My Shingle

May 2010

Market Your Practice On The Government’s Dime

May 27, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

If the costs of marketing your law practice have you crying “Uncle,” why not call on Uncle Sam instead?  Government funded resources and events – from reports, workshops and rulemakings – are a treasure trove for solos and small law firms who want to track trends, identify and educate themselves on potential new niche practice [...]

Read more Marketing & Making Money 3 comments

Warning Our Clients About the Dangers of Oversharing on Social Media

May 27, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

A while back, a colleague of mine had to deal with a client who fell squarely into the “with clients like these, who needs enemies” category.  This client had shared copies of all of my colleague’s emails to him  with of the opposing parties in the case.  Worse, my colleague didn’t learn about the disclosure [...]

Read more Dealing With Clients 1 comment

Don’t Lose Your Reputation When Leaving A Law Firm

May 14, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

(Note: Originally published online at Complete Lawyer, July 2008) Most law students and lawyers know quite a bit about finding a job—how to write a compelling cover letter and an attention-grabbing resume, how to navigate tricky interview questions and how to make contacts who can help with the job search. With all the time we [...]

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Solos Know Strategies Associates Need To Learn

May 14, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

(Note:  originally published at Complete Lawyer, November 2008 ) If you’ve just read this article’s title, you’re probably racking your brain trying to figure out what the heck a lowly solo practitioner like me can teach you about succeeding as a law firm associate. You probably think that solos simply churn out form documents for [...]

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Can Outsourcing Innovation Make Biglaw Firms Heros?

May 12, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I’ve been enthralled by the concept of large firms outsourcing innovation to small fry ever since I first posted about the topic in 2008.  As I describe (very rapidly!) in myIgniteLaw presentation, outsourcing innovation is a win-win for both sides of the bar:  the big firm gets the benefit of a new practice area at a [...]

Read more Big Law/Small Law 2 comments

Should You Open Up Shop in Sears?

May 12, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Across the pond in the UK, there’s growing anticipation over the possibility of legal services coming to a supermarket near you as the 2011 effective date of the Legal Services Act draws near.  Passed by the UK Parliament in 2007, the Legal Services Act permits non-lawyer entities, like banks or supermarkets, to manage or own law firms, [...]

Read more Growing Your Practice 1 comment