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Client Relations

I Can Unbundle The Case, But I Can’t Unbundle My Heart

February 22, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I want to wholeheartedly embrace the concept of unbundled legal services, I really do.  After all, what’s not to like?  The demand for affordable legal services is greater than ever.  With courthouses overrun by pro se litigants, even judges are pressing for unbundled legal services.  Technology is empowering a generation of educated, sophisticated consumers who [...]

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A Look Ahead to 2010: Your Client as Your New Partner

January 4, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Many of my blogging colleagues have been trendspotting for 2010 these past two weeks (see the list of posts at the end).  I’m fashionably late, so instead of chiming in with a list, I’ll focus on one trend which is already getting some discussion: 2010 as the year of the client. In the coming decade, [...]

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Client Surveys: Sure They Help Lawyers, But Aren’t They a Pain in the Neck for Clients?

January 3, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Client surveys and customer feedback are all the rage these days and law firms are jumping on board. In fact, Matt Homann of LexThink released a great client survey template that’s available at Lawyerist. Like the experts, I’ve always believed, albeit somewhat reflexively, that client surveys improve the client experience.  And I still do.  But [...]

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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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Should You Charge for, Or Mark Up the Costs of Legal Research?

May 17, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Over at my Legal Blogwatch beat, I posted about an ongoing lawsuit against biglaw firm Chadbourne Park, alleging that Chadbourne wrongfully billed the client $20,000 for online research services when the actual cost to the firm was only around $5000.   The suit alleges that the firm engaged in deceptive trade practices in violation of state [...]

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Be the Lawyer They’d Call for the $144 Million Dollar Matter

May 5, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Even though I practice in Washington D.C., I don’t know much about David Wilmot, the local attorney representing the 82 year old winner of a $144 million Power Ball jackpot.  (As an aside to the D.C. Bar, if it weren’t for Avvo listing lawyer in D.C., I wouldn’t have been able to hyperlink Wilmot’s name [...]

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Don’t Negotiate, Do Accommodate

October 18, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Last season, my daughters and I became fans of Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice.  While my girls enjoyed  the show for the recognizable products that were often the subject of the challenge, I watched for marketing lessons.  And one of the lessons that’s remained with me now, even several months later, was gleaned from a competition [...]

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What We Do Matters: A Reminder from the Last Lecture

September 17, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Everyday across the nation, hundreds of solos talk to their clients — breaking bad news, explaining how the law works or offering suggestions on how to handle a divorce or fight a trumped up criminal charges or save their home from foreclosure. Nothing precedent-setting or earthshattering, nothing as sexy or high profile as, for example, [...]

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Greatest American Lawyer’s Rejoinder to the Well Drafted Retainer

July 29, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

In a response to my earlier post, The Well Drafted Retainer, my blogging colleague Enricho Schaefer ponders whether the traditional retainer is outdated.  Schafer argues that the complexity of retainer agreements complicates relationships with clients rather than facilitating them.  Schaefer explains that his firm memorializes the attorney-client agreement with an email listing the tasks to [...]

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The Well Drafted Retainer Agreement – A Sample and A Challenge

July 13, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

As I’ve written in Solo by Choice and discussed at my blog, a well drafted, ethically compliant retainer agreement is a lawyer’s most important tool in guarding against grievances, setting client expectations and generally, helping to create a profitable pratice.   Without a retainer, some bars won’t even let you collect your fee.  And if your [...]

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