My Shingle

Questions & Advice

MyShingle Question of the Week: Where Do You Do Your Meet, Eat & Greet?

January 10, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

I’m experimenting with a question of the week here at MyShingle – just a short question related to anything of interest to lawyers running a practice or thinking about it from law practice management or tech, recommendations on how to guides or CLE providers to thoughts on why you started a firm or who your [...]

Read more Client Service 6 comments

Client Surveys: Sure They