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"Tip of the Week" - Things We Hate To Admit (When Deciding Whether To Open
2008-06-08 10:00:00 I'm paraphrasing the title from another excellent Tejvan Pettinger piece called, "Things We Hate To Admit" because when extrapolating to the challenges facing those who want to open a solo practice it just makes sense:When things go wrong we are tempted to blame other people and external events beyond our control. We feel a helpless victim and use excuses to justify our unhappiness. External events can definitely make things difficult, but, ultimately what counts is how we respond and deal with situations. Two people can live through the same experience, but come through with a completely different outlook. If we wait for outer circumstances to be favorable, we may be continually waiting. We need to learn how to make the most of our fate. If we can retain a positive outlook and aspire to overcome difficulties we will be able to improve our fate. Our thoughts and inner state of mind have the capacity to draw things into our life. If we expect problems we will inevitably g... More About: Open , Week
"You Ask....I Answer" - If I Know I'm Going Solo, What Should I Be Doing Du
2008-06-06 10:02:00 (It's that time of year...so I resurrected a post from last year for all those law students who want to know what to do this summer to further their solo ambitions.) The question this week comes from the gifted Anastasia Pryanikova who writes Lawsagna , a blog which provides very valuable information to law students currently navigating through law school, the practical, the spiritual, and the inspirational.Question: I saw your category of "You Ask...I Answer " posts and thought I'd ask a question on behalf of my readers. Summer time is when many students try to get practical experience by interning at a firm, government or non-profit. If students know they would like to go solo after graduation, what would you recommend they do during their summers to prepare for their solo practice? Answer: Anastasia, this is a difficult yet easy answer at the same time. So, where to begin. If you know you are going to become a solo practitioner upon passing the bar... More About: Solo
Going Solo; Confessions & Inspirations - Craig Niedenthal
2008-06-05 10:02:00 This is a terrific entry into the Going Solo ; Confessions & Inspirations category because it is the story of one 25-year veteran BigLaw lawyer who one day said, 'enough.' Read: Defying Gravity by new solo Craig Niedenthal. DEFYING GRAVITY Believe it or not, this path to going solo all began one night almost a year ago watching a Broadway play. Sitting in the dark theatre, mesmerized by a fairy tale story of all things, I heard these words in a song: .Something has changed in me/> Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules Of someone else's game. Too late for second-guessing. Too late to go back to sleep. It's time to trust my instincts. Close my eyes: and leap! That was the start of my revelation. You see, I had been practicing for almost 25 years on both ends of the spectrum and it just was not working for me anymore. To understand how I got here after all these years of pract...
7 Questions That Can Attract The Right Clients - James Chartrand
2008-06-02 10:02:00 Back by popular demand after his first guest post, 'Why Every Solo Needs To Find Her Brand" is copywriter and branding expert James Chartrand of Men with Pens. Today he discusses the importance of understanding yourself in order to create your brand and set you apart from the pack. Guest Blogger - James Chartrand 7 Questions that Can Attract the Right Clients You know that the competition is stiff. You realize you have to stand out from the crowd to make it these days. With the professional world relaxing, it seems viable, too. You play up a little more of your personality and use that as a marketing tool. That's branding. That's creating an image for yourself that you can use to appeal to a specific market. Decide Who You Are Alright, it's a given that you're Professional Extraordinaire. That's great, but so what? Everyone else is saying the same thing. There's no reason for a person to hire you over the next Extraordinaire vying for clients. You have t...
