Solo Practice

Change Your RSS Feed for MyShingle - We Move to A New Home Tomorrow Night!

Posted on June 09, 2010
 Readers - MyShingle is finally moving to  a new platform tomorrow evening.  I'll post an announcement over there before, but I wanted to catch you all here to let you know that you'll need to resubscribe to the RSS feed for the new site...

Discover Simple, Private Sharing

Posted on June 07, 2010
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io   var scribd_doc = scribd.Document.getDoc(32672164, 'key-ckspujk1faczq4biipl'); scribd_doc.addParam('height', 450); scribd_doc.addParam('width', 450); scribd_doc.write('mediaPlayer');

Go, Solo, Go: Why I Joyfully Root for Small Law

Posted on May 28, 2010
Back when I worked for others, my heart was tight and mean.  My cramped vision of the legal profession as a zero sum game left little space for generosity or good will towards my colleagues.   Each time I learned that one of my classmates made partner at a big firm, or that another lawyer at my agency received a promotion or that a fellow associate would first chair a hearing, I seethed with envy...

Market Your Practice On The Government's Dime

Posted on May 26, 2010
If the costs of marketing your law practice have you crying "Uncle," why not call on Uncle Sam instead?  Government funded resources and events - from reports, workshops and rulemakings - are a treasure trove for solos and small law firms who want to track trends, identify and educate themselves on potential new niche practice areas or are simply in search of interesting tidbits to share at their blogs or in client newsletters...

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Warning Our Clients About the Dangers of Oversharing on Social Media

Posted on May 23, 2010
A while back, a colleague of mine had to deal with a client who fell squarely into the "with clients like these, who needs enemies" category.  This client had shared copies of all of my colleague's emails to him  with of the opposing parties in the case...

Don't Lose Your Reputation When Leaving A Law Firm

Posted on May 14, 2010
(Note: Originally published online at Complete Lawyer, July 2008) Most law students and lawyers know quite a bit about finding a job—how to write a compelling cover letter and an attention-grabbing resume, how to navigate tricky interview questions and how to make contacts who can help with the job search...

Solos Know Strategies Associates Need To Learn

Posted on May 14, 2010
(Note:  originally published at Complete Lawyer, November 2008 ) If you've just read this article's title, you're probably racking your brain trying to figure out what the heck a lowly solo practitioner like me can teach you about succeeding as a law firm associate...

Can Outsourcing Innovation Make Biglaw Firms Heros?

Posted on May 12, 2010
I've been enthralled by the concept of large firms outsourcing innovation to small fry ever since I first posted about the topic in 2008.  As I describe (very rapidly!) in my IgniteLaw presentation, outsourcing innovation is a win-win for both sides of the bar:  the big firm gets the benefit of a new practice area at a low cost while the solos can attract a steady stream of revenue that enables them to get their practice off the ground...

Should You Open Up Shop in Sears?

Posted on May 12, 2010
Across the pond in the UK, there's growing anticipation over the possibility of legal services coming to a supermarket near you as the 2011 effective date of the Legal Services Act draws near.  Passed by the UK Parliament in 2007, the Legal Services Act permits non-lawyer entities, like banks or supermarkets, to manage or own law firms, hence the statute's nickname, Tesco Law...

Mother's Day Post: I Remember the Burnt Goulash, But I'm Living the Lessons that Came With It

Posted on May 10, 2010
In honor of Mother's Day, I unearthed this photo from my mom's college graduation in 1977.  My youngest sister, six years my junior is in front of me with the graduation cap on her head; with my two middle sisters, poking each other on the left...

My Own Blast From the Past: Everything's Going to Be Alright

Posted on April 26, 2010
I am not supposed to be posting here.  My blog is moving platforms and this post will be lost in the transition.  Oh well.  There's a good conversation taking place on line and I wanted to join in. Today, Scott Greenfield shared his own blast from the past (or if you prefer, his salad days, a la Beefsteak Charlie's)...

Post Removed Regarding Solicitors From Hell

Posted on April 23, 2010
I do not do much in the way of post removals, but a few months ago, I made a mistake in a post, having confused the site Solicitors from Hell (a site that generates no revenue, according to an email from the owner) with Solicitorsfromhell.co.uk, a site that allows clients to post complaints about solicitors and allows firms to pay a fee to seek removal, according to this story...

Passion Is Always in Fashion

Posted on April 13, 2010
In a couple of hours, I'm heading out to Seattle for the Global Marine Renewable Energy Conference as well as some other meetings with colleagues and online friends.  I'll be away for the week and fairly busy, so I won't be posting.  Plus, while I'm away, there'll be some back-end work taking place at my site for a re-launch that is coming very, very soon...

A Few Quick Bits - Google Search Videos and Practice Management Comparison

Posted on April 13, 2010
I just wanted to mention a couple of quick resources. First, if you're in the market for law practice management tools, check out this post by my Social Media for Lawyers co-author, Nicole Black.  In particular, Nicole mentions this extremely useful  ABA Comparison Chart of different LPM tools...

Legal Ethics of Cloud Computing

Posted on April 10, 2010
Notwithstanding a work deadline and my still outstanding taxes, I've done my part to express my views on cloud computing in response to the North Carolina Ethics Committee Inquiry.  I'm not a member of the North Carolina Bar, but as a frequent commentator on solo and small firm practice, I felt it was important to share my views on these technologies...

North Carolina Wants Your Comments on Cloud Based Practice Management Tools.

Posted on April 07, 2010
Yesterday, I received the urgent news, first from my colleague Stephanie Kimbro of VLO Tech, then Jack Newton of Go Clio that the North Carolina bar has been asked to provide a formal ethics opinion on the use of the "cloud" or web-based services by lawyers...

