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Ideas & Tips

Back of the Napkin Business Plan for Starting a Law Firm

June 18, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Starting a law firm can be daunting.  Checklists and Mind Maps and planning resources outline the tasks involved, but the minutia can overwhelm.  For some, the planning process gives rise to analysis-paralysis, as the quest for a perfect launch delays launching at all.  And for those who come to solo practice as a last resort, [...]

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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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Why You Should Take Advantage of Interviews Even if You’re Thinking About Starting a Firm

March 8, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

I know it sounds crazy, but one of the best things that you can do if you’re thinking about starting a law practice is…interview for jobs.  I know that to many of you, a job interview sounds like an utter waste of time or an unnecessary diversion when you’re focused on starting a firm, but as [...]

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Homann’s Top Ten For Solos

December 4, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Once a cutting edge solo lawyer before moving on to new ventures, Matt Homann hasn’t forgotten what it takes to succeed.  And he’s boiled them down here with Confuscious-like insight, precision and brevity.  Though I like every point, I think my favorite is the last: 

There is no shame in going solo.  Your clients don’t [...]

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Why Not Outsource Innovation to Solo and Small Firms?

October 28, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

I’m still fascinated by the concept of  outsourcing innovation that I referenced in passing in this post from earlier today.  According to this Business Week article, countries like India and China paying American corporations to develop products, or put another way, they are outsourcing innovation. 
So I got to thinking…why couldn’t large law firms outsource innovation [...]

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Why You Can Succeed In Starting A Firm Even If You Floundered At Your Job or In Law School

May 20, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Some lawyers want to start law firms, but fear that they’ll fail either because they floundered at their previous place of employment or performed poorly in law school. If that’s where you find yourself, worry no more. According to new research, a lack of control in a job situation has a fundamental effect on [...]

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If You Just Started a Law Firm, Hire A Summer Associate

May 15, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

OK, so I realize that my headline sounds crazy.   After all, you just started a law firm four or six or eight months ago.  You’re barely covering your expenses, you still have no idea what you’re doing, you’ve chosen – by design or necessity – to work from home so you don’t have an office [...]

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How to Get Transactional Training

April 13, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Much of the advice on learning new practice skills relates primarily to litigation oriented practices.  As I’ve discussed in Solo by Choice, a new solo or lawyer interested in trial work can spend a few days court-watching, accompany a more experienced lawyer to depositions or pick up a pro bono case which might entail representing [...]

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Reach Out And Make A Connection

December 16, 2007 by Carolyn Elefant

Arnie Herz at Legal Sanity offers a great tip, echoed by What About Clients: reconnect with your business network so that you can continue to nurture and reinforce the trusted relationships that produce not only business referrals, but personal fulfillment. Taking a page from Curt Rosengren, Herz recommends that you try speaking [...]

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What Does A Sample Invoice Look Like?

November 26, 2007 by Carolyn Elefant

I realize that these days, alternative billing is all the rage – and I too am a proponent of alternatives to the billable hour. Still, there are times when you have to resort to the billable hour, either at the insistence of a client, or under some of the guidelines for submitting a fee [...]

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