Shouldn't You Have To Ask Permission If You Want To Take A Blog's Feed For
2008-06-01 10:50:00 This has been troubling me for a while. And it just may go over like a lead balloon for some of you. We all work really hard on creating quality blog content, building our readership, creating trust in order to sell our legal services. We publish it on our blogs, some under a creative commons license. But when we started publishing did we automatically implicitly give any one person or company the right to gather our blog's feed and present our feeds in an aggregated format so they may profit off our reputation and work....without our permission? When the ABA Journal On Line went live with their blawg directory, if you chose to submit your blawg and they accepted, you gave them permission to publish your feed. And they aggregate for profit. That's perfectly acceptable. I have submitted my blawg to several directories and sites like Feed burner and Technorati who profit from the collective body of feeds. This was my choice. And I actively consented. W... More About: Permission
"Tip of the Week" - The "Mommy" Business Card
2008-06-01 10:04:00 Introducing the 'Mommy ' business card. I have always liked the idea of multiple business cards, cards created for different practice areas and utilized when appropriate. But the truth is the business card is really an outgrowth of what as early as last century was called a 'calling card.' Let's face it, a formal business card is not always appropriate for all occasions, yet multiple opportunities present themselves to market your services in more subtle ways with the appropriate exchange of information. This is why I love the subtle business card for Mommy's (yes, Daddy's, too.) It is actually quite brilliant because if you are a parent, there are times you want to give information to the parents of your children's playmates without it being your formal business card. A formal business card doesn't really include the information relevant to the other parent or the occasion. A business card, under certain circumstances, may also come acr... More About: Business , Card , Week , Business Card
"You Ask...I Answer" - What Role Does A Spouse Play in Going Solo?
2008-05-29 10:23:00 Question: Let me start by introducing myself to you. I am a paralegal student. I love your weblog and it has truly been a source of inspiration to me. My husband is an attorney. I came to the United States as a student from India, completed my Masters in Computer Sciences, worked for roughly 2 years in the software industry until last fall and now I am enrolled in the paralegal program due to a keen interest in law and thanks to my husband's encouragement that I could potentially be a lawyer myself. We got married last year. He moved to my part of the country to be with me while I finish my paralegal degree, but now we intend to move back where he is from and hang a shingle. I come from a family of entrepreneurs and the idea of a solo practice is very appealing to me as well (my aunt in India has been a succesful solo practitioner for many years). I am also currently doing some IT-related work as I finish my paralegal certificate program part-time. However we hope to be able to ... More About: Answer , Play , Solo , Role , Spouse
From "Going Solo" to "Your Hired"!
2008-05-27 10:02:00 This seems to be the gleeful song this month from some of my readers and clients. On the way to opening their solo practices they got job offers they could not resist. Unusual? Not at all. Let me explain. When you embark on starting a solo practice you are reframing your own attitude about being a lawyer. You are going from the mindset of 'employee' and 'I need to be trained' to 'self-employed' and "I need to start producing business on my own". You are going from asking permission to function in the legal world based upon others' judgment and acceptance of you to accepting yourself non-judgmentally and giving yourself permission to be a business person, rainmaker and service provider. You no longer have your nose pressed up against any sized law firm's window hoping you will be noticed amongst the crush of others; you have stepped back from the crush. You have decided to design your own career and life. This is heady stu... More About: Solo
When BigLaw Marketing Falls On Its BigLaw Face
2008-05-26 17:45:00 I picked up a legal paper this week and saw the following advertisement:Marketing Manager 50-Attorney Firm seeks marketing manager. This is the senior marketing position in the firm. Legal or other professional services experience preferred but not required. Full job description is at (website).I went to the their website. First, I accidentally transposed two vowels (very common given their name) and I landed on a 'typosquatted' site. (What domains did they purchase? And if they purchased the URL to avoid typosquatters, why didn't they have the URL automatically forwarded to the operational site? In addition, the site looks like a business site although it is filled with advertising so one might believe it is the actual site. When the reader realizes it is difficult to find what they want...I'm sure they move on.) Does this law firm really understand about the importance of their internet presence and their need to invest in this to protect themsel... More About: Face , Falls
Free Blogs at Solo Practice University
