Legal Research
Stark County Law Library Blawg 
Serving the legal community of Stark County, Ohio
Post Frequency: 6.7/day Last Entry: November 20, 2009 at 11:08:30 Recent Entries: 2062
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"The Most Expensive Mistakes A Lawyer Can Make"
Posted on November 20, 2009Posted by Chuck Newton: "I read an article on HuffPo Business recently in which they reviewed all of the most recently literature on the web and came up with the most expensive mistakes that a business could make starting out. ...
"Holiday Parties: Keeping Expenses Low and Deductibility High"
Posted on November 20, 2009In the news: "The economy isn't giving us a lot to cheer about this holiday season ... and it could get worse. This year, it appears more companies are saying no to an annual tradition: the office holiday party. But...
"Viral Video Marketing"
Posted on November 20, 2009Posted by Randall Ryder: "Maybe you have not considered the power of "the internets" or "the Google," but even lawyers can use viral videos as a marketing tool. Ten years ago, few people would have thought potential clients would search...
"The WITNESS Just Asked YOU a Question. Now What?"
Posted on November 20, 2009Posted by Jackson and Wilson, Inc: "On cross-examination, you just asked the witness a key question. Rather than answering, he looks at you and thinking he's going to shake things up a bit replies, "I don't know. What should I...
"Some Articles for You Mediators"
Posted on November 20, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Thanks, SSRN. "The Four Ways to Assure Mediator Quality (and Why None of Them Work)" "Caucus with Care: The Impact of Pre-Mediation Caucuses on Conflict Resolution" "'I' Before 'E', Except in Mediation: Training Introverts to Use Extroverted...
"The Controversial Terror Trial in New York"
Posted on November 20, 2009From the site: "The admitted mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects will head to New York City, blocks from Ground Zero, to face a federal trial in civilian court and it is creating quite...
"Learn Acrobat Online: Free eSeminar Series"
Posted on November 20, 2009Posted by Rick Borstein: "Can you name something free which makes you more productive? I can . . . just attend our free "Learn Acrobat Online" eSeminar series! We're going to kick it off this Friday with an...
"Externalize Document Storage in SharePoint"
Posted on November 20, 2009In the news: "A controversy has been brewing in law firms as more documents find their way into Microsoft SharePoint's SQL Server: Is SharePoint a viable replacement for a DMS? Mark Gerow, of Fenwick & West, discusses the case for...
Three Rulings of the Ohio Supreme Court
Posted on November 19, 2009Closing Argument Waived When Defendant Does Not Request and No Objection to Omission is Entered From the site: "2008-2415. State v. McCausland, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-5933.Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-5933...
"Google Gets into Legal Research"
Posted on November 19, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "In a post earlier today at Legal Blog Watch, The Google Gorilla Enters the Research Game, I wrote about Google's announcement yesterday that Google Scholar now allows users to search full-text legal opinions from U.S. federal...
"How to Shift Law Firms to a Performance-Based Compensation System"
Posted on November 19, 2009In the news: "In the last year, several Am Law 100 firms have announced that they have shifted to, or will shift to, a performance-based compensation program for associates. Dan DiPietro, Lisa Keyes and Laura Saklad write that designing and...
"Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFA) are Not as Hard as You Think"
Posted on November 19, 2009Posted by Ron Friedmann: "Last week I spoke at the Ark Group Conference on Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFA). I gave a short presentation called Unbundling Repetitive Aspects of Large Matters, my effort at de-mystifying and simplifying alternative fees...
"How to Operate a Successful Solo Practice"
Posted on November 19, 2009From the site: "In this edition of The Un-Billable Hour, host Attorney Rodney Dowell, Director of the Massachusetts Law Office Management Assistance Program, will talk about the keys to operating a successful solo practice. Rodney welcomes Attorney Carolyn Elefant, a...
"'Professionalism': A Lawyer-Centric Ruse?"
Posted on November 19, 2009Posted by JD Hull: "Reprinted from a 2005 "Law Week edition" of The San Diego Daily Transcript, here's "Professionalism Revisited: What About The Client?", written by one of our spunkier U.S. trial lawyers. Note that the piece ends with "rules...
"A Couple of Updates.."
Posted on November 19, 2009Posted by David Bilinsky: "A couple of updates: One: OnPoint Legal Research's Take Five Newsletter is now up for November, summarizing the 5 most interesting cases for BC: November Take Five Two: Bob Denney's November 2009 Legal Communique has now...
"TWiL 38: Don't Swallow That Phone"
Posted on November 19, 2009From the site: "Hosts: Denise Howell, Colette Vogele, Evan Brown, and Ernie Svenson DWI La-Z-Boys, Murdoch and Google, no tweeting in court, police searching cell phones, and more. Talking points: http://delicious.com/thisweekinlaw/38 TWiL shownotes The active links...
"Don't Be a Snob about Career Advice"
Posted on November 18, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "I have found that the best way to manage myself is by asking for a lot of help. The question is, how do you know who to take advice from? The answer is not always intuitive....
"The Benefits of Sabbaticals for Lawyers"
Posted on November 18, 2009In the news: "There is a long and time-honored tradition among other cultures, and other professions, of giving the mind and spirit a break from the day-to-day grind, notes attorney Janice Mock. It's called a sabbatical. You've heard of it,...
Three New Articles New on LLRX.com
Posted on November 18, 2009Bridging the DiGital Divide: A New Vendor in Town? Google Scholar Now Includes Case Law Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Bridging the DiGital Divide: A New Vendor in Town? Google Scholar Now Includes Case Law - The November 17, 2009...
"New Survey: Top Activities to Win New Clients"
Posted on November 18, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "A survey by The BTI Consulting Group for Hellerman Baretz Communications LLC released today provides insight into how to distinguish yourself from other firms in landing new clients. According to the survey, which involved interviews with the...
"Making a List and Sharing it Too"
Posted on November 18, 2009From the site: "We're at the time of year where everyone likes to make and share lists. Some new types of Internet tools let lawyers share useful lists of information in easier and more powerful ways. In this new episode...
"Prying into a Teen's Private Pages"
Posted on November 18, 2009In the news: "Imagine gaining access to a teenager's diary. These days, those personal thoughts are more likely to be documented electronically on social networking sites rather than on paper -- and those supposedly private communications can become public...
"Can Lawyers Use Time as a Competitive Advantage?"
Posted on November 16, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "An article recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal discussing how businesses can use the old adage, "time is money" when it comes to developing their products and services. (The Wall Street Journal, Beat the Clock:...
"How Lawyers Can Address the Challenge of Too Much Information"
Posted on November 16, 2009In the news: "The No. 1 challenge to lawyers' and law firm administrators' efficiency is in dealing with the ever-increasing barrage of information -- online and off -- that bombards them day and night, writes tax attorney Sheldon I. Banoff....
"Professor Makes Some Suggestions for Negotiating"
Posted on November 16, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Professor Dan Druckman bases his suggestions on research and case studies. I learned of him and his paper "Intuition or Counter-Intuition?: The Science Behind the Art of Negotiation" in a blog post by Phyllis G. Pollack; in...
"Client Alerts -- Appearances Count"
Posted on November 16, 2009From the blog: "If you're an attorney, then I ask you to think about something you don't often consider -- how you appear in print. Why? Because it's important. How you appear in print affects your practice, your ability to...
"Law Marketing: YouTube Milestones"
Posted on November 16, 2009Posted by Connie Crosby: "Still doubtful about video as a marketing vehicle? A few recent milestones from YouTube, the leading site for video distribution, be it entertainment-related or professional: as of October, YouTube is now up to over a...
"Plenty of Fantasy Players on This Bench"
Posted on November 16, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "I thought we had completely maxed out on the Supreme Court geekiness with the baseball cards and then the oral arguments available on iTunes, but no... not even close. Today, I present you with the new...
"Mastering Outlook to Increase Productivity"
Posted on November 16, 2009In the news: "Microsoft Outlook isn't perfect, but there is more to its e-mail and calendar functions than meets the eye. By combining some of Outlook's best undiscovered features with a little ingenuity, lawyers can reduce their stress levels and...
A Podcast for You & Your Clients - "Is It Legal to Record a Conversation?"
Posted on November 16, 2009In episode 103 Adam Freedman discusses: Is It Legal to Record a Conversation? What is the "Wiretap Act"? Only "Private" Conversations are Protected What is a Reasonable Expectation of Privacy? Consent is Not Always Required Different Rules Apply to...
"Apprenticeship for Lawyers"
Posted on November 13, 2009Posted by Ed Poll: "It's always gratifying when one's opinions receive outside support. Sometime ago, I wrote that law schools really don't teach the day-to-day aspects of being a lawyer - interacting with clients and running a practice - because...
"Are You Offering Alternative Fees Yet?"
Posted on November 13, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Don't get left behind. My colleague Jim Hassett has talked extensively about alternative fees over on his Legal Business Development blog for months. Jim conducted interviews this year between June and September with many high level...
"How to Make Business Travel Manageable"
Posted on November 13, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Last year I traveled almost every week. Some weeks I traveled to three different cities. If you are excited about business travel, thinking it's a free ticket to see the world, you should stop reading now....
"Text Messages Can Spell Divorce"
Posted on November 13, 2009In the news: "The unfaithful, in particular, are paying a high price in divorce court for their salacious text messages. Infidelity, bad parenting or threats -- you name the issue in marital disputes, family law attorneys say, and the evidence...
"Webinar on Marketing Your Blog: Recording and Mindmap"
Posted on November 13, 2009Posted by Lisa Kennelly: "We had another great turnout for today's webinar on marketing your blog, with close to 140 attendees. You can download the chart Kevin used by clicking on the image above. [See source site listed below for...
"The Impact of Civil Gideon"
Posted on November 13, 2009From the site: "'Civil Gideon' is now law in the state of California providing counsel to those who cannot afford an attorney in civil cases, predominantly child custody cases and foreclosures. On Lawyer2Lawyer, co-host and attorney, Bob Ambrogi welcomes Attorney...
"Google: Finding Flu Vaccine Information in One Easy Place"
Posted on November 13, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "This year, it's especially important to have clear information on what you can do to prepare for the flu season. With this in mind, we are happy to share a new feature for the U.S. which...
For Your Clients - "DUI - DWI Center"
Posted on November 13, 2009From the e-newsletter: "FindLaw's DUI Center has general and state-specific information on drunk driving violations -- including summaries of DUI/DWI laws and penalties in each state, information about each stage of a DUI/DWI case, and answers to frequently asked...
"10 Tips for Beginning a Successful Legal Career"
Posted on November 12, 2009In the news: "Here are the top 10 tips to transition seamlessly a successful legal career, provided by members of the editorial board for The Legal Intelligencer's Young Lawyer. The tips range from practical work tips, like learning the rules...
"Productivity Porn . . ."
Posted on November 12, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "That's what Marc Andreessen calls "techniques, tactics, and tricks for maximizing personal productivity." In a long post, he explains some of his favorite tips (some of which I'm paraphrasing)-- Don't keep a schedule; Keep three and...
"Lawyers, Journalists and Trust"
Posted on November 12, 2009Posted by Jordan Furlong: "As polling samples go, 43 respondents to a survey is not exactly what you'd call statistically significant. So the fact that 43 journalists who cover legal issues gave lawyers poor marks when it comes to explaining...
"Ohio Supreme Court Adopts New Pro Hac Vice Rules"
Posted on November 12, 2009From the blog: "Effective 1/1/11 (not 1/1/10), the Ohio Supreme Court will significantly change the rules for out-of-state lawyers who want to be admitted to practice for a limited purpose in an Ohio case. Under amendments to Rule XII of the...
"Social Networking and the New Workplace"
Posted on November 12, 2009In the news: "Social media is dramatically changing the way we communicate inside and outside the workplace, while blurring the distinctions between work, home and play. Employers need to take advantage of the opportunities that the new media offers, while...
"New Jury Instruction Research Guide"
Posted on November 12, 2009From the blog: "There is a new research guide available for anyone doing work on jury instructions. This guide "helps you find the standard and pattern jury instructions issued by state and federal judiciaries, as well as other sources when...
"Free Webcast: The Basics of Marketing Your Firm Online"
Posted on November 12, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Looking for more and better qualified clients than your current client development strategy is producing?" Read more...Related Resources? More from FindLaw's Law Firm Business Blog Source: FindLaw's The Practice Paper: For Solo & Small Firm...
"YouLaw Video Review: Traffic Ticket Lawyer"
Posted on November 12, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "I am on the "back bench" for this Technolawyer review of a law firm marketing video by traffic-ticket lawyer Jason Diamond: YouLaw: Compelling Screenplay Deserves a Reshoot. My comments along with those of other back benchers...
"Getting the Complete Story from Your Client"
Posted on November 09, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Here's a tip from Ashley Lipson's Guerilla Discovery. To insure you're getting the full story from your client, try asking a question something like the following: I know that you've told me the truth and I...
"Ohio Supreme Court Upholds "Intensive Program Prison" Release"
Posted on November 09, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf : "In a case echoing State v. Bloomer back in June, in which the Ohio Supreme Court held that trial courts "had a statutory duty to provide notice to offenders of post-release control at the sentencing...
Three Items of Interest
Posted on November 09, 2009New Report Provides a History of the Child Pornography Guidelines Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "The U.S. Sentencing Commission has issued a report, The History of Child Pornography Guidelines, as a first step in its review of the punishment prescribed...
"Attorneys Tap Paralegal Talent for Jury Selection"
Posted on November 09, 2009From the site: "Paralegals are an important part of the trial team, and play a valuable role in jury selection. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome one of America's most influential trial...
"Businesses Tackle Consumer 'Gripe' Sites"
Posted on November 09, 2009In the news: "Online objections to a corporation's products or services -- posted on "gripe" sites by former employees or consumers -- can threaten the target's operations. Although these postings can subject the posters to liability, companies might want to...
"Blawg of the Day - Technola"
Posted on November 09, 2009Posted by Tom Mighell: "Here's an interesting blog - Technola is a technology blog for legal aid and public interest advocates, with a focus on sharing tools, resources, and best practices for the effective use of technology in the nonprofit...
"Stay Closer to Clients - 4 Tips for Better Email Newsletters"
Posted on November 09, 2009From the blog: "I have a love-hate thing with email newsletters. On the one hand, I am consititutionally incapable of refraining from signing up for an email newsletter from any business I patronize. Erik see sign up list. Erik...
"Think Your Clients Use Your Firm's Website?"
Posted on November 09, 2009Posted by Michelle Golden: "If you think your website exists primarily for clients, think again. A lot of firms think about investing in pricey features that would be in a client-only portion of the website. Did you know that only...
"PACER Redaction Policies"
Posted on November 06, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: ... "The Federal Courts are now taking a number of new steps to ensure that privacy protections afforded under federal rules are followed and are reminding those filing electronically of the their obligation under the law....
"The Issues in Moving from Law Firm Lockstep to 'Levels' Compensation"
Posted on November 06, 2009In the news: "Law firms are changing the way they hire, evaluate, develop, promote and pay their associates, says consultant Larry Richard. Case in point: the accelerating interest among law firms in moving from the traditional lockstep to a more...
"Quick Tips on Marketing Your Solo or Small Firm Practice"
Posted on November 06, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "In case you missed "50 Ways to Market Your Practice" in the October 2007 issue of the ABA Journal's Law News Now it is certainly worth looking at, especially by solo's and small firms. Although you...
"Review: Motorola's Droid Is a Serious Smart Phone"
Posted on November 06, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Since its debut in 2007, millions of people have gravitated toward Apple's iPhone, wooed by its sleek hardware, simple user interface and abundance of applications." Read more... Source: FindLaw's Modern Practice: Law & Technology...
"Shepardize? There's an App for That"
Posted on November 06, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "It's true. LexisNexis today announced the release of its application for the iPhone. It is called "Get Cases and Shepardize" and it lets you, well, get cases and Shepardize them simply by entering a citation. The...
"The Fourth Amendment and Email"
Posted on November 06, 2009From the site: "The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution gives us protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. But what about a search of your email - is it afforded the same protection? Co-hosts and attorneys J. Craig Williams and Bob...
"Twitter for Lawyers-Book Review"
Posted on November 06, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "I recently received a review copy of the new book by Adrian Dayton, Social Media for Lawyers: Twitter Edition. If you're new to Twitter or don't know much about it, this book will get you off...
For Your Clients - "Guide to Hiring a Lawyer"
Posted on November 06, 2009From the e-newsletter: "How do you go about choosing a lawyer? What kind of charges can you expect for a lawyer's services? Is low-cost or free legal help available? If you are thinking about hiring a lawyer, FindLaw's "Guide to...
"Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma"
Posted on November 05, 2009Posted by John Jantsch: "Marketing podcast with Nick Morgan (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download - subscribe now via iTunes Trust - can't get enough of that as a brand, business, or person these days. Everyone...
"Who Do 'They' Believe?"
Posted on November 05, 2009Posted by Douglas Keene: "A recent report from the Pew Research Center focused on the partisan differences in various television news networks audiences. Specifically, they reported that Fox News attracts more Republicans while CNN and MSNBC attract more Democrats...
"111 Ways to Find Your Next Legal or Non-Legal Job"
Posted on November 05, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Unless the job finds you first, you are the one who will be charged with leading the search party for a new position." Read more... Source: FindLaw's The Practice Paper: For Solo & Small Firm...
"Social Media as Alternative or in Addition to BBB When Too Small to Sue"
Posted on November 05, 2009Posted by Kate: "A post at MyShingle.com asks whether lawyers should suggest not only going to the Better Business Bureau with complaints that are too small monetarily to sue over, but also whether lawyers should now suggest using social media...
"Can a Lawyer Really Use Twitter to Market a Law Practice?"
Posted on November 05, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "Since the topic of lawyers marketing with Twitter has been discussed a lot lately in various forums, I couldn't resist giving my opinions with "Can a Lawyer Really Use Twitter to Market a Law Practice?" in the Oklahoma...
"How Does Your Firm Stack Up Against The ACC Value Index?"
Posted on November 05, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)'s Value Index was announced and shared with members at last month's annual meeting in Boston. As reported in my earlier post, the criteria for measuring outside law firm's performance is...
"Challenges Facing a Medical Malpractice Plaintiff"
Posted on November 05, 2009From the site: "It's no secret that today the medical malpractice area is one of the most difficult areas of litigation. Plaintiffs not only have to deal with the physical effects of medical malpractice but also the challenges that they...
"Advice on Getting Creative with Legal Invoices"
Posted on November 04, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "I've seen a couple of legal blog posts lately that discuss invoices for legal services, and some creative (although arguably unlikely) ways in which that practice might evolve for lawyers. A post on Lawyerist.com last week...
"First, Be Honest About What You Want"
Posted on November 04, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Someone once asked me to think of a moment in my childhood that was really nice. I thought of one. Wait. You think of one, now. Quick. Just any one... So I thought of a time: ...
"Glad To See One of My Favorite Books of the Year Made Amazon's List of Top 10 Business Books of 2009"
Posted on November 04, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "I am not surprised that Winifred Gallagher's Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life made this list of top business books for the year. Several people have thanked me for recommending it to them. Have you read Rapt...
"Another Trial Tips Weblog"
Posted on November 04, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Some recent posts at TrialLawyerTips.com, which is primarily plaintiff-oriented: "Wrap Up Your Voir Dire With These Questions" "Blow Up and Use Your Verdict Form in Closing Argument" "During Closing Argument, Always Remind the Jury That This...
"Technology, Policy, Law, and Ethics Regarding U.S. Acquisition and Use of Cyberattack Capabilities"
Posted on November 04, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "The United States is increasingly dependent on information and information technology for both civilian and military purposes, as are many other nations. Although there is a substantial literature on the potential impact of a cyberattack on...
"Worldox for the Mac"
Posted on November 04, 2009Posted by John Heckman: "Worldox Web/Mobile was originally designed for the PDA, and works with just about anything from Blackberrys to iPhones. Given that most people have remote access to their office, the primary function of PDA access is usually....
"Is Windows 7 Coming to Your Computer?"
Posted on November 04, 2009From the site: "The recent release of Windows 7 hopefully ushers in a new era of peace and stability to the world of PC operating systems. But should lawyers rush out to upgrade now? In this new episode of the...
"Case Study: E-Mail as a Managed Service"
Posted on November 04, 2009In the news: "Stearns Weaver's e-mail system was hobbling their digital transition. The system did not integrate well with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server and was buckling under the massive amount of messages sent between attorneys, staff and clients. Then came...
"Want To Be A Good Lawyer? Try Not Thinking Too Hard."
Posted on November 02, 2009Posted by Chuck Newton: "I do not know if I can be accused of being a good lawyer, but I am certain I can be accused of not thinking too hard. But, let us face the truth. We all tend...
"Use Client Meetings to Increase Productivity"
Posted on November 02, 2009Posted by Sam Glover: "Meetings are getting a bad rap these days, but I find them very useful to help me complete a project, especially when it has no clear deadline. Those kinds of tasks can end up sitting on...
"The History of the Child Pornography Guidelines"
Posted on November 02, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "The US Sentencing Commission has published The History of the Child Pornography Guidelines. The Report is the first step in an ongoing examination of the child pornography guidelines. Hat tip to Douglas Berman (OSU) who writes...
"Ohio Supreme Court's "Special Dockets" Advisory Committee"
Posted on November 02, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer announced the creation of a 15-member advisory board charged with advancing the goals of Ohio's "specialized dockets program" last month. That board, chaired by Butler County Common Pleas...
New at LLRX.com
Posted on November 02, 2009From an e-mail: "The Government Domain: A Handful of Classics http://www.llrx.com/govdomain43.htm Peggy Garvin has updated her directory of useful government information resources online, the e-Government and Web Directory: U.S. Federal Government Online...
"ABA National Solo and Small Firm Conference 2009 Recap - Persuasive Writing"
Posted on November 02, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "This is my final post in my series recapping this year's ABA National Solo and Small Firm Conference. One of my favorite sessions was the session on persuasive writing presented by Lisa Solomon and NY judge...
"Creating Email Portfolios for Small EDD Productions"
Posted on November 02, 2009Posted by Rick Borstein: "I took a close look at the Acrobat 9 packaging and didn't find any mention of EDD (Electronic Data Discovery). Despite that, I'm hearing from more and more law firms that would like to use Acrobat...
"Is Gmail Making the Leap From the 'Unacceptable?'"
Posted on November 02, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "Back in August, Esquire Magazine posted a series of "rules" that included this one: Esquire's Rule #1033. If your lawyer's email address ends in hotmail.com, gmail.com or yahoo.com (or aol.com), find a new lawyer. ...
"The Future of Lawyers?"
Posted on October 30, 2009Posted by David Bilinsky: "I had the pleasure of attending The Futures conference in Denver CO recently that was part of the College of Law Practice Management's Annual General Meeting. Several themes were developed during that conference, some of...
"Could Your Secretary Cost Your Client/Employer Billions?"
Posted on October 30, 2009By Brian Malcom: "Yahoo! Finance is reporting that a busy secretary could cost PepsiCo $1.26 billion dollars. Kathy Henry, a secretary to PepsiCo's Deputy General Counsel Tom Tamoney in PepsiCo's law department, apparently received a legal document related to a pending...
Two Opinions of the Ohio Supreme Court
Posted on October 30, 2009When One of Offender's Convictions May Not Be Sealed, Law Does Not Allow Sealing Record of Other Offenses From the site: "2008-2391. State v. Futrall, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-5590.Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-5590...
"Ohio Reviewing Mandatory Supervision Cases"
Posted on October 30, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "Last June 9th., the Ohio Supreme Court again addressed the consequences of a trial court's failure to either notify an offender about post-release control at the time of sentencing or incorporating post-release controls into its sentencing...
"E-Mail Not Protected by 4th Amendment, Judge Says"
Posted on October 30, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "Update: Orin Kerr says he misread the opinion. Read his correction here. The Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures does not apply to e-mail, a federal judge has ruled. The judge's reasoning...
"Layoffs: How to Guide Companies In Workforce Reductions"
Posted on October 30, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Letting go is hard to do. And in an economy like the current one, layoffs have become a necessary evil--and even norm--for some companies." Suggested steps include: 1. Consider the criteria used in determining the reduction...
"Asperger's at Work: Why I'm Difficult in Meetings"
Posted on October 30, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Eighty percent of adults with Asperger Syndrome do not have full-time work. This not because they can't do the work. It's that they can't manage to be socially acceptable while they get the work done. '...
"Lawsuits Over Birth Control Pills Yaz & Yazmin"
Posted on October 30, 2009From the site: "Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals is facing a growing number of lawsuits claiming that the company concealed the health risks associated with the top-selling birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin. Co-hosts and attorneys J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi...
"ABA Promoting National Pro Bono Week"
Posted on October 29, 2009From the blog: "We are now almost mid-way through the first national Pro Bono Week, which is being sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. The ABA's initiative is dedicated to finding more lawyers to...
"Why Men Should Give Women Flowers"
Posted on October 29, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Here's the deal with giving flowers. Women like receiving flowers. Men think flowers are stupid. Men think: Flowers die, they don't do anything when they are alive, they are expensive, and they are a cliché. Men...
"Blog 'Kellogg Study: Outsiders Effective Leaders'"
Posted on October 29, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Excerpt: A study by Kellogg Prof. Adam Galinsky challenges the notion that promoting from within is the best option ... .Galinsky said his research shows a failed course of action by business leadership is often perpetuated by...
"Great Legal-Writing Advice from a Non-Lawyer: What Are You Trying to Accomplish?"
Posted on October 29, 2009Posted by Raymond Ward: "What Ken Davis said." The active link is available at the source site listed below. Source: the (new) legal writer, 22October 2009 ...
"Social Media Guide to PR 2.0 for Law Firms"
Posted on October 29, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Whether it's LinkedIn or Legal OnRamp, Twitter or del.icio.us, Web 2.0 is very quickly transforming the way law firms market themselves and their attorneys." Read more... Source: FindLaw's The Practice Paper: For Solo & Small...
"Scared of the "C" Word? Then You Shouldn't Be in Social Networking"
Posted on October 29, 2009Posted by Lisa Salazar: "Remember my blog where I compared legal marketing to dating? I stand by my previous metaphor and I add yet more: social networking is true test of your commitment to your law firm. Yes, the...
"Why You May Want To Rent an Office"
Posted on October 29, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "These days, working from home is all the rage, glamorized by successful lawyers like Chuck Newton at Third Wave Law Blog or Jay Fleischman at Untethered Lawyer, who through writing and by personal example make a...
"Is Apple's Magic Mouse More 'Hocus Pocus' Than 'Voila'?"
