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Office Options

Is Using a PO Box as A Law Firm Address Penny Wise, Pound Foolish?

January 17, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Over at Attorney at Work, solo Ruth Carter discusses her reasons for choosing a post office box as a mailing address for her newly launched, home-based law firm. Not surprising for a new solo, cost considerations played a significant role; at a price of around $17-$22 per month, Carter explains that a post office box [...]

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MyShingle’s Proposed Revisions to Ethics 20/20 Model Rules on Admissions and Model Rule 5.5

October 5, 2011 by Carolyn Elefant

Though I started with the best of intentions to track the activities of the ABA Commission on Ethics 2020, I’ve been having some trouble keeping up with the Commission’s relentless pace. This month brings another barrage of proposals on Outsourcing, Client Confidentiality and Technology and Technology and Lawyer Marketing, and Attorney Admissions. I’ve already provided [...]

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The Virtual Law Office Debate: Virtually Impossible To Succeed or Not?

August 22, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

There’s an interesting debate over at Lee Rosen’s Divorce Discourse blog, in response to his provocatively titled-post, What the Virtual Office Advocates Aren’t Telling You. Lee argues that despite all of the buzz over virtual law offices, they’re unlikely to succeed because “there’s not much demand among clients for a virtual practice.” Lee elaborates: A [...]

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Should You Open Up Shop in Sears?

May 12, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Across the pond in the UK, there’s growing anticipation over the possibility of legal services coming to a supermarket near you as the 2011 effective date of the Legal Services Act draws near.  Passed by the UK Parliament in 2007, the Legal Services Act permits non-lawyer entities, like banks or supermarkets, to manage or own law firms, [...]

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BonaFide Office Rules – A Rejoinder by Tannebaum

April 5, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Last week, I  criticized a ruling out of New Jersey interpreting the bonafide office rule to prohibit virtual offices.  I argued that the rule (1) would force lawyers to hire staff and rent full time space, thereby raising the cost of legal services and (2) make it difficult for recently unemployed lawyers and female lawyers [...]

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NJ’s Bonafide Office Rule Would Have Me Doubled Over With Laughter Except That It Will Double the Cost of Legal Services

March 31, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I wish that I hadn’t chosen April Fools’ Day to post about ACPE 718/CAA 41, the joint opinion by two New Jersey judicial advisory committees ruling that virtual office arrangements, outsourced or shared receptionist services and even working outside of the office for more than a few hours violate New Jersey’s “bonafide office requirement.”  Because [...]

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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 [...]

Read more Law Practice Management 3 comments

Coffee Shop Etiquette for the Home Office Shingler

August 7, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

The Wall Street Journal reports that several coffee shops in Brooklyn, New York and San Francisco are restricting laptop use.  With unemployment on the rise, patrons are spending more time and less money in coffee shops, taking up space that might otherwise be occupied by paying customers. As far as I could tell, home-office shinglers [...]

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Stephanie Kimbro – Virtual Law Office Provides Real World Benefits for Clients (and Me)

January 22, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

From the first day my virtual shingle went up, the web-based virtual law office technology has allowed me to work with clients of moderate income levels in a more efficient and convenient way for both the clients and myself.  I won’t pretend the motivation for opening my virtual law office (VLO) was for the greater [...]

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Tips on Meeting Clients At A Virtual Office

November 2, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

For many solo and small firm lawyers, virtual office space offers the optimal compromise between an entirely home-based operation on the one hand, and renting full time office space on the other.  A virtual office arrangement, which may include a mailing address, receptionist service and per diem use of office or conference room space, enables lawyers [...]

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