My Shingle

MyShingle Solo

A Bit of A Break & Crowdsourcing Request

September 25, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Just a quick note to let you know that I’m taking a brief break. Between an out of town hearing last week, Jewish holidays, my younger daughter’s upcoming bat-mitzvah this weekend, a touch of writing block and most critically, a terrible cold, I just can’t muster the energy to post.  I’ll be back up and [...]

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On the Internet, Nobody Knows That You’re A Real Dog…Or the Real Deal

September 10, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

You’ve seen the cartoon and its captions (or some version of it) a thousand times: On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.  And while it’s true that the cloud, the web and social media make it all too easy for a lawyer to throw up a website that conveys the impression of a statewide, [...]

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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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Why Saying “You Didn’t Build That” Stings Start Up and Solo Lawyers

July 26, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

I’m willing to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t intend to trivialize the accomplishments of small business with his controversial you didn’t build that  speech.  Still, for solo and start up lawyers, the President’s words sting. While there are plenty of solo lawyers who embraced the concept of hanging a [...]

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Blogging, Accountability and Changing Course

July 11, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

I’ve been blogging for nearly a decade and during that time, I’ve expressed opinions about the legal profession, legal products and other lawyers’ practices.  Ten years is a long time though, and sometimes, it’s not unusual to change one’s mind in light of new circumstances or experiences. So why are we so embarrassed about changing [...]

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Why I Still Say Nein to Ninety-Nine Designs and Other Contest Sites

July 9, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Over the years, I haven’t had much luck with branding.  Partly, it’s just the  Gemini thing; I split my time between my law practice and my practice blog, MyShingle – and even those broad categories are subdivided into various niches.  The few times I’ve embarked on attempts to create a logo, I simply settled for [...]

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Thank You Thursdays: You Never Know Whose Life You May Have Changed

July 5, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

This  New York Times article about how a 13-year old’s interview with an Olympic hopeful motivated him to snag one of the last berths on the 1976 U.S. Olympic swim team is a reminder of the role of serendipity in our journey in life or law and the power of a genuine thank-you. Back in [...]

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Happy July 4 – Free yourself to go solo!

July 4, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

I’ve been blogging long enough to know that readership trends way down on holidays, so instead of new material today, here are two previously run July 4 pieces to enjoy.  Happy Fourth of July – and if you haven’t already, make this year that you declare your independence! Declaration of Independence: The World’s Most Successful [...]

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Does It Make Your Heart Sing? A Litmus Test for Law Firm Decisions

June 28, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

My first permanent office, a sublet space in a marble-column-ed Class B building down the street from the White House,  was hardly the fanciest in Washington D.C., particularly back in the mid-’90s when big law firm partners still tried to impress clients with mahogany conference room tables and ginormous corner offices.  Furnished with cast-offs from [...]

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Why The Best Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Aren’t the Best Entrepreneurs

June 12, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

About a year ago, in response to then- Above the Law columnist  Jay Shepard, I asserted that wanting to run a business is NOT the most important characteristic for lawyers wanting to start their own practice.  I postulated that lawyers who hang a shingle for the excitement of running a business rather than a passion [...]

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