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Law Practice Management

Free Products in Your Law Practice: Work Them or Shirk Them?

December 13, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Free Stuff for Going Solo; an excerpt from Launching a 21st Century Law Practice from Carolyn Elefant Free stuff abounds for lawyers starting or running a practice.  From document sharing platforms to conference call services to websites to legal research, the cost of running a law firm is nosediving.  Free products are also proliferating; my [...]

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Why Great CLE Costs Good Money

September 10, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

A few weeks ago, Scott Greenfield bemoaned the demise of quality of continuing legal education (CLE) (if there ever was such a thing). As Scott observes, most CLE today consists either of panels of experienced lawyers who show up prepared with nothing but a bunch of war stories or fluff programs on marketing or ipad [...]

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From Quote to Contract: Online Proposal Generators

July 11, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

So, I’ve been thinking and teaching  about the 21st Century Retainer Agreement (for those who attended the last event, the ebook is coming soon; for those who missed it, we’re scheduling another webinar in August), specifically ways to streamline the drafting process.  Flat fee or one-off retainer agreements aren’t all that tough (my upcoming ebook [...]

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Question for Transactional Solos: What Kind of Contracts Do You Frequently Draft?

January 19, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

A few months ago, I reviewed a product released by Ken Adams and Koncision; a form confidentiality agreement that lawyers can use for drafting. Though you’ve probably seen dozens of NDA’s and confidentiality agreements online, Ken’s product is far more high end and detailed, which means that you can rely on it to make a [...]

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Should You Ever Play the Solo Card?

November 16, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

For solo and small firm lawyers who routinely battle big law, there’s often a temptation to play the solo card. In other words, to seek special dispensation from court rules and practices in light of solos’ more limited time and resources. Some lawyers believe that playing the solo card is justified as a way to [...]

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The Economic Benefits of A Virtual Assistant

May 16, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

This recent post from the Harvard Business Review bemoans the loss of the executive assistant in the lower ranks at most companies, a phenomenon resulting from technologic advancements like voicemail and email and pressure to cut costs. However, as the article points out: At very senior levels, the return on investment from a skilled assistant [...]

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Will Technology Make Lawyers More or Less Truthful About Whether They Work from Home?

May 10, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

During the past seventeen years of my practice, I’ve alternated between a traditional office (which I had before my first daughter was born, and currently have now) and maintaining a virtual space while working from home. I strongly believe that home-based offices offer many benefits for both lawyers and clients. For lawyers, particularly for cash-strapped [...]

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Ten Solo and Small Law Firm Trends 2011

January 6, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

Ten Solo and Small Firm Trends 2011 [Editor's Note This is a long, long post - so you can read it here as a post in its entirety, or download it as a PDF (above)] Once again, it’s that season when, a blogger’s fancy turns to top trends (H/T Alfred Tennyson). Jack Newton of Clio has already [...]

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Guest Post by Roy Ginsburg: Working with an Attorney Coach

December 8, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

This summer, I had the privilege of meeting lawyer coach Roy Ginsburg at the Minnesota Solo & Small Firm Conference, then seeing him a few days later at the Nebraska Solo & Small Firm Conference. Roy is well known on the CLE speaking circuit; he is a lawyer himself and in as a former in-house [...]

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Law Firm Tech Bio: Lewis Roberts, Orland Beach, FL Lawyer

December 7, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

1. Name, name of firm, location and practice areas. Lewis Roberts, Lewis Roberts, PA, Attorneys at Law, Ormond Beach, FL (Central Florida) – consumer bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, real estate, wills and trusts, general consumer matters

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