Posted on October 29, 2009Posted by J. Benjamin Stevens: "Everybody loves a good magic show, as long as the magic works. Last week, Apple introduced its Magic Mouse, which it bills as "the world's first Multi-Touch mouse." With its Bluetooth connectivity, it now enables...
"On the Docket: The Legal and Media Worlds Look at the Supreme Court 2009 Term"
Posted on October 28, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Before the start of the October 2009 term, the ABA's PREVIEW of United States Supreme Court Cases brought together a unique panel of Supreme Court experts at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. to discuss the upcoming Supreme...
"The Holidays Are Coming!"
Posted on October 28, 2009Posted by Julie Fleming: "The holidays are just around the corner, and today's WRA calls for you to begin planning ahead. Do you send cards or gifts to your clients to mark the holidays? As you no doubt know,...
"Can Young Lawyers Take a Vacation?"
Posted on October 28, 2009Posted by Brian Malcom: "Can young lawyers take a vacation? Yes, and they should. The practice of law is not easy. It is a difficult career. It demands much of one's time, energy, effort and mind. Young lawyers should take a...
"Raise Your Voice: Upgrading Your Blackberry Program"
Posted on October 28, 2009From the site: "On Law Technology Now, host Monica Bay welcomes Judi Flournoy, CIO of Loeb & Loeb, past president of ILTA, and a long-time member of the Law Technology News Editorial Advisory Board, to discuss how her firm upgraded...
"Should Lawyers Check Their Blackberries Hourly?"
Posted on October 28, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "In our fast-paced world, it seems like such availability is expected. Certainly, a partner at a BigLaw firm apparently thinks associates should, sorta. You can read about it on ABA Journal's Law News Now and Above the...
"Improving Your Motions for Summary Judgment"
Posted on October 28, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Here are some tips for defense lawyers on summary judgment from Michael Reitzell's: "Focus on the Material Facts for a Successful Motion for Summary Judgment" (pdf). Link from the (new) legal writer. Related posts: 1. "An...
"Pitfalls of Cross-Border Investigations"
Posted on October 28, 2009In the news: "Cross-border investigations tend to multiply the complex investigatory pitfalls a company faces. These include data privacy laws, attorney-client privilege, conflicting information technology platforms, and document retention policies and practices that fall short of U...
"Twapper Keeper - Archive and Organize Your Tweets"
Posted on October 28, 2009Posted by Mary Ellen Bates: "Just learned about Twapper Keeper from Gary Price. (Twapper... like Twitter trapper) The love child of Google and Twitter - all the archive of searching Twitter on Google (using site:twitter.com) plus the hash-tag feature of...
"ODR Cyberweek Starts Today"
Posted on October 27, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "The seminal annual event in online dispute resolution, ODR Cyberweek, kicks off today and continues through Friday. This free-of-charge and entirely online event features an array of discussions, simulations, demonstrations and other activities related to ODR...
"How to Get Free Press for Your Practice in the New York Times"
Posted on October 27, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Call me old fashioned, but even with the recent decline in newspaper circulation, I hold a special place in my heart for the old Gray Lady. For all the exposure that the Internet offers, nothing quite parallels the...
"7 Tips for Putting the Public Back in Public Relations"
Posted on October 27, 2009Posted by Kevin O'Keefe: "Interesting new book out from PR professionals, Brian Solis and Deidre Breakenridge, 'Putting the Public Back in Public Relations.' Most helpful to me was the review and summary of the book done by Lee Odden, a...
"Bullying or Cooperation - Which Is More Profitable?"
Posted on October 27, 2009Posted by Ed Poll: "Bullies cost you money! Addressing this topic is not a "soft skill" but one that goes right to the "bottom line." Tolerate bullying in the workplace and you will experience lost time, lost incentive and lost...
"Guidance Issued by Ohio SCt. on Domestic Violence in Later Life"
Posted on October 27, 2009From the blog: "The Ohio Supreme Court has issued a short report on domestic violence in later life. The report contrasts this type of violence with elder abuse against persons over 60. The report then defines the markers of domestic...
"Write the Argument, Then the Facts"
Posted on October 27, 2009Posted by Wayne Schiess: "A lawyer attending one of my seminars offered a great suggestion that I had never thought of. (Oops! "of which I had never thought.")When writing a brief in a case with a long or complex factual...
"Debunking Several Myths about the Passive Voice in Legal Writing"
Posted on October 27, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "Any law student who has taken a legal writing course has probably heard, repeatedly, that the passive voice is bad. Evil. To be avoided at all costs. In most cases I would agree this is true,...
"ACC to GCs: Eliminate Software Costs"
Posted on October 27, 2009In the news: "Fresh from tapping into the technology experience of GCs who attended the annual Association of Corporate Counsel conference this month, attorney Ari L. Kaplan shares tips he received on eliminating software licensing costs through the use of...
"Northern District of Ohio Federal Court Adopts Local Patent Rules"
Posted on October 26, 2009From the blog: "The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has just adopted Local Patent Rules. These rules were the project of a Local Patent Committee and the Northern District of Ohio Advisory Group. The Rules...
"Podcast: 'Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction'"
Posted on October 26, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "From the Allan Handleman radio show site: David Rock, founder and CEO of Results Coaching Systems, explains the neural basis of issues like self-awareness, reflection, insight and accountability. "Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining...
"Social Networking - Legal and Ethical Issues for Lawyers and Investigators"
Posted on October 26, 2009From the blog: "Social Networking - Legal and Ethical Issues for Lawyers and Investigators Should an investigator or attorney "friend" a prosecution witness in order to find impeachment evidence? Are there legal or ethical bars to surreptitiously gathering data from...
"Simple Jury Persuasion: It Feels Good To Get Along"
Posted on October 26, 2009Posted by Rita Handrich: "There's a really good reason for obtaining verbal and/or non-verbal agreement from your panel during voir dire. Not only does it begin the process of building your relationship with potential jurors, it is also a means...
"ER Errors: Medical Negligence & Prevention"
Posted on October 26, 2009From the site: "On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes colleague and co-host, Rachel D. Grant, Settlement Annuity Specialist in the Detroit office, as they look at emergency room errors, traumatic birth injuries and neurological injuries within...
"The Trial Tech Toolkit"
Posted on October 26, 2009By Tim Piganelli and Nils Jensen: "Trial Presentation software is typically used on a "stage" in front of a court, jury, and, well, let's just say an audience. Make sure to choose it carefully, and with some due diligence." ...
"Technology at the Masters Conference"
Posted on October 26, 2009In the news: "Consultant Brett Burney found that the Masters Conference had more, better and faster technology than in previous years and addressed risk management and security in addition to directing a laser focus on e-discovery products from the likes...
"Implement a Referral Thank You System"
Posted on October 23, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "During coaching sessions I always ask clients "did you thank (so and so) for that referral you just mentioned?" Sometimes the response is "oh yeah, I need to do that." Thanking referral sources should not be...
"Law Firm Innovators Tell the Future"
Posted on October 23, 2009In the news: "Every law firm that is successful today has someone who managed change effectively. Paul Lippe, founder and CEO of Legal OnRamp, talks with John Alber of Bryan Cave and Mary Abraham of Debevoise & Plimpton about how...
"Social Media for Lawyers"
Posted on October 23, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "I got a chance to meet Gerry Riskin and hear him speak last week. As many of you know, Gerry is a principal of Edge International and shares his wisdom with us through his Amazing Firms,...
"Commentary: What Lawyers Can Learn From Sisyphus"
Posted on October 23, 2009In the news: "For having deceived Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a heavy rock uphill, only to witness its descent after each day's labor -- the ultimate expression of the absurd. For lawyers,...
"Rule 1: When the Judge Agrees With You, Stop Talking"
Posted on October 23, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "As a law student learning trial practice, and later as a young lawyer, I recall being instructed numerous times about "Rule 1," i.e., "When the judge agrees with you, stop talking!" Actually, I recall a couple...
"Simple Rules for Better Jury Selection [Updated]"
Posted on October 23, 2009Posted by Mark Bennett: "An evolving list: Rule Zero The Nike Rule. The Blind Date Rule. The Shrek Rule. The 90/10 Rule. MacCarthy's Bar Rule. Improv Rule I. Improv Rule II. The Shrink Rule. The Beer Pong Rule. The Marathon...
"Take Documents to Court on a Kindle"
Posted on October 23, 2009Posted by John Heckman: "Sharon Nelson's blog reports on an attorney who takes documents to court on his Kindle DX (the larger format version) and uses Kindle to show them to the Judge - with no objections so far. It...
"Electronic Search and Seizure, Fourth Amendment & Inadvertent Production"
Posted on October 23, 2009From the site: "In this edition of the ESI Report, host Gina Jytyla, Managing Staff Attorney in the Legal Technologies division at Kroll Ontrack, welcomes Joe DeMarco, Partner with DeVore & DeMarco LLP and Jason Paroff, Senior Director of Computer...
"Blog Glob: Do Law Firm Associates Fear Rainmaking?"
Posted on October 22, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Excerpt: So what about rainmaking -- or "client development" in the more antiseptic law-firm parlance -- is so risky? We're not entirely sure. But here's a thought: Bringing in business -- at least in its rawest form...
"If Lawyers Lack Business Acumen, Here Is One Part of a Solution"
Posted on October 22, 2009Posted by Patrick J. Lamb: "In this space, I've discussed the "4-bucket" theory of law (process, content, advocacy and counseling), and I was visiting with a law school colleague of mine about the missing elements of legal education. I indicated...
"The Electronic Legal Pad and the Post-Paper Practice of Law"
Posted on October 22, 2009From the site: "Will lawyers ever move past the ever-present legal pad as their most trusted tool for practicing law? Tablet PCs have been around for quite a while, but lawyers are now using iPhones, iPod Touches and other devices...
"JD Supra's 'Legal Edge' iPhone App Allows Lawyers to Connect with Mobile Users"
Posted on October 22, 2009Posted by Adrian Lurssen: "We're pleased to announce our new iPhone application, which allows lawyers and legal professionals to reach mobile users with the content they upload on JD Supra. Our 'Legal Edge' iPhone app streams by subject all of...
"4 Lies About Social Media"
Posted on October 22, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Everyone knows that the best way to get a job is to leverage your network. And almost everyone knows that social media is a great way to build your network. But many of you are making...
"A Bucketload of Technology News and Tips"
Posted on October 22, 2009Posted by Jim callow: "Every now and then you get backed up. In my world right now, it is having too many things you would like to blog about when I have three or four major papers due in the...
"How to Keep Your Tables From Falling Apart "
Posted on October 22, 2009In the news: "When files squeeze in on deadline and the table of authorities and contents undergo last-minute updates, all manner of mayhem ensues, as tables fall apart and page numbering shows up incorrect. Consultant Sue Hughes helps you understand...
"RU Ready for Windows 7?"
Posted on October 22, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "Windows 7 officially launches today. If you're interested in making the switch, the price is $319 for Windows 7 Ultimate, and $299 for the Professional version ($219 and $199 for the upgrade, respectively). Windows 7 Home...
"Productivity"
Posted on October 21, 2009Posted by Nicole Garton-Jones: "Like everyone else, lawyers want to make the most out of the finite time, energy and resources available to them. Lawyers in private practice in particular often experience significant demands on their time. They face regular...
"Marketing Tip: You Need Your Own Internet Domain Name"
Posted on October 21, 2009Posted by Nerino Petro: "I am still shocked that a large number of attorneys don't see the value in having their own internet domain name to use for their email address. Even if you don't have a website yet, you...
"Waiving Conflict of Interest"
Posted on October 21, 2009Posted by Mark Bennett: "Recurring newbie lawyer question on criminal defense listservs: "Does anyone have a conflict of interest waiver form they can share?" ... Avoiding conflicts of interest is a good idea. One good way to avoid conflicts...
"My General Views about Plaintiff Trial Work"
Posted on October 21, 2009Posted by Paul Luvera: "Today I'd like to share with you my personal views about plaintiff trials that I sent recently to a great trial lawyer as an agenda for discussion between us. I hold these views strongly, but there...
"ACC Value Challenge"
Posted on October 21, 2009From the site: "On this special edition of In-House Legal, Susan Hackett, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), explores important issues to in-house lawyers and to the outside counsel who provide services to...
"Acrobat 9.2 Update is Available"
Posted on October 21, 2009Posted by Rick Borstein: "Yesterday, Adobe released the Acrobat 9.2 update. You can get the update by going to the Help--> Check for Updates or at the following locations: Windows UpdatesMac Updates We recommend that all Acrobat 9...
"A Leopard or a Chevy..."
Posted on October 21, 2009Posted by David Bilinky: "One morning I walked into the office only to be greeted by the "blue screen of death" on my office IBM Lenovo. Whatever had caused the crash had also corrupted the database of one of my...
"The Value of Twitter"
Posted on October 21, 2009Posted by Ron Friedmann: "Sometimes answers just fall into your lap unexpectedly. That happened to me today about Twitter. I attended a lunch today of local legal knowledge management professionals. We meet monthly and at our last meeting, Twitter...
"Manage Your Anger"
Posted on October 20, 2009Posted by Paul Luvera: "I previously posted some thoughts about the harmful impression created on the jury by lawyers bickering and fighting with each other in an out of control court room. While listening to public radio in my car http://www.goodradio...
"Angry Texts Turn Into Illegal Threats"
Posted on October 20, 2009In the news: "Texting is becoming a means for angry people to harass or threaten others, especially estranged spouses, girlfriends or boyfriends. "I definitely have seen more e-mail and texting harassment cases in the last five years," says a Connecticut...
"Plagiarism: An Issue for Every Lawyer"
Posted on October 20, 2009Posted by Raymond Ward: "Law professors, judges, and practicing lawyers have one thing in common besides a law degree: All of us write. And in writing, we often borrow from the writings of others. Indeed, a certain amount of borrowing...
"Progress Proves Elusive for Diversity in the Legal Profession"
Posted on October 20, 2009In the news: "Five years ago, Roderick Palmore wrote "A Call to Action" -- a pledge signed by GCs at some of the country's largest corporations to make diversity a major consideration in their selection of outside counsel. Diversity efforts...
"MySpace Evidence Allowed by Indiana Supreme Court"
Posted on October 20, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "The Indiana Supreme Court addressed a "novel question" last Thursday in ruling that prosecutors properly introduced electronic evidence from an accused murderer's MySpace page. ( Case )The defendant had contended that the trial court abused its...
"Choosing a Smart Password"
Posted on October 20, 2009Posted by Michael Santerre: "As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, we'd like to take this opportunity to remind you about smart password practices. Help ensure you're protecting your computer, website, and personal information by checking out our security...
"IMAP vs. POP :: What You Need to Know"
Posted on October 20, 2009Posted by J. Benjamin Stevens: "Do you know whether your e-mail client uses POP (Post Office Protocol) or IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)? You should, because IMAP is vastly superior to POP, and you should consider the following reasons that...
For Your Clients - "What to Do if You are Pulled Over for DUI"
Posted on October 20, 2009Posted by Adam Freedman: "Episode 101: Monday, October 19, 2009 Play Download Subscribe Topics discussed include: What to Do if You Are Pulled Over for DUI Is it Illegal to Drink and Text While Driving? Can You Refuse a...
"Blog Glob: Are You Ready to Manage Five Generations of Workers?"
Posted on October 19, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Excerpt: The chart below shows that Baby Boomers will cede the majority of the workforce by 2015 to the Millennials. (Due to their smaller size, Gen X will never have the majority spot in the workplace --...
"Use 'We' vs. 'I' In Asking For Referrals"
Posted on October 19, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "In my early lawyering days as an assistant attorney general in North Carolina, I had the privilege of having one of the best, most efficient secretaries possible. (I even tried to get her fiancée a job...
"Weekly Rainmaker Activity 10/12/09"
Posted on October 19, 2009Posted by Julie Fleming: "One-on-one meetings with individuals offers one of the best opportunities for business development, and attending organizational meetings and networking opportunities gives you the chance to meet a lot of people in a short time...
"Five Types of Corporate Lawyers Predicted for the Future"
Posted on October 19, 2009In the news: "Richard Susskind, the author of "The End of Lawyers?," says that in the future, corporate attorneys who embrace emerging technologies and novel ways of sourcing legal work will continue to be successful, while those unwilling to change....
Three New Articles from LLRX
Posted on October 19, 2009New on LLRX: Competitive Intelligence - A Selective Resource Guide - Updated and Revised Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Competitive Intelligence - A Selective Resource Guide - Updated and Revised October 2009: Sabrina I. Pacifici's completely revised and updated pathfinder...
"30 West Law Books Go Mobile via Kindle"
Posted on October 19, 2009From the site: "West, part of Thomson Reuters, has announced that 30 of their titles will be available for the Amazon.com Kindle. As electronic book readers increase in popularity with students and professionals, West is making nearly 30 of...
"70 Sizzling Apps"
Posted on October 19, 2009From the blog: "Looking for a list of iPhone or Blackberry apps that are lawyer-friendly? The American Bar Association has you covered, with this list of applications perfect for legal professionals.From Heafy Headnotes" The active links are available at...
"Google Wave as a Tool for Getting Work Done in a Corporate Environment"
Posted on October 19, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "In What Problems Does Google Wave Solve, Daniel Tanner writes "I believe that people who don't see what Google Wave [Wave's About Page] is for are simply looking at it from the wrong angle. ... It's not...
"How Easy Is It To Hire You? Provide Relevant Information in the Right Context"
Posted on October 16, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Kevin O'Keefe of Real Lawyers Have Blogs wrote a post yesterday entitled, "How to make your law blog trashy and salesy," in which he likens some advice given to legal bloggers to late night infomercials. He...
"Free Webcast: How Law Firms Can Attract Quality Clients"
Posted on October 16, 2009By Neetal Parekh: "Did you know that your firm is sending out a message without even realizing it. It is through your online presence. Whether your firm has invested heavily in building a web presence or if you are new...
"Who Can Intervene in Cases of 'Original Jurisdiction'?"
Posted on October 16, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "Courts of "original jurisdiction" are those having priority over other tribunals to decide a case; Black's Law Dictionary defines an "intervenor" as "one voluntarily entering a pending lawsuit because of a personal stake in the outcome...
"Most States Fail to Protect Children's Rights"
Posted on October 16, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "A report to be released today says that most U.S. states do not adequately protect the rights of abused and neglected children, most notably by failing to provide these children with appointed counsel to represent...
"The FTC's New Guidelines & the Blogosphere"
Posted on October 16, 2009From the site: "Attention bloggers: The Federal Trade Commission approved new Web guidelines pertaining to "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." The FTC wants bloggers to disclose free products or payments they have received from companies...
"Review: TextMap Version 5"
Posted on October 16, 2009In the news: "Transcripts can be tagged with sticky flags and painstakingly summarized on a yellow legal pad, but why not use software to help you manage, annotate and integrate them with other files? According to consultant Brett Burney, TextMap...
"Review: Windows 7 Strong, But Don't Pay to Upgrade"
Posted on October 16, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Next week, Microsoft is releasing Windows 7, a slick, much improved operating system that should go a long way toward erasing the bad impression left by its previous effort, Vista." Read more... Source: FindLaw's Modern...
For Your Clients - "Prenuptial Agreements"
Posted on October 16, 2009From the e-newsletter: "If you are planning on getting married, or are already married and have questions about your current prenuptial agreement, FindLaw's Family Law Center can help -- with a list of "prenup" pros and cons, tips on making...
"Why Attorneys Should Keep Up With Laws Affecting Gay and Lesbian Rights"
Posted on October 15, 2009Posted by Gideon Alper: "Many attorneys think they don't need to keep up with laws affecting gay and lesbian rights if their practice doesn't involve those laws. They're wrong. Here's why: 1. Gay clients like attorneys that understand their unique...
"Free Webcast: 'The Neuroscience of Selling'"
Posted on October 15, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "From the press release: Maritz Learning to Host "The Neuroscience of Selling" Featuring David Rock David Rock, author of "Your Brain At Work" and partner of Maritz Learning, will host a live Webcast where he explores...
"Free Webcast: How Law Firms Can Attract Quality Clients"
Posted on October 15, 2009By Neetal Parekh: "Did you know that your firm is sending out a message without even realizing it. It is through your online presence. Whether your firm has invested heavily in building a web presence or if you are new...
"Marketing to the Do It Yourself-er"
Posted on October 15, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Years before I started blogging here at Nolo's Legal Marketing Blawg, I was an unabashed fan of Nolo for its pioneer work in providing legal resources to pro se litigants at a time when they had no...
"Legal Marketing for Success"
Posted on October 15, 2009From the site: "In this debut podcast of The Un-Billable Hour, host Attorney Rodney Dowell, Director of the Massachusetts Law Office Management Assistance Program, will look at how attorneys can successfully market themselves and their practice to maximize their success...
Law Practice Today - October 2009 - "Lost in the Crowd? Marketing Strategies You Can Use"
Posted on October 15, 2009In this issue highlighting marketing articles include: "Time to Focus on Marketing the Law Firm Again - Chair's Column by Micah Buchdahl The economic crisis that has gripped the nation has taken a toll on many of lawyers and...
"Are You Alienating Your Best Potential Clients?"
Posted on October 15, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Have you ever been turned off by a sales pitch? Have you ever considered that your best potential clients might be turned off by your marketing message or style? I'm not a big believer in 'best...
"Driven By Images: How, When and Why Legal Practice Has Moved From a Words-Only Dependency"
Posted on October 01, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "Neal Feigenson and Christina Spiesel's Law on Display: The Digital Transformation of Legal Persuasion and Judgment (NYU Press, Oct. 1, 2009) offers a comprehensive survey and analysis of how new visual technologies are transforming both the...
"Supreme Court Upholds Law Imposing Tougher DUI Sentence When Prior Offender Refuses Breath Test"
Posted on October 01, 2009From the site: "2007-2295. State v. Hoover, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-4993.Union App. No. 14-07-11, 173 Ohio App.3d 487, 2007-Ohio-5773. Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-4993.pdf View oral argument video of this case...
"Technology Enables New Work-Life Norms"
Posted on October 01, 2009In the news: "In a world where technology enables so much, it is time for law firm leaders to acknowledge and embrace the fact that employees can access information and provide good counsel from almost anywhere. That makes telecommuting viable...
"Asperger Syndrome in the Office: How I Deal with Sensory Integration Dysfunction"
Posted on October 01, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "A lot of people ask me how I manage to keep a job when I have Asperger syndrome. So I'm doing a series this week on the topic, because it's true that most people with Asperger's...
"Social Networking in the Legal Industry"
Posted on October 01, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Web sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blogs have quickly opened up a whole new world of networking opportunities for all communities -- the legal community is no different. Lawyers can benefit greatly from networking and...
"Do Something! Re-Tool Your Tagline"
Posted on October 01, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "In July of this year, on Nolo's Legal Marketing Blawg, Carolyn Elefant penned a post entitled, "Tag(line), You're It!" discussing the importance of taglines, noting the poor quality of most law firm taglines, and providing some hints about...
"Can Businesses Refuse to Accept Cash?"
Posted on October 01, 2009Episode 99: Play Download Text by Adam Freedman: "Is it Legal for Airlines to Refuse to Accept Cash? ...The short answer is that federal legal tender laws require creditors to accept payment denominated in dollars, but generally do...
"Google's Nifty Document Viewer"
Posted on October 01, 2009Posted by Tara Calishain: "Sometimes the simplest things are the most useful, you know? Google has announced a handy dandy Docs viewer, available at http://docs.google.com/viewer. This viewer allows you to generate links to view PDFs, Powerpoints, and TIFF documents from...
"Good Lawyers. Good Leaders. Are They Mutually Exclusive?"
Posted on September 30, 2009Posted by Larry Bodine: "Lawyers are skeptical, autonomous, introverted, resistant to new ideas, urgent and easily discouraged by setbacks, says marketing consultant Mark Beese. Leaders, on the other hand, tend to be trusting, team-oriented, social, open to new ideas, strategic...
"The Top 20 [legal] Tweeters to Follow on Twitter"
Posted on September 30, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Someone e-mailed me with this list of legal-related Tweeters. Looks like you need to be a subscriber to Texas Lawyer to see the full list so here's a teaser: THE TOP 20 TWEETERS TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER....
"Recession Tips for Solo and Small Firm Lawyers"
Posted on September 30, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Ran across the July/August issue of the ABA's Law Practice magazine which contains an article by Linda Oligschlaeger with The Missouri Bar. Although her advice to solos and small firm lawyers covers practice management generally, I...
"Ten Best Websites for Family Court Attorneys"
Posted on September 30, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "As a former family law attorney myself, I really liked this collection of Ten Best Websites for Family Court Attorneys from Ben Stevens on his South Carolina Family Law Blog. Several of these, particularly the first one, will...
"The World's 10 Best Court Web Sites"
Posted on September 30, 2009From the blog: "Sometimes when you are doing legal research, the best place to look for information is at the court where the case took place. Justice Served has released it's list of the 10 Best Court Web Sites to...
"Web-Based Services Help Cut Costs Without Cutting Effectiveness"
Posted on September 30, 2009Guest post from Luc Vezina: "Read any book or blog (including this one) that offers advice about working from home and you'll find one of the first recommendations is the importance of controlling your costs. Whether you're starting up your...
"Give Yourself and Your Clients the Present of Web Presence"
Posted on September 30, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "It's hard to believe that nearly a decade into the 21st century, 52 percent of solo lawyers still don't have a website, according to the ABA's 2008 Tech Survey. If you fall into this category, perhaps...
"A Video Matching Site for Lawyers and Clients"
Posted on September 30, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "A new video site wants to play matchmaker for lawyers and clients. The idea behind LegalTube is to help potential clients find the right lawyer by letting them view videos of the lawyers discussing themselves...
"Recharging"
Posted on September 29, 2009Posted by Mark Bennett: "I spent the weekend in trial mode, preparing for a DWI trial in Montgomery County, north of Houston. This would've been only my second trial in a slow year for jury trials (the first ended in...
"Social Networking Helps Cut Company Legal Fee Costs - How? Read on!"
Posted on September 29, 2009Posted by Kate: "Social networking is helping companies (specificially corporate counsel) cut legal fees by providing groups and forums for them to discuss and share ideas and answers to legal questions for free. For instance, on Linked In, there are...
"The Evolution of AFAs: Law Firm Side"
Posted on September 29, 2009Posted by Toby Brown: "Having spent considerable time working with Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFAs), I am starting to see a more defined path for how AFAs might evolve within law firms. So based on my experience and all I have...
"Big Law, Big Law School, Big Bummer!"
Posted on September 29, 2009Do not take my word for it. Check out the article on American Lawyer entitled Not That Into You. It reports on a study entitled After the JD, which tracked 5000 lawyers who began practicing in 2000. In short, what...