Some Quick Tech Tidbits

Posted on April 06, 2010
 Here's some quick leftover tidbits from Tech Show (and elsewhere:) Legal Typist Andrea Cannavina, my TechShow roommate posted these tweets from my session with Niki Black on Social Media; Allison Shields of Legal Ease is doing a  multi-part summary of Tech Show (this installment has 60 tweets) and Ernie the Attorney Svenson has a neat little video on what the ipad does.

The More Things Change....

Posted on April 06, 2010
 A half decade ago, I posted about the then- historic lawsuit by the EEOC against biglaw firm Sidley Austin for engaging in age discrimination by demoting or forcing the retirement of 32 partners in their late fifties and early sixties because of their age...

Why Skills Training Just May Be Overrated...The Fourth Circuit Shows Why

Posted on April 06, 2010
 If you've followed me at this site for a while, you'd discover that I'm not particularly a fan of skills training in law school.  Sure, I'm familiar with and agree with much in the Carnegie Report, which argues that law school needs to incorporate more skills training...

Is Skills Training Overrated...The Fourth Circuit Shows Why

Posted on April 06, 2010
 If you've followed me at this site for a while, you'd discover that I'm not particularly a fan of skills training in law school.  Sure, I'm familiar with and agree with much in the Carnegie Report, which argues that law school needs to incorporate more skills training...

BonaFide Office Rules - A Rejoinder by Tannebaum

Posted on April 05, 2010
Last week, I  criticized a ruling out of New Jersey interpreting the bonafide office rule to prohibit virtual offices.  I argued that the rule (1) would force lawyers to hire staff and rent full time space, thereby raising the cost of legal services and (2) make it difficult for recently unemployed lawyers and female lawyers cutting down to part time to open up or run a law practice...

I'll Take Turkewitz on Ethics Over Jack Marshall Any Day of the Week

Posted on April 05, 2010
Over at his sparsely populated and impossible to navigate blog Ethics Alarm, American University Washington College of Law adjunct ethics professor Jack Marshall accuses wildly popular New York Personal Injury Law Attorney Law blogger Eric Turkewitz of violating Ethics Rule 8...

Sorry, But I'm Not Contrite About Ignite Law (Just a Little Late to Respond)

Posted on April 01, 2010
The night before ABATech Show, I participated in Ignite Law 2010:  The Future of Law in Six Minute Increments.  I'll admit -- the Ignite event excited me - and I submitted a proposal  because I think and write about the future of law and also because the Ignite format - 20 slides in 20 seconds - fascinated and challenged me...

Supreme Court Says Lawyers Must Advise Clients of Consequences of Guilty Plea

Posted on April 01, 2010
What sets us lawyers apart from computers or services like LegalZoom is our ability to counsel clients and help them make decisions.  Counseling clients is the very essence of what we do as lawyers -- so much so that failure to advise clients on obvious consequences of a decision to plead guilty -- such as deportation -- is ineffective assistance of counsel, at least according to yesterday's Supreme Court ruling in Padilla v...

NJ's Bonafide Office Rule Would Have Me Doubled Over With Laughter Except That It Will Double the Cost of Legal Services

Posted on April 01, 2010
I wish that I hadn't chosen April Fools' Day to post about ACPE 718/CAA 41, the joint opinion by two New Jersey judicial advisory committees ruling that virtual office arrangements, outsourced or shared receptionist services and even working outside of the office for more than a few hours violate New Jersey's "bonafide office requirement...

Virtual Law Practice - Video and Conference Call

Posted on March 29, 2010
I am back from Tech Show, with lots of posts to put up and thoughts to share, but I'm also under a deadline.  So for now, I'll leave you with this interview with Martindale Connected (it gets a little goofy at the end, but it was a fun interview!), as well as information on some of Martindale Connected's virtual law firm related events along with directions to register for a webinar today with me, Stephanie Kimbro and others...

ISO: A Few Good Solos, All Ages and Stages and Sizes (e.g., solos whose firms have grown) For Companion to Solo by Choice

Posted on March 22, 2010
Given the popularity of the solo profiles in Solo by Choice SBC, I've decided to compile a companion volume comprised entirely of profiles of lawyers who are currently "solos by choice" (or even by involuntary choice) or who started out that solo but have since grown into a larger practice...

My Shingle Round Up: Avoiding Scams, Perils of Court Appointed Work, Solo Stigma and Marketing & Tech Tips

Posted on March 22, 2010
Sorry for the increased number of solo round up posts in the past few weeks, but I am getting ready to head out to Tech Show Wednesday with several deadlines yet to meet.   Looking forward to the upcoming publication of Social Media for Lawyers and co-presenting with Niki Black at Tech Show...

Impact of Blogging on Solo and Small Firm Practitioners

Posted on March 21, 2010
Back in December, I had the amazing privilege of sharing a panel at Norwestern's Fourth Annual Judicial Symposium on Civil Justice Issues with Eugene Volokh and Mark Herrmann, co-founder and former blogger at Drug and Device Law (as an aside, Herrmann's last word as a blogger came in this article on both the pros as well as the considerable cons of blogging, particularly at biglaw)...

What Do Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Earn?

Posted on March 19, 2010
Biglaw has its annual and closely watched profits per partnership or PPP extravaganza, while Above the Law devotes an entire category to biglaw associate salaries and cuts.  But where can lawyers considering solo or small firm practice get a sense for what solo and small firm lawyers earn? The solo/small firm salary question is tougher to answer...

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