My Shingle

March 2010

Supreme Court Says Lawyers Must Advise Clients of Consequences of Guilty Plea

March 31, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

What sets us lawyers apart from computers or services like LegalZoom is our ability to counsel clients and help them make decisions.  Counseling clients is the very essence of what we do as lawyers — so much so that failure to advise clients on obvious consequences of a decision to plead guilty — such as [...]

Read more Criminal Law, Practice & Policy 2 comments

NJ’s Bonafide Office Rule Would Have Me Doubled Over With Laughter Except That It Will Double the Cost of Legal Services

March 31, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I wish that I hadn’t chosen April Fools’ Day to post about ACPE 718/CAA 41, the joint opinion by two New Jersey judicial advisory committees ruling that virtual office arrangements, outsourced or shared receptionist services and even working outside of the office for more than a few hours violate New Jersey’s “bonafide office requirement.”  Because [...]

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Virtual Law Practice – Video and Conference Call

March 28, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I am back from Tech Show, with lots of posts to put up and thoughts to share, but I’m also under a deadline.  So for now, I’ll leave you with this interview with Martindale Connected (it gets a little goofy at the end, but it was a fun interview!), as well as information on some [...]

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Solo Marketing Makeovers: What’s Your Advice?

March 25, 2010 by admin

This month’s ABA Journal features a piece on the results of marketing makeovers provided to three solos brave enough to bare their practices for all to see. The article summarizes the advice given by two marketing experts to three different solos and follows up six months later to see how they’re doing. Example of Heading [...]

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How Good Solos Suffer When the Greedy Sell Out for $125 A Pop

March 25, 2010 by admin

Back in July, I denounced three Cincinnati, Ohio lawyers who shamelessly served as a front for a foreclosure solutions scam. The lawyers never met with clients (who were going to lose their homes!) or did any work on their behalf; they merely signed their name to canned pleadings prepared by a so-called foreclosure solutions company [...]

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What Do Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Earn?

March 25, 2010 by admin

Biglaw has its annual and closely watched profits per partnership or PPP extravaganza, while Above the Law devotes an entire category to biglaw associate salaries and cuts. But where can lawyers considering solo or small firm practice get a sense for what solo and small firm lawyers earn? The solo/small firm salary question is tougher [...]

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Would You Work on Spec? Why Should Your Logo Designer?

March 25, 2010 by admin

Back in my last year of law school, one of my friends who was still looking for permanent employment responded to an ad seeking a new associate for a three person law firm. The firm’s managing partner contacted my friend and they had a nice chat.

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My Shingle Round Up: Avoiding Scams, Perils of Court Appointed Work, Solo Stigma and Marketing & Tech Tips

March 22, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Sorry for the increased number of solo round up posts in the past few weeks, but I am getting ready to head out to Tech Show Wednesday with several deadlines yet to meet.   Looking forward to the upcoming publication of Social Media for Lawyers and co-presenting with Niki Black at Tech Show.  Stop by and [...]

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ISO: A Few Good Solos, All Ages and Stages and Sizes (e.g., solos whose firms have grown) For Companion to Solo by Choice

March 22, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Given the popularity of the solo profiles in Solo by Choice SBC, I’ve decided to compile a companion volume comprised entirely of profiles of lawyers who are currently “solos by choice” (or even by involuntary choice) or who started out that solo but have since grown into a larger practice.  I’m looking for solos at [...]

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Impact of Blogging on Solo and Small Firm Practitioners

March 21, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Back in December, I had the amazing privilege of sharing a panel at Norwestern’s Fourth Annual Judicial Symposium on Civil Justice Issues with Eugene Volokh and Mark Herrmann, co-founder and former blogger at Drug and Device Law (as an aside, Herrmann’s last word as a blogger came in this article on both the pros as [...]

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