The legal profession constantly struggles to set advertising policies that strike the balance between consumer protection and access to justice.

I confess that I am annoyed when people call Google+ a ghost town. I have to bite my tongue and crack my knuckles to avoid furious screaming and typing "You're doing it wrong!" But wait. Wait. Let me back up a step and explain what Google+ is: It's the future of online search. Remember that Google changed Internet search. And with Google+, it is doing so again, and a whole lot more. ... READ MORE

Question: "Help! I just need to know the right words to use. I’ve got a great network of potential clients and lawyers who could refer clients to me. But I apparently send the message that I’m not interested. How can I ask for business without sounding desperate?" Ask the experts from the Legal Marketing Association ... READ MORE

Tell the truth. You’re always on the lookout for a few really good marketing ideas. We all are. Even the world’s busiest lawyers are interested in the possibility of new (better!) clients. Because it is just so hard to go out looking for clients. All. The. Time. Right? Well, that's what our new and free bonus download is all about: How to (Really) Get More Clients This Year. ... KEEP READING AND GET THE DOWNLOAD

In recent years, as we all know, large law firms cut back on hiring, laid off staff and, in a handful of high-profile cases, dissolved. Consequently, we've seen a surge of interest in “going solo” among current and former BigLaw associates and partners. While the impulse is understandable, there are a host of issues to keep in mind when considering a leap from a large law firm to a solo practice. Here are seven of the major ones ... READ MORE

In his series on apps for Android-using lawyers, The Droid Lawyer blogger Jeffrey Taylor has covered note-taking and digital dictation. Today, he covers those nifty voice-command apps that help turn your smartphone into a digital personal assistant. When someone says “mobile personal assistant,” most of us think of the Apple iOS’s Siri. That lovable digital assistant took the world by storm, changing the way we interact with our mobile devices. Of course, being an Android lover, I bemoaned the fact that Apple beat the Google guys to that tremendous innovation. However, Apple’s glory wasn’t long lasting, as Android developers jumped on the tracks and started racing to build a Siri look-alike. ...

Mostly in life, you get what you pay for. And when you pay nothing, you don’t often get much in return. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for, but not in a good way. Once in a great while, though, you get an unexpected prize. Adobe Reader XI, Adobe’s free PDF reader software, is one of those prizes: A rare, good, free thing.

This post is not intended to convince you to join Google+. My friend Steve Matthews explains why lawyers should care about Google+ here. Instead, this post is intended to help you avoid some common mistakes when building your firm’s Google+ page so that, among other things, your listing will begin to appear in local search results. Merely creating your page will not guarantee high visibility for your firm in local results, of course, but it's a start.

Ready to ratchet up your marketing? Perhaps business is slower than you'd like, or you just don’t like the direction your practice is taking—too much repetition, not enough challenge? Maybe it's time to refocus your practice. Or maybe you need to stop waiting for others to "do something," and start bringing in your own clients. Regardless, first let's get clear on the realities of marketing legal services in 2013.

What you do (or don't do) to begin your day can determine how you feel for the rest of the day—whether you're focused or distracted, energized or tired, positive or grumpy. That's why it's so important to develop strong productivity practices for first thing in the morning. Here are a few good habits to include in your routine to get your day started correctly. Try them and see what a difference it makes.