"Tales of the Recession's Effect on the Legal Profession"
Posted on September 29, 2009In the news: "This is the year the recession hit the legal profession. Lawyers and support staff were cut by the hundreds. Law firms went belly up. Court dockets burst with foreclosures and bankruptcies while budgets everywhere went bust. Buried...
"Tips for Changing Jobs in the Current Market: Litigation Podcast: Tips & Tactics for the Practicing Trial Lawyer"
Posted on September 29, 2009From the site: "Lawyers everywhere are dealing with layoffs and diminished job opportunities as a result of the current recession. In this episode of the Litigation podcast, Barbara Levenson, a veteran legal recruiter, offers some tips on navigating the current...
"Blawg of the Day - Young Lawyers Blog"
Posted on September 29, 2009Posted by Tom Mighell: "Here's an interesting blog to come from a law firm - the Young Lawyers Blog is authored by five associates at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, a firm with offices in Nashville and Birmingham. They're sharing...
"RECAP: Crowdsourcing U.S. Federal Court Transparency"
Posted on September 29, 2009Posted by Connie Crosby: "Back in July I talked about a petition urging to improve PACER, the online access service to U.S. court records and documents. Until improvements are made, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard have....
"Communication in the Courtroom From Body Language to Computer Simulation"
Posted on September 28, 2009Posted by Mark Zamora: "A great article from Michael Maggiano. Here's an excerpt - Michael is happy to send you the rest as long as 1)You are a Plaintiff's lawyer; and 2)You don't represent insurance companies. His email is listed...
"Self-Employed Lawyers Are Happiest"
Posted on September 28, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on a recent Gallup Poll which showed that even in this recession, business owners outrank ten other occupations in overall well being. The reasons aren't surprising -- they reflect...
"Creating a Buzz: Internal Marketing for First-Year Associates"
Posted on September 28, 2009In the news: "With tales of deferments and pay cuts floating about the industry, your new gig as a first-year associate might seem a bit daunting. So how can you demonstrate your value in this lackluster economy? Trish Lilley, a...
"6 Tips for Doing a Long-Distance Job Hunt"
Posted on September 28, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Here is my advice about job hunting long-distance: Forget it. It's not going to work for most of you, and you'll need to relocate before you get the job. But for a few of you, there's...
"No Surprise Here: BigLaw Rescinds 'Deferred' Offers"
Posted on September 28, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Arent Fox has confirmed that some offers made to 'deferred' associates have now been fully withdrawn. This comes as no big surprise, particularly as the old BigLaw model becomes increasingly less viable. The economic...
"The Great Debate over Medical Liability Reform"
Posted on September 28, 2009From the site: "When the issue of medical liability reform came up in President Obama's speech on Health Care reform in front of Congress, it was met with boos from Democrats and a standing ovation from Republicans. Co-hosts Bob Ambrogi...
"Web Sites on the Case"
Posted on September 28, 2009In the news: "Pervasive Web search tools have opened the door to a valuable new marketing opportunity for law firms: the litigation or case-specific Web site. Unlike a firm's legacy site or blog, these case sites can allow smaller firms...
"The Electronic Law Firm"
Posted on September 25, 2009Posted by Jordan Furlong: "'Electric' as an adjective has kind of a dated feel, harking back to the 1970s when it modified Horseman, Company, Mayhem and Light Orchestra. But electric cars still retain a 21st-century buzz, keeping the momentum they...
"Social Media Revolution"
Posted on September 25, 2009Posted By Rob Millard: "My friend and colleague Gerry Riskin has just posted a video similar to the Shift Happens video of a year or two back, specifically about social networking. It is compelling and important information for those trying...
"Legal Blog and Journalism Leaders Discuss 'New Media & the Law'"
Posted on September 25, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "Last night at Georgetown University Law Center, several leaders in the legal blogging and journalism world met to discuss "New Media & The Law." The panel featured David Lat (center in the lousy photo from my...
"Study Finds Part-Time Partners Pull Their Weight "
Posted on September 25, 2009In the news: "There's good news on the part-time front, reports The Project for Attorney Retention, an organization that promotes work/life balance policies in the legal profession. It has just released what it describes as a "ground-breaking study," spotlighting the...
"What's Your Tagline and Have the Partners Bought Into It?"
Posted on September 25, 2009Posted By Tom Kane: "A lot of law firms are into taglines. I've been involved with the practice when I was in-house. At times I like them, and other times I'm ambivalent. The important question, however, is: Do they help...
"A Close Look at the Data Breach Notification Law: Chapter 93H"
Posted on September 25, 2009From the site: "With several high profile security breaches in Massachusetts, securing customer information is a necessity to business legally. In this debut podcast of the Legal ToolKit, host Dean Whalen, General Counsel for Catuogno Court Reporting and Sten-Tel Transcription...
"New on LLRX.com - Peek: Mobile E-Mail On A Budget"
Posted on September 25, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Peek: Mobile E-Mail On A Budget - Conrad J. Jacoby discusses his experiences using the Peek mobile e-mail device (Time Magazine's 2008 Gadget of the Year), which he believes is genuinely useful and an excellent value...
"Yahoo! Let My E-Mail Go!"
Posted on September 25, 2009In the news: "Collecting ESI from the cloud isn't tomorrow's problem -- it's the rare e-discovery scenario that doesn't involve webmail and a facility to download it to a local collection amenable to EDD processing. Consultant Craig Ball details the....
"Help for the Lawyers with Depression"
Posted on September 24, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Here's an off-topic post as a public service. Lawyers with Depression is a website "created for lawyers with depression by a lawyer with depression." Its founder, Daniel Lukasik, writes-- Since I launched [the site] two years...
"How to Find the Right Job for You"
Posted on September 24, 2009Posted by Penelope trunk: "We reorganized the company today. We brought in a new, interim CEO, who's not me. For many entrepreneurs, that is their worst nightmare. But I couldn't be happier. For one thing, it's a sign that my...
"Statistics + Surveys and Lawyers Don't Mix"
Posted on September 24, 2009Posted by Ron Friedmann: "Last month, in As World Embraces Statistics, Lawyers Sit on Sideline, I lamented the lack of statistical mindset in the legal market. Why should we care? One reason: statistics can be very important at trial. Bob...
"Foreshadowing and the Science of Persuasion"
Posted on September 24, 2009Posted by Raymond Ward: "If your job involves persuading people through the written word, then you should read Something Judicious This Way Comes by Prof. Michael J. Higdon. In this paper, Prof. Higdon explores the use of foreshadowing in narrative,....
"Customer Service Pet Peeves"
Posted on September 24, 2009From the blog: "I came across this post recently, which lists some of the more prominent customer service pet peeves submitted by the blog's readers. Some of the major examples included: Phone problems (long hold times, annoying hold music, getting...
"Putting West and LexisNexis Case Law Digesting Systems to the Relevancy Test"
Posted on September 24, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "Susan Nevelow Mart's (Faculty Services Librarian, UC Hastings Law Library) has uploaded Reining in the Results: The Use of Human Indexing and Computer Algorithms in West's Headnotes & Key Numbers and LexisNexis's Headnotes & Topics as...
"The Medical Profession's Relationship with the Legal Profession"
Posted on September 24, 2009From the site: "With medical malpractice being a hot-button issue, the medical field and the legal field often times seem at odds with each other. In this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes Wayne M. Willoughby, partner with...
"States Embrace Electronic Discovery"
Posted on September 24, 2009From the e-newsletter: "If you were under the misguided impression that attorneys and their litigant clients only need to deal expressly with electronic discovery in federal court, you need to wake up and smell the e-discovery coffee." Read more...
"Simple Jury Persuasion Rule 1: There Is No Such Thing As 'Persuasion'."
Posted on September 23, 2009Posted by Douglas Keene: "We've been reading Mark Bennett's Simple Rules for Jury Selection and wishing we'd thought of that! So we are 'liberating' his idea with some simple rules of our own. Once you have your jury (perhaps using...
"Are You Being Served?"
Posted on September 23, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "More importantly, are you serving others. I have always gotten a kick out of the British TV comedy by that name. My mother-in-law still watches it every chance she gets. If you want a laugh, check...
"Weekly Rainmaker Activity 9/21/09"
Posted on September 23, 2009Posted by Julie A. Fleming: "Pop quiz: Who are your best referral sources? List the top 10 of each right now. If you are a more junior lawyer in a law firm and don't yet have your own clients, list...
"Legal Business Development via Twitter: The Challenge"
Posted on September 23, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "In a post today on Legal Technology called "Where to Focus With Social Networking," Larry Bodine argues that while the number of online social networks continues to grow quickly, the good news is that marketers and...
"FRCP Changes on the Horizon"
Posted on September 23, 2009In the news: "Big changes are coming to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on December 1, 2009, explains Merchant & Gould attorney Elizabeth Zidones, that affect various timing requirements, change how some deadlines are calculated and clarify the ambiguity...
"Alternative Fees (Part 25): Experts Predict the Future"
Posted on September 23, 2009Posted by Jim Hassett: "Near the end of my recent webcast on "Alternative fees: How to implement sustainable programs for the long run," I asked four senior partners at AmLaw 100 firms to speculate about the future. Some said that...
"Macs in Law Offices (MILO) Now the Largest Online Forum for Mac-Using Attorneys"
Posted on September 23, 2009Posted by J. Benjamin Stevens: "You might know that the Macs in Law Offices (MILO) group is one of the best resources available on the internet for lawyers who use Macs. However, you probably didn't know that it is now the...
"Law Firms and Legal Technology: Trends and Challenges"
Posted on September 23, 2009From the site: "Most discussion of the use of technology by law firms tends to be anecdotal. That's why the annual release of the InsideLegal/ILTA Member Technology Purchasing Survey is welcome news for those looking for the numbers on which...
"Are You Really Online?"
Posted on September 22, 2009Posted by: John Jantsch: "Was a time a few years back when I would tell audiences of small business owners that "if they did not have a website, they weren't really in business." Fortunately, small business owners have taken heed...
"Do You Think You Can Buy Client Loyalty?"
Posted on September 22, 2009From an article by Ed Poll: "A delinquent client account spells more than less cash flow for your practice. It can also be a sign that the relationship is in trouble." Topics discussed include: Aggravating Problems... The Collection Policy.......
"Get Your Hand Out of My (Law Firm's) Pocket!"
Posted on September 22, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: " 'Get Your Hand Out of My Pocket' is the title of a great blog post on law firm financial controls by the Alabama Bar's Laura Calloway. As many of you know, Laura was the Chair...
"Don't Criticize or Blame Others Until You Look in the Mirror"
Posted on September 22, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Niki Black did a great post recently on her Sui Generis blog entitled, "Live and Let Live" all about her choices in her legal career and the reactions of other lawyers who disagreed with those choices. The entire...
"What Things Should You Agree to at the Start of a Civil Case?"
Posted on September 22, 2009Posted by Ernest Svenson: "When a case first gets going it's easy for lawyers to agree to how the case will be handled. So that's the best time to agree on a case specific method of handling certain housekeeping issues,...
"Does Mindful Awareness Enhance the Effectiveness of a Negotiator?"
Posted on September 22, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "First, let's look at negotiation. I am sure many if not most of us are aware of the study done by Professor Gerald Williams on styles of negotiation. He found two styles of negotiation were predominately used...
"Appellate Briefs: Examples"
Posted on September 22, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "The task of writing legal documents is often easier if one seeks out examples to use as models. To this end, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals provides access to briefs on its website. Although you...
"Old Files"
Posted on September 22, 2009Posted by Ed Poll: "Recently, the question was raised as to how much time clients' old files must be retained ... The long and short is, it depends. There is a duty of safe-keeping for original documents. They can never...
"Avoiding Legal Malpractice Risks in Tough Times - Use Best Practices"
Posted on September 21, 2009Posted by Nerino Petro: "My friend, Dan Pinnington (director of practicePRO), article Legal malpractice risks change in tough times (But the best risk management strategies don't) was recently made available to a wider audience and is worth reading. Dan provides...
"Multitasking -- Is It Counterproductive?"
Posted on September 21, 2009Posted by John Heckman: "The issue of multitasking gets sporadic attention - most recently on the subject of texting while driving (which could also be construed as a death wish). But it is not new. I always recall my driving...
"New on LLRX.com - The Art of Written Persuasion: Improve Your Vocabulary, Improve Your Success"
Posted on September 21, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "The Art of Written Persuasion: Part V - Improve Your Vocabulary, Improve Your Success: Troy Simpson returns with this fifth article in the series, and investigates the link between having a good vocabulary [lawyers have a...
"Older but Wiser: Stay the Course"
Posted on September 21, 2009In the news: "Looking for work is tough, especially for senior candidates in the current legal marketplace, acknowledge consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass. Understand that the vast majority of employment inquiries end in rejection, regardless of experience level...
"Are Lawyers Getting Clients From Twitter?"
Posted on September 21, 2009Posted by Bruce Carton: "I'm a fan of Twitter, and have been using the service since early this year both personally (@brucecarton) and as a news feed for securities litigation news (@SecuritiesD). I'm also interested in its use and value...
"Try these Two-line Dynamic Exhibit Stamps"
Posted on September 21, 2009Posted by Rick Borstein: "I received a lot of positive correspondence after I created and posted a set of Dynamic Exhibit Stamps in my blog article Add Dynamic Exhibit Stamps in Acrobat using a free stamp set. If...
"Get Smart With SharePoint Documents"
Posted on September 21, 2009In the news: "Mark Gerow, who leads the application development team at Fenwick & West, describes some of the ways that SharePoint can reduce the effort to create, manage and retrieve documents and increase their value, as smart documents, to...
"5 Great Feature Enhancements to Expect in PowerPoint 2010"
Posted on September 21, 2009From the site: "Microsoft is hard at work on its Office 2010 product. We've started to see features of the updated productivity applications, and here are some of the great feature enhancements to expect in PowerPoint 2010: 1...
" 2009 Best Law Firms For Women"
Posted on September 18, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Working Mother: "These are turbulent times for law firms. The economy is still reeling, several prestigious firms have collapsed, and layoffs have been rampant. No doubt about it, this sector is feeling the recession. But for...
"Do You Need A Reason To Do A Marketing Plan?"
Posted on September 18, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Isn't the need self-evident? By that I mean, if you don't plan what road your marketing should take, any frivolous (activity) path will get you there - to paraphrase the Cheshire cat in Alice's Adventures in...
"Who's Reading Your Email? Whose Email Are You Reading?"
Posted on September 18, 2009Posted by evan Schaeffer: "If you work for a large organization, you might find this article a little creepy. "What your emails say about you: Our electronic trails are powerfully revealing - for those who can decode them." Although the...
"The Premier Online Forum for Mac-Using Attorneys"
Posted on September 18, 2009Posted by J. Benjamin Stevens: "If you are an attorney who uses Macs in your practice and you aren't a member of the Macs in Law Offices (MILO) group, then you are missing out on one of the best resources...
"Episode #6: Facebook for Lawyers?"
Posted on September 18, 2009Posted by Tom Mighell: "Dennis and I are pleased to be back with another podcast - in this episode, we discuss Facebook and its growing popularity among lawyers, our new affection for the Google Reader, and we take a fresh...
"Get an Anonymous, Auto-expiring Phone Number with inumbr"
Posted on September 18, 2009Posted by Bonnie Shucha: "Thanks to my colleague, Mary Jo Koranda, for pointing me to a service called inumbr, which provides you with a free, auto-expiring anonymous phone number that forwards incoming calls to your home or mobile phone. Callers...
" Does Client Service Mean "Being Nice" to Clients?"
Posted on September 18, 2009Posted by JD Hull: "Get off your knees. Quit bottom-feeding. Stick with sophisticated users of legal services. The answer to the question is no. "Being nice" to clients is not the goal or point of client service. We didn't launch...
"Law Firm Allows Full-Time Parenting in the Workplace"
Posted on September 18, 2009In the news: "Roxanne B. Conlin and Associates, a Des Moines, Iowa-based plaintiffs firm, is one of only a handful of firms in the country that allows parents to bring their babies to the office. This is not on-site day...
New Ohio Juvenile Court "'Youth Assessment System'"
Posted on September 17, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "Ohio juvenile courts have a significant new tool at their disposal that has been developed by the Ohio Department of Youth Services and University of Cincinnati's Center for Criminal Justice Research. The Ohio Youth Assessment System...
"How To Start a Solo Law Practice For Under $3K"
Posted on September 17, 2009From the e-newsletter: "If you have recently cleared the Bar exam and are unemployed, you have likely given thought, time, and maybe even some blood, sweat, and tears to finding a job. And somewhere along the line you may have...
"Jurors: Keep Your E-Fingers to Yourselves"
Posted on September 17, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Jurors empaneled for a trial typically are instructed by the judge not to do anything on their own to learn about the facts and circumstances of the case outside of the courtroom." Read more... Source: FindLaw's Practice...
"What Are You Doing Legally on Twitter? "
Posted on September 17, 2009In the news: "Twitter faces issues involving right of publicity, defamation and free speech, say White and Case attorneys William Coats and Jennifer Gossain. To avoid exposing yourself and your company to liability, think about what you tweet, stick to...
"Do You Know Where Your Clients Come From? Do Something! Mini Marketing Makeover"
Posted on September 17, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "September is back to school time. Even if you haven't attended school for a while, September still may make you feel as if it's time for a new start - a fresh perspective. Often that means...
"Email Management: Part Two"
Posted on September 17, 2009From the site: "In part two of this two part series on email management on Legal 3.0h!, co-hosts and legal technology consultants, Adriana Linares and Debbie Foster, conclude their discussion on email. They will explore the intricacies of Outlook, including...
"Legal Blogging: How, Why and What's Next"
Posted on September 17, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "The summer 2009 issue of Capital Ideas, the newsletter of the Capital Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, features an article, "Trend Report: Legal Blogging: How, Why and What's Next?" Author Eric Gruis of Howrey interviews...
"Launch of Google for the Public Sector"
Posted on September 17, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Official Google Blog: "Google for the Public Sector, a one-stop shop of tools and tips that local, state and federal government officials can use to help promote transparency and increase citizen participation. The site helps government...
"Telling the Law's Story"
Posted on September 16, 2009Posted by Raymond Ward: "All advocates should know that good storytelling is powerfully persuasive. Certainly our clients have stories that we should search for and tell. But what we may not realize is that the law itself has its own...
"Weight Discrimination - As Prevalent as Race Discrimination?"
Posted on September 16, 2009Posted by Diane Pfadenhauer: "According to a recent study, weight discrimination, particularly against women, may be an emerging form of discrimination in the workplace. According to the study by The International Journal of Obesity: "Among obese people, approximately 28...
"Guest Writer: Gratitude - A True Measure of Your Service Warmth"
Posted on September 16, 2009Posted by John Patterson: "'Thank you' are the two most important words in the English language. Yet, how often are you served and end up the only one in the equation doing the thanking? It is always important and never...
"Are Your Clients Satisfied With Your Services?"
Posted on September 16, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Do you know the real answer or are you just guessing? Those of us who provide client feedback services, and have reported how favorable clients react to satisfaction surveys, have an obvious bias. But that makes...
"How to Succeed at Business Development: A First-Year View"
Posted on September 16, 2009In the news: "You'll be too busy to network. Your billable hours will suffer. Your firm is so well-established that you don't need to worry about getting clients. First-year associate Eric D. Frank writes that like many others, he had...
"Horror Stories: 'When You Become an Officer of the Court, You Lose the Full Ability to Criticize the Court' on Social Media Sites"
Posted on September 16, 2009Posted by Joe Hidnicki: "A September 12, 2009 article in the New York Times, A Legal Battle: Online Attitude vs. Rules of the Bar by John Schwartz reviews recent disciplinary proceedings against practicing attorneys. One case involved a blogging criminal...
"Turning Web Traffic Into Clients"
Posted on September 16, 2009From the blog: "Most law firms have a website, but few law firms actually get much, if any, business off of the Web. The first problem most firms face is that their websites don't get much traffic in the first...
"Data Loss Prevention Systems at Your Firm "
Posted on September 16, 2009In the news: "A more comprehensive approach to security management in the law firm is to layer a data loss prevention systems strategy on top of electronic redaction, metadata management and encryption. DLP systems help detect and prevent the misuse....
"Don't Tarnish Your Fresh Start With A Rotten Ending"
Posted on September 15, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Opening a law firm by choice or by circumstance offers a chance at a fresh start. However, it's all too easy to tarnish that bright, shiny new beginning with a nasty ending at your former position....
"Question for Lawyers: What Are You Selling?"
Posted on September 15, 2009Posted by Arnie Herz: "Yes, I know. A lot of lawyers recoil at the thought of being salespeople. We develop business. We network. But, we don't sell our legal services. With the economy remaining tight and consumers becoming even more...
"Safeguarding Sensitive Information, Data Breaches & Preservation Issues"
Posted on September 15, 2009From the site: "In this edition of the ESI Report, host Gina Jytyla, Managing Staff Attorney in the Legal Technologies division at Kroll Ontrack, welcomes Alan Brill, Senior Managing Director for Kroll Ontrack's Information Security Services, and Steve Baird, Managing...
Online "Webcast: Introduction to GLIN (Global Legal Information Network)"
Posted on September 15, 2009From the Web Site: From the Law Library of Congress, a short video is now available for viewing. Introduction to GLIN, featuring GLIN Director Janice Hyde and Comparative Law Specialist Hanibal Goitom, explains how the Global Legal Information Network works...
"Trial Lawyer TV Ads for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Grew 1,400 Percent in Last Four Years, Study Shows"
Posted on September 15, 2009[Their] Source: Institute for Legal Reform (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)From press release: Television advertisements soliciting plaintiffs for medical malpractice lawsuits increased from about 10,150 ads in 2004 to more than 156,000 ads in 2008--nearly a 1,400 percent increase in four...
"10 Design Lessons from the Art of Ikebana"
Posted on September 15, 2009Posted by gar Reynolds: "Though it may not seem obvious standing in the bustling center of Shibuya or Shinjuku in Tokyo, the Japanese perception of beauty is largely based on space, especially space as it is found in nature. Once...
"Interrogatories Before Depositions"
Posted on September 15, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Plaintiffs' lawyer Ron Miller has an informative post explaining why he serves interrogatories at the time he files a complaint, noting in part-- The advantage in first obtaining answers to interrogatories is that the answers should help...
"Free Site Enables Document Assembly"
Posted on September 15, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "The document-assembly site WhichDraft.com enables automatic assembly of contracts and other legal documents. Users start by finding the type of document they want and then they fill them out by answering a series of simple questions...
"Are You Packaging Your Services to Appeal to Your Ideal Clients?"
Posted on September 14, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Today I have been reminded of the power of packaging. Packaging is just as important for service providers as it is for product manufacturers. And packaging goes far beyond simply having a great logo and letterhead...
Two New Articles of Interest on LLRX
Posted on September 14, 2009Are Law Firms Ready for Transparency? Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Are Law Firms Ready for Transparency? Attorney and KM expert V. Mary Abraham provides details on how one law firm has found a way to create real transparency in...
"Older but Wiser: Handling Touchy Subjects"
Posted on September 14, 2009In the news: "Interviews are awkward enough as it is without the additional challenges facing the more mature job seeker, note consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass. They suggest that you anticipate and prepare to handle tough questions and situations...
"The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering"
Posted on September 14, 2009Posted by Julie A. Fleming: "The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering [by James A. Durham] is aptly named: at just 52 pages (including the title page, copyright, and table of contents), you'll need less than an hour to discover...
"Write Better Faster"
Posted on September 14, 2009Posted by Wayne Schiess: "A recurring question I get from lawyers, law students, and other readers is how to implement the writing advice I present while working under harsh deadlines and heavy workloads. "I want to write better," these lawyers...
"Is it Time to Get Real About the Real-time Web?"
Posted on September 14, 2009From the site: "Are you suffering from information overload? Soon you could be inundated by instantaneous updates and some are calling the next-generation Internet the "real-time web." In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell will take you on...
"Review: Deadlines On Demand "
Posted on September 14, 2009In the news: "Lawyers handle a lot of technical tasks that beg for automation, e.g., calculating dates for court appearances and filing deadlines. Law.com technology editor Sean Doherty reviews Compulaw's Deadlines On Demand and finds it an easy and cost-effective...
"SharePoint in Plain English"
Posted on September 14, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki:"Some say Microsoft's SharePoint may be the fastest-growing product in Microsoft's history even though it may also be as shoddy as the Company's other offerings. It looks like a relatively inexpensive enterprise-level platform for hosting websites, information...
"Law Firm Wellness Programs Offer Help and Support"
Posted on September 11, 2009Article by Colleen Ford Kennedy: "When employees' health (mental or physical) isn't at its best, the productivity of the whole practice suffers. Learn what your firm can do to make sure your employees' health and performance are at their peaks."...
"Ohio Estate Tax Legislation"
Posted on September 11, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "The Columbus Dispatch this morning reported that another effort is under way to kill what critics call Ohio's "death tax." The Ohio chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a national advocacy group, is leading a push for...
"Dr. Bill Saleebey Discusses the Finer Points of Moving a Law Practice"
Posted on September 11, 2009Posted by Ed Poll: "Our topic today is on smartly moving your law office. Most of us don't appreciate the finer points of moving furniture, boxes of files, computers and all the other paraphernalia that makes up a typical law...
"E-Discovery Trends in the Paralegal World"
Posted on September 11, 2009From the site: "E-Discovery has become a necessary part of the legal profession and often it's paralegals and legal assistants are the gatekeepersfor implementation at a law firm. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki...
"New Jersey Courts Employ Social Media"
Posted on September 11, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "Thanks to the blog Social Media Law Student for the heads-up about the announcement from the New Jersey judiciary that it is adopting an array of social-media tools to keep lawyers, litigants and the public better...
"Only a Small Percentage of Lawyers Use Twitter"
Posted on September 11, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant : "At the beginning of 2009, Larry Bodine predicted that Twitter would become a popular social media tool for lawyers. However, after several months of usage, Bodine discovered that Twitter was not as effective for lawyer...
"Shorten URLs Even More with J.mp"
Posted on September 11, 2009Posted by Larry Bodine: "First there was tinyurl.com, a free online service that could shorten a 100-character web address (like http://www.lawmarketing.com/pages/articles.asp?Action=Article&ArticleCategoryID=58&ArticleID=924) to 25 characters (like http://tinyurl...
For Your Clients - "Emancipation of Minors"
Posted on September 11, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Emancipation is a legal process through which a minor can become legally recognized as an independent adult in the eyes of the law. FindLaw's Family Law Center has in-depth information on minor emancipation eligibility, the emancipation process,...
