How Law Firms Can Recognize and Avoid Social Engineering Scams
When we think of information security breaches, we often blame weaknesses in technology. But in many of the most damaging security breaches, trusted law firm employees and partners are the weakest...
View ArticleThree Ways to Attract New Clients by Demonstrating Expertise
Few attorneys are eager to step away from client work to find new business, yet it’s an essential part of your practice. Since you must invest the time, what’s the best way to get the most from your...
View ArticleA Lawyer Leader’s Secret Weapon: Emotions
Don’t fall prey to the notion that people get paid to perform. The reality is that people get paid to show up and do work. How well they perform is largely related to how they feel. It’s true: Emotions...
View ArticleAre You (Gulp) the Boring One?
Last October, I posted advice in this space on how to extricate yourself gracefully from unwelcome conversations at networking events. Recently, a reader asked how to handle the reverse situation: when...
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What to Do When You Can’t Afford a Marketing Director
Question: We’re a small firm and can’t afford to hire a full-time marketing director. Are there other options we should consider? Alycia Sutor: Most definitely! Firms just beginning to think about...
View ArticleEthics of Lead Generation Services
Attorney advertising has morphed from Yellow Pages ads to web platforms — and referral services have evolved as well. Once the province of nonprofit bar associations and entirely permitted under the...
View ArticleSwag Made for Your Audience
When I was a solo practitioner, I attended a swag expo. You can put your law firm’s name and logo on an impressive number of things — pens, mugs, magnets and toys are just the tip of the swag iceberg....
View ArticleFace to Face at 2016’s Big Fall Conferences
In just a couple of weeks, the adrenalin kick is going to hit you. It never fails: Fall’s arrival means it’s time to get learning. Sure, you could try your hand at letterpress, or craft beer...
View ArticleYour Note-Taking and To-Do Apps: Are They Secure?
As a result of the flood of innovation in note-taking and task-centric apps since Evernote’s inception, there’s a large concern for lawyers in storing attorney-client and privileged information. While...
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Gary LeClair, Enterprising Lawyer
What is an “enterprising lawyer”? Actually, they are easy to spot. Look for the more engaged and happy lawyers in the crowd. Deeply invested in the power of the unique work they do, they have ample...
View ArticleWalking in Your Client’s Shoes
I heard a lawyer tell a joke once that went something like this: “If you’re having trouble with a client, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, you will have a one-mile head start and he won’t have any...
View ArticleIf You Are Reading This … Oh, Wait, You Are!
Perhaps the most ridiculous construct I see and hear regularly is the conditional introductory phrase that prefaces content in documents with, “If you are reading this,” or that starts voicemail...
View ArticleFive Ways for Law Firms to Support Health and Wellness
We all know the practice of law is high stress. Law firms can be challenging places: client demands mean working beyond business hours, issues are real, stakes are high and tight deadlines abound....
View ArticleWhat Are You Prepared to Do?
You and Eliot Ness. The most powerful scene in The Untouchables, a movie with more than a few of them, came courtesy of Sean Connery. His character, a veteran Chicago cop, is dying in great pain on his...
View ArticleBuild a Major League Small Law Firm Using Data
Managing a winning major league ball club and operating a highly profitable law firm have more in common than meets the eye. It all comes down to numbers. You wouldn’t be in practice if you didn’t have...
View ArticleWhy Clients Drive Technology Adoption
Recently, I hired a lawyer. Not only did I have to print and sign an engagement letter, I also had to mail a check and manually complete a form that was then transferred to a Word document, which I...
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Text Expansion for Fun and Profit
For a practicing attorney, efficiency and accuracy are key components of effective work habits. If you can get your work done more quickly, and avoid mistakes such as typos (or overlooking something...
View ArticleTech Tips: Small, Powerful Ways to Use Your Data
Everybody seems to be talking about “big data” and data analytics. But what does it mean to a small law firm or solo practitioner? Or, more specifically, what can you do now to start gathering and...
View ArticleCreating Confidence in a Time of Stress
Recently I underwent a diagnostic medical test that I knew was going to cause me a great deal of anxiety. In addition, I had to arrive at the medical facility at 7 a.m., couldn’t have a cup of coffee...
View ArticleThe Law Firm Innovators Who Win the Game
Last week, the winners were revealed! The College of Law Practice Management’s 2016 InnovAction Awards will be presented to Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. and Norton Rose Fulbright...
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