrong. Here are four common client intake mistakes—along with tips on how you can avoid making the same ones. Get it right and you'll succeed in converting more leads to clients. ... READ MORE

Younger lawyers often wonder where to begin their marketing efforts. Without a notable track record of experience or expertise, and lacking contacts in a position to send business, the odds can seem insurmountable. If you are part of a firm, however, you have many potential marketing opportunities—they just happen to be internal.

Wise lawyers know that contemporaneous timekeeping is essential to the success of any fee arrangement—and to the overall financial success of your law firm. Lawyers who reconstruct their time weekly tend to lose 25 to 30 percent of their time, and those who enter time on a monthly basis can lose as much as 55 to 70 percent. To illustrate, assume an attorney is billing at $150 per hour and doesn’t capture 15 minutes a day. READ MORE

You're a litigator—when people need you, they find you, right? But until they do, they don't think much about you. All your usual business development tactics seem doomed to fall on deaf—or, at the very least, uninterested—ears. So, how do you market litigation services? For this month's "Ask the Experts," we passed that question on to Legal Marketing Association members Amy Adams, Tina Emerson and Stewart Hirsch. ... READ MORE