Last year, the Harvard Business Review published a blog post entitled, "3 Myths That Kill Strategic Planning." Like most content that comes out of Harvard and other business schools, the focus is on the application of planning principles to more routine corporations--not professional service firms such as law firms ... Read More

I sit on a nonprofit board. As part of my duties, I recently participated in group interviews for a high-level executive position. We interviewed three candidates. I’ve always had my own ideas about how to effectively interview for a job. I rarely find myself in a position to assess what will actually impress me in a real live job interview setting, however. Now that I have had the opportunity, though, I want to share what I learned ... Read More

Many new solo practitioners wrestle with the issue of whether to focus their practice in one area of the law to the exclusion of other areas. Some are afraid to walk away from any business and, therefore, think it best to go to market as a generalist. Unless you practice in a very small town, this strategy is usually a mistake. If you practice in a suburban or metro area, limiting yourself to certain practice areas is the best strategy. Here’s why… Continue reading this post on http://solopracticeuniversity.com. ... Read More

Contrary to what some social media pundits would say, conferences where people show up and interact in person have not gone away. Not only are they around to stay, but most legal marketing pundits (including yours truly) agree that attending conferences can offer valuable business development opportunities. Continue reading this post on www.attorneyatwork.com ... Read More

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to take a step back and reflect on what we have to be thankful for. For busy lawyers, taking the time to do this doesn’t come naturally. So I’m going to make it easy for you. I’m here to remind you of some things you should be grateful for. Continue reading this post on www.attorneyatwork.com ... Read More

Like most successful legal professionals, I engage in a fair amount of networking. Much of my networking time is devoted to developing my own business, but sometimes I am on the “receiving end” of a networking exchange — someone is trying to develop their business through me. I am almost always happy to do this, even when there doesn’t seem to be much in it for me. I do this because I take a long-term view towards networking. Networking is not just about making yourself more successful; is should be about making both parties more successful. If I can help someone become more successful today, maybe he or she will be able to return the favor in the future. I also approach these seemingly one-sided networking events as a learning oppo… ... Read More

In most practice areas, a lawyer’s marketing efforts should focus on generating a strong referral pipeline—from both non-lawyers and lawyers alike. If those efforts are successful, you’ll probably need some guidance on referral fees. Here it is. There are Clear Guidelines—Mostly Continue reading this post on attorneyatwork.com ... Read More

The most common exit strategies for retiring solo practitioners and small law firm owners typically include recruiting a successor, merging with another law firm, or selling the practice. All of these options have advantages and disadvantages. However, there’s one strategy that is rarely considered, though it may make the most sense in terms of the retiring lawyer’s financial and personal well-being. That strategy is downsizing. Continue reading this post at www.myshingle.com ... Read More

A frequent complaint of solo practitioners is that since they are alone and in charge, it is difficult to get away for a vacation. But somehow, most seem to manage by finding another lawyer to cover for them should there be an emergency type of situation. That’s easy to do because the vacation is planned. But what if you are taken away from your practice for something that is not planned? What if you are incapacitated or even die from an accident? Do you have another lawyer to cover for you under these circumstances? Continue reading at www.myshingle.com ... Read More

When a lawyer runs afoul of the rules of professional conduct, there are consequences. Depending on the severity of the rule violation, discipline might consist of disbarment, suspension, reprimand (public censure) or admonition (private reprimand). What about being sent back to school for an ethics violation? Continue reading at www.attorneyatwork.com. ... Read More

No one needs to remind law students and recent law school graduates about the dismal job market. Only 85 percent of the class of 2012 found a job of any kind post-graduation — and only 64 percent of those jobs required bar passage, which is an all-time low. This is the fifth consecutive year of decline and the lowest rate in 18 years, according to the National Association for Law Placement. Continue reading this post at www.attorneyatwork.com ... Read More

At one time or another, many lawyers consider ditching their legal career and doing something else. It’s no surprise why. A recent Forbes article reported that the number-one unhappiest job in America is associate attorney. Pursuing an alternative career can be worth the (considerable) effort, but before you quit, take a deep breath and make sure you aren’t miserable for more-easily-fixed reasons. If the environment in your law firm is toxic, or if you are practicing in an area you don’t enjoy, do not give up on the profession just yet. Lawyers can practice the same type of law in many different settings, or practice many different types of law in the same setting. If a change of firm or practice area — or going to a non-profit or g… ... Read More

Lawyers typically dread attending events like annual bar association fundraisers, CLE conferences — or any gathering where there will be a large number of attendees. In short, they dread the type of event where their “working the room” skills are put to the test. To make connections that bring in new clients, though, you have to spend plenty of time outside of your office — and, sometimes, your comfort zone. Continue reading this post at www.attorneyatwork.com ... Read More

Last month, Jared Correia wrote two excellent posts on why older lawyers are finding it harder to stay employed and the challenges encountered because of certain employer assumptions. Now it’s time to focus on what out-of-work senior lawyers should be doing to rejoin the workforce. Here are my five to-dos. Continue reading this post on www.attorneyatwork.com ... Read More

The most successful salespeople strongly believe that sales is a numbers game. In other words, you don’t have to be an ace or a homerun king to be successful at business development. You just have to keep pitching and swinging in the general direction of the clients. The more at-bats, the more runs (clients) you are likely to earn (win). Continue reading this post on attorneyatwork.com ... Read More

“Working the room” is the one business development tactic that strikes the most fear in lawyers. Most lawyers hate finding themselves at a reception at some conference or benefit, where they hope to meet a few new people in a crowd of hundreds. Even when the drinks are free, most lawyers would prefer going to the dentist. Many lawyers feel awkward and uncomfortable chatting with strangers, in large part because they view small talk as a complete waste of time. Being lawyers, they want some evidence to support the value of chitchat. Well, last month The Wall Street Journal (paywall) ran an article entitled, “The Hidden Benefits of Chitchat.” The article confirmed everything I’ve always thought to be true about small talk. Plus, it… ... Read More

It can be hard for legal marketing ethics experts to keep up with rapidly expanding modes of electronic communication, but the State of Ohio recently gave it a try. The issue was text messaging. Is a text message like an email, or is it more like an internet chat-room conversation, where the communication takes place in “real time?” If your answer to this question is, “Who cares?” my response is that lawyers should care. How you answer this question determines the legal and ethical guidelines that control when you solicit a client by texting. Continue reading this post at www.lawyernomics.avvo.com ... Read More

Most solos are all-to-familiar with the “feast or famine” roller coaster. Either you have too much work to comfortably handle on your own, or you are wondering how you are going to pay the bills. Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about a number of ways to successfully deal with the “feast” option. First of all, don’t panic. Too much work is a good problem to have. Put your situation into perspective. “Feast” is a much better problem for a solo to have than “famine.” You just need a plan. One way to handle the problem of too much work is to turn some of it down. You now have the luxury of becoming more selective about the work that you do or the clients that you work with. There’s a reason why successful lawyers tend… ... Read More