My Shingle

October 2012

My Dispatch from the 2012 Futures Conference: Who’s Looking Out for Solos and Our Clients?

October 29, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Last week, I attended the COLPM’s Futures Conference 2012 here in Washington D.C.  to learn where the practice of law and the legal profession are heading.  For once, I got more than I bargained for as panel after panel of technology experts and thought-leaders and in-house counsel openly shared the problems with today’s law firms, [...]

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College of Law Practice Management

October 29, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

This past weekend, I was excited and honored to be inducted as a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management . I spent some time with my buddy Ed Poll  who’s been hammering the point that law is a business before many of today’s futurists were even born.  Ever insightful, Ed asked one of [...]

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Social Media and Substantive Law Practice

October 26, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Last night, I glimpsed the future of work at my kitchen table. It was 10 pm, and I’d just returned from the grocery store when I happened upon my daughter, math book and worksheet spread on the table, laptop  by her side open to a Facebook page.  Naturally, I exploded – “What are doing on [...]

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Should the Bars Get Help from Yelp?

October 25, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

When it comes to social media, many bar disciplinary bodies have expressed reservations about testimonials.  Some states permit lawyers to post testimonials on their websites only with prominent disclaimers, while others impose a duty on lawyers to monitor third-party sites like Avvo or LinkedIn where testimonials might crop up. Though testimonials can potentially be deceptive [...]

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To the ABA – Tear Down the Pay Wall that Keeps Ethics Opinions From Seeing the Light Of Day (Sign My Change.org petition)

October 19, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

If you thought that aggressive enforcement of copyright was only for the RIAA, think again.  The ABA is just as intent about enforcing copyright interests in its ethics opinions. But whether you agree with the RIAA’s tactics or not, at least its copyright enforcement activity is intended to protect RIAA’s constituents; artists, musicians and record [...]

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If Forrest Gump Were A Lawyer Blogger

October 18, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

You know the movie, Forrest Gump, where a seemingly dim protagonist accidentally winds up at the forefront of many historic moments, and finds wild success beyond whatever anyone ever expected?  Forrest Gump  came to mind when I learned about solo personal injury lawyer Eric Turkewitz’s most recent foray into the big time.  Of course, Eric [...]

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Run Solo Run: Does Running for Office Jumpstart or Stop A Legal Career?

October 16, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

With Election Day less than a month away and the public tiring of hearing about Obama or Romney, the media has turned its attention to local and lesser known candidates.  Moreover, many of those capturing the spotlight are either solos or younger lawyers just starting their careers. For example, up in Maine shingler Cynthia Dill, [...]

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Is Price Transparency Always A Good Thing for Prospective Clients?

October 15, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

As Matt Homann points out, price transparency is coming soon already here in both the medical and legal profession.  Of course, it goes without saying that most lawyers dislike the idea of putting price on their website either for fear that competitors will undercut them or concern that clients will be deterred by a high [...]

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Solo Off to A Bad Start

October 15, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Starting a law practice is hard enough, without having to defend yourself in a lawsuit.  But that’s the position that Carolyn Hartle finds herself in, according to the  Sharon Herald, after having launched her new practice while she was still working as an associate at her former law firm, Lewis and Ristvey.  But is this [...]

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Will Ability Will Prevail?

October 12, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

If you have the time, take a few minutes to scroll through  How Technology Is Rewiring the Practice of Law,  a to-the-point and not to be missed presentation by Bob Ambrogi, my friend and former Legal Blog Watch  co-blogger. In addition to interesting statistics about the current state of the legal profession’s use of technology, [...]

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