My Shingle

October 2009

The Front Row

October 31, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

 This morning, I’ll take a seat in the front row in a place where I can’t look back.   I’ve occupied the front row dozens of times over the course of my career, at trials, hearings and appellate arguments – but today is different.  Because today, it’s not a client but my daughter who occupies [...]

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LEXIS, You Could Have Had Us Solos at Hello

October 27, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

On the surface, this article about Lawyers.com‘s upcoming television ad campaign, which is intended to attract more consumers to its site, seems like nothing more than business as usual in a down economy.  But there’s far more to it than that.   The Lawyers.com television strategy is both a reminder of lost opportunity by Reed-Elsevier (parent company to Lawyers.com and Lexis-Nexis) to gain footing [...]

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Of Interest to Solos

October 27, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

 Here’s a round up of free or low cost events or ideas for solo and small lawyers: 1.  Ari Kaplan is offering a free webinar TOMORROW, Thursday 10/29 from 1 – 1:30 called "5 Easy Ways to Create Opportunity in a Down Economy."  You can register here. 2.  If you’re in the New York area, on November [...]

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Interested in Foreclosure Law? The Bar Is Interested in You!

October 26, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

With the economy still floundering, foreclosure lawyers remain in demand.  In fact, according to  Time Magazine, eighty six percent of foreclosure defendants go unrepresented.  Yet as far as I can tell, few solo and small firm lawyers are fully exploring this promising practice area.   Below the jump, I discuss some of the barriers to entry [...]

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Nicole Black: New York Criminal Lawyer, Author, Blogger, Law Technology Guru

October 26, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

More than ever, in an online world,  your reputation precedes you.  So how can you ensure that you make the best possible first impression long before you meet a colleague or prospective client face to face?  Why not follow Nicole Black‘s (@nikiblack) example, and put yourself out there, on your terms.  Sure, there are sites [...]

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Should Lawyers Suggest Social Media to Clients As An Alternative to A Pricey Lawsuit?

October 22, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Whenever I get a call from a client who has a matter too small to justify my rates or referral to another attorney service, I’ll try to suggest alternatives.  In fact, like many lawyers, I keep a list of contact information and websites for legal aid and pro bono groups, law school clinics, small claims [...]

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Why you may want to rent an office

October 21, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

These days, working from home is all the rage, glamorized by successful lawyers like Chuck Newton at Third Wave Law Blog or Jay Fleischman at Untethered Lawyer, who through writing and by personal example make a compelling case for the virtues of virtual law practice.  I don’t disagree, either – there’s much to be said [...]

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Is the Cloud the Cure for Solos Who Are Sick?

October 19, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Last week’s Maryland Daily Record describes what happens when solos get sick.  The story features one of my buddies, Herb Dubin, a lawyer here in Maryland – and as the article emphasizes, he’s the last person I’d have ever expected to get sick.  I met Herb at a Solosez lunch, but for a couple of [...]

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The DIY Trend Is Gaining Momentum

October 11, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Do it yourself is everywhere, and it’s not just for economic reasons.  As I describe in more detail at this post at Nolo’s Legal Marketing Blawg, consumers are taking matters into their own hands either because they’ve grown up finding answers on the Internet or because technology facilitates DIY transactions.  As I point out, the 21st [...]

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Happy Thirtieth Anniversary to Bob Kraft & Associates, Dallas Texas lawyers

October 8, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Today, one of my lawyer buddies, Bob Kraft of Kraft & Associates announced on one of our mutual listserves that today marks his firm’s thirtieth anniversary.  Bob could have boasted about how he’s grown his firm from a solo practice to a larger practice of around seven lawyers and more staff or how he’s kept [...]

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