Even though you went to law school and have spent your career so far practicing law, the truth is, you actually run your own small business—regardless of the size of your firm. And while you may like to think of your practice as a runs-itself enterprise, your long-term success depends on your ability to think and act as an entrepreneur (in between practicing law, that is). Take Mike O'Horo's quiz to assess your entrepreneurial comfort level.

Have you noticed that nearly everyone who writes about the legal profession and practice management these days seems fixated on innovation? Either that or leadership—but mostly innovation. Here’s our theory: When people start talking about innovation, it’s a polite way of saying, “Ach! I hate the way things are around here!”

You probably aren't surprised to hear that Americans now spend more time online than they do watching television. But would you guess that 85.6 percent of the U.S. Internet audience viewed at least one online video in the month of June 2011 alone? Maybe it's time to create educational videos for your law practice.

When I was growing up, among my favorite heroes were Atticus Finch, Perry Mason and Clarence Darrow. Yes, I know it could have had something to do with Gregory Peck, Raymond Burr and Spencer Tracey. But to me they represented an ideal of what the legal profession stood for, not unlike what Sergeant Friday and […]

Social media is great, but it’s no excuse to sit at your desk and think you have completed your networking outreach. Meeting people in person is still the best way to connect. Real-time conversations allow you to gently probe for information about any potential need for your services, and your charm will come through in a way you just can't achieve online. So get out there and connect with your next client!

It’s Friday. (Pfew!) Time to take a time-out from tedium and flex a few fun muscles to get in shape for the weekend. Be careful, though, some of this week’s Friday Five links can suck the time right out of your work day. So here we go, from the sublime to the ridiculous! 1. Shakespeare […]

When is it okay to boast about your professional accomplishments? Say, in blog posts or tweets or press releases? To help set us straight, we asked preeminent ethics expert Will Hornsby to explain some of the stickier rules surrounding marketing legal services. In this installment, he covers directories and the issues that arise when you want to advertise or announce your honors.

Mom had it right: Brush your teeth. Wash your face. Comb your hair. Get to the gym. Make it routine and you won't suffer the weight of getting things done—you'll just do them. It's that same approach that builds great rainmakers. They do the routine tasks as simply as breathing—leaving enough time and energy to help their clients and accept the accolades. Give it a try. Add these six basics to your business development regime.

What happens if you have three important things to get done today and only two hours open on your calendar? How do you avoid feeling frustrated at the end of the day because you didn’t “finish” that motion, or your pre-bills or that amendment? Instead of diving into the maelstrom, use your morning planning to make the best use of your available hours—and conquer the "I didn't get it done!" blues.

Let's say you have a meeting scheduled with your client to review an important time-sensitive document. Moments before, your client calls to cancel because she's caught at home during a snowstorm. At one time, you would have had no choice but to reschedule. Nowadays you have another choice in the form of web conferencing tools.