" Knowing a Problem is Harder Than Solving It "
Posted on September 10, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Self-knowledge can solve all your problems. Because it's more difficult to understand what your problem is than to know how to solve it. Most of the time we actually have the knowledge we need to solve...
"Less Is More When It Comes to Multitasking"
Posted on September 10, 2009From the e-newsletter: "With the advent of the Internet, cell phones, wireless email devices and portable music players, many of us wear as a badge of honor our ability to multitask. But not so fast - a recent study by...
"Short Legal Communications"
Posted on September 10, 2009Posted by Patrick J. Lamb: "A couple of days ago, I wrote a post about lawyers refusing to take a position on something. I've gotten a lot of nice comments on ...and on the other hand ... and wanted to...
"Court Lays Down Law on Jury Internet Use"
Posted on September 10, 2009In the news: "A new rule proposed by San Francisco Superior Court would remind potential jurors not to blog, Tweet or conduct Internet research about cases. The need for the rule became clear to the court during a jury selection...
"Law Firm Diversity Initiatives Should Go Beyond Hiring"
Posted on September 10, 2009In the news: "Leaders of several Connecticut law firms agree that proving a firm's commitment to diversity can be challenging when hiring is slow. But firms are still reaching out to connect with minority law students and potential lateral hires,...
"Being a Plaintiff Attorney...and More"
Posted on September 10, 2009From the site: "A work of a plaintiff attorney isn't always about filing lawsuits and going to trial. In this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen along with co-host and colleague, Manny Valdez Jr. welcome Attorney John Gomez nationally...
"Free Directory Assistance for Mobile Phones"
Posted on September 10, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "There is no longer a valid excuse to not make that marketing call to a client or referral source from your mobile phone just because you don't have the number handy. Thanks to a heads up...
"A Good Base for Health Information"
Posted on September 10, 2009Posted by Tom Mighell: "I've been checking out HealthBase, a new search tool powered by NetBase, a company that's doing some interesting things with search technology. HealthBase aims to provide answers, not just search results, and it does a pretty....
"How Do You Talk to Your Clients About Fees?"
Posted on September 09, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "When my clients tell me that they're having difficulty getting paid or that they are having problems with an alternative billing arrangement with their clients, the first two questions I always ask are: "What did you tell...
"JDs Not to Be"
Posted on September 09, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant : "With law firms cutting back, some career counselors are advising lawyers to think about another profession. This week's Maryland Daily Record profiles lawyers who did more than think about leaving the law; they've actually done...
"Older but Wiser: Acting the Interview"
Posted on September 09, 2009In the news: "Interview basics are essentially the same whether you are a new lawyer or one with years of experience under your belt. There are some tips to keep in mind, however, to highlight what you have to offer...
New on LLRX.com for August 2009
Posted on September 09, 2009From the e-newsletter: **The Government Domain: Tracking Congress 2.0 http://www.llrx.com/columns/govdomain42.htm With the 111th Congress of the United States reconvening on September 8th, e-gov expert Peggy Garvin highlights new tools and sources that enhance and expand your ability to track and...
Two Good Websites for Civil Liberties Topics
Posted on September 09, 2009From the e-newsletter: *American Civil Liberties Union* http://www.aclu.org/ "Love it or hate it, the ACLU provides a wealth of information on important civil rights, issues, from Criminal Justice to Women's Rights, and over a dozen other topics in between...
"Recent Web 2.0 Developments for Monitoring Congress"
Posted on September 09, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "The 111th Congress of the United States reconvenes today. In her LLRX article, The Government Domain: Tracking Congress 2.0, Peggy Garvin highlights some Web 2.0 resources to monitor legislation. The article features GovTrack...
"Linux at Law "
Posted on September 09, 2009In the news: "After 23 years in a midsize firm, Steven A. Reisler decided to go solo and run his practice with free and open source software. For a penguin-sized law firm, hanging out a shingle with Linux proved to...
For Your Clients - "Guide to Hiring a Lawyer"
Posted on September 09, 2009From the e-newsletter: "How do you go about choosing a lawyer? What kind of charges can you expect for a lawyer's services? Is low-cost or free legal help available? If you are thinking about hiring a lawyer, FindLaw's "Guide to...
"Marketing Tools: Software & Gadgets to Die For - II"
Posted on September 04, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Well, okay to die for is a bit strong, but here is some software I really like. PersonalBrain 5.0 - the best and the most versatile database I've found to organize all your stuff... Mind...
"Credit Card Consumers & Arbitration Part 2"
Posted on September 04, 2009From the site: "In part one of Credit Card Consumers & Arbitration, co-hosts Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams discussed consumer rights and mandatory arbitration used when a dispute between the credit card holder and the credit card company arises...
"New Site for Sharing Legal Documents"
Posted on September 04, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "I received an e-mail yesterday informing me of the launch of ExampleMotion, a Web site where lawyers can share -- or even sell -- pleadings, motions and other legal documents. Here is what the e-mail says:...
"Dressing for Professional Success Shouldn't Be Torture"
Posted on September 04, 2009In the news: "In a down economy, lawyers need every edge they can get, notes Kasia Benson, an Andrews Kurth associate and founder of a wardrobe consulting service for professionals. Don't let that dowdy suit or those out-of-control eyebrows ruin...
"Work-Life Balance: So Last August?"
Posted on September 04, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "Ah, the heady days of a year ago. It was a time when lawyers believed they could have it all -- economic success and a personal life to boot. A lot has changed in the...
"Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers: Violations of Employment and Labor Laws in America's Cities"
Posted on September 04, 2009[Their] Source: National Employment Law Project, UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, and UIC Center for Urban Economic Development This report (PDF; 834 KB) exposes a world of work in which the core protections that many Americans take...
"Do You Have 'e-Mail Apnea'? HBR Touches on That Topic and Others in 'Death by Information Overload'"
Posted on September 04, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "This great article arrived at just the right time for me. Excerpt from "Death by Information Overload" (Harvard Business Review): With the information floodgates open, content rushes at us in countless formats: Text messages and Twitter tweets...
"Online Tools to Get a Better Outlook"
Posted on September 04, 2009In the news: "If your outlook on everyday business communications is heavily influenced by, well, Microsoft Outlook, then there's a good chance that you've wished you could tweak the software to make it better serve your needs. The good news...
"How to Become a Law Professor"
Posted on September 02, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "Being a law professor always struck me as a good gig. Sure, it doesn't always pay as well as the private sector. But you get summers off and all the torts you can eat. Best...
"Google Mobile App: What Might It Mean for Legal Research? Part 2"
Posted on September 02, 2009Posted by Robert C. Richards: "In part one of this post, I described Google Mobile Application ("GMA"), its effectiveness for certain kinds of legal research, the history of voice recognition for legal research in the U.S., and some factors suggesting...
Three Good Articles off the Newswire at Lawcom
Posted on September 02, 2009Out With the Old IT, In With the New In the news: "There's an irony to law firm IT: Firms spend so much time on issues like infrastructure that they spend too little time using technology to improve how lawyers...
"Ohio Breastfeeding Case"
Posted on September 02, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "In a case originally accepted to seek a review of whether Ohio law prohibits an employer from discriminating against a female employee because, or on the basis of , a new mother's lactation, the Ohio Supreme...
"U.S. Congress: THOMAS Launches Two New RSS Feeds"
Posted on September 02, 2009"From the Announcement: In addition to the Daily Digest, the House Floor Today and Senate Floor Today are now available as RSS feeds or Email updates from THOMAS. The new Floor Today feeds are two of several RSS feeds available...
"Sea of Possibility: New "Über Search Tools & Sneak Preview of 'Social Media: Risks & Rewards'"
Posted on September 02, 2009From the site: "On Law Technology Now, host Monica Bay welcomes Bob Ambrogi, author of Law Technology News' Web Watch column and Jim Calloway, director of the Oklahoma Bar Association's Management Assistance Program, to discuss the latest web-based search tools,...
"Marketing Tools: Software & Gadgets to Die For"
Posted on September 02, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "From time to time I have thought about sharing some of my "toys" with my readers. Well, with the summer winding down, I thought I would take the opportunity to do just that. First, I'll cover...
"Three New Web Sites Target Legal Pros"
Posted on September 02, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi : "Law.com Legal Technology features my article, Three New Web Sites Target Legal Pros. The article reviews HubStreet, a professional networking site; TransactionSpace, a site to manage the process of closing a deal; and myCorporateResource...
"Google Mobile App: What Might It Mean for Legal Research?"
Posted on September 01, 2009Posted by Robert C. Richards: "Voice search may soon become a popular tool for legal research in the U.S. The reason? The Google search engine's smartphone application, called Google Mobile Application or Google Mobile App ("GMA," currently available for BlackBerry,...
"Options Exchanges Help to Generate Legal Work "
Posted on September 01, 2009In the news: "Some big-firm lawyers are busier than others nowadays, but it's not just the bankruptcy groups getting work. Options exchanges have been a boon to benefits and executive compensation lawyers, filling a void in their workload left by...
"Proposed Ohio Attorney "Safekeeping" Rule Changes"
Posted on September 01, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "The Ohio Supreme Court has announced that it will be accepting public comment on a proposed rule change to an attorney's duty to safeguard client funds and property in which third persons claim an interest until...
"All Advice on How to Manage Creative People Is Awful"
Posted on September 01, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "A good manager is someone who makes everyone feel like he or she is creative in their work. Because creative work is the most fulfilling work, and we are each capable of that kind of work....
"Public Speaking Tip: Hold Eye Contact With Your Audience"
Posted on September 01, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Here's an interesting idea worth trying. Tom Antion over on Great Public Speaking suggests making eye contact with individuals in the audience and hold it for 4 seconds. I think that four seconds is a l-o-o-o-o-n-g...
"Lawyers in Virtual Offices Can use LinkedIn, Blogs, and Twitter for Marketing"
Posted on September 01, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "An article in the Puget Sound Business Journal provides a list of suggestions for lawyers with virtual offices. From "The rise of the virtual law firm": -- Use online resources. Attorneys operating a virtual law firm often...
"Credit Card Consumers & Arbitration"
Posted on September 01, 2009From the blog: "Mandatory arbitration in credit card agreements are in the legal spotlight again after the Minnesota Attorney General recently sued the largest national arbitration firm, National Arbitration Forum. That resulted in a settlement shutting down part of NAF's...
"Three New Web Sites Target Legal Pros"
Posted on September 01, 2009In the news: "Attorney Robert J. Ambrogi reviews three noteworthy new Web sites that target legal professionals. The first is a networking site for lawyers and other professionals. The second helps manage legal transactions. The third is an information hub...
"Online Reputation Management"
Posted on August 27, 2009From the site: "Have all of your posts, comments and mentions on the Internet, especially in social media, become the dreaded "permanent record?" Is what people see in Google about you what you want them to"know" about you? As lawyers...
"Ethics Checklists for Solo and Small Firm Practitioners"
Posted on August 27, 2009Posted by Nerino Petro: "Today's issue of YourABA e-news includes a link to Ethics checklists for solo and small firm practitioners. This is really a compilation of prior ABA articles, free CLE audio and sample forms on ethical issues facing lawyers...
"The New Marketer's Toolbox"
Posted on August 27, 2009Posted by: John Jantsch: "More than once those that follow what I do have asked me how I seem to get so much done in a day. I have to admit that I get a lot of help from the...
"Law Myths - a Short Book"
Posted on August 27, 2009Posted by Ernest Svenson: "I recently had the chance to review a short little book called 'Dangerous Law Practice: Myths, Lies & Stupidity'. The book only has 94 pages, but it's chock full of pith and common sense. The book...
"Set Your Bookmarks Now: Your New Favorite Web Site"
Posted on August 27, 2009In the news: "Welcome to Corporate Counsel's revamped Web site, which now includes the old In-House Counsel section on Law.com. Check here every day for breaking news from the in-house world, practice updates on a wide variety of substantive...
"Deduplication: Custodian vs. Case"
Posted on August 27, 2009In the news: "In deduplication, documents are assigned an algorithmically calculated alphanumeric value and compared to all other electronic files in a data set. As simple as this seems, there are two different ways to "dedupe": by custodian and by...
"PCLaw v. Time Matters: Can PCLaw Do It All?"
Posted on August 27, 2009Posted by John Heckman: "There seems to have been a recent uptick in inquiries along the line "Do I really need Time Matters?" Can't I do everything I do with TM just with PCLaw? (Manifestly, this corresponds to increased dissatisfaction...
"Hanselminutes Podcast 172 - Dan Bricklin on Technology"
Posted on August 27, 2009Posted by Scott Hanselman: "My one-hundred-and-seventy-second podcast is up. Dan Bricklin is an innovator and entrepreneur, and created VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet in 1979. He's just written a book called Bricklin on Technology full of observations, stories, case histories...
Publication Notice
Posted on August 26, 2009Posts are going to be a little erratic for a while. Mom is still recovering from hip surgery at our house and my husband had a heart attack last Friday and is having a triple bypass next Monday. I'll post...
"Lawyers Beware: Judges May Be Watching You on Social Media"
Posted on August 26, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "There's an interesting article this week in Texas Lawyer about how judges are using social media. On one level, having judges who are familiar with social media can be helpful in dealing with certain issues that...
"Free 3-hour Live Acrobat forums coming to Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Seattle and San Francisco"
Posted on August 26, 2009Posted by Rick Borstein: "I'm hitting the road to show off Acrobat 9 in Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Seattle and San Francisco! Come see me present a free 3-hour demonstration of Adobe Acrobat 9. Free breakfast included! You'll see...
"Offer Fixed Fees NOW!"
Posted on August 26, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "For those who rushed out this past weekend to take advantage of the "Cash for Clunkers" program (like my son), now it is time to rush to offer fixed fees. According to a front page story...
"Structuring Attorney Fees"
Posted on August 26, 2009From the site: "There are important benefits for trial lawyers using a deferred compensation plan when it comes to their contingent fees. How does it work and are there any restrictions for plaintiff attorneys who want to structure their fees?...
"State Traffic Standards"
Posted on August 26, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "USAToday.com last Wednesday morning reported that many "states were trying to put the brakes on bad driving by targeting 'super speeders,' lane hogs and those guilty of multiple moving violations.""The moves," the article says, "come as...
"Website Offers Advice on Legal Typography"
Posted on August 26, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "In the mid-80s I saw an attorney drafting on a personal computer for the very first time. My first thought was "why the hell do that (!)" because the attorney, a partner, have a great secretary right...
"Look into the Future of Litigation Tech"
Posted on August 26, 2009In the news: "After a decade of electronic discovery, lawyers have recognized a gap between what a string of binary code can do and what a lawyer's dual-hemisphered brain can do to prepare for trial. What kind of meaningful relationship...
"8 Things You Can Do With an Enterprise Wiki"
Posted on August 26, 2009Posted by Stewart Mader: "John Mancini of AIIM published my article 8 Things You Can Do With an Enterprise Wiki, on his Digital Landfill blog. The article is part of 8 things, an ongoing series on topics like information, records, and content management,...
"Film Heroes Who Are Solos Can Inspire"
Posted on August 21, 2009In the news: "Making a living as a solo can be lonely, so attorneys who are going to do it ought to have a large support network. Still, there will be times when the solitary nature of the solo's calling...
"Why Do You Practice Law?"
Posted on August 21, 2009From the blog: "At some point in our careers, lawyers end up in a rut. If you ask them why they practice law, they would be hard-pressed to come up with a compelling answer. Some lawyers practice merely to...
"A Couple of Don'ts When Dealing With Reporters"
Posted on August 21, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Establishing good relations with reporters and editors is always a good thing. It is also one of my top ten best practices (check out No. 8 - "Take a Reporter to Lunch"). Press coverage increases your...
"Email Management Tips for Lawyers"
Posted on August 21, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Email management seems to be a hot topic lately. David Bilinsky's Thoughtful Legal Management blog contained his suggestions for email management in a post earlier this month entitled simply Email Management. His post specifically addresses the...
"Fall is Coming and So is the H1N1/Swine Flu"
Posted on August 21, 2009Posted by Diane Pfadenhauer: "Just as we try to enjoy the last few weeks of Summer, it's not to late to be contemplating the possible effects of the HINI Flu Virus. The EEOC has also gotten on the bandwagon by...
"101 Year Old Lawyer Jack Borden"
Posted on August 21, 2009From the site: "Why retire? So says Attorney Jack Borden, who is in his law office at 6:30 every morning, doing what he loves - practicing law. Recently, Borden celebrated his 101st birthday, being named 'America's Outstanding Oldest Worker for...
"eDiscovery for Dummies---A Free Copy"
Posted on August 21, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Are you new to the world of virtual discovery? First off all, welcome." E-discovery involves all of the aspects of civil-litigation discovery, and applies it to electronic information. If you are foraying into this tech version of...
For Your Clients - "After an Accident or Injury: First Steps"
Posted on August 21, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Do you know what steps to take to protect your legal rights after an accident or injury? FindLaw's Accident and Injury Center provides tips on preserving evidence, making notes about what happened, getting a police report, and...
"How Junior Associates Can Avoid Common Problems"
Posted on August 20, 2009In the news: "The Hippocratic oath in medicine begins with the admonition "first, do no harm." This simple directive also fully applies to the practice of law, says Jones Day partner Steven C. Bennett. Junior lawyers, however, often overlook the...
"Free E-Mail Services: Safe or Not?"
Posted on August 20, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Last week, I asked whether lawyers make a poor impression on clients when using free e-mail addresses like Gmail or Yahoo. This week, there's a more serious debate brewing in the blogosphere over e-mail, specifically, whether...
"Jury Selection: Simple Rule 4: The 90/10 Rule"
Posted on August 20, 2009Posted by Mark Bennett: "We lawyers love to hear ourselves talk. That can be the death of a jury selection. In a good voir dire, the jurors do most of the talking. Even if I can't hear what the lawyer...
"US Courts - Internet Materials in Opinions: Citations and Hyperlinking"
Posted on August 20, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "The Third Branch: "The Judicial Conference has issued a series of "suggested practices" to assist courts in the use of Internet materials in opinions. The recommendations follow a pilot project conducted by circuit librarians...
"What ELSE Can You Do With a Law Degree?"
Posted on August 20, 2009From the blog: "Former criminal defense and in-house lawyer Taisha Rucker used to wonder what else she could do with her law degree. Now 13 years later, she's answered the question, and is working on a book to help law...
"22nd Edition: How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times - Marketing and Management"
Posted on August 20, 2009From the ABA Law Practice Management Section: "Following the informative discussion of Jim Calloway, Sharon Nelson, Ross Kodner's book "How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times," this edition of The Digital Edge, explores marketing and management tools for lawyers during a...
"Make Sure the Message Matches the Medium"
Posted on August 20, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "When it comes to Internet marketing, there's no one size fits all solution. The effectiveness of any of the tools that I've discussed here at the Legal Marketing Blawg, such as blogs, Twitter or video depends not...
"Tips to Drive Traffic to Your Web Site"
Posted on August 20, 2009In the news: "You have poured dollars and time into creating an informative and client-friendly site. Now what? How do you drive traffic to your site? According to consultants Stacy West Clark and Jason P. Lisi, there are definite tricks...
"Humour and Legal Advocacy: Use It... with Care"
Posted on August 19, 2009Posted by Dan Michaluk: "When, if ever, is it appropriate to use humour in a hearing? And what boundaries should lawyers respect? This, my first slaw.ca post, has been a great opportunity to read a little, think a little and...
"Dressing for Formal Events on a Budget"
Posted on August 19, 2009In the news: "The corporate-sponsored event season is nearly here, and chances are that lawyers will spend a Saturday evening in a cocktail dress or ball gown in the months to come. These events are fantastic opportunities to network, bond...
"Avoid Malpractice by Improving Your Marketing Skills"
Posted on August 19, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "It's easy! Listen to and communicate with your clients. Not only will it cut down on malpractice claims according an ABA article on avoiding such claims. In this month's issue of Law Practice Today the article...
"Growing Primitive"
Posted on August 19, 2009Posted by Chuck Newton: "Sometimes you need to trade technology for telephony. A chat message for yakking it up. Getting on the horn instead of getting online. Growing primitive is a combination, for me anyway, of growing your law....
"Real Life Lessons for Lawyers from the Fashion Industry"
Posted on August 19, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Last week, I took a quick hop up to New York with my daughters to visit Banana Republic's design studios. The trip came courtesy of my lucky 12 year old, Elana who won both the tour...
"The Supreme Court Database"
Posted on August 19, 2009From the blog: "If you're doing some research on the Supreme Court, make sure that this website is your first stop for sources. Containing over 200 pieces of information about the U.S. Supreme Court cases decided between 1953 and 2009,...
"Back to Basics: A Google Voice Tutorial"
Posted on August 19, 2009In the news: "Most of us can be reached by phone in different ways: office, mobile and home. But calls made to one place may not reach us, and voice mail messages left in one box may not be retrieved....
For Your Clients - "Download Your State's Advance Directives"
Posted on August 19, 2009From the site: "Caring Connections provides free advance directives and instructions for each state that can be opened as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. These materials are copyrighted by Caring Connections. Permission is granted to download a single copy...
"Applying Reptile Concepts in Trial"
Posted on August 18, 2009Posted by Paul Luvera: "David Ball and Don Keenan have done an excellent job of outlining the importance of Reptile motivation and the practical applications in their book Reptile. They recommend the plaintiff show the defendant's actions constitute an immediate...
"Online v. Print Cost Savings Examined"
Posted on August 18, 2009Posted by Bonnie Shucha: "Mark Gediman at 3 Geeks and a Law Blog has an interesting post about law firm cost recovery for online database charges. I find myself constantly explaining/defending/justifying our cost recovery policy. Maybe I've been sampling the...
"Litigation: If You Bill by the Hour, Why Not Bill Twice a Month?"
Posted on August 18, 2009Posted by JD Hull: "Billing twice a month keeps the client more attuned in real-time to the actual economic demands of the project--and helps the client plan. When things get fast and intense, invoice the client twice a month--just...
"Four Tips for Reluctant Networkers"
Posted on August 18, 2009In the news: "Consultant Debra L. Bruce says that when she is contacted by laid-off lawyers who are looking for help in augmenting their job search efforts, or attorneys whose business has dropped off, one of her first questions is...
"Are Generation Y Lawyers a Bunch of Slackers?"
Posted on August 18, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Over at Idealawg, Stephanie West Allen plays host to a robust debate over whether Generation Y lawyers -- or "millennials," lawyers under 30 -- who seek work/life balance to the exclusion of focusing on client needs....
"Make It Flow"
Posted on August 18, 2009Posted by Raymond Ward: "What's the secret to making your writing flow? Actually it's no secret at all. Taylor explains at Men With Pens. (Hat tip to the [non]billable hour.) The active links are available at the source site listed...
"Survey: Companies Fear Social Media Liability"
Posted on August 18, 2009Posted by Henry Fawell: "A well-timed survey from Russell Herder underscores that many businesses have failed to adopt social media policies in the workplace. According to the survey, more than 1 in 3 executives have no policy for employee use...
"The Robing Room"
Posted on August 18, 2009From the e-newsletter: "While we're on the subject of courts, let's visit The Robing Room. It's a site designed by lawyers, for lawyers, to evaluate Federal district court and magistrate judges. You can rate judges and magistrates, and review the...
"Do You Sponsor? (And WRA, Resurrected)"
Posted on August 17, 2009By Julie A. Fleming: "Do you know how to get the most from your sponsorships? I was interested to see this article from The National Journal, with the headline, "No More 'Chalets': Legal Marketing Focuses on Building Business. Good idea,....
"Coffee Shop Etiquette for the Home Office Shingler"
Posted on August 17, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "The Wall Street Journal reports that several coffee shops in Brooklyn, New York and San Francisco are restricting laptop use. With unemployment on the rise, patrons are spending more time and less money in coffee shops,...
Law Practice Today August Issue Online
Posted on August 17, 2009Their Balance and Wellness issue includes the following feature articles that look good: Achieving Life/Work Balance Through Effective Time Management By Kathleen Brady Managing your time effectively doesn't necessarily mean doing more throughout your day...
"Lawyers Prefer Coke"
Posted on August 17, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi : "Lawyers, it seems, prefer coke. And we refer not to soft drinks, but to drugs. As between cocaine and marijuana, occupations show a clear divide in their drug of choice. For lawyers, the choice...
"Older but Wiser: Resume Strategies"
Posted on August 17, 2009In the news: "It may have been a while since you have drafted a resume, and you might be surprised to learn that the rules are slightly different for a more seasoned candidate than for a junior attorney. For instance,...
"Videotaped Depositions Become More Common: A Developing Trend?"
Posted on August 17, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Are the lawyers who you work with expressing any of the following ideas-- A feeling that it's important to videotape all depositions of any witness an opponent might use at trial? Surprise that the lawyers' opponents...
"Alternative Fees (Part 21 & 22): Recommendations"
Posted on August 17, 2009Posted by Jim Hassett: "The new third edition of our free LegalBizDev Guide to Alternative Fees ends with a series of recommendations. Here are the first five: 1. Don't over analyze; just do it... 2. Ask clients what they want......
"Web Resources: Free Legal Resources (Recap, OpenRegs and Open Jurist)"
Posted on August 17, 2009From the blog: "Today, ars technica alerts us to a new service, free, from Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy. From the Article: Federal court documents are currently made available to the public through a crufty system called PACER...
"Online Reputation Management: First Rule is to Avoid Self-Inflicted Wounds
Posted on August 14, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "A lot of people are concerned about online reputation management. They are worried about things posted online about them or their families. Lawyers in particular worry that unhappy former clients will post untrue things about the...
"Two Visions of the Future Law Firm"
Posted on August 14, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi : "What will we see in the law firm of the future? It is a question Richard Susskind considered more than a decade ago in his book, "The Future of Law," and again in last...
"Some Reflections On Client Service"
Posted on August 14, 2009Posted By Patrick J. Lamb: "Over the weekend, I was cleaning out some old files on my computer and I ran across a slide show I had put together for a presentation on client service. I thought I would post...
"Get Indirect Referrals By Educating Your Target Audience"
Posted on August 14, 2009Posted By Tom Kane : "In March I wrote a post about a client of mine who admitted being timid when it came to asking clients for work or friends as I recall). There are also many lawyers who are...
"August 2009 Issue of Originate! is Online"
Posted on August 14, 2009Posted by Larry Bodine: "Prepare for better business development with the talking points from this month's featured articles in Originate!, the business development newsletter. Lead Article: Making His Mark - 8 Things an IP Lawyer Wished He Had Known Sooner...
