Archive for August 2014
The Girl Is Gone
I saw it coming a year ago but that didn’t prepare me for the reality that she is no longer here. Oh, sure, she’ll be back but as a visitor or a guest, not a resident of this house where she grew up. Only two days have passed since I dropped my daughter off at…
Read MoreIf We Change Rules to Allow Non-Lawyers to Own Law Firms, How About Changing Them to Let Lawyers Compete?
Last week, Jordan Furlong lavished praise on the Canada Bar Association’s new report, Futures: Transforming the Delivery of Legal Services in Canada. As you might expect, the Report reads like a legal futurist’s wish list, supporting initiatives like non-lawyer ownership of law firms and fee-splitting between lawyers and non-lawyers. Still, truth be told, Jordan’s kudos…
Read MorePros and Cons of LobbyConning for Solos and Smalls
Many folks often complain about the cost of legal conferences – but trust me, the $300-$500 price range is pocket change compared to many events in my industry that start at one thousand dollars. If that’s true for conferences that you may want to attend, why not try lobby conning instead? The New York Times…
Read MoreStart a NonProfit Law Firm
A few months back at my beat at Above the Law, I posed this question: Why Do Low Bono Work When You Can Start Your Own Non-Profit?. After all, if new lawyers are going to be offering discount rates, they might as well run the show and gain the advantage of being the boss, plus…
Read MoreSize Matters
MyShingle is pleased to host this guest post by Roy Ginsburg. Other posts authored by Roy at MyShingle are available here The most common exit strategies for retiring solo practitioners and small law firm owners typically include recruiting a successor, merging with another law firm, or selling the practice. All of these options have advantages…
Read MoreLessons from MOOCs About the Future of Law
In theory, MOOCs — massive online open courses — sound too good to be true. Classes are available on any topic – from learning a new language or computer coding or even how to start a law firm. Even better, most MOOCs are free (or inexpensive) and open to anyone with an Internet connection. Yet…
Read MoreIs “Birds of A Feather” Branding a Smart Marketing Practice for Law Firms?
As the old adage goes, birds of a feather flock together. But does that mean that lawyers of certain feathers – whether it’s a gender, race, nationality or sexual preference – should flout them to attract clients of similar plumage? This question came to mind while reading this Gina Passarella’s Pittsburgh-Post Gazette piece about Pennsylvania law…
Read MoreFuture Friday: Solo Leverage, Part II
A long time ago in Internet years, I wrote that solos and smalls must come up with ways to diversify their services. That doesn’t mean having cheap rates for certain clients and full fees for others, but rather developing different revenue streams to ensure that cash is coming through the door. Back in 2008, the…
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