Lawyer Skills

In "Accommodating Clients with Special Needs," we talked about steps you can take to provide superior service to older adults and people with disabilities. But "special needs" can also apply to clients who are full-time caregivers or busy ...

In "Getting Things Done," productivity guru David Allen says dictation is one way to get what's in your head out, and make it useable. I agree. Dictation can help get more stuff done with less effort. Especially when it's not just “documents” ...

When setting up your office and your office procedures, you need to focus on creating a good experience for your clients. You create that good experience by showing your competence and respect for them, and by making the process as predictable ...

“I don't think this is going to work.” Judith slouched in the chair opposite my desk. “I mean, I don't know if I can trust her.” I understood. One of our firm's high-powered litigators, Judith was aggressive, tough on opponents, tough on her own ...

The failure of most social marketing stems from categorizing the platforms as distribution channels — or in the same light as television, radio and newspapers. They are not. These are conversation channels. A place for the transmission of ...

No one likes to deliver bad news. But things happen, and when they do it's important to let those around you know. In your law office, failing to share bad news at the appropriate time can lead to rumor and innuendo, as well as loss of morale ...

Maybe you’ve read the stories about the candidate who wasn’t hired because of spelling errors in the resumé. Or the firm that lost the bid in response to a request for proposal because of grammatical errors on its website. It’s not just lawyers ...

An important client texts you for advice on a critical decision, apologizing that circumstances don’t permit a better means of communication. You can’t see or hear each other, and time is of the essence. The decision can’t be deferred. A poor ...

She needs to just get on board,” Bob complained. “I keep telling her what to do, but she won't stop trying to second-guess me.” As I listened to his complaints, I wondered if he had even tried to hear what Mary wanted to say. She was pretty ...

It happens. You end up with a jury that is all one gender. That was the case in the trial of George Zimmerman, accused of second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. Six women sat on the jury, and the prosecutor misspoke, addressing ...