Three Good articles from Law.com
Posted on August 14, 2009Heavy Advertising by Lawyers Is a Tricky Proposition In the news: "Carter Mario is one of the most visible lawyers in Connecticut. His name and face are splashed across television ads, billboards and buses. But recent firm efforts, including the...
"An Inside Look at the Peer-to-Patent System"
Posted on August 14, 2009From the site: "It can be said that patents are the key to sustaining innovative products and patent law is certainly an active area of legal practice in the U.S. But the U.S. Patent and Trademark office has been overwhelmed...
"Is There an E-Discovery Bubble?"
Posted on August 14, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "On 3 Geeks and a Law Blog, Greg Lambert says yes, and the bubble is going to burst. "I'm not saying that E-Discovery is going away," writes Lambert in I'm Calling It! - There's an 'E=Discovery...
"How Much Should You Specialize?"
Posted on August 13, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "There's an interesting opinion piece at Legal Week on the growing importance of specialization, by former law firm trainee Dominic Webb. Although the piece discusses lawyers in U.K. firms, it is equally relevant to American firms...
"Protecting Employers from New Media"
Posted on August 13, 2009In the news: "E-mails, IMs, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks enable employees to inflict greater damage to businesses due to the speed of publication to vast audiences and the difficulty of retracting information from cyberspace...
"Revising Federal "Cookie" Policy"
Posted on August 13, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "The Office of Management & Budget (OMB) is in the process of "considering options for revising the federal government's prohibition on web-tracking technology such as 'cookies,'" with a goal of protecting the privacy of persons visiting...
"Socha-Gelbmann 2009 EDD Survey - Highlights and Observations"
Posted on August 13, 2009Posted by Ron Friedmann: "The litigation support and e-discovery market has felt chaotic for years now: rapid growth, technological shifts, emerging judicial reviews, and changing roles of the main players (law departments, vendors, and law firms). EDD SHOWCASE: Strange Times...
"The 2009 Socha Gelbmann E-Discovery Survey"
Posted on August 13, 2009From the site: "In the 2009 Socha Gelbmann E-Discovery Survey, consultant/attorney George Socha, president of Socha Consulting and Tom Gelbmann, managing director of Gelbmann & Associates, have jettisoned their traditional vendor rankings and instead offer analysis of a turbulent e-discovery...
"On the Role of Editors in Legal Writing"
Posted on August 13, 2009From the blog: "Gary P. Rodrigues, a lawyer and publishing consultant, authored this article ("The full stop in legal citation - has its time finally come?") about whether legal citations should be modernized (e.g., whether a citation should be set...
"How to Write Sharp and Snappy Blog Posts"
Posted on August 13, 2009Posted by Darren Rowse: "In this post Dan Kaufman from Bar Zine shares some tips on writing Sharp Snappy Blog Posts. When you write a story you're lucky if you can get a reader beyond the first paragraph. This is...
"TWiL 28: Watching The Watchers"
Posted on August 13, 2009From the site: "Hosts: Denise Howell, J. Matt Buchanan, Stephen Nipper, and Adam Bagwell Twitter sued over patent, VoloMedia's podcasting patent and RSS, patent trolls, and more. TWiL wiki shownotes, feel free to add or edit. TWiL...
"Return Phone Calls ASAP!"
Posted on August 12, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Some years ago at a seminar, I heard a story (likely just anecdotal) about the lawyer whose client called, but because he was busy and "knew" what the client was calling about, he did not return...
"Economy Driving More Work/Life Balance at Law Firms"
Posted on August 12, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: " Perhaps there's an upside to the downturn after all. As this article, from Working Mother magazine describes, law firms are more willing to accommodate flexible schedules these days -- not necessarily out of noble motives,...
"Are Briefs Copyrightable?"
Posted on August 12, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "Our thanks to the Cleveland Law Library, the Law Librarian Blog, and the Volokh Conspiracy for this one."Briefs filed in court are part of the proceeding's official record, but distribution of them by Lexis, Westlaw and...
"Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time"
Posted on August 12, 2009Posted by Julia Fleming: "Have you ever been in one of those deadly conversations in which a lot of words fly about and yet nothing happens? Or when decisions are made and strategies are crafted, but everyone sitting around the...
"Legal Writing: Making the Complex, Simple"
Posted on August 12, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "He wasn't a legal writer, but Raymond Carver had something important to say about expressing complex ideas in a simple manner: When something feels complex or complicated to you, write it out carefully and thoughtfully, several...
"Everything You Need to Know to Create, Manage, and Remember Passwords"
Posted on August 12, 2009Posted by J. Benjamin Stevens: "There is no way to understate the importance of having appropriate passwords. No, that doesn't mean using your last name or your dog's name, but rather rock solid passwords that actually protect your confidential information...
"Email Management: Part One"
Posted on August 12, 2009From the site: "In part one of this two part series on email management on Legal3.Oh!, co-hosts and legal technology consultants, Adriana Linares and Debbie Foster, put the spotlight on email. They discuss what your email address says about you...
"Law firms Mistakenly Focus on Social Media Tactics over Strategy"
Posted on August 12, 2009Posted by Kevin O'Keefe: "Seth Godin's post this morning, 'When tactics drown out strategy' may as well have been directed to law firms' flawed use of social media, including blogging. New media creates a blizzard of tactical opportunities for marketers,...
"When You Go to Heaven...."
Posted on August 11, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "A lawyer I know told me she had to complete her "semi" work before going on vacation. She continued , "you know, in case I get hit by a semi while on vacation, I wouldn't want...
"'Law Firm Levity Is Good for Your Health' - Three Benefits of Humor for Lawyers"
Posted on August 11, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Here's an article I wrote several years ago for my law school alumni magazine. I begin: A comic's nightmare is to realize the whole audience is composed of engineers, police, or lawyers. These three professions are reputed...
"BBC Reports on New Study: Optimistic Women Live Longer"
Posted on August 11, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "BBC: "Women who are optimistic have a lower risk of heart disease and death, an American study shows. The latest study by US investigators mirrors the findings of earlier work by a Dutch team showing...
"3 Questions You Ask Me a Lot, About Money"
Posted on August 11, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "I don't usually write question and answer columns. (Although I have once or twice before.) I do read every single question that people send me. And these are three questions I've been answering a lot lately....
"Deposition Tip: Help with Sniffing Out the Liars"
Posted on August 11, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "From Forbes: "How To Sniff Out A Liar," by Melanie Lindner-- While there is no surefire on-the-spot way to sniff out dissemblers, there are some helpful tactics for uncovering untruths. Liars often give short or one-word...
"Getting Electronics Into the Courtroom"
Posted on August 11, 2009In the news: "The best way to meet the problem of electronic devices like BlackBerrys in court, according to attorney Katherine A. Helm, is one a few courts have adopted: Allow preauthorized counsel to bring in devices and make...
"State of the Blawgosphere 2009 - Podcast"
Posted on August 11, 2009Posted by Dennis Kennedy: "Tom Mighell and I have recorded another episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report podcast and it's now available on the Legal Talk Network and on iTunes. The episode is called "The State of the Blawgosphere" (show notes...
"Google News Increases Its News Archive"
Posted on August 11, 2009From the e-newsletter: "The standard Google News has been a little more open lately about how many news sources are getting indexed, and now Google News is getting in on the act as well. Google News announced last week that...
"Social Media as CLE?"
Posted on August 10, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "As I posted several months ago, social media continues to transform CLE, both bringing down the costs (by allowing for class delivery through webinars) and making classes more interactive. But can social media serve as a...
"Martindale-Hubbell: 'The Way I Connected'"
Posted on August 10, 2009In the news: "Martindale-Hubbell Connected is an online community designed for legal professionals that is quickly expanding as lawyers realize the advantages to connecting and collaborating with trusted colleagues. Here, two different lawyers with different needs chronicle their connection to...
"5 Tips For Getting More from Facebook"
Posted on August 10, 2009Posted byJohn Jantsch: "In continuing with my series of quick social media tips (check out 5 tips for LinkedIn) I'm covering some tips for business use of Facebook here. I've actually written about some of these tips in great detail...
"Mind-Mapping Tools for College Students & Others" [Read in Lawyers here]
Posted on August 10, 2009Posted by Anthony Cerminaro: "As a hardworking student, you have a lot to organize, including essays, exams, deadlines, and class schedules, not to mention your social and personal life - plus any part-time jobs you may have taken on. For...
"Tools for Scheduling Meetings"
Posted on August 10, 2009Posted by Bonnie Shucha: "Bev Butula's recent column in InsideTrack introduces a couple of tools for scheduling meetings: Coordinating schedules when working with a group of individuals can be a time-consuming process. It often entails several email exchanges or numerous...
"Older but Wiser: Get With the Program!"
Posted on August 10, 2009In the news: "One common, but often unstated, perception working against senior job candidates is that they are not as technologically savvy as their juniors. Similarly, candidates who have been out of the job market for a while may not...
"Should You Work as a Paralegal if You Can't Find a Job as a Lawyer?"
Posted on August 10, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "With associate positions hard to come by, new graduates -- desperate to find a paying job in the legal profession -- are applying for work as paralegals, legal secretaries and law librarians, according to Long Island...
"Being a Trial Lawyer-A Love for the Courtroom"
Posted on August 10, 2009From the site: "On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen sits down with famed Boston trial attorney, Leo V. Boyle, from the firm Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow, P.C., to give you an inside look at his role...
"Can 'Professionalism' be a Smokescreen for Mediocre Lawyering?"
Posted on August 07, 2009Posted by Rob Bodine: "Professionalism"--like good crops, the flag and motherhood--is indeed hard to criticize. It is also tough to define. Is it always good for clients? Or can it even hurt? It's not about the lawyers anymore....
"Workplace Situations We Don't Talk About"
Posted on August 07, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "There are some things about work that are difficult for even me to write about. These are the issues that I have not quite worked out for myself. I wonder if I am normal in...
"Are Third-Years Ready to Try Felony Cases?"
Posted on August 07, 2009In the news: 'There's a growing consensus that third-year law students are ready to handle felony criminal matters, with proper supervision. This week, Ohio became the 42nd state to allow 3Ls to handle more than misdemeanors after a long campaign...
"Swimsuits, Steroids & Regulations in the Sports World"
Posted on August 07, 2009From the site: "Recently the world of sports has been plagued by scandal--from a controversial polyurethane swimsuit used in swimming to steroids putting a cloud over major league baseball. Co-hosts and attorneys Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams welcome Professor Matt...
"Sloppy Redaction: To Err Is Automated"
Posted on August 07, 2009In the news: "Redacting information can be frustrating for many legal professionals. Because of the wide dissemination of digital documents online, once a redaction failure occurs, it can be impossible to undo. Advances in technology can help the redaction process,...
"Effective Websites Have a Purpose. Does Yours?"
Posted on August 07, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "When talking about marketing with my clients, I often ask them if they have identified the purpose of the individual marketing activity they intend to undertake. I've written about purpose on this blog in, "As a...
"Law Firm Websites: What Every Law Firm Needs to Know About SEO"
Posted on August 07, 2009From the blog: "Search engine optimization, otherwise known as SEO, is the art by which people who study the Google algorithms try and trick your website to Page 1. The fallacy of SEO is that you could ever trick Google...
For Your Clients - "Employee Rights: Family & Medical Leave"
Posted on August 07, 2009From the e-newsletter: "The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that lets covered employees take extended time away from work, to handle certain family or medical needs. Many states have similar laws that may provide additional...
"Have You Really Come a Long Way, Baby?"
Posted on August 06, 2009In the news: "A few weeks ago, Jack Welch let loose with his view that women, to make it to the top of the corporate food chain, must let work consume their lives and forget work-life balance -- as in:...
"Putting Stock In Marketing: Attorney Efforts Essential For Client Loyalty"
Posted on August 06, 2009From the e-newsletter: "In an era when consolidation and reliance on in-house counsel are becoming more and more common, marketers must continually involve their lawyers in marketing efforts if their firms hope to stay competitive and successful." Read more...
"Practice Much Animal Law?"
Posted on August 06, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "Way back when I was in law school, telling someone you were going to practice animal law would have probably provoked about the same reaction as saying you were going to focus on alien abduction damage...
"New on LLRX.com: Law Practice Technology Information Sources and Tools"
Posted on August 06, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Law Practice Technology Information Sources and Tools - Ken Strutin identifies core sources to learn about new technologies that apply to legal research and law practice. In addition, he has identified specific tools that will...
"Legal Research in 2009"
Posted on August 06, 2009Posted by Ron Miller: "There are numerous programs out there for medical malpractice and accident lawyers conducting case and statutory research. The general maxim is that you get what you pay for, but several free research sites are useful, if nothing...
"Law Firm Done With Paper"
Posted on August 06, 2009In the news: "Linarducci & Butler helps clients navigate the Social Security disability benefit process. It typically has 600 to 800 open files with a minimum of 250 pages per file. To alleviate storage problems, improve document access and improve...
"Email Management"
Posted on August 06, 2009Posted by David Bilinsky: "I have had several conversations lately on how to deal with email and in particular, in archiving it once a file is closed. As a result I thought I would post the summary of my discussions...
"A Good Discussion of Defensible E-Discovery"
Posted on August 06, 2009Posted by Ron Friedmann: "Over at the EDD Update blog, there is a very good discussion of defensible EDD / ESI search. It's worth reading and prompts me to ask what we mean by reasonable. Eric Mandel of Zelle Hofmann...
"Join Me for a Free Business Development Teleconference"
Posted on August 05, 2009Posted by Julia Fleming: "If you've ever recoiled at the idea of business development... If you fear that you'll come across as pushy or desperate in rainmaking... If you've ever wished that you could just focus on practicing law, and...
"How to Find Work with a Flexible Schedule"
Posted on August 05, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Most of us think of a dream career as one that affords us flexibility for personal relationships and high engagement for personal growth. And while flexible work used to be limited to women, USA Today reports that...
"What Would You Do with Client Feedback?"
Posted on August 05, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Recently, I posted about obtaining client feedback in Do Something! Obtaining Actionable and Effective Client Feedback. But once you've asked for and received that client feedback, what do you do with it? Bankruptcy lawyer Jay Fleishman,...
Two Interesting Articles from Law.com
Posted on August 05, 2009Review: Averatec All-in-OneIn the news: "When considering a new law office computer, function usually wins over style. Luckily, according to consultant Brett Burney, the All-In-One desktop computer line from Averatec offers the best of both worlds when it comes to...
"Reuters Style Guide on line"
Posted on August 05, 2009Posted by Raymond Ward: "Reuters has posted its general style guide on line. Access is free . (Hat tip to Word Wise.)" The active links are available at the source site listed below. Source: the (new) legal writer, 11 July...
"A Turbulent Year for E-Discovery"
Posted on August 05, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: " Within the electronic-discovery industry, the annual Socha-Gelbmann survey is as much anticipated as the Academy Awards are within the film industry. Every year since 2003, George Socha and Tom Gelbmann have conducted their survey...
"MacJournal for Attorneys"
Posted on August 05, 2009Posted by J. Benjamin Stevens: "One of the questions that I get asked from time to time is "What's the Mac equivalent of Casemap?" While there is not a program that exactly corresponds on the Mac side, one of the most...
"Manage Your Law Firm 'In the Cloud'"
Posted on August 05, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "In his latest tech column in the ABA Journal, Dennis Kennedy lists some of the benefits of cloud computing: Lower cost; "Levels of security, backup, redundancy and performance" beyond "the typical law firm"; Updates and patches...
"Managing Your Corporate Giving Strategies"
Posted on August 04, 2009Posted by Michelle Golden: "Responding to a query by a fellow marketing professional about how much to give to whom, Andrew Rose, Director of Marketing and Business Development at accounting firm Naden/Lean, LLC chimed in with some excellent tips. To...
"All Good Things..."
Posted on August 04, 2009Posted by Jordan Furlong: "Eighty percent of the poor in the United States are unable to afford a lawyer or find pro bono help for their civil legal problems, according to the American Bar Association." That sentence, from an American...
"Who is Responsible for a Deceased Relative's Debts?"
Posted on August 04, 2009From their "Source: Federal Trade Commission Who is Responsible for a Deceased Relative's Debts? If your relative leaves unpaid debts when he or she dies, do you have to pay? According to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection...
"Punitive Damages Not Available to Plaintiff Unless Compensatory Damages Also Awarded"
Posted on August 04, 2009From the site: "2008-0895. Niskanen v. Giant Eagle, Inc., Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-3626.Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-3626.pdf (July 30, 2009) In a decision announced today, the Supreme Court of Ohio held that a party in a negligence lawsuit may be awarded punitive damages...
"The Virtual Paralegal"
Posted on August 04, 2009From the site: "On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin get an inside look at the virtual legal practice. Lynne and Vicki welcome Stephanie Kimbro, an attorney who operates a virtual law firm called...
"Firm Gives Digital Dictation a BigHand"
Posted on August 04, 2009In the news: "In search of a digital dictation technology it could successfully implement, Becker & Poliakoff sought a provider with strong support and project management expertise in the legal sector. The firm selected BigHand. Nicole Cantin, the firm's applications...
"Characteristics of a Killer SaaS Application"
Posted on August 04, 2009Posted by Dennis Heckman: "Most Web-based, SaaS applications are still immature. But it is worth asking the question, aside from feature set (which is expanding very rapidly and obviously differs with different types of programs), what would make a "cloud"...
"Should You Have a Weblog Too?"
Posted on August 04, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "I've been a blogging evangelist for a long time. In the early days of blogging, I wrote an article for the Illinois Bar Journal titled "What Weblogs Can Do for You." That article was published in...
"Closing the Client File"
Posted on August 03, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "My July 2009 Lawyers USA column is Closing the Client File. I hope this column is useful to all of you and would encourage you to forward the link to others. This is an extremely...
"Winning Strategies for Older but Wiser Job Seekers"
Posted on August 03, 2009In the news: "Much of the recent legal press has been focused on the plight of new and junior attorneys in this economic downturn, but senior lawyers have been impacted as well. And for older attorneys, there often may be...
"BigLaw and Fixed Fees: The Two Don't Mix"'
Posted on August 03, 2009Posted by Patrick J. Lamb: "You cannot flip a switch and start pricing lawsuits on a fixed fee basis. Like anything else, it takes experience to become any good at it. Is it any wonder, then, that firms that...
"PACER Subscriptions Hit One Million"
Posted on August 03, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "The federal Judiciary's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system has reached the one million mark in number of subscribers who have registered since 1991. The system allows users to obtain federal court...
"Zicam Litigation"
Posted on August 03, 2009From the site: "Recently, Zicam products have come under fire after people who used the popular over the counter nasal spray were losing their sense of smell. Ringler Radio host Larry Cohen welcomes Attorney Fred Thompson III from Motley Rice...
"Facebook Guide For Professionals: How To Succeed In A Networked Economy"
Posted on August 03, 2009Posted by Nick O'Neill: "One of the most important habits of any successful individual is the ability to network effectively. I've spent years perfecting the art of networking and while I still am not the best, I have come a...
"Social Media Can Be a Dangerous Sport"
Posted on August 03, 2009Posted by Ed Poll: "On more than one occasion, I've talked about how Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be dangerous. That is, our posts in these public environments that never disappear and cannot be erased can be dangerous. New lawyers...
"Cloud Computing Using Third Parties Is Risk for Lawyers"
Posted on August 03, 2009From the blog: "Cloud computing, or storing all of your work and client files online rather than on a local computer, has become the mantra of lawyers who want to ditch the cost of physical offices and telecommute from...
"Is Your Childhood Home a Clue to Your Best Office Space Today?"
Posted on July 31, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "After reading Does Your Childhood Home Dictate Your Design Choices? (Fast Company blog), I ordered Some Place Like Home: Using Design Psychology to Create Ideal Places, the book discussed in the post. From that post: Newsstands...
"American Lawyer Associates Survey 2009"
Posted on July 31, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Associates Survey 2009: "In our annual midlevel associates survey, third-, fourth-, and fifth-year associates rate their firms as workplaces. We examined 12 areas that contribute to job satisfaction." To find out how third-, fourth-, and...
"In-House Counsel Want Their Law Firms To Seek Feedback"
Posted on July 31, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "More and more it seems that in-house counsel are expecting their law firms to ask for their feedback. Even though "most general counsel and consultants say those law firms (seeking client feedback) are still in the...
"Legal Research Pits Casemaker vs. Fastcase"
Posted on July 31, 2009In the news: "Two legal research services are in a head-to-head competition to win the loyalty of America's lawyers: Casemaker and Fastcase. So how do the two compare? To find out, attorney Robert J. Ambrogi tested both and sat through...
"Lessons Learned from Professor Gates' Arrest"
Posted on July 31, 2009From the site: "The arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts ignited a wide range of legal and social debate as well as a media firestorm worldwide. Attorneys Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig...
"5 Tips for Getting More from LinkedIn"
Posted on July 31, 2009Posted by: John Jantsch: "A pretty common question these days is "which social network is the best?" - And to that I usually say - "the one that helps you meet your marketing objectives" - and in that regard, many...
"FAQ Pages for Accountants or Lawyers?"
Posted on July 31, 2009Posted by Michelle Golden: "FAQs--the sort found on software or product sites--might not be the most effective approach for marketing a service firm, but what can we learn from them? If most firms set about to add a general FAQ...
For Your Clients: "Criminal Cases: Step-By-Step"
Posted on July 31, 2009From the e-newsletter: "No one anticipates that they or a loved one will be arrested, but it helps to be prepared in the event that it does happen. From arrest and bail, to trial and appeal, the "Stages of a...
"Court Holds Law Firm Can Be Liable for Malpractice Only if One or More Attorneys Liable"
Posted on July 30, 2009From the site: "2008-1334. Natl. Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA v. Wuerth, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-3601. Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-3601.pdf (July 29, 2009) In a decision announced today, the Supreme Court of Ohio held that a law firm as an...
"Ohio Personal Injury Median Awards"
Posted on July 30, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "The August 2009 installment of LRP's Personal Injury Verdict Review relates one of their recent studies, based on award data from 2002 thru 2008, shows that the compensation median for personal injury trials in Ohio is...
"Selling Out the Client - Part III"
Posted on July 30, 2009Posted by Jeff Gamso: "Here's the question (and I'm deliberately fuzzing it up) that's been the subject of fairly heated debate among Ohio criminal defense lawyers this afternoon:The judge screws up the written entry (which in Ohio is what counts)...
New on LLRX.com for July 2009
Posted on July 30, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Blackberry Apps for Lawyers http://www.llrx.com/features/blackberryapps.htm Nicole Black highlights an assortment of Blackberry applications for research, document management, mobile communications, news, music, dictation and more - all of which would benefit just about any law practice...
"Funding a Pet Trust"
Posted on July 30, 2009From the site: "In today's segment of Legal TIPS, 2008-2009 Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Financial Officer Randy Aliment underscores the merit of adequately funding projects and as an example, co-host Attorney Gilda Mariani questions trusts and estates...
"Series AA Equity Financing Documents"
Posted on July 30, 2009Posted by Anthony Cerminaro: "Y Combinator and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati are happy to announce the Series AA Equity Financing Documents. Their goal is to make angel funding rounds for startups easier for both sides."These documents were originally created...
"Working in the Cloud - Lawyers and SaaS"
Posted on July 30, 2009Posted by Dennis Kennedy: "My latest technology column for the ABA Journal is out. It's called "Working in the Cloud" and it focuses on the area now known as Software as a Service (SaaS) or hosted services or cloud computing....
For You & Your Clients - "What is Embezzlement?"
Posted on July 30, 2009Posted by Adam Freedman: "Find out what to do when your partner is dipping into the till. Play Download Subscribe Read Episode Transcript" The active links are available at the source site listed below. Source: Legal Lad...
"'Legal Interns' Can Now Represent More Clients in Ohio"
Posted on July 29, 2009From the blog: "Yesterday, the Ohio Supreme Court announced that it has significantly expanded the types of cases in which "Legal Interns" can represent criminal and juvenile defendants. These changes, which will be effective on August 1st, were made as unanimous amendments to...
Two Ohio Supreme Court Decisions of Note
Posted on July 29, 2009Rule Bars Evidence of Oral Promises That Contradict Written Contract in Suits Under Consumer Practices Act From the site: "2008-1337. Williams v. Spitzer Autoworld Canton, L.L.C., Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-3554.Opinion: http://www.supremecourt...
"Petition to Improve PACER"
Posted on July 29, 2009Posted by Connie Crosby: "I'm currently at the American Association of Law Libraries' annual conference in Washington, DC. One of the things speakers have been talking about is lobbying being done to make PACER more accessible. The PACER service from...
"How to Take a Deposition--Execution"
Posted on July 29, 2009From the site: "A deposition is not the place to wow everyone with your brilliance; depositions are about slowly accumulating information." In the latest episode of the Section of Litigation podcast Kenneth P. Nolan offers practical and insightful tips on...
"Explaining a Case but Omitting the Procedural Setting and Result"
Posted on July 29, 2009Posted by Wayne Schiess: "Law students, and some lawyers, make this mistake.They describe a key precedent but don't give the procedural setting (motion for summary judgment, jury trial, etc.) or the case's result at the trial level (summary judgment, jury...
"Working A Room - A Big, Big Room"
Posted on July 29, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "The jury is still out on social media's contribution to my bottom line. And tracking the tweets, updates, etc., on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Plaxo can be time consuming. Accordingly, I've dipped my toes in (to...
"Capturing Knowledge: If You've Highlighted Everything, You've Learned Nothing"
Posted on July 29, 2009Posted by Greg Lambert: "Reading Patrick Lambe's Green Chameleon post entitled "Memory and Infantilism" reminded me of a saying I heard in law school about identifying what is, and what is not important. Lambe discusses the total screw-up that NASA...
"How to Upgrade To Windows 7 From Windows XP If You Really Want to!"
Posted on July 29, 2009Posted by Richard M. "Rick" Georges: "How To Upgrade To Windows 7 From Windows XP -- Microsoft Windows 7 -- InformationWeek. Okay, all jokes aside, if you really, positively, have to get Windows 7 and you are running XP, this...
"What Generation Z Will be Like at Work"
Posted on July 28, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "It's great fun to track trends to try to figure out what the future holds. The Generation after Gen Y is a mystery. Sort of. There are some things we know. And what we know, we...
"Ohio Unauthorized Practice "Right of Action" Prior to Sept. 2004"
Posted on July 28, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "The Ohio Supreme Court last Thursday held that 'there was no legal basis for a private lawsuit based on a claim of unauthorized law practice in Ohio prior to September 2004, when the General Assembly amended...
"What is Your Brand? Does It Say What You Want About Your Firm?"
