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Law Practice Management

Huh? Lawyer’s Overbilling Blamed on Law School’s Failure To Teach Practice Management

August 30, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Law schools today get a bad rap, often deservedly so. From outrageous tuition to to ineffectual, elitist law professors to fraudulent post-graduation employment statistics to failure to teach practical skills, law schools have become the scapegoats for everything wrong with the legal profession. Including theft over-billing. Yes, you read that right.  Lawyer coach Rjon Robins [...]

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Small Firms With Biglaw Tech

August 16, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Like most firms of its size (400 lawyers), Ohio-based firm Thompson Hine employs technology to serve clients. In fact, Thompson Hine uses its investment in technology as a selling point, with a dedicated section of the firm’s website devoted to a description of how the firm employs technology to support the firm’s lawyers and serve [...]

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What Lawyers Are Using To Run Their Practices

July 30, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Ever wonder what tools or services other lawyers are using for practice management, blogging or invoicing?  I did too, which is why a few months back, I conducted a little survey, asking lawyers to share their preferred tools and services for twenty-two different law firm functions and activities.  The results are displayed here.

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A Few Quick Bits – Google Search Videos and Practice Management Comparison

April 12, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I just wanted to mention a couple of quick resources. First, if you’re in the market for law practice management tools, check out this post by my Social Media for Lawyers co-author, Nicole Black.  In particular, Nicole mentions this extremely useful  ABA Comparison Chart of different LPM tools.  Unfortunately, many of the companies didn’t provide price quotes, [...]

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Legal Ethics of Cloud Computing

April 9, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Notwithstanding a work deadline and my still outstanding taxes, I’ve done my part to express my views on cloud computing in response to the North Carolina Ethics Committee Inquiry.  I’m not a member of the North Carolina Bar, but as a frequent commentator on solo and small firm practice, I felt it was important to [...]

Read more Cloud Technology 4 comments

Help, My Virtual Assistant Is Turning Me Into A Moron!

February 21, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I’ve always considered myself a “practical technology user,” adept at mastering the latest and greatest on a strictly need to know basis.  For example, I still can’t program a Tivo or download a movie on my ipod or operate the family Wii because I have no interest in the activities enabled by those technologies.   But [...]

Read more Growing Your Practice 15 comments

Fastcase Makes FREE CaseLaw on the Spot a Reality!

January 30, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

To live in an era of wish fulfillment is an amazing thing.  That’s exactly how I felt yesterday when I downloaded Fastcase‘s just released and 100 percent FREE legal research app for the iphone.  Yes, I can now search a full database of state and federal cases and statutes right on my phone for no [...]

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Some Free Tools for Starting A Law Firm

December 2, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Two weeks ago, I presented a nearly full day CLE in Oregon on Solo by Choice in the Current Economy, with a summary by Beverly Michaelis, one of the Oregon Professional Liability Fund’s Practice Management Advisors.  But below are a couple of slides that I used for the Oregon program and others, highlighting many of [...]

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Why you may want to rent an office

October 21, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

These days, working from home is all the rage, glamorized by successful lawyers like Chuck Newton at Third Wave Law Blog or Jay Fleischman at Untethered Lawyer, who through writing and by personal example make a compelling case for the virtues of virtual law practice.  I don’t disagree, either – there’s much to be said [...]

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Is the Cloud the Cure for Solos Who Are Sick?

October 19, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

Last week’s Maryland Daily Record describes what happens when solos get sick.  The story features one of my buddies, Herb Dubin, a lawyer here in Maryland – and as the article emphasizes, he’s the last person I’d have ever expected to get sick.  I met Herb at a Solosez lunch, but for a couple of [...]

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