There’s an old show business axiom that you always want to leave the audience hungry for more. Yes, you may rightfully see your law practice as more business than vaudeville. But you also want clients to find working with you is so pleasant and productive they wouldn’t think of contacting anyone else! And, of course, […]
Originally published February 8, 2013The most important ABA Model Rule governing professional conduct in the area of legal marketing is Rule 7.1, which covers communications concerning a lawyer's services. All states have adopted this rule, worded exactly the same or very close to it. The rule provides:
A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services. A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading.
Simply put, it says “thou shalt not lie.” Lawyers being lawyers, however, we somehow make what should be a straightforward rule into something far more complex. Recently, I conducted a legal review of numerous catchy words and phrases that a marketing-savvy lawyer might want to use, and assessed the risk of each under the rule. If the rule is “don’t lie,” it seems that you shouldn’t need to retain legal counsel to tell the truth from a lie. But in fact the regulations are murky. Here are some of the ethics traps that lawyers typically fall into when communicating with potential clients about their legal services. ... READ MORE Originally published February 6, 2013
I’ve talked about how to become a more productive and successful lawyer (and person) by leveraging David Allen’s time management system, Getting Things Done, and either Evernote or Springpad. In this post I am going to home in on the first stage of the GTD workflow: collection—or, in particular, capturing what I like to call “random sparks […]
Originally published February 5, 2013Someone recently posed the following question on LinkedIn: Should a new solo attorney rent commercial space or work from home? The majority of respondents suggested she save her money and work from home. But it raised an interesting question. When should a law firm owner move from the home office to a commercial office arrangement? ... READ MORE
Originally published February 4, 2013With LegalTech New York this week and ABA TECHSHOW on the horizon, legal technology conference season is in full force—a little slice of heaven for technology lovers and PowerPoint geeks. But since the rest of us could probably use a little help navigating what's ahead, for this special Friday Five we posed the following question to colleagues who make it their business to keep up with the latest technology news: "Which new technology development is getting a great big enthusiastic green light from you? And which is prompting you to pause and advise caution?" Here's what they told us. ... READ MORE
Originally published February 1, 2013Do you get a sinking feeling in your stomach when someone mentions pitching new business to clients? While selling your expertise and your practice's services gets easier the more you do it, having a few formulas to rely on can help get you started and calm the jitters, too. Get ready for your next sales meeting with a current client by asking yourself (and answering) a few good questions. ... READ MORE
Originally published January 30, 2013Who are these “enterprising lawyers”? Actually, they are easy to spot. Look for the happier, more engaged lawyers. Deeply invested in the power of the work they do for their clients, they have ample interests beyond the practice of law as well. And they seem to have more energy for getting things done than anyone in the crowd. You probably know one or two—you may even be one yourself! In this interview, we talk with Matt Haverstick, Chair of the Public Corruption Team at Philadelphia's Conrad O'Brien PC. Matt has built his practice and reputation representing government officials and institutions in matters ranging from public corruption investigations to the legality of state and local laws. At the vanguard of grand jury practice in the public corruption arena, he has taken clients before grand juries more than 100 times. For fun? It's comic books. Go figure. ... READ MORE
Originally published January 29, 2013When I think about the changes to social media and social networking in the past year, a variety of changes come to mind. Facebook acquired Instagram. Twitter added cover photos. LinkedIn launched new company pages. Google integrated Google+ into search results and added Communities. The list goes on. Sure, we could talk about how each of these changes might impact how you market your law practice. But in contemplating some of the “stuff you must know,” it seems to me the most important thing is still one of the most overlooked: Being authentic.
Originally published January 28, 2013I tend to think of lawyers as "brain gladiators," given how we flex our mind-muscles for our clients on a daily basis. But frustration, negativity and the daily grind can bring even the best Russell Crowe look-like to tears. So how can you reframe your professional life and zing your brain back into peak performance? Here are five ways: No battle-axe required. ... READ MORE
Originally published January 25, 2013
The other day I overheard my grandkids talking about me, and lawyers in general. The older one was trying to explain what it is lawyers do by repeating a comparison I'd once made between myself and Indiana Jones: “See, when you go to court, it’s like when Indiana Jones goes into that cave to get the golden statue. He has to avoid all the booby traps and dodge the arrows and falling rocks, and he’s mostly the only one who gets out alive.”
Originally published January 24, 2013
Sign up for our free newsletter.