Posted on July 28, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Your law firm has a 'brand' whether you know it or not, and whether you've consciously built that brand or not. Sima Dahl (whom I had the pleasure of meeting at this year's "Get a Life"...
"Why Do Law Firms Need Editors?"
Posted on July 28, 2009From the blog: "There's this attorney from China and he's flying to San Francisco, hoping to start a good relationship. He works for a large telecommunications company that's planning its first venture in the U.S., and he's looking for a...
"Five Tips for Social Media Users"
Posted on July 28, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "And they are: 1. Social media is useless without goals 2. Different social media sites serve different purposes 3. 'Social media' is a misnomer 4...
"Using LinkedIn and Twitter for Corporate Intelligence"
Posted on July 28, 2009Posted by Bonnie Shucha: "3 Geeks and a Law Blog has a good post on using LinkedIn for competitive intelligence. An earlier post describes how Twitter can be use as well. The active links are available at the...
"10 Things SharePoint Can Do for Your Firm"
Posted on July 28, 2009In the news: "Mark Gerow of Fenwick & West describes 10 ways you can use Microsoft SharePoint to improve collaboration, streamline processes, communicate more effectively with your clients and help your attorneys and colleagues find the information and documents they...
For You and Your Clients - "I'm In Your Google, Looking for Crimes"
Posted on July 28, 2009Posted by Tara Calishain: "The Mountain View (CA) Police Department and CrimeReports recently teamed up to show Mountain View crimes on CrimeReports maps. The maps appear to be Google Maps. Speaking of Google, I put in the main address...
"Do FTC "Red Flag" Rules Apply to Law Firms?"
Posted on July 27, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "On August 1, 2009, a new Federal Trade Commission rule goes into effect requiring businesses to have a written plan to identify and respond to "Red Flags" indicating possible identity theft. Failure to comply may result in several...
"Word Of Mouth is a Much Stronger Influencer Than Social Networking"
Posted on July 27, 2009Posted by Larry Bodine: "Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media, says "When it comes to influencing brand perception and purchase decisions... social networking... has a long way to go." A recent Harris poll also supported this assertion, says the report, showing...
"Want to Make More Rain? Be a Better Leader"
Posted on July 27, 2009By Julie A. Fleming: "Leaders are better rainmakers. Bold statement, isn't it? But think about it. Would you easily place your trust in someone who manages a team of worker bees who didn't make much individual contribution - knowing that...
"A Former GC Explains Why BigLaw Keeps Getting Business"
Posted on July 27, 2009Posted by Wayne Schiess: "In general, when two words jointly modify a noun, those words should be hyphenated. Check any reliable style manual, like Bryan Garner's The Redbook or Words Into Type. They're called phrasal adjectives or compound modifiers...
"Your First Trial: Getting Up to Speed Quickly"
Posted on July 27, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "At Ron Miller's law firm, Miller & Zois LLC, they're open to the idea of sharing their work product. The firm's "Sample Personal Injury Trial Materials" contains many real-life transcripts, in addition to forms and examples...
"ABA Journal Names Top 25 Greatest Legal Shows"
Posted on July 27, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "The jury is back from its flat-panel bedecked deliberation room, and the verdict for the greatest legal television show of all time is... "L.A. Law," according to a panel of 12 "experts" (including nine lawyers) selected...
"Another Review of MacSpeech Dictate for Attorneys"
Posted on July 27, 2009Posted by J. Benjamin Stevens: "A few weeks ago, I reposted a review of MacSpeech Dictate by Finis Price. David Sparks, has also reviewed this software, and I have reposted his review below. While I do not use speech recognition software myself, I realize...
"Twitter 101 for Business - A Special Guide"
Posted on July 27, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Twitter 101 for Business: "Every day, millions of people use Twitter to create, discover and share ideas with others. Now, people are turning to Twitter as an effective way to reach out to businesses, too....
"Does Skin In The Game Improve Case Assessments? Clients Say Yes"
Posted on July 24, 2009Posted by Patrick J. Lamb: "Dave Bohrer of Confluence Law Partners recently published an article, Trolling For Efficiency, which discusses the impact of using alternative fees in patent defense litigation. [I should be able to post a link to the article...
"Will Taking Drugs Help Your Career? Maybe You Need Adderall"
Posted on July 24, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Most of us have a terrible time focusing on our work.Left uninterrupted, we are likely to interrupt ourselves. The Internet, everyone's interrupter of choice, is the most tantalizing type of reward system to our brain: intermittent...
"Innovative Pro Bono Program Assists Microfinance Projects Around the World"
Posted on July 24, 2009In the news: "While working at one of the biggest financial institutions in the world, Kimberly Summe was thinking small. Last year, as a lawyer at Lehman Brothers, Summe developed an idea for a pro bono program that would assist...
"Typography for Lawyers"
Posted on July 24, 2009From the e-newsletter: "This is an intriguing website that focuses on typography as a means to make legal documents look better aesthetically, and arguably, more professional and more persuasive. The founder of this website is a typographer-turned-lawyer, and he gives...
"Law Firm Marketing Tip: Delegation is Key to Your Financial Success"
Posted on July 24, 2009Posted by SFairley: "Law firm marketing is a struggle for most small law firms. As an attorney in a small law firm or a solo practice, you cannot and should not try to do all your marketing by yourself. In...
"Writing And Speaking Can Be Like Getting A Free Lunch"
Posted on July 24, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Time for another marketing moment from 365 Marketing Meditations from Levick Strategic Communications for July 22: "Publish. Gain internal credibility by first getting external imprimatur. Professionals will believe you're important if someone else thinks you are...
"Blawg of the Day -- Practice Makes Perfect Blog"
Posted on July 24, 2009Posted by Tom Mighell: "The Total Practice Management Association is dedicated to the advancement of attorneys, paralegals, and other legal professionals in their "struggle to build and manage a profitable practice without sacrificing their personal life...
"New Sites of Note, 7.23.09"
Posted on July 24, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "The Soldier in later Medieval England. This one has only the slightest to do with law but it is immensely cool nonetheless. This new British database provides access to the detailed service records of some...
"Can Lawyers Be Rebels?"
Posted on July 23, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Has the revolution been co-opted? That was my first thought when I read that the ABA Journal, one of the most mainstream of all legal industry publications, is sponsoring the Legal Rebels project in an effort...
"Spend Wisely"
Posted on July 23, 2009Posted by Jordan Furlong: "One of the reasons -- maybe the main reason -- why lawyers are so risk-averse is that averting risk is kind of the whole point of having lawyers. People hire us for two reasons: (a) to...
"Objections to the Form of a Question: A Partial List"
Posted on July 23, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Lawyers who are defending depositions (or learning how to defend depositions) sometimes like a handy list of form objections. If the form objection is not made during the deposition, this type of objection is normally waived...
"Alternative Fees (Part 20): How Many Kinds Are There?"
Posted on July 23, 2009Posted by Jim Hassett: "When lawyers are just starting to consider alternative fees, one of the first questions they ask is: how many kinds are there? That's a logical question, and indeed was one of the first things I...
"The Great Debate over Health Care Reform"
Posted on July 23, 2009From the site: "Debate continues over Health Care reform. Co-hosts J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi welcome Dr. David Orentlicher, professor and co-director of the Center for Law and Health at Indiana University Schools of Law and Medicine and Attorney...
"E-mail Management: Unsubscribing Works"
Posted on July 23, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "I hate spam e-mail. It fills my inbox and wastes my time. I saw a report from a bar association this week that 94% of its incoming e-mail was spam. Of course, they filter most of...
"Social Media Guide to PR 2.0 for Law Firms"
Posted on July 23, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Whether it's LinkedIn or Legal OnRamp, Twitter or del.icio.us, Web 2.0 is very quickly transforming the way law firms market themselves and their attorneys." Read more... Source: FindLaw's Practice Paper. 22 July 2009 Copyright ©...
"Zittrain on the Dangers of the Cloud"
Posted on July 23, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "Lost in the Cloud, a New York Times op-ed contribution by Johnathan Zittrain, identifies some of the dangers of moving from manipulating and storing data on your computer to doing everything online where you entrust your...
"7 Uncommon Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs"
Posted on July 22, 2009Posted by: John Jantsch: "I've hung out with thousands of entrepreneurs over the last few years alone and I can tell you, they're not who you think they are. So much of the popular literature on entrepreneurs portrays them as...
"Tom Watson's Lessons for Lawyers"
Posted on July 22, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "In the Boston area where I live, we pounce on beautiful days like someone wandering the desert does a sudden oasis. But on the particularly bright and sunny Sunday that just passed, I could not...
"An Impressive, Unique and Very Active Octogenarian Mayor: Inspire Yourself by Watching This Video"
Posted on July 22, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "She's 88 years old and mayor of the third largest city in Ontario, a city that is debt-free with $700,000,000 in reserves. Asked about reasons for her success, her responses included taking care of her people and...
"Do Something! Obtaining Actionable and Effective Client Feedback"
Posted on July 22, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Last week, Jordan Furlong started an interesting discussion thread on the LinkedIn Legal Innovation group. I tried in vain on several occasions to add my comments to the thread, but for some reason, LinkedIn Groups just...
"Creating a Pet Trust"
Posted on July 22, 2009From the site: "In this episode of Legal TIPS, 2008-2009 TIPS Vice-Chair Ginger Busby highlights TIPS diversity interests in a wide range of practice law areas and to make the point co-host Attorney Gilda Mariani interviews trusts and estates attorney...
"Budgeting: Getting the Most Out of Your Software"
Posted on July 22, 2009Posted by John Heckman: "In the midst of a severe recession (to avoid the dreaded "D" word), firms are under a lot of pressure to get more out of their software. One way to do this is to keep better...
"Redaction Tips and Techniques for Acrobat 9"
Posted on July 22, 2009Posted by Rick Borstein: "Redaction is the permanent deletion of privileged or sensitive information from documents. Acrobat 8 Pro introduced a comprehensive set of Redaction tools to the product. Acrobat 9 added additional tools and capabilities. In this article, I'll...
"What Do You Mean My Blog Looks Funny in IE (or Firefox or Opera or....)"
Posted on July 22, 2009By Nerino Petro: "Ever come across a website or blog that just didn't look right on your computer at work, but looks OK at home? If you're using different web browsers, this in fact can happen. While there are various...
"Ethics v. Morals, II"
Posted on July 21, 2009Posted by Jeff Gamso: "In an earlier post, I raised three examples of real world ethics issues faced by criminal defense lawyers in which I had at least an advisory role. Lawyer comes upon letter, seemingly written by client...
"How To Write A Thank You Note"
Posted on July 21, 2009Posted by Bert Webb: "Over the last few weeks of the academic year, I began writing a note of thanks to someone in my school. [Would work just as well in a law firm!] In a school of over 100...
"A National Database of Freelance Attorneys"
Posted on July 21, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "A new Web site, still in beta testing, aims to connect freelance lawyers and other legal professionals with law firms and legal departments needing temporary help. The site, FreelanceLaw.com, will allow freelance attorneys, paralegals, court reporters,...
"Email Etiquette 2.0"
Posted on July 21, 2009From the site: "As the way we use and respond to email has evolved, has traditional email "etiquette" changed too? On this edition of the Kennedy-Mighell Report, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell take a look at the "Email Golden...
"How to Feel Steady in a Shaky Economy"
Posted on July 21, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Now that we have a recession, and maybe not so much a recession but a new way of doing business, people are starting to look at their career goals differently. And while interesting was the big...
"How to Face a Triple Threat"
Posted on July 21, 2009In the news: "The current economic situation is only one facet of a three-pronged attack on the operational side of law firms and how they manage the practice of law. The other issues law firms must face are the changes...
"Chief Justice Advocates for Shorter Briefs, Fewer Questions"
Posted on July 21, 2009From the blog: "Here is an interesting article, in which Chief Justice Roberts suggests some changes for how the Supreme Court approaches oral arguments.From Law.com The active links are available at the source site listed below. Source: Moritz Legal...
"Dept. of Labor Reorganizations"
Posted on July 21, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "There apparently hasn't been an official announcement as of yet, but there's been confirmed mention that the Department of Labor is going to be abolishing its Employment Standards Administration as of November 8, 2009 in an...
"'Lean Legal Technology' - Making Lemons out of Lemonade
Posted on July 20, 2009Posted by Dennis Kennedy: "Let me add my "me too" to the many accolades for the new issue of the Law Practice Today webzine with its focus on tips for "suddenly solo" lawyers. "Suddenly solo" is a phrase that...
"Sometimes the Secret to Marketing is Just Being There"
Posted on July 20, 2009Posted by John Jantsch: "Every time I speak to groups of small business owners I tell them that, when it comes to marketing, I would just as soon see them do something ordinary, day in and day out, than something...
"What NOT to Post on Twitter"
Posted on July 20, 2009Posted by Diane Pfadenhauer: "The following list was intended as, perhaps, comedic advice to job seekers about what NOT to post on Twitter. I might suggest that this list be observed by the currently employed as well, lest they quickly...
Three Items of Interest from LLRX
Posted on July 20, 2009Seeking Bypass: What Will Ultimately End Confidence in the Necessity of Parental Involvement Laws? Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Seeking Bypass: What Will Ultimately End Confidence in the Necessity of Parental Involvement Laws? - Public interest law advocate Diana...
"The 2008 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide"
Posted on July 20, 2009Posted by Al Nye: "For some reason, I wrote several book reviews last year that never got posted to my blog. Here's one: The 2008 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide Critical Decisions Made Simple By Sharon D. Nelson,...
"Marketing Your VA Business- It's Not About You"'
Posted on July 20, 2009By Tina Hilton: "I follow Chris Brogan on Twitter, partly because he gives great business advice, but mostly because I find him interesting. If you follow Chris for any length of time you're bound to see him post the following...
"Search Google in Two Languages on One Screen"
Posted on July 20, 2009Posted by Tara Calishain: "Do you ever use Google to do searching in multiple languages? You'll like this site. 2lingual, at http://2lingual.com/ has a front page with two search boxes. Choose the language you want to search in from the...
For You & Your Clients: "T-Mobile Suit Puts Legal Price on Wireless"
Posted on July 20, 2009In the news: "Letting employees work remotely with wireless gadgets has a legal price tag tied to it, warn employment lawyers. A recent proposed class action against T-Mobile USA highlights the dangers of not updating policies with new technology and...
"Where's the 'Wow' in Law Firm Legal Service Delivery?"
Posted on July 17, 2009Posted by Arnie Herz: "I think that most people would answer this lead question with a rousing, "There is none!" Or, if prone to sarcasm, they'd say that the only "wow" is the overwhelm they experience every time they open...
"Get People to Do What You Want"
Posted on July 17, 2009From the e-newsletter: "In business, school, romance, or your neighborhood, it is valuable to know what attracts people, what repels them, and what makes them tick. How do people see you? And how do you see others?" Read more......
"Trial Practice Tips from David Boies"
Posted on July 17, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "At the Insurance Defense Blog, Dave Stratton has collected a number of litigation-related tips from David Boies. Stratton's post is titled "Trial Practice Tips Courtesy of David Boies," and pulls quotes from the (fairly) recent Boies book, "Courting...
"Opportunities Do Exist For Firms That Really Change The 'Legal Model'"
Posted on July 17, 2009Posted By Tom Kane: "As mentioned on several blogs, and in an ABA Journal online article, a recent survey of CLO's made clear that in-house counsel aren't buying the concept of a "new legal model." It isn't that they don't want...
"Book Review"
Posted on July 17, 2009Posted by Julie A. Fleming: "The 29% Solution: 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies by Ivan Misner by Greenleaf Book Group Press I heard a lot of response to last week's suggestion that networking is the most important thing a lawyer...
"'Weaver' and the Future of Extrasensory Tech"
Posted on July 17, 2009In the news: "Extrasensory technologies collect and process information beyond the human senses. These technologies, such as license plate reading, which uses infrared cameras to capture digital images of plate numbers, raise privacy concerns similar to the warrantless use of...
"Chinese Drywall Litigation"
Posted on July 17, 2009From the site: "Lawsuits are on the rise from Chinese drywall used to build homes especially in Southeastern states causing crippling effects on residents' property, as well as their health. Co-host J. Craig Williams welcomes Attorney Scott G. Wolfe, Jr...
For You & Your Clients - "Privacy and Testing in the Workplace"
Posted on July 17, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Employee privacy rights have come under heightened scrutiny in recent years, especially as employers increase their reliance on computers and electronic mail in the modern-day workplace. FindLaw's Employee Rights Center provides employees with legal information on their...
"21st Edition: How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times"
Posted on July 16, 2009From: "ABA Law Practice Management Section Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson welcome guest Ross Kodner to discuss the economic downturn and its effect on lawyers. Stay tuned for Jim, Sharon, and Ross's book, How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times....
"Wanted: Unemployed Lawyers for Unpaid Work"
Posted on July 16, 2009In the news: "The New Jersey attorney general's office announced Tuesday it has decided to offer a new program for one of the state's needy groups: lawyers in need of work. The office's Volunteer Associates in Public Service Program will...
"Turning to the Internet for Savings on Legal Research Costs"
Posted on July 16, 2009By Lisa R. Bliss: "As more legal content becomes freely available on the web, many lawyers find that the Internet provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional computer-based legal research services. Using common search engines, lawyers can access all kinds of...
"Schauer's Thinking Like a Lawyer: A New Introduction to Legal Reasoning"
Posted on July 16, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "Schauer is a leading scholar of jurisprudence and legal process, and his new book is as comprehensive, thorough, and sophisticated an introduction to legal reasoning as it is a lucid one. All of the bases are...
"Federal Law Increasingly Encourages 'Pay-to-Play' Among State AGs and Personal Injury Lawyers"
Posted on July 16, 2009From [Their] Source: "American Tort Reform Association A new Legal Backgrounder published today by the Washington Legal Foundation spotlights a growing body of provisions within federal law that, in effect, deputizes state attorneys general to enforce federal law...
"Tag(line), You're It!"
Posted on July 16, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Ah, the tagline -- that memorable phrase that pithily encapsulates the tone and premise of your brand or service. No short string of words has ever proven more frustrating to compose, or produced such satisfying results...
"Lawyers Continue Moving to LinkedIn... Faster "
Posted on July 16, 2009Posted by Erik Mazzone: "Hi, I'd like to add you to my professional network. If you are already using LinkedIn, you'll recognize that message right away. You're also in good company. Since he first blogged about it in...
"Are Web Applications a Security Concern?"
Posted on July 16, 2009In the news: "The increased corporate reliance on complex applications creates the potential for security vulnerabilities. Attorneys Richard Raysman and Peter Brown discuss Web application security concerns, common Web application attacks and FTC actions against companies with inadequate security...
"Legal Research Metrics & Ethics: $499 a Year Or $825 an Hour?"
Posted on July 15, 2009Posted by Greg Lambert: "My boss has been prepping for an ITLA presentation on "Reducing Costs of Legal Research: Best Practices Onshore and Offshore" where she's discussing the pros and cons of online vs. print legal research. This is not...
"Legal Research for Solos: A Round-Up"
Posted on July 15, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Back in the dark ages when I started my firm, the only legal research options available were the library and a $600/month LEXIS subscription service, which actually had a cap on number of searches. Fast forward...
"Gain Customers by Turning Them Away"
Posted on July 15, 2009Posted by David Canton: "Author and marketing guru Seth Godin has a post today on his blog that rings true for anyone selling anything - including lawyers. He talks about products where a buyer's perception of them may not...
"Clients Tell Law Firms to 'Show Me the Money'"
Posted on July 15, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "In this economic downturn, corporate clients aren't just demanding lower fees from law firms. Companies are looking to their lawyers and other professional service providers for assistance in cutting costs, increasing revenues and revamping their business...
"Trial Is a Series of Battles"
Posted on July 15, 2009Posted by Paul Luvera: "It is very easy to become discouraged during a trial by something that goes wrong. But, it is important to remember that each witness, each event and each day is no more than a series of...
"Five Things Lawyers Should Know About Social Media"
Posted on July 15, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Five Things Lawyers Should Know About Social Media: Lawyer, writer and blogger Nicole Black advises fellow professionals about important core techniques and goals to consider before jumping on the "social media" bandwagon...
"Get a Fresh Outlook With NEO Pro"
Posted on July 15, 2009In the news: "If you use Microsoft Outlook and your e-mail has become a burden to manage, it might be time to try an e-mail organizer like Caelo Software's NEO Pro. Legal Technology Editor Sean Doherty takes a hard look...
"Skipping Windows 7 - It's The Economy, Stupid!"
Posted on July 15, 2009Posted by Rick Georges: "Survey: Many businesses plan to skip Windows 7 | Beyond Binary - CNET News. This report that over half of businesses (and probably more law firms) are planning to delay deployment of Windows 7 systems, is...
"How to Build Credibility"
Posted on July 14, 2009Posted by Darren Rowse: "How do you rate when it comes to credibility? But more importantly, how do you go about getting credibility if you don't have any or not much of it? Important question for bloggers - Andrew Rondeau...
"Do We Really Need a Memo on All That?"
Posted on July 14, 2009Posted by JD Hull: "Maybe go to the mirror and practice saying that to your client, or to your colleagues, about some ongoing projects. Another way to say it: You know, Elizabeth, this project had been lawyer-ed and memo-ed out...
"Ten Guidelines for Effective Goal Setting"
Posted on July 14, 2009Posted by David Bilinsky: "This is post of Beth Flynn's Leadership Moments newsletter email from the Ohio State University Leadership Center. I thought these Ten Guidelines for Effective Goal Setting were particularly apt and have reposted it here (with permission):...
"Top Five Expert Rulings (So Far) of 2009"
Posted on July 14, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "Halfway through, 2009 is already shaping up to be a year of significant appellate rulings involving expert witnesses. An article I wrote for the e-newsletter of IMS ExpertServices looks back over the first six months of...
Two Podcasts about Rising Niche Practices
Posted on July 14, 2009Careers in Animal Law From the site: "On this Legal TIPS program, 2008-2009 TIPS Chair-Elect John Tarpley stresses the importance of bar membership in obtaining career opportunities and as an illustration, co-host Attorney Gilda Mariani chats with Joyce Tischler, the...
"My Current Personal Productivity Favorites"
Posted on July 14, 2009Posted by Ron Friedmann: "Today I re-visit my favorite personal productivity technology tools. I'll do another post about "technology productivity blackholes", tech issues that suck time out of my day. Screen Real Estate and Multiple Instances of Application Windows...
"How To Go Paperless - a Case Study"
Posted on July 14, 2009Posted by Ernest Svenson: "There's a great article in ABA Law Practice Today entitled 'Our Paperless Office,' about how one law firm transitioned to being almost completely paperless. Anyone who is thinking about making the switch should read this article...
"File-Sharing and Copyright"
Posted on July 14, 2009From their [s]ource: Harvard Business School Working Papers The researchers argue that file-sharing technology has not undermined the incentives of artists and entertainment companies to create, market, and distribute new works. The advent of new technology has allowed consumers to...
"Overcoming Procrastination"
Posted on July 13, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "Irwin Karp gave a very well-received presentation to our Oklahoma Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference on Overcoming Procrastination [How to Break the Habit.] He has graciously allowed us to publish a generous portion of his...
"Using Positive Psych, Chaos Theory, and Visual Mapping to Make Career Decisions AND Using Travel to Boost Your Career Potential and Creativity"
Posted on July 13, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "Two books I now want to read were reviewed in the Boston Globe. An excerpt from "A cheaper, smarter road to college, and career" in which the author is talking about the book You Majored in What?:...
"Amazon's Kindle to Sell PLI Law Books"
Posted on July 13, 2009Posted by Bonnie Shucha: "Wall Street Journal reports that Practising Law Institute is offering many of its titles via the Kindle. From the article: A nonprofit group that provides continuing education for lawyers is making its books available...
"Media Post: Forget Twitter, Go Back to Email Marketing"
Posted on July 13, 2009Posted by Larry Bodine: "Ian McCollum, the technical manager | eCRM Solutions with Razorfish, writes in the Email Insider blog that Twitter is an overrated fad, and that smart marketers are returning to good old email marketing: Everywhere you turn there is...
"Firms, GCs Starting to Talk the Talk"
Posted on July 13, 2009In the news: "The concept of law firms talking to clients isn't a new one. But most general counsel and consultants say firms that employ client interviewers and use other client relationship management tools are still in the minority. However,...
"They Just Don't Get It, Do They?"
Posted on July 13, 2009Posted By Patrick J. Lamb: "Andrew Kassner, managing partner of the 680-lawyer Drinker Biddle & Reath L.L.P. of Center City, said the new focus on flat fees, incentive payments and other alternative forms of compensation means law...
"Clearing Rights for Content: Ask First"
Posted on July 13, 2009In the news: "No one enjoys clearing rights for content use. Checking whether you can use content and won't be sued over it takes time and effort. The rules governing such usage have always been complex, says attorney Stanley P....
"Federal Rule of Evidence 502, Privilege Review Strategies & Textbook Discovery Abuse"
Posted on July 13, 2009From the site: "In this edition of the ESI Report, host Gina Jytyla, Managing Staff Attorney in the Legal Technologies division at Kroll Ontrack welcomes Patrick Oot, Senior Counsel & Director of Electronic Discovery for Verizon and Gina Day, Legal...
"What Are You Changing?"
Posted on July 10, 2009From the blog: "Our law firm started with the tag line "Changing the Way Law is Practiced". Our goal from the get go was to do things that made sense, not simply do things because that's the way they've always...
"I'm Afraid it's a Terribly Unfortunate Problem When We're Negative"
Posted on July 10, 2009Posted by Michelle Golden: "Got an unsolicited email about negativity in speech. Don't normally read my junk mail, but SO glad this item escaped my ruthless delete stroke so that I could share the gem with you: Negative Vocabulary: Say...
"Email Policy / Facebook Policy?"
Posted on July 10, 2009Posted by John Heckman: "I recently read an interesting article by Jonathan Goodgold in the New Jersey Law Journal on the employment law consequences of Web 2.0 applications such as Facebook or My Space. There are two central questions here:...
"Lawyers Advise Clients Not to Get Too Chummy with Employees on LinkedIn"
Posted on July 10, 2009From the e-newsletter: "There are lots of social networks out there. LinkedIn is the main social networking site for business networks, and the site allows people to post recommendations for other people in their network. Many people look at this...
"The Power of a Will"
Posted on July 10, 2009From the site: "With the passing of Michael Jackson, his will is being dissected and many questions remain on the future of his estate. Host Bob Ambrogi welcomes Attorney Lawrence H. Heller, an international tax and estate planning attorney at....
