I was sitting in the middle of, quite possibly, the biggest trial of my firm’s history. The liability was golden. It was just a matter of how much we were going to win. To be specific, I was sitting in the middle of the courtroom. Literally the middle. Between the jury and the counsels’ tables. […]

Ever notice that nearly every discussion of career alternatives for unemployed or dissatisfied JDs includes something like, “... just look at John Grisham!” Ah, yes, the life of a writer of fiction. The fame. The fortune. The movie stars! While surely there are more realistic career options, today we're putting our cynicism in a drawer and devoting this Friday Five to, yes, resources for the fledgling fiction writers among us.

There's a scene in the movie "Men in Black" when Will Smith's character tries unsuccessfully to get the attention of his bosses, and finally succeeds when he bellows “Hey, Old Guys!” That's a familiar scene around my firm. No, I don't mean we have to scream at each other. But it does seem true most of us "old guys" don't want to pay attention to what's staring us in the face.

I read my horoscope this morning and here’s what it said: “Letting nature take its course is not advised. Passivity will bring unfavorable results. Take charge of your destiny.” You needn't be a Virgo (as I am) to see the good sense in that. Lawyers with the most successful and satisfying legal careers proactively seek out ways to enhance and integrate both their work and personal lives. Here are some characteristics commonly shared by happy and successful attorneys, along with suggestions for developing your own path to satisfaction.

So how do you stay visible on the web and offer good content to your social networks? I've begun experimenting with "curating"—a form of social news aggregation—to create The LPS Reader, a newsletter of my handpicked, top 10 favorite posts of the week. I couldn’t do a better job myself, even if I had time to try.

I spend a fair amount of time watching my nephews and niece, ages six, four and two, respectively. They tend to cycle through the kids’ shows, but there’s one they keep going back to, time and again: The Wonder Pets. I know. At first, I thought it was a typical, cheesy children’s show. But between trying to start a business […]

If you're feeling a little goofy about just how deeply in love you are with your nifty new tablet, don't be. Even the hardcore techies are a bit over the moon about the changes it's making in their work and lifestyles. Just to prove our point, we asked some of our favorite legal technologists to tell us what they love most about their tablets, along with their most-favorite apps. We learned a few things. Lesson number one: Make sure you have plenty of room if you're going to ask about the object of a techie's affection. Lesson two: There is some really cool stuff out there!

Mobility is a bedrock consideration for modern business practice, including the practice of law. But today’s mobile tool kit may be incomplete without a portable scanner, that will allow you to roam free, and paperless, wherever you happen to be.

While the combined topics of surveys, technology and purchasing might have you running for the hills, results from the International Legal Technology Association's 2011 ILTA/InsideLegal Technology Purchasing Survey contain some “good to know” take-aways for legal professionals, regardless of your technology IQ. Focused on ILTA member law firms with 50 or more attorneys, the survey covered detailed budget questions, updated information on firm social media preferences, an in-depth analysis of cloud computing, and sections on technology outsourcing and favorite legal applications. So, what can you learn from all this?

Anyone who knows me knows I haven’t figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I just haven’t found that single passion to follow. Another thing: I was described as “old and cynical” when I was only 26. So, why listen to anything I have to say about pro bono work? Because no one will tell […]