2008-05-23 11:00:00 We posted such exciting news Tuesday at the Solo Practice University Construction blog I wanted to share it here:Solo Practice University™ is going to be a web-based educational and networking community for lawyers and law students. But did you know we’re also going to give away free blogs to all community members? Many solo lawyers know they should blog but don’t have a clue about getting started. Because we firmly believe law students should learn about blogging and related technology in law school but don’t, Solo Practice University™ will provide some of the best instruction on legal blogging from recognized experts. But instruction alone isn’t always enough. Sometimes the best way to learn about blogging is through personal experimentation. To that end, the Solo Practice University™ platform will enable its members to — create an unlimited number of blogs within seconds control privacy settings for each blog (private/SPU community/public) import/export da... More About: Free , Blogs
"Solo Transformation" - The Changing Landscape of Solo Practice
2008-05-22 17:45:00 I'm very flattered to be featured with others in this cover story from the April/May Edition of the Canadian Bar Association's National Magazine written by Susan Goldberg. The article "Solo Transformation " discusses the changing legal practice landscape for solo practitioners in Canada...but they might as well have been writing about the United States because all issues transcend borders. Highlights: Commoditization of Law Technology and the solo practitioner Blogging as the great equalizer Niche versus generalized practice Solos highlighted include Donna Seale and Brian Maude, both practitioners in Canada. And there is so much more. It really is a great read. More About: Landscape , Practice , Changing
"Twitter" - The Rules of Engagement
2008-05-22 01:50:00 Grant Griffiths of Home Office Warrior, Blog for Profit, G2WebMedia and Home Office Lawyer has taken the time to write a very informative piece called, Twitter - The Rules of Engagement . It is a worthwhile read, candid, to help you decide if Twitter is a tool you should add to your arsenal of networking/marketing tools. Some rules to consider:Key rules of engagement you should strive to follow. Add something to the conversation. Don’t tweet just for the thrill of posting something. Giving is better than receiving. Don’t start out expecting to receive right away. Be willing to give before you receive. Network with the “thought leaders” and “opinion shapers” within your niche or industry. In twitter terms, follow them and watch what they are doing and reading. Don’t be afraid to join in on a conversation. If you have something to add, say it. Don’t over do it on tweeting on a particular topic. If you have a lot to say, do a blog post and use twitter to ... More About: The Rules
Why Every Solo Practitioner Needs to Find Her Brand - Guest Blogger - James
2008-05-19 06:02:00 Through Twitter I was led to (in my humble opinion), a brilliant Canadian writer named James Chartrand who co-authors the blog Men with Pens and is a contributing author to the highly acclaimed Copyblogger. I referenced the first article I ever read by James called, "Are You Talking To My Generation?" It was when I read this article, "Are You In Personal Brand ing Prison?" that I contacted James and asked him to guest post here because lawyers are really just starting to understand they have to break free from their monochromatic and dull marketing world and really differentiate themselves. But the majority simply don't know how and they are afraid of what they perceive are limiting and stringent advertising rules. But I didn't want to feature a legal copywriter. I wanted someone who has a lay person's perspective of lawyers, who understands running a solo practice and selling legal services does not remove lawyers from the rigors of creative mar... More About: Blogger , Find , Solo , Guest
"Tip of the Week" - The Art of the Business Card
2008-05-18 12:46:00 I've posted about the importance of a business card in terms of design and 'jolting' the recipient, a marketing tool which stands out, even suggesting you consider the virtual business card. Well, some people still don't choose to use a business card. Others have cards which are so generic they are excruciatingly forgettable nor do they consider the technology age we are in. Or some lawyers so sure of their reputation they claim they haven't carried cards in years. If you are progressive, have your website, have a website name which says what you do, and an ego more manageable, consider making your business card a work of art which tells the client exactly what they need to know such as Guy Kawasaki, Apple evangelist and marketing giant. This is Guy's latest business card. Look and learn. Be creative. Provide what is truly relevant to the potential client. Create a work of art which stands out in a sea of sameness. Let's discuss. More About: Business , Card , Week , Business Card
How NOT To Conduct A Deposition
2008-05-18 00:45:00 I can't teach you how to conduct a deposition on this blog (we'll save that for the experts at Solo Practice University.) But this video can show you how NOT to conduct one. More About: Deposition
Buy Domain Names For the Long Haul
2008-05-16 09:05:00 (Connectict Law Tribune - May 5, 2008) Domain names, if you haven't heard, are the next "real estate" boom. While law firms have made up a small sector of the Internet up until now, domain name ownership is very big business. And like condos in the early 2000s, there are many speculators looking to buy up domain names and flip them for a profit when someone wants their little piece of real estate. This speculation game is very relevant to the new lawyer (and seasoned lawyer) because now, more than ever, domain name selection has got to be part of your short- and long-term marketing plan, as well as a slice of your operating expenses. And this real estate is no longer limited to domain names. Now you must protect your real estate in social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Failure to secure your name on these social media sites can be costly as you may find others impersonating you or pirating your following. You might be thinking: "I don't know wha... More About: Domain Names , Long , Names
Are You Part of a Blogger Pack?