"Judge Aldisert on Opinion Writing and Opinion Readers"
Posted on July 10, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "Opinion Writing and Opinion Readers (SSRN) was inspired in large part by the work done by Judge Aldisert, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and two of his law clerks, Meehan Rasch and...
"Laid Off? Write!"
Posted on July 10, 2009From the blog: "Debra Bruce, president of Lawyer-Coach, offers some sound advice for recently laid-off attorneys: write! Write, she says, "an article on a legal topic you are interested in" -- not for some law review -- but for "industry...
"How to Make Your Website's Content Better"
Posted on July 10, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "We all know that content is still king, right? I discussed this in a recent post, however I didn't talk about specific ways to improve your content. My friend Trey Ryder, as is so often the case, provides some...
"Two Lists You Should Look at Every Morning"
Posted on July 09, 2009Written by Peter Bregman: "I was late for my meeting with the CEO of a technology company and I was emailing him from my iPhone as I walked onto the elevator in his company's office building. I stayed focused on...
"How to Have More Self-Discipline"
Posted on July 09, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "For a while I have been fascinated by the research about happiness. Some of my favorite research is from Sonja Lyumbomirsky, psychology professor at University of California Riverside. (She's great at listing really small things you...
"Does the 'Dorothy Factor' Dominate at Top Law Firms?"
Posted on July 09, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "There's an interesting column by Orrick partner Patricia Gillette up at The Am Law Daily. Gilette asks whether the failure of women to self-promote accounts for their under-representation in the upper ranks of top law firms...
"Blawg of the Day -- Neff Law Blog"
Posted on July 09, 2009Posted by Tom Mighell: "Donna Neff is an Ottawa lawyer I met this year at ABA TECHSHOW, where she was speaking. She's started her own blog, too; at the self-titled Neff Law Blog Donna is discussing both legal and technological...
"Got Proofreading?"
Posted on July 09, 2009Posted by JD Hull: Proofreading errors are avoidable, even under the gun--if you make ardor in proofreading a habit. Take invoices to clients. Invoices, if done correctly, are a great way to communicate what you've done for...
"The Language of Law on the Web"
Posted on July 09, 2009In the news: "While the use of language is relatively straightforward for legal professionals, no computer can process and communicate it in the same way. But with the Semantic Web and XML, says Dr. Adam Zachary Wyner, computers can process...
"Google Announces Google Chrome Operating System"
Posted on July 09, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici. Official Google Blog: "It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser. Already, over 30 million people use it regularly. We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web...
"How to Protect Your High Tech Gear this Summer"
Posted on July 09, 2009From the site: "Want to know how to keep your high tech gear water and sand free this summer? Law Technology Now host Monica Bay welcomes Donna Payne, CEO and founder of Payne Consulting Group, to discuss her article in...
"Clever Reference Checks"
Posted on July 08, 2009From the blog: "I was reading a blog post recently about a clever way to do a reference check. The method is simple and can be highly effective if done right. Basically, get several references from the potential employee and...
"New Hiring Trends in the Paralegal World"
Posted on July 08, 2009From the site: "On this first edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin debut with a topic on everyone's mind - hot jobs in today's market! We welcome guest Charles Volkert, Executive Director of Robert Half...
"Recent Ohio Supreme Court Decisions"
Posted on July 08, 2009Court Rules Crime of Robbery is 'Lesser Included Offense' of Aggravated Robbery From the site: "2008-0363. State v. Evans, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-2974.Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-2974.pdf (July 7, 2009) The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled today that the crime of robbery, as...
"Ohio Bills Introduced"
Posted on July 08, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "Five bills were introduced in the Ohio General Assembly last week that might be of some interest to local practitioners:SB 150 IMMIGRATION LAW - To provide that a board of county commissioners may direct a sheriff...
"Billy Mays "the pitchman" and Legal Marketing"
Posted on July 08, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Being totally honest, when I first saw the title of Jeff Berman's post on AttorneySync about Billy Mays, who recently died suddenly, I thought it was a bit insensitive in its timing. But, as I started...
"Three Good Articles from Law.com"
Posted on July 08, 2009Aid Your Job Search: Get PublishedIn the news: "Unfortunately, an unprecedented number of attorneys have been laid off and jobs for new law school grads have evaporated, so in this market you need to get creative, says consultant Debra L....
"Guide to Negotiating Vendor Contracts"
Posted on July 08, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "A veteran of vendor negotiations for law firm online and print contracts, Elaine Billingslea Dockens offers a detailed guide for vendor representatives (VRs) and law librarians inexperienced in the ways of vendor contracting in Vendor Pitfalls...
"New Sites of Note, 7.7.09"
Posted on July 08, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "... RightSignature A site designed to make it simple to get documents signed online. Upload a document and enter recipient information, and it takes it from there, providing you regular updates as each party...
"Solos, Please Beware of Scams That Can Cost You!"
Posted on July 07, 2009Posted by Reid Trautz: "Several bar associations are warning their members to be aware of financially-devastating scams being carried out against lawyers, especially solo practitioners. According to the ABA Journal, at least one small firm found out the hard way...
"Watch What You Say to New Media"
Posted on July 07, 2009In the news: "Any unfortunate comment by an attorney can be caught in new media devices and spell disaster for a pending case. Attorney Ernest Teitell and consultant Susan Heller prime attorneys for what to watch for and help them...
"Thomson West Launches Do Justice and Between Cases"
Posted on July 07, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "Thomson West has launched Do Justice, a pro bono outreach initiative to support law firm pro bono activities. The Company has also launched Between Cases, a new online resource for displaced legal associates seeking employment and...
"Measuring Lawyer Productivity"
Posted on July 07, 2009Posted by Jordan Furlong: "Recently, Carolyn Elefant at Legal Blog Watch summarized an interesting debate over a question that many lawyers will soon be asking themselves. Let's say your law practice succumbs to the logical and inevitable, stops routinely billing...
"'Well, Let Me Retort.' 1"
Posted on July 07, 2009Posted by Raymond Ward: "A reader sent me this e-mail request: I'm wondering if -- in the future -- you could comment in your blog on the process of preparing a reply brief in an appellate action. As a young...
"Alternative Fees (Part 17) - Costs"
Posted on July 07, 2009Posted by Jim Hassett: "Alternative fee arrangements can help law firms to survive and thrive in the current economy. Aligning the interests of lawyers with their clients produces more stable long-term relationships, and can help firms improve their competitive position...
"Google Maps Launches Enhanced Features for Real Estate Search"
Posted on July 07, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Google LatLong Blog: "The web is becoming increasingly indispensable to people looking for a new home to buy...from today, if you enter a query like <<homes for sale in san francisco>> on Google Maps, you'll...
"What Technology is Dead Today?"
Posted on July 07, 2009From the site: "Twitter, Facebook, blogging? Hardly a day goes by without someone proclaiming that a technology is "dead." On this edition of the Kennedy-Mighell Report, co-hosts, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell talk about what technologies to stick with, what...
"Blawg of the Day -- Legal Toast"
Posted on July 06, 2009Posted by Tom Mighell: "In these tough economic times, we can all use a good legal laugh - and JD Trafford is here to help with that. At Legal Toast he's keeping a cartoon diary of life as a senior...
"Law Firm Sued for Using Ill-Gotten Evidence From Spyware"
Posted on July 06, 2009In the news: "Let's say that you're a divorce attorney and your client brings you damning e-mails that will help her case. Before you decide to use those e-mails at trial, you'd better make sure they weren't procured through the...
"Law Firm Clients Going Generic?"
Posted on July 06, 2009From the blog: "We have seen many stories of large-firm clients moving some work to smaller, lower-cost firms. It turns out that this goes beyond corporate law and extends to cornflakes. The Economist ($$) drills into this issue and...
"Lawyers Advertising on Craigslist"
Posted on July 06, 2009From the site: "Solo and small-firm practitioners have discovered that Craigslist has been a great source for generating business, but are challenged by a growing number of lawyer ads and individual state's advertising rules. Host J. Craig Williams welcomes Attorney...
"Boo to Billable Hours"
Posted on July 06, 2009From the blog: "I recently came across a blog by John Derrick, an appellate specialist in California. He has written an interesting book on billable hours called "Boo to Billable Hours". Mr. Derrick has uploaded his entire book on his...
"Technology at Trial: Some Basics"
Posted on July 06, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "Here's a basic but useful article from Law.com's Legal Technology page: "At Trial, Don't Leave Technology Behind," by Jamerra J. Cherry-- You know you're ready for trial when you have two boxes of trial binders,...
"TWiL 25: Running From The FTC And RIAA"
Posted on July 06, 2009From the site: "Hosts: Denise Howell, Ernest Svenson, Colette Vogele, and Evan Brown Affiliate accounts for bloggers, ringtone performance fees, RIAA, Facebook land rush, and more. TWiL wiki shownotes, feel free to add or edit. TWiL on Friendfeed...
"Web 2.0 Collaboration: Tools for the Next Generation of Public Service"
Posted on July 06, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici.: "Web 2.0 Collaboration Tools for the Next Generation of Public Service - Driving high performance through more engaging, accountable and citizen-focused service "Web 2.0 technologies and services have spread around the world at an...
"New Ohio Court Rules Effective Today"
Posted on July 02, 2009From the blog: "Various Ohio Rules of appellate, civil, criminal, and juvenile procedure become effective today. The Ohio Supreme Court's Press Release outlines the changes, which include an addition for service of process on limited liability companies, enhancements to rules...
"How to Make a Graceful Exit as a Lateral"
Posted on July 02, 2009In the news: "With all the lateral movement over the past few months, we'd like to believe all the partings have been amicable, but we know breakups aren't always easy. The Am Law Daily asked McDermott Will & Emery partner...
"West, Lexis Offer Help for Hard Times"
Posted on July 02, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "Two major legal publishers announced initiatives this week to help laid-off lawyers keep their heads above water and make the transition to new jobs. Coincidentally or not, both West and LexisNexis announced their initiatives on...
"Female Lawyers Stuck in the Middle"
Posted on July 02, 2009In the news: "The mean proportion of women at large firms remains close to one-third, and while the ranks of female partners have grown steadily, women still account, on average, for fewer than one in five big-firm partners, with the...
"Fast and Furious Online Federal Legal Research!"
Posted on July 02, 2009From the blog: "The Ross-Blakley Law Library has complied this list of online resources for fast and easy online legal research.From Ross-Blakley Law Library Blog" The active links are available at the source site listed below. Source: Moritz Legal...
"Do Lawyers Really Need Practice Management Software?"
Posted on July 02, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Earlier this week on the JD Hacker blog, Will Geer posted "Do You Really Need Practice Management Software?" His answer was no, but I'm not so sure - I think his post missed some of the...
"Choosing Practice Management Software"
Posted on July 02, 2009From the site: "In this first edition of Legal 3.Oh!, co-hosts and legal technology consultants, Adriana Linares and Debbie Foster offer their insights that can unravel some of the complexities of technology for lawyers. Hear three good reasons why practice...
"Keep Your Web Site Fresh"
Posted on July 02, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "It should be no secret that web site content continues to be king for purposes of search engines. Keywords, title tags, etc. are just additional jewels on the crown. So, keeping your web site fresh in...
"Will Alternative Fee Arrangements Be Profitable for Lawyers?"
Posted on July 01, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Last week's Legal Business Development Blog entry was part 16 on a series on alternative billing, entitled, "Alternative Fees (Part 16) - Win-win or win-lose?" The article opines that firms who are talking about their success...
"Alternative Billing Increasingly Important for Texas Firms, Survey Shows"
Posted on July 01, 2009In the news: "Balancing the risks and rewards of using alternative billing, such as fixed or contingent fees, is a strategy many firms are employing in today's uncertain economy, based on responses from the 74 firms that completed Texas Lawyer's...
"Will Practice Make Perfect Lawyers?"
Posted on July 01, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "With the economy down, law firms have less work. That means they've got more time -- or at least, slightly more appetite -- for training new associates. As the National Law Journal reports, a number of...
"Untangling Stimulus Strings"
Posted on July 01, 2009In the news: "With venture capital all but dried up, government contracts lawyers say they are getting a lot of questions from high-tech companies eager to compete for stimulus funds. But government money comes with quite a few strings attached,...
"Has the Age of the Legal Knowledgebase Finally Arrived?"
Posted on July 01, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Throughout the history of the electronic age, firms have attempted to implement legal knowledgebases. The promise of a systematic database of the firm's proprietary expertise has always appealed to the partnership, but wave after wave of legal...
"Head-to-Head Review: Casemaker vs. Fastcase"
Posted on July 01, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "Two legal research services are in a head-to-head competition to win the loyalty of America's lawyers. If you think I'm talking about Westlaw and LexisNexis, think again. This battle is between Casemaker and Fastcase. For my...
Recent Ohio Supreme Court Decisions
Posted on July 01, 2009State Law Restricts Administration of Abortion Drug to FDA-Approved Gestational Limit, Delivery Protocol From the site: "2008-1234. Cordray v. Planned Parenthood Cincinnati Region, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-2972.Opinion: http://www.supremecourt...
"Greenwashing Claims Sprouting Up Across the Country"
Posted on July 01, 2009From the site: "Going green has gone mainstream, and companies everywhere are trying to cash in with eco-friendly product claims. Products labeled as green are flooding the market, but according to consumer advocates many of these products aren't really green...
"Hiring Summer Help: Doing It Right"
Posted on June 30, 2009Posted By Diane Pfadenhauer: "For those considering hiring teens this summer, these links to pages on the USDOL website offer useful information for compliance with state labor laws relating to minors. The first is a Summary of State Laws Concerning....
"Law Firm Apprentice Programs Add Extra Step for New Associates"
Posted on June 30, 2009In the news: "After three years of law school, a hundred grand of debt and weeks sweating out a bar review and exam, it's time to start practicing law in earnest, right? At a handful of firms, the answer is...
"The Fears of Alternative Billing"
Posted on June 30, 2009Posted by Reid Trautz: "The American Lawyer has a short but valuable article today about the role of fear in negotiating alternative fee arrangements: Clients fear they will get shoddy service for their money, and law firms fear they will...
"Deposition Tip: Use Exhibits Regularly During Video Depositions"
Posted on June 30, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "You can create a more interesting and visually-compelling videotaped deposition by showing the witness an exhibit every so often. When you are preparing for trial, you can set up the video playback to display the exhibit...
"Who Says Technical Presentations Can't Be Engaging?"
Posted on June 30, 2009Posted by Garr Reynolds: "People often ask if technical or science-related presentations can be as compelling as presentations covering other less technical topics. Now, not every presentation has earth-shattering, Nobel-Prize winning significance, but I assume if you are talking about...
"Lessons in Style"
Posted on June 30, 2009From the blog: "If you know and follow the rules of grammar and usage--good. If you've ditched legalese and strive to write in plain English--good. If you know who Bryan Garner is and try to do most of what he...
"Air France Crash Legal Issues"
Posted on June 30, 2009From the site: "On May 31, 2009, Air France flight 447, out of Rio de Janerio bound for Paris, vanished into thin air. A frantic search for passengers and the black boxes, turned up with a number of bodies but...
"Comparing Tech Use in Legal and Non-Legal, Across Generations"
Posted on June 30, 2009Posted by Ron Friedmann: "I came across an interesting technology use survey sponsored by LexisNexis. It has a lot of data on tech usage and attitudes and compares legal and other professionals and three generation of users. It's worth a...
"Is Our Work a Product of Our Environment?"
Posted on June 29, 2009Posted by John Jantsch: "Marketing podcast with Scott Belsky (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download - subscribe now via iTunes For this week's episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I visited with Scott Belsky, founder...
"Advice for the Perpetually Tardy, and Those Around Them"
Posted on June 29, 2009In the news: "For some lawyers, being busy is not the problem when it comes to time management. Instead, even when they have time on their hands, they are persistently, habitually late. And promises to change rarely lead to permanent...
"Virtual Law Firms Going Viral"
Posted on June 29, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Nearly a year ago, I posted here about the launch of Virtual Law Partners, an 18-member corporate and transactional virtual firm of "elite" lawyers. Though some observers expressed doubt about the viability of the VLP model,...
"A Guide to the Preservation of Federal Judge' Papers, Second Edition"
Posted on June 29, 2009From the Web Site: A publication that discusses the importance of federal judges' papers as a documentary record of judges' careers and the work of the federal courts. The guide describes how students of the federal courts use judges' papers...
"Be Prepared to Deal With Deposition Notices"
Posted on June 29, 2009In the news: "Your company has just been served with a 30(b)(6) deposition notice under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and it is your job to respond to the notice and determine who will testify on behalf of the...
"Policies for Emerging Technologies"
Posted on June 29, 2009Posted by Michelle Golden: "This topic keeps coming up. People have differing comfort levels with newish technologies and therefore have very different tolerance levels for others using it. True that some people just don't "get it" when it comes to...
"Wendy.Seltzer.org: Legal Tags, the Blog"
Posted on June 29, 2009Written by J.P. Cusker: "This focused, readable blog is maintained by Wendy Seltzer, a visiting professor at American University and a fellow with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. The blog discusses copyright issues and...
"Best Law Firm Articles and Alerts Aggregrator on the Web"
Posted on June 29, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "On 3 Geeks and a Law Blog, Greg Lambert reviews myCorporateReources.com, a site that aggregates client alerts published by AmLaw 100 firms, calling the site "hands-down the best law firm articles and alerts aggregator" he has...
"Lawyers Operate Without Borders Too"
Posted on June 26, 2009In the news: "Attorney Christina M. Storm founded Lawyers Without Borders to connect attorneys with pro bono projects in Africa and elsewhere. The group now coordinates international projects geared toward protecting the integrity of the legal process abroad...
"A Double Helping of Ridiculous Lawsuits"
Posted on June 26, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "Lawyer haters and tort reformers, this is your lucky day. We have for you not one, but two separate lists of the most ridiculous lawsuits ever filed. Even better, there is surprisingly little overlap between...
"Adding Creativity to the Lawyer Toolkit"
Posted on June 26, 2009Posted by Arnie Herz: "Regular readers here know that I'm a big fan of author/right-brain-champion Daniel Pink and his take on our new Conceptual Economy that places a premium on creativity in business. Lawyers aren't known for being a creative...
"Cross-Examination: Tips from a Pro"
Posted on June 26, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "I've written before about Your Witness: Lessons on Cross-Examination and Life from Great Chicago Trial Lawyers, edited by Steven F. Molo and James R. Figliulo. One of the contributors, Peter C. John, has an article titled...
"Investigating Personal Web-Based E-Mail"
Posted on June 26, 2009In the news: "You suspect an employee is leaking inside information. A computer forensic analysis reveals the employee has accessed a personal Web-based e-mail account from a company computer and that the login information has been recovered. Can you log...
"Creating a Social Hub on the Web to Promote Your Practice"
Posted on June 26, 2009From the e-newsletter: "As long as you can get over any qualms about giving Google more control over your personal information than they already have, filling out a profile could be a good way to promote a legal practice and...
"Webliography: Translation Resources on the Web"
Posted on June 26, 2009From the site: "This guide to "accurate and free" sites was compiled and annotated by Rebecca A. Martin and Sarah McHone-Chase, both librarians at Northern Illinois University. Direct to Article [Their] Source: C&RL News The active links...
For Your Clients - "Parenting and the Law"
Posted on June 26, 2009From the e-newsletter: "The "Parenting and the Law" section of FindLaw's Family Law Center provides information and tips on legal topics including parental liability for children's actions, keeping your children safe, and termination of parental rights...
"Delegation of Work Assignments by Lawyers to Nonlawyers in Law Firms"
Posted on June 25, 2009Posted by Joe Hodnicki: "In Shadow Lawyering: Nonlawyer Practice within Law Firms, [NELLCO] Paul R Tremblay (Boston College Law School) articulates a framework for assessing choices lawyers make when they delegate some tasks to nonlawyer colleagues. The framework relies on...
"Enjoy Your Practice and Your Clients"
Posted on June 25, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Unfortunately, too many lawyers don't enjoy either. What a shame! I remember in David Maister's book True Professionalism where he recounts that 75% to 80% of lawyers he has surveyed merely tolerated or disliked the...
"The Busy Lawyer's Guide to Success"
Posted on June 25, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "The Busy Lawyer's Guide to Success - Essential Tips to Power Your Practice by Dan Pinnington and Reid F. Trautz is one of the ABA Law Practice Management section's newest books. This book is only 132 pages...
"Golf and the Law"
Posted on June 25, 2009From the blog: "Here is an interesting article for those of you who may be hitting the golf course this summer. A New York state appellate court decided that a golfer does not have a legal duty to yell "fore"...
"The Undertraining of Lawyers and Its Effect on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in the Legal Profession"
Posted on June 25, 2009From the blog: "The Undertraining of Lawyers and Its Effect on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in the Legal ProfessionSource: New York University Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers The undertraining of law students documented in a century's...
"A Blogging Guide for St. Louis (and Other) Lawyers (and Others)"
Posted on June 25, 2009Posted by Dennis Kennedy: "With the help of my St. Louis blogging pals, Matt Homann, George Lenard and Evan Schaeffer, I recently put together a roundtable article on "blogging for lawyers" for the St. Louis Lawyer magazine. The article is...
"New Training Movies Posted - Search and Touchup Text"
Posted on June 25, 2009Posted by Rick Borstein: "If you haven't tried clicking on the HUGE movie button on my full blog page, then you are missing out on some free Acrobat training. These short movies play back via Adobe Flash and are...
"CrossLoop Spreads the Love -- Announcing CrossLoop for the Mac"
Posted on June 25, 2009Posted by Nerino Petro: "I've posted before about CrossLoop as a potential IT solution and remote support tool for smaller firms in Cover Your Assets: CrossLoop - Affordable IT Support for Small Practices. CrossLoop provides a free screen sharing utility that...
"Ohio Supreme Court Adopts Disciplinary Changes"
Posted on June 24, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf; 'The Ohio Supreme Court announced yesterday the adoption of several amendments to the Rules for the Government of the Judiciary (Rule II) concerning grievances filed against Supreme Court justices and/or alleging campaign misconduct by any...
"PACER Is Out of Pace, Petition Says"
Posted on June 24, 2009Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi: "Anyone who uses PACER knows that it has failed to keep pace with the Web 2.0 world. Its technology is outmoded and so is its cost structure. Now, some fed-up law librarians have launched a...
"Why Is Findlaw Charging Money for Inaccurate Forms When the Correct Forms Are Available Online for Free?"
Posted on June 24, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "OK, so I understand that a company like Thomson Reuters doesn't "get" the concept of free. After all, Westlaw, one of Thomson Reuters' flagship legal products costs a pretty penny. Even so, it's one thing to...
"Bad Advice on Lowering Fees"
Posted on June 24, 2009Posted by Jim Hassett: "I rarely read newsletters on weekdays. But I could not resist reading the June 10 edition of Rain Today when I saw the headline: "What to Say When Your Clients Ask for Lower Fees." Rain Today...
"Successful New Firm Uses Fixed Fees for Entrepreneurial Clients"
Posted on June 24, 2009In the news: "Attorneys Frank Natoli and Moshe Lapin launched their new law firm in March 2008, just six months before the economy began its free fall. The timing proved something of a boon because of the firm's niche: low-cost...
"Entertaining Clients And Referral Sources Isn't Enough"
Posted on June 24, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Entertaining clients and referral sources will not, by itself, result in new client work or a new matter. However, taking a client out to a ballgame or to the opera can enhance a relationship and help...
"New on LLRX.com - Criminal Justice Surveys and Public Opinion Polls"
Posted on June 24, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Criminal Justice Surveys and Public Opinion Polls: Ken Strutin's article examines key sources for surveys and public polling concerning the criminal justice system. In addition to overview studies about the application of surveys to criminal...
"Crafting a More Effective Keyword Search"
Posted on June 24, 2009In the news: "Despite the bench's mounting frustration with the senseless, slipshod way keyword search is conducted in e-discovery, lawyers still don't know how to fashion effective, defensible queries. Until better judicial guidance emerges, follow EDD Special Master Craig Ball's...
"Ohio Supreme Court Seeks Comments on Proposed and Revised Probate Forms"
Posted on June 23, 2009From the blog: "The Ohio Supreme Court is seeking comments until July 21st on new and proposed revisions to various probate forms. According to the Court's press release, the new forms would address adoptions, name changes, and incapacitated adults. Click...
"Age Discrimination Lawsuits Will Be Harder to Win"
Posted on June 23, 2009Posted by Ed Poll: "In a decision this week, the US Supreme Court decided to change precedent. And who said "conservative" justices don't make law, are not "activists"? This decision is one of those based on ideological lines. The Court in...
"Free ILTA White Paper: Best Practices for the Legal Hold Process"
Posted on June 23, 2009Posted by Jeff Beard: "I'm honored that ILTA asked me to contribute a white paper on best practices for legal holds. It's a topic near and dear to my heart, as I advise companies seeking to implement more effective hold...
"What's Old Is New Again: Howrey Introduces Apprenticeships"
Posted on June 23, 2009In the news: "Starting this fall, Howrey will begin selling recruits on a new, two-year "apprentice" program. In their first year, associates will take classes on legal writing and research and will work on pro bono projects. In the second...
"Having a Wikipedia Entry Can Be Good for Getting New Business"
Posted on June 23, 2009Posted by Larry Bodine: "Carolyn Elefant makes a great point on Nolo's Legal Marketing Blog that you need to pay attention to your Wikipedia entry. Not sure if you have one? You better check. I looked up my own name and...
"Five Uses for a Kindle in a Law Practice"
Posted on June 23, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "OK, so I realize that most of you are probably coveting a Kindle, Amazon.com's digital book device. But you haven't yet figured out how to justify its cost as a business expense when you're planning on...
"Lawyers and Smartphones"
Posted on June 23, 2009From the site: "Do the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre have what it takes to topple Blackberry as a lawyer's smartphone? On this edition of the Kennedy-Mighell Report, co-hosts, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell take a look at all three...
"Tasty Apps to Add to Your iPhone"
Posted on June 23, 2009In the news: "Apps -- those easy-to-download, seamlessly installed, usually cheap add-ons available at Apple's App Store -- are a powerful way to customize an iPhone (or iPod Touch) to do just the things you want it to. Here are...
"Law Firms Need to Keep an Eye on Lawyers Performing Pro Bono Work"
Posted on June 22, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Where a law firm allows an associate to handle a matter pro bono through a legal aid organization, does the firm retain an obligation to supervise the associate? Yes, said Acting Supreme Court Justice Ellen Gesmer...
