Managing a Law Firm

Fred sat at the end of the table, sweating and looking at the six of us as we waited expectantly for his decision. He hemmed, he hawed. And he asked to go over the options yet one more time. “It’s easy, Fred. Settle or sue. We’ve been here over ...

Successful practices identify specific client groups and focus business development efforts there. But, being lawyers, we tend to classify clients according to their legal needs rather than by criteria that are far more relevant to clients: ...

Another U.S. baby boomer turns 50 every 8.5 seconds. And if you run the math, it’s also the case that baby boomers are turning 60 at the rate of 1 every 7 seconds. Yes—you in the back there, hiding your issue of Rolling Stone behind the Wall ...

If financial planning sounds overwhelming, and you work on contingency, take a look at “structured settlements.”

Speaking with a reporter is always a crap shoot. But speaking with them is far better than avoiding them. While you can't control what the reporter ultimately writes, with a little advance work you can improve your chances of getting a positive ...

It happens to every lawyer from time to time. Someone you thought was a good long-time client suddenly drops the relationship. Or, perhaps you compete for a new client and you’re not selected. It can happen for any number of reasons. Many of ...

What’s the most important e-mail you need to review this morning? It’s rarely what arrived overnight. By default, Microsoft Outlook opens to Inbox, but it doesn’t have to. Instead, you can tell Outlook to start by opening the folder of your ...

It didn’t matter whether she had asked for the meeting, or how much her secretary or associates cajoled her. Rebecca always arrived late, in a flurry of activity and perfunctory apologies. For most of us, being late is an accident, a mistake or ...

No one has more impact on the kind of work you do, and the opportunities you receive, than the person you work for—whether a senior partner, group leader or client. Even when you move on, they can make or break future opportunities as a referer ...

We all know it’s much easier to generate new business from current clients than to go out and get brand new clients. But how to go about it? Here’s today’s suggestion: Create a Legal Annual Report for your best client. Jordan Furlong has ideas ...