2008-05-14 16:59:00 What is a blogger pack? As defined by blog consultant Michael Martine in this very insightful post called, "Create a Blog Pack to Get Blog Traffic and Increase Subscriptions," it is a loosely formed group of similarly placed bloggers providing support, links, comments, and publicity for each other. But the key to the connection is genuine respect, liking and belief in the quality of the content or product of each of the blog participants. In other words, one becomes part of a pack where each member is a devoted evangelist for the other because they are true believers.How to Create a Blogger Pack Find other bloggers to be in your pack. Look for bloggers who seem to be at the same level you are. Bloggers who have far more traffic and subscribers than you may not be interested in joining your pack. Find other bloggers that you genuinely like (more on this in a minute). Contact the other bloggers privately and ask them if they would like to enter a mutua... More About: Part
How To Earn Undying Loyalty From Business Clients (Part II) - Guest Blogger
2008-05-12 06:02:00 (You can read Part I here.) I have had the amazing good fortune of becoming 'friends' with Anita Campbell of SmallbizTrends and she graciously agreed to guest post here on a topic which is dear to her heart (as a former GC), writing contracts for real people, not court. She now runs a small business at Small Business Trends (www.smallbiztrends.com). How to Earn Undying Loyalty from Business Clients by Standardizing Contracts and Writing in Plain English (Part II) So, What is a Better Contract? Having told you some of my pet peeves as a small-business person around contracts, you’re probably wondering, what makes a good contract from the client’s perspective? First of all, I take it as a given that a contract should protect the client’s legal interests – first and foremost. Beyond that, what makes a great experience for the client has more to do with how easy, fast and understandable the transaction “feels.” Here are some guidelines for busines... More About: Blogger
"Tip of the Week" - Celebrate Your Mom, Mom-in-Law, Mom of Your Children
2008-05-11 06:02:00 This is my beautiful, wonderful mother. I categorically know but for her innate wisdom, keen intelligence, endless kindness, compassion, incredible perseverance and 'never say 'can't' attitude' I would not be the person I am today. Happy Mother's Day. More About: Children , Celebrate , Week
Cramming 31 Hours in a 24 Hour Day - Solos Do This
2008-05-10 11:30:00 This is a fascinating ABC news report showing us how technology allows us to cram 31 hours into a 24 hour day. Is this a good thing or not? I know it took me 8 days in to a 14 day vacation to actually relax. I'm not so sure this is a good thing. I know I would rather have more time than money. And you? As a solo are you finding you need to create 31 hours in a day? Do you have to or just feel like you have to? Good time to review your time management skills, how you delegate repsonsibilities, how you create your priority lists. Let's get back to 24 hours in a day...and a good night's sleep. More About: Hour , Hours , Solos
How To Earn Undying Loyalty From Business Clients (Part 1) - Guest Blogger
2008-05-09 06:02:00 I have had the amazing good fortune of becoming 'friends' with Anita Campbell of SmallbizTrends and she graciously agreed to guest post here on a topic which is dear to her heart (as a former GC), writing contracts for real people, not court. She now runs a small business at Small Business Trends (www.smallbiztrends.com). How to Earn Undying Loyalty from Business Clients by Standardizing Contracts and Writing in Plain English Having been a lawyer for many years and later moving to the business side, I have gotten a taste of my own bitter medicine. I have come to realize how frustrating the standard operating procedures of many lawyers can be to small business people. I learned that with some changes and adjustments, the process of lawyer and client working together could become mutually-respectful, instead of painfully slow, laborious and frustrating. In this article, I’d like to share some thoughts about how you can earn your small business clients’ loya... More About: Blogger , Part
Going Solo; Confessions and Inspirations - Amy A. Breyer
2008-05-08 06:02:00 This solo lawyer is one of a new breed focusing on animal law. I say new breed (pun intended) because while there have always been lawyers who have defended animals they were always seen on the 'fringe' as animal rights was marginalized. Now, however, animal rights are finally being recognized and creating an increasing valuable niche for lawyers who choose to defend the rights of animals. Our guest blogger is one of them. I also encourage you to visit Amy's blog as she has created an impressive list of animal rights lawyers throughout the country. Guest Blogger - Amy A. Breyer I opened my office on March 1, 2002 and (fortunately!) have been in business since. I have a niche in a small but growing area of practice: animal law. In case you're not familiar, animal law is very much like environmental law: an umbrella designation that includes a wide array of topics. For example, just like environmental law covers air, water, land, pesticides an... More About: Confessions , Solo
The "Tech Guy" - Dave Carson
2008-05-06 18:03:00 I thought it was time to introduce the tech guy constructing Solo Practice University. His name is Dave Carson and he has posted his own introduction at the Solo Practice University construction blog. A little more about Dave which he may be too modest to say...he's brilliant, engaging and fun to work with; innovative, committed and earnest yet carefree, creating his own future when he could have gone the more traditional path. He personified the spirit behind Solo Practice University. Dave adds a very important dimmension to SPU... technology, perspective...and a whole lot of fun. We're fortunate to have him as our uber-geek. More About: Tech
Want Your Ideal Client? Be Their Ideal Lawyer
2008-05-05 06:02:00 Identifying who your ideal client is, well, just the beginning. You need to learn how to attract your ideal client so they will actually contact you to determine if they need your services and if you are 'ideal' to deliver those services to them. How do you do that? This post is not about branding directly. I've discussed branding here and here. This post is about understanding who you are targeting by generational differences and reflecting back their values in order to attract their business. Each generation is classically 'labeled'. Understand there are always exceptions and subsects within each group, but in general you should not be targeting the exceptions. In James Chartrand's (of Men with Pens) post on Copyblogger, "Are You Talking to My Generation?" he writes the following:There are four generations out there right now, all with money to spend: the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomers, Generation X (or the Thirteenth Gen... More About: Lawyer , Ideal , Client
Update: Solo Practice University
2008-05-04 15:10:00 First, I want to thank the more than 500 who are following the construction progress at Solo Practice University But this note is quick. There are more than 50 subscribers who have dropped their e-mails in the widget to the right who remain unverified, not through lack of interest, but because they did not complete the final verification process: 1. Enter e-mail address in widget to the right of this post 2. Enter verification code in the screen which immediately displays 3. You will receive a confirmation e-mail from Feedburner which says, "confirmations@emailenfuego.com service address that delivers email subscriptions for Solo Practice University. You will need to click a link listed in this message to activate your subscription.I believe it is at step three where the hang up:A. If you are a student and using your law school's e-mail address, a firewall may be blocking the confirmation e-mail. I encourage you to use your personal or b... More About: Update
Tip of the Week - "Google Calculator & Currency Converter"
2008-05-04 06:02:00 I'm discovering the wonders of Google having switched all my mail over to Gmail. While doing bills I could not locate my calculator and discovered a very simple neat calculator you can use without fuss or muss when sitting at your desk and needing to do some quick math. Google Calculator ...literally just type the equation in the Google tool bar and your answer appears. Then I discovered their very simple currency converter, measurement converter, etc. Nifty, convenient and fun. Calculator To use Google's built-in calculator function, simply enter the calculation you'd like done into the search box and hit the Enter key or click on the Google Search button. The calculator can solve math problems involving basic arithmetic, more complicated math, units of measure and conversions, and physical constants. Try one of the sample expressions below, or refer to our complete instructions for help in building your own. These sample queries demonstrate the utility and power of... More About: Converter , Currency , Week