"Points to Remember as a Summer Associate"
Posted on June 22, 2009From the blog: "For those of you working as a Summer Associate, here are some helpful reminders that may just be the key for getting that coveted permanent offer.From Ross-Blakley Law Library Blog" The active links are available at...
"The First Amendment, Hate Speech and Hate Crimes"
Posted on June 22, 2009From the site: "When an 88-year old white supremacist walked into the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC opening fire, reaction was swift to question if this tragedy could have been prevented. And with those questions comes the examination of First...
"New on LLRX.com"
Posted on June 22, 2009Marketing Yourself with Webinars Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Marketing Yourself with Webinars - Attorney Wells H. Anderson recommends presenting periodic webinars as an effective, direct and efficient technique to attract new clients and professionals who refer business to you...
Four Good Articles Today at Law.com
Posted on June 22, 2009It's Time to Rise and Market In the news: " It's a difficult time to be a law firm associate or new lawyer, so here is a networking road map to help guide you to success, from consultant Stacy West...
"DNA Testing for Convicts not Constitutional Right"
Posted on June 22, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "The Supreme Court yesterday afternoon held that convicted inmates had no constitutional rights to further DNA testing "in hopes of proving their innocence long after having been found guilty of crimes and having had started...
"International Criminal Court"
Posted on June 22, 2009From the e-newsletter: "The International Criminal Court (ICC) website can be viewed in French or English, and it should be noted that it is not part of the United Nations system. The "About the Court" link on the left hand...
"Tips on Selecting Legal Document Management Software"
Posted on June 22, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Collaborating on documents is a huge part of being a lawyer. Revision after revision is made by a constantly expanding circle of reviewers, all of whom work on their own copies of the document then circulate the...
"New ABA Book: Effectively Staffing Your Law Firm"
Posted on June 19, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "Effectively Staffing Your Law Firm" was just released by the ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division. It addresses an important area of law firm management from the smaller firm perspective. I made a modest...
"Tips for Effective Law Firm Hiring"
Posted on June 19, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "This is the final post in my series on tips from the "Get a Life" conference, sponsored by the Total Practice Management Association - this time on hiring. Tim Ryan from Total PMA gave one of the...
"Does Alternative Billing Mean Lawyers Can Tear Up the Time Sheet?"
Posted on June 19, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "This past week, both Philadelphia-based Saul, Ewing and Chicago-based Kirkland & Ellis announced alternative fee arrangements (described here and here) for their respective clients. So does that mean that lawyers at those firms can toss...
"Referral System: Check Back With Those You Referred"
Posted on June 19, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Every lawyer should have a good referral system in place, since at least 71% of new work comes from referrals, as mentioned in an earlier post. As that post noted, "giving vs. getting" is a very...
"How to Use LinkedIn Productively"
Posted on June 19, 2009In the news: "If you want to increase your network, boost your productivity and develop your book of business, consultant Neen James says you can achieve those goals by getting familiar with LinkedIn and using it in your everyday interactions...
"Stay 'InTouch' With Your Computer"
Posted on June 19, 2009In the news: "When you are away from the office, if you can't be without the resources on your computer, you can either take it with you or access it remotely via software. Law.com's Legal Technology editor Sean Doherty reviews...
For You and Your Clients - "Have You Planned Your Final Sendoff Yet?"
Posted on June 19, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "We are still more than 6 months away from the 10th annual Create a Great Funeral Day but here's a video of which I just became aware on the topic of planning your end-of-life event. Click to...
For Your Clients - "Defamation, Libel, and Slander"
Posted on June 19, 2009From the e-newsletter:"'Defamation' involves harm to a person's reputation. 'Libel' and 'slander' are two different forms of defamation. FindLaw's Accident & Injury Center contains in-depth information on these distinct types of personal injury cases...
"Work on the Good Surprises, and Avoid the Bad Ones in Your Client Relationships"
Posted on June 18, 2009Posted By Tom Kane: "Some may think that I have schizophrenic tendencies for saying "Surprise Your Clients!" in one recent post and "Clients Abhor Surprises" in an earlier one. Well, let me make this perfectly clear. That doesn't prove a thing.....
"In-House Lawyers to Outside Counsel: No Surprises, Please"
Posted on June 18, 2009In the news: "At a conference organized by DuPont aimed at helping outside counsel increase referrals -- to each other and to firms outside their network -- in-house counsel said what they want these days, maybe even more than alternative...
"Do Something! Create a Marketing Habit"
Posted on June 18, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Marketing is more important now than ever. The people who are bringing in business are the ones who have integrated marketing into their practice on a daily basis. But for lawyers, that isn't always easy, and it...
"Thanks To Adrian Dayton For Podcast Interview"
Posted on June 18, 2009Posted by Patrick J. Lamb: "My great thanks to Adrian Dayton, the person behind Marketing Strategy And The Law--Social Media Edition. I was honored to be Adrian's guest on Weekly Voir Dire, a weekly podcast. The interview in available here...
"A Look Inside the Workers' Compensation System"
Posted on June 18, 2009From the site: "Is the Workers' Compensation system really there to protect us if we are injured on the job? On this Workers' Comp Matters program, host Attorney Alan S. Pierce welcomes Dr. Patrice Woeppel to take an inside look...
Out-of-the-Office and Still Working
Posted on June 18, 2009Law Practice Today's June 2009 issue focuses on working remotely. Features include: Mobile Technology: Tools for Practicing Law from Wherever You Want to Be By Tom Mighell - From BlackBerrys to netbooks, here are some tips to help...
"Outlook's Delay Send is a Godsend"
Posted on June 18, 2009Posted by Adriana Linares: "How does it happen? Two voices in your head simultaneously cry out, "Go ahead and click send, you're all set" while the other one is screaming "You forgot the attachment!" or "Hey Dumb***, you clicked Reply to...
"Creating Stable and Consistent Documents"
Posted on June 18, 2009In the news: "As a large firm, Burns & Levinson was continually struggling with document stability and maintaining a consistent look with the documents it created. Esquire Innovations iCreate and iRedline were the best fit to establish a consistent branding...
"Systematize, Delegate and Outsource"
Posted on June 17, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Today's post focuses on more advice from speakers at this year's Total PMA Get a Life Conference, including advice from the panel on outsourcing, featuring Alexis Neely and Max Gardner and advice from Stephen Fairley about...
"How to Be a Tall Person at Work"
Posted on June 17, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "The Institute of Social and Economic Research recently published a study about the connection between popularity in high school and earning power later in life. New York magazine, information source to the rich and popular, summarized...
"ABA: Strategies for Success from Multicultural Women Attorneys"
Posted on June 17, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters: Strategies for Success from Multicultural Women Attorneys - 'This is a unique, inspirational collection of letters from 44 experienced women attorneys of color to the next generation outlining various roadmaps for...
"Build Your Client Relationship's by Adding Value"
Posted on June 17, 2009Posted By Tom Kane: "My friend Stacy West Clark has 25 suggestions for adding value to your relationship with "current clients, referral sources and potential clients," which are for the most part "free." And I agree that by following her suggestions,...
"Lawyers Reach Out to Aid Colleagues in Need"
Posted on June 17, 2009In the news: "It's a bleak time for many attorneys, as business in some practice areas remains sluggish and firms continue to cut staff. What options do out-of-work lawyers have? The good news is that for those who feel lost...
"Custodial Issues"
Posted on June 17, 2009From the site: "In many workers' comp cases, claimants wrongly assume that Medicare should pay their medical expenses instead of their Medicare Set?Aside account. And this mistake could lead to some serious and sometimes financially disastrous consequences...
"New on LLRX.com: Bridging the DiGital Divide: Custom Search Engines Put You in Control"
Posted on June 17, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "New on LLRX.com: Bridging the DiGital Divide: Custom Search Engines Put You in Control - Law librarian, legal research expert and blogger John J. DiGilio's new column focuses on technology trends that leverage the web....
"Creating a Solid SharePoint Backup"
Posted on June 17, 2009In the news: "Law firms running Microsoft SharePoint already own most of the required tools to recover from a complete or partial data loss, so implementing a backup plan need not be costly. But be sure to include an automated,...
"How Lawyers Can 'Bulletproof' Their Best Clients"
Posted on June 12, 2009Posted by Allison shields: "Gerry Riskin gave two separate presentations at this year's Get a Life conference. His pearls of wisdom were invaluable. According to Riskin, studies show that only 30.7% of clients recommend their primary law firm...
Four Good Articles from Law.com
Posted on June 12, 2009Privacy Expectation in the Age of GPSIn the news: "Applying the "expectation of privacy" -- a privacy law touchstone -- to advancing technology has proved troubling. Attorney David Bender looks at a ruling by New York's high court on warrantless...
"Webinar: Surveys & Blogs: Tools to Deepen Client Relationships"
Posted on June 12, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Thursday, June 18, 2009, 12pm to 2pm EST. The blog wave is growing and hasn't come close to cresting. Find out why - and learn how to use this powerful communications vehicle to enhance your firm's visibility."...
"Job Insecurity at the Firm"
Posted on June 12, 2009From the site: "Layoffs in the legal profession have been in the news lately, but downsizing from the top? More experienced attorneys, even senior partners in some larger law firms are not as secure in their jobs as they once...
"US Federal Courts Offer Podcasts on News and Federal Rulemaking"
Posted on June 12, 2009From the blog: "If you have not already heard, the U.S. Courts offer podcasts on news and federal rulemaking. Some of the latest news podcasts cover a jury phone scam and new sentences for crack cocaine. The rulemaking podcasts are...
"The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government 2009"
Posted on June 12, 2009From the blog: "Thinking about a career in the federal government? You may want to check out this list to see which department or agency boasts the happiest employees.From beSpacific" The active links are available at the source site...
"Three Free Online Presentation Tools"
Posted on June 12, 2009Posted by Greg Lambert: "I just couldn't live up to my reputation as the "cheap geek" if I didn't share this with you. There are a couple of new presentation ("free" presentation) tools out there that I thought all of...
For Your Clients - "The Car Dump: Down Economy Means More 'Auto Give-Ups,' Why Not to Do It"
Posted on June 12, 2009From the e-newsletter: "With the economy down, car torchings are up. Well, not all cases involve an automotive blaze of glory, but more and more people are faking the theft and/or destruction of cars they can no longer afford in...
"Your 'Out of Office' Voice Mail Message"
Posted on June 11, 2009Posted by Jim Calloway: "OK, after watching someone get an extra complication in their life by not knowing this, I decided to pass along this tip that many lawyers know-- just in time for summer. If you are out of the office,...
"Career Lessons from Susan Boyle's Success"
Posted on June 11, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "I never watch American Idol, or other talent shows. I think I got my fill of them in the 1970s, watching year after year of the mind-numbing Miss American pageant. But there was too much hoop-la...
Two Recent Ohio State Supreme Court Rulings
Posted on June 11, 2009Court Rules Vehicle Seller Not Liable for Prior Owner's Tampering With Odometer From the site: "2008-1451. State ex rel. Cordray v. Midway Motor Sales, Inc., Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-2610.Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-2610...
"One Practice Area That Isn't Ailing: Health Care"
Posted on June 11, 2009In the news: "Unlike in other practice areas, client demand in the health care arena is rising, mainly because companies want to prepare for the Obama administration's anticipated health care overhaul. As a result, firms are recruiting corporate, regulatory and...
"How to Improve Your Legal Writing"
Posted on June 11, 2009Posted by Evan Schaeffer: "My small contribution to the area of legal writing includes three articles published in the Illinois Bar Journal, which you can find on my law firm's website-- Improve Your Legal Writing with Five Simple Rules; First...
"Law Library of Congress Web Page Highlights"
Posted on June 11, 2009Posted by Mark Giangrande: "I hadn't been to the web site for the Law Library of Congress in quite some time, but I found myself visiting yesterday looking for some primary constitutional law documents. They were there, in a newly...
"Social Networking Explodes and the Law Will Follow"
Posted on June 11, 2009From the e-newsletter: "Last week, I told you about how college admissions offices are considering the social networking pages of prospective applicants. I now am here to report that social networking is not a passing fancy; indeed, the time spent...
"Tap Summer Associates' Web 2.0 Savvy"
Posted on June 11, 2009In the news: "Today's law students are more proficient in technology and organic self-marketing than most law firms realize. In a down market when everyone must increase their business development, consultant Ari Kaplan advises you harness that talent to increase...
"Can Jurors See and Hear Your Most Important Evidence?"
Posted on June 10, 2009Posted by Elliot Wilcox: "If you try enough cases, you'll eventually get your hands on "It." "It" is that amazing piece of evidence that makes or breaks your case. "It" takes on many different forms: The "Are you lying...
"Meditation Being Used in Schools, Hospitals, and by Lawyers"
Posted on June 10, 2009Posted by StephanieWestAllen: "I now know of five groups of lawyers nationally that get together monthly for meditation; they meet in DC, New York City, Portland, the Bay Area and Denver. Just this month the Florida Bar is offering "Mindfulness...
"Firm Defines "Business Casual" (a/k/a the 'Nobody Wants to See Your Chest Hair' Memo)"
Posted on June 10, 2009Posted by Molly DiBianca: "Women's attire has been a hot topic here this week. (See Pantsuit I and Pantsuit II). And the subject of dress codes is only getting started--it is, after all, the start of the summer. One law...
"Treat Your Clients Like My Mechanic Would, and They Won't Consider Hiring Another Law Firm"
Posted on June 10, 2009Posted By Tom Kane: "Many years ago when I moved to Columbus, Ohio, I needed a brake job on my car. I went to the dealer, and also a small shop I heard about. The mechanic's quote was actually higher...
"Don't Fall Victim to 'Random Acts of Marketing'"
Posted on June 10, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "Last week, I promised to post some more about the Total Practice Management Association's "Get a Life (TM)" Conference, and some of the specific tips I picked up as I was "live-tweeting" the conference. First up is Ross...
"Claims of 'Greenwashing' on the Rise"
Posted on June 10, 2009In the news: "The so-called green movement has sprouted a fresh crop of lawsuits: greenwashing claims, in which companies are getting sued for making bogus eco-friendly statements about their products. Consumer plaintiffs and environmental groups have caught on, lawyers warn...
"Social Media for Lawyers - What Are You Waiting For?"
Posted on June 10, 2009Posted by Al Nye: "You've heard the hype. Print media is dead. The Yellow Pages are passé. You have to be on-line to survive. Websites aren't enough. After all, everyone has a website - big deal. The only thing a...
"Getting Smart About Managing Smartphones"
Posted on June 10, 2009In the news: "For anyone in IT struggling to support a law firm with a growing number of smartphones, take heart. Shook Hardy's transition from a reactive to proactive support system using Zenprise mobile management software gave them the return...
"Goodbye, Economy -- Hello, Balance?"
Posted on June 09, 2009In the news: "Among the concerns brought on by the failing economy, a healthy work/life balance for lawyers ranks down at the bottom of the list. But even though it may seem counterintuitive, flexibility and balance-oriented policies are tools that...
"Is It Time to 'Shut Up and Get Things Done?'"
Posted on June 09, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "A friend sent me the following Winston Churchill quote this morning: "Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential." -- Winston Churchill Her message to me was, "You can see...
"Webcast: Reference Tools: A Look at the Latest Edition (9th) of Black's Law Dictionary"
Posted on June 09, 2009From the blog: "A chat with two attorney's who reviewed some of the terms in the latest edition of Black's. They also discuss how they use this reference tool. Direct to Audio (MP3) Source: West Publishing / Thomson Reuters See...
"Four Recent Ohio Supreme Court Decisions"
Posted on June 09, 2009Dispute Over Utility's Right to Remove Tree in Easement Falls Under Jurisdiction of PUCO From the site: "2008-0708. Corrigan v. Illum. Co., Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-2524.http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-2524.pdf (June 4, 2009) A dispute over an electric company's right to remove a tree...
"GCs, Law Firms and Flat Fee Arrangements: A Matter of Trust"
Posted on June 09, 2009In the news: "Tom Sager, GC for E. I. du Pont de Nemours, likes alternative fee arrangements, and he's made sure his outside counsel know it. With the economic downturn forcing cost cutting across America, Sager's not alone. Making such...
"Legal, Factual and Other Internet Sites for Attorneys and Legal Professionals"
Posted on June 09, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Timothy L. Coggins, Legal, Factual and Other Internet Sites for Attorneys and Legal Professionals, XV RICH. J.L. & TECH. 13 (2009). 'This listing of Internet sites for legal, factual, and other research presents a...
"100 Tweets from the Confucius of the Legal Twittersphere"
Posted on June 09, 2009From the blog: "For all you Twitter fans, here is quite possibly the first e-book compliation of Tweets (pdf), all related to the practice of law.From Law Librarian Blog The active links are available at the source site listed...
For Your Clients - "Bankruptcy Basics"
Posted on June 09, 2009From the e-newsletter: "This site "provides basic information on different aspects of the federal bankruptcy laws," "a basic explanation of the different chapters under which a bankruptcy case may be filed and ... answer[s] some of the most commonly asked...
"Some Thoughts About Pitching In-house Counsel for Business"
Posted on June 08, 2009Posted By Tom Kane: "In several posts over the last couple of months (see Continue Reading below for four of them), I have mentioned that now is the perfect time for smaller firms to approach in-house counsel at larger corporations...
"More Reasons for Lawyers Not to Use Twitter"
Posted on June 08, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Microblogging service Twitter has its share of evangelists, but law firm marketing guru Larry Bodine sure isn't one of them. Two weeks back, Bodine gave Twitter the bird, concluding that it wasn't an effective tool for...
"The Future of Search"
Posted on June 08, 2009From the site: "On this edition of the Kennedy-Mighell Report, legal bloggers Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss search, the new Wolfram Alpha "computational engine," the future of search on the Internet, and how it may apply to lawyers. In...
"Google Squared Now Live"
Posted on June 08, 2009Posted by Sabrina I. Pacifici: "Google Squared is a search tool that helps you quickly build a collection of facts from the Web for any topic you specify. Facts about your topic are organized as a table of items and...
"It's More Important than Ever for Lawyers to 'Get a Life'"
Posted on June 08, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "As many of you already know, I was in Chicago last week for the first annual Total Practice Management Association "Get a Life" (TM) conference. This month's Lawyer Meltdown Newsletter included a recap of some tips from...
"Greening Your Career: Surviving after a Layoff"
Posted on June 08, 2009From the site: "Many in our legal community are coping with layoffs and firm/company restructuring. In this edition of Law Technology Now, host Monica Bay welcomes Babs Deacon, director of consulting and data analytics with Integreon and Mark Reichenbach, vice...
"Federal Courts Have Updated Many of Their Forms"
Posted on June 08, 2009From the blog: "According to a Third Branch Newsletter, the federal courts have updated many of their court forms. Although 56 total forms were revised, some of the most important changes were made to search and seizure warrant forms and the in forma...
"WSJ For Free Online"
Posted on June 08, 2009Posted by Matt Steinke: "Many of the Wall Street Journal's online articles are only available to subscribers. However, many of these articles can be read in their entirety when located via Google. The Business Insider explains this loophole and describes...
Publication Notice
Posted on May 28, 2009Oh yes - another beach trip starts tomorrow!! Posting will resume on Monday, June 8th....
"GPS: A Divorce Lawyer's Best Friend"
Posted on May 28, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Let's say that you're a divorce lawyer and you want to help your client figure out whether her spouse is cheating. You could hire an investigator -- but that could get pricey. Or you could try...
"Tort Laws that Save Americans the Most Money"
Posted on May 28, 2009Source: Pacific Research Institute The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, today released Tort Law Tally, a new report identifying which state tort reforms reduce tort losses and tort insurance premiums the most...
"New Consumer Laws Safeguard Transmission of Personal Data"
Posted on May 28, 2009From the site: "Three States, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Nevada are leading a national trend to protect consumer privacy, especially when personal data is transmitted electronically. Law Technology Now host, Monica Bay welcomes Melissa Krasnow, partner in the Minneapolis office of...
"Understanding Your Clients Experience with Your Firm"
Posted on May 28, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "In my last post, I talked about some simple, smart ideas from Reid Trautz that were pretty easy to implement. One of them involved lawyers "experiencing" what clients experience upon entering the firm's office. Building...
"New on LLRX.com: Navigating the Enterprise 2.0 Highway"
Posted on May 28, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Navigating the Enterprise 2.0 Highway: Heather Colman provides an overview of Hicks Morley's implementation of ThoughtFarmer, an Enterprise 2.0/wiki style intranet platform, one year ago. Despite a few growing pains, she describes how the application was...
"The Profits and Perils of Twitter"
Posted on May 28, 2009By Kevin Fayle: "The folks at FindLaw's Lawyer Marketing Blog have posted an excellent rundown of how to get started on Twitter and incorporate the service into your legal marketing arsenal. Not only does the post introduce you to Twitter...
"Red Gorilla Redux? Why You Need to Select Your Online Storage Company Carefully"
Posted on May 28, 2009Posted by Nerino Petro: "Interesting and timely article from PCWORLD titled Will Your Data Disappear When Your Online Storage Site Shuts Down? The article discusses how some of the glamor may be wearing off the cloud storage mania of recent...
For Your Clients - "Tips from FDIC on How to Protect Against Foreclosure Frauds, Easy Money Schemes and Other Costly Deals"
Posted on May 28, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "News release: "Many people concerned about their mortgage, their job or their finances may be especially vulnerable to scams and other costly "fixes" for their problems. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today issued a variety of...
"Veterans' Issues as a Practice Area"
Posted on May 27, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "A few years back, I highlighted a small firm specializing in veterans' issues. Now, four years later demand for legal services for veterans remains high. Fortunately, for solos considering veterans rights and benefits as a practice...
"What the End of Television Means for Lawyer Marketing"
Posted on May 27, 2009Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "In the past few months, most of us have seen stories such as this one about how newspapers are facing extinction, victims of widespread content available online free and recession-driven declining ad revenues. But could television...
"Referral Clients Are Simply Cheaper To Obtain, Easier To Close, Pay Better, and Are More Profitable"
Posted on May 27, 2009Posted by Chuck Newton: "Oh, that is a mouthful, but it is true. I read this recently about business in general and I think from my experience it applies to law clients as well. A referral has a 60%...
"The Fixed Fee Challenge"
Posted on May 27, 2009Posted by Toby Brown: "Geek Number 2 of the 3 Geeks and I were strategizing about our Crowdsourcing project over some adult beverages recently and got to philosophizing about alternative fees. Greg had posted a comment on my recent post...
"Guide: Anatomy of a Patent Case"
Posted on May 27, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Anatomy of a Patent Case, George F. Pappas, 2009, 154 pages "Anatomy of a Patent Case is a concise, narrative summary of the steps required to bring a patent case to trial and of the...
"Tips for Pitching Your Firm to In-House Counsel without Going Overboard"
Posted on May 27, 2009In the news: "Far too many lawyers devote a large amount of time to presenting business pitches in front of in-house counsel, but fail to differentiate themselves in any significant way, says legal consultant and former general counsel Frank M....
"Learn to Use NEW Technology: 101"
Posted on May 27, 2009From the site: "How do people learn to use new technology -- and is it different for lawyers & legal technology? On this edition of the Kennedy-Mighell Report, legal bloggers, Dennis Kennedy, Tom Mighell and Adriana Linares, discuss how to....
"Free and Easy Search Engine Visibility for Lawyers through LinkedIn"
Posted on May 27, 2009Posted by Erik Mazzone: "What happens when you Google your name? What shows up? For a lot of lawyers, the answer to that question is that a random series of links appears in the top of the search results:...
"WSJ: As Recession Bites, More Attorneys Attend Management Training"
Posted on May 26, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "Law Firms Embrace Business School 101: "At a growing number of law firms, top attorneys are being trained like business people, using executive education courses designed to strengthen management and business skills. Some firms have been...
"Simple, But Smart Ideas to Improve Your Practice"
Posted on May 26, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Reid Trautz, one of the blogosphere's pioneers at Reid My Blog, has a helpful piece in the current issue of the ABA's GPSOLO Magazine where he shares a "few management ideas that, through a small investment...
"Jury Selection"
Posted on May 26, 2009Posted by Paul Luvera: "I receive an e-mail news letter from a publication The Jury Expert at http://www.astcweb.org/public/publication/index.cfm which I find has valid helpful advice about jury selection in many of the articles. I get a number of e-mails regarding various services...
"Revised Federal Forms"
Posted on May 26, 2009Posted by Chuck Kallendorf: "Who'd believe that, at one point, at least, there were over 500 forms in use in the federal judicial system.But after two years or work, U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger's work group gotten thru them all,...
"Guide to Best Sites for Finding Public Data on People"
Posted on May 26, 2009Posted by Sabrina Pacifici: "9 Sites That Find People and Their 'Sensitive' Information: 'Here are the best sites for locating people, as well as the best sites (like Glassdoor and Criminal Searches) for finding sensitive (but public) information about them,'...
"A New Free Legal Research Resource: Open Jurist"
Posted on May 26, 2009From the Web Site: Open Jurist is a resource for access to the case law of the United States. Our organization believes that because the laws of the land are in the public domain, they should be accessible by the...
"JD Supra Unveils 'Law Centers'"
Posted on May 26, 2009Posted by Robert Ambrogi: "The document-sharing site JD Supra will formally launch a new feature tomorrow that makes finding and following information on specific topics much easier. The new addition -- already available on the site -- is a series...
"MILO Chat Weekly - Ep. 10 - "I'm the Mac Lawyer, lowercase 't'"
Posted on May 26, 2009From the blog: "Regular crew: Ben Stevens, Finis Price, Victor Medina The show is shorter in length, easier to digest. Let us know what you think by clicking email link below and sending us your comments. Comments? Send them to...
"Love Those Clients - Now More Than Ever"
Posted on May 22, 2009Posted by Tom Kane: "Emotion has everything to do with everything we do in life. Yet apparently, the B2B marketplace according to a Gallup Poll doesn't reflect the importance of an emotional connection when it comes to business-to-business dealings. I...
"The Impact of the Recession on Law Firms and Lawyers"
Posted on May 22, 2009From the site: "The economic downturn has taken its toll on law firms, especially lawyers. Law.com bloggers and co-hosts J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi welcome Attorney Skip Simpson from the Law Offices of Skip Simpson to explore the rash...
"Summer Reading for Lawyers"
Posted on May 22, 2009Posted by Allison Shields: "While the weather outside on Long Island isn't exactly balmy yet (at least not consistently), my calendar tells me that summer is approaching, and for many, that means it's time to find some great books to...
"How to Decide Where to Live"
Posted on May 22, 2009Posted by Penelope Trunk: "Three years ago, I made a decision to move from New York City to Madison, WI based purely on research. I put economic development research together with positive psychology research. Then I combed the Internet for...
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