My Shingle

April 2006

Huge News for Solos: Wanna Be Bought Out By Skadden? Now you can!

April 30, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Last week, Larry Bodine posted here on a New Jersey ethics ruling that allows a law firm to own another law firm as a wholly-owned subsidiary.  I haven’t had time to read the decision closely or focus on the implications, which I believe are mixed, but here is Larry’s view on what the decision could [...]

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Isn’t This A Great Compliment?

April 30, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Dan Hull highlights this great compliment from a client that came to him via Patrick Lamb.  “We don’t have their phone number, we have their DNA” is the compliment.   Though some of use might prefer a hefty monetary bonus  for excellent service, let’s not forget that this kind of endorsement (particularly one making its rounds [...]

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Please Don’t Call This Pro Bono

April 30, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Why is it that when small firm attorneys represent court appointed indigents at rates equivalent to one third of market that the work is not classified as “pro bono,” but when a large firm takes a bath on fees for representing the former governor of Illinois, an ABA committee chair recognizes that as pro bono? [...]

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Free Technology For Louisiana Lawyers

April 30, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Eight months after Hurricane Katrina, the legal community remains affected by these types of impacts.  But lawyers have not forgotten their Louisiana colleagues.  Efforts include those by the Indiana Bar , which held its spring getaway meeting in New Orleans and this free technology assistance offered by several bar associations to assist Louisiana attorneys and [...]

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What Do Romance Novelists and New Lawyers and Bloggers Have in Common?

April 30, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

What do romance novelists and new solo lawyers and bloggers have in common?  All have within them the potential to catapult to success as the result of Internet technology.  Whereas back in the mid-1990s, the Internet and the dotcom boom turned many ordinary folks into gazillionaires in unbelievably short periods of time, today the Internet [...]

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Landing Thos First Clients

April 30, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

It’s one thing to go solo with a portfolio of business, but quite another to start from scratch.  Yet, many lawyers, including me, have started firms without any business to speak of.  And this article, Solos’ First Step: Converting Contacts into Clients , Douglas S. Malan The Connecticut Law Tribune (April 27, 2006) shares stories [...]

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More on the Joys of Law Libraries

April 25, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Like Barry Kaufman, I’m a huge fan of the law library and recognize that it’s an indispensable tool for solo practitioners.  Which is why I’m thrilled to be able to offer this Guest Post, Eight Reasons Solo Lawyers Should Use Law Libraries from Mary Whisner, the assistant librarian for reference services at the Gallagher Law [...]

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Clients As Pals: Almost As Bad as the Client from Hell

April 25, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Talk to any solo, and invariably, he or she will share a story of a client from hell.  You know who I’m talking about:  the one who won’t pay the bills, who calls at all hours, who wonders why a 20 page motion took 10 hours to draft or who complains about how lawyers are [...]

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Advice from Shinglers Across the Pond

April 25, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Human Lawyer, a UK Blogger, posts about an article by Susan Singleton in this quarter’s issue of the Solicitors Sole Practitoners Group Quarterly Magazine that talks about how to save money off big legal publishers and stay current with developments in your field.”  The list includes these tips: * Subscribe to nothing unless there is [...]

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Happy 3rd Birthday Benefits Blog

April 25, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Solo Janell Grenier celebrated her Third Blogoversary over at Benefits Blog and shares her impressive visitor stats, though not her secrets of how she’s managed to keep up her efforts for so long.  Benefits Blog’s popularity does not surprise me.  Even though I know nothing about "tax, benefits or ERISA," the subject of her blog, [...]

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