When Going Home To Go To Work Benefits The Client
2008-05-02 06:02:00 On this blog and others solo lawyers tout the benefits for the lawyer who goes home to go to work. They are referred to as Third Wave Lawyers, decentralizing from traditional offices and shedding second wave work environments for more independent, creative and technology-driven practices (generally at 'home' )which can be a boon to the independent lawyer...the solo practitioner. And yet those very same lawyers (as well as home office detractors) will say it presents an unprofessional appearance and question whether both colleagues and clients will take them seriously. Well, let's think about the client in this post (because quite frankly you are not running your business to please or impress your colleagues. Well, at least I hope not.) A few years ago I had the need of a lawyer who was highly specialized. I wanted the best lawyer, not necessarily the one with the closest office. I found him in Colorado. Clearly, we were not going to meet. Al... More About: Home , Work , Benefits , Client
Going Solo; Confessions & Inspirations - David Little
2008-05-01 06:02:00 This new solo practitioner, but not new lawyer, tells the story of practicing in insurance defense (insert any practice area you want) and upon deciding to go solo faces the dual challenge of not only creating a business but shifting practice areas completely and learning something new from scratch.Many solos I speak to ask, "how can I do this?" Well, David Little is beginning his fifth month of solo practice and is telling his story here. Guest Blogger - David Little Going solo has been just about the most gratifying and terrifying thing I have ever done. At times, I have wondered whether the trade off of money and security in exchange for freedom has been worth it. Although it has only been about four months, I have to say that it has. I have been practicing since November 2000, and have spent my entire career as an insurance defense attorney. It was not what I envisioned I would be doing when I applied to law school. Several years ago, during a fit of job dis... More About: Confessions , Solo
Links to Worthwhile Reading For Solos & A Free E-Book
2008-05-01 02:20:00 The May/June Edition of The Complete Lawyer is now on-line and it a very worthwhile read as it is all about nurturing the well-being of you, the lawyer. Some may feel they don't need nurturing....just clients. Guess what? Everyone should read this issue "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body." Good emotional and physical health is not an option, it is an imperative...especially for entrepreneurs like solo practitioners. Next on the list, CBA Solo & Small Firm Addendums, an online e-zine of worthwhile articles published by the Canadian Bar Association is chockfull of great tips. It also features one of my Solo Practice University free E-zine articles and an excerpt from Carolyn Elefant's Solo by Choice. Which leads me to the third opportunity. Carolyn Elefant is offering a free e-book of her more inspirational posts over 5 1/2 years of blogging at My Shingle as well as an opportunity to win one of two copies of Solo By Choice which she wil... More About: Reading , Free , Links , Book , E-book
Mid- Week "Tip of the Week" - The BEST Way To Shop For A Domain Name
More articles from this author:2008-04-30 15:52:00 Learned of a brand new domain name search tool called Domize which allows you to just put in the domain name you want without the .com or .net, etc. and it lists availability of the domain from the first letter while you are typing in all it's configurations. It's extroadinarily efficient. My one concern (call me a skeptic)...with the value of domain name real estate skyrocketing and numerous cybersquatters and typosquatters abounding, there is big business and money to be made in buying up names....could this be just a company who wants to see what is being searched so they can buy it first and turn a profit? Other than that, my one tip...if you find what you are looking for don't wait to purchase. You can always not renew if you don't need in the future. H/T to Darrell Rowse at Problogger for his tweet. More About: Domain , Domain Name , Shop , Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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