Global Leader in Legal Marketing & Management
As a modern lawyer, it’s no longer sufficient to innovate. You have to do more, like add a plus sign to the end of everything. For those who innovate by cofficing at Starbuck’s or taking calls next to the kitty litter in the basement, I’m going to drop a word that exudes instant double plusness, as in ++. That word? Airstream. As in Airstream Sport camper.
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About every two days I get an advertisement in the post about how to start my law firm for $10,000 and an adjustable-rate mortgage. Thing is, I started my firm a long time ago. For twenty bucks. And that’s still all you need. Yes, you can be like Chank and spend $57,000. Or like that Glover kid, who financed a law practice by trading in a used Fiat along with a case of Cheetohs. All I’m saying is you need twenty bucks. Here you go. [Read more...]
If you are a modern lawyer, you need help tracking things—it’s what those of us in the business call “task mastering.” For instance, like me, you may need a list of items to file when you need to change your name. Or a list of things to do to prepare for a client meeting at Starbuck’s. While you could use online apps such as Don’t Forget the Beer or turn to your Amiga computer for help, those things really seem like toys sometime. Which is why there is a better option for tracking and maintaining your tasks: pen and paper. Here are our top tips for working with these underutilized taskmastering workhorses.
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With the growing trend of clients attacking lawyers with pencils, it’s only natural that you begin to ask practice management gurus like us for help. As in, what should you do to protect yourself from pencil-wielding clients? It’s a fascinatingly nuanced question and, luckily, something we think about often. Here’s our advice.
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We get bags of mail each day, most of it asking for more advice about running the Commodore Amiga. But we get a number of questions about what a law practice should do in the event of an all-out apocalypse. It’s a great forward-thinking question that few legal marketing or practice managements experts have considered or discussed. Beginning today, however, we are rolling out our Law Practice Apocalypse (LPA) series. We’ll provide advice on how best to plan for an apocalypse, what to think about, and what technology to consider. And we expect to book a few conference gigs over the next several months, so look for us. Some of the things we’ll be covering:
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Alternative billing and pricing is all the rage in the legal profession, and for good reason. After all, it’s tough to deliver the news that an admiralty contract review can set you back $8,500. Which is why many professionals are turning to alternative ways to inform clients of amounts due. Here are two alternative billing arrangements that we’ve tested and that the modern lawyer should consider. [Read more...]
We receive a lot of questions about how much it costs to start a solo law practice, particularly a successful practice with a web site, well-stocked bar, and good staplers. Estimates from so-called legal marketing experts range from $49.99 to $3,000. But as Scott Greenfield is quick to point out, most of these fly by night operations don’t budget for basic legal research, such as books, a set of Shepard’s, and a multi-disc tray to use for your dedicated Westlaw terminal. No worries, we’ve looked at the research, considered needed capitalization, and have come up with a solid bottom line. [Read more...]
We posted before about using scriveners for your data backup needs, and we still think scriveners are hallmarks of an efficient and modern law firm. Recent “compliance” issues with digital copiers, however, have reminded us of an uncommon but potentially devastating development for your law firm: a scrivener gone bad. When scriveners go bad, they typically need a reminder of their duties and how to maintain suitable focus. If they go really bad, however, they can insert embarrassing “potty mouth” data into your backups, confuse ediscovery with a children’s board game, and even begin scrivening via Facebook or Twitter. Don’t let that happen to you. Here are three tips you should consider for preventing the scrivener gone bad. [Read more...]
Pastries are highly functional office accessories. But with hundreds of pastries to choose from, what is best for building a modern practice? We’ve studied this issue and have talked with dozens of attorneys who think about it carefully every day. Most attorneys mention donuts as the workhorses of law firm nutrition and morale. We agree. But while some of our choices may spark controversy in the profession, here are our top five donuts to consider for a contemporary practice. [Read more...]
My marketing colleagues are full of things to say, and they usually say these things a lot. They are currently doling out advice on how to stay “on target” and “focused.” Good advice, but in reality most super-focused lawyers don’t have any friends. Worse, trying to stay on target or focused usually leads to your iPhone ToDo app reminding you that you’re screwed, though it will do so in beautifully designed and color-coded detail. Stop. Seriously. Stay sloppy and unfocused. Here’s how.
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C. Hank Peters is Big Legal Brain's SuperMayor and a world-renowned legal marketing guru. Raised in the era of IBM mainframes and staplers, he knows how to make your firm efficient and completely awesome. He does not speak or write Chinese.
From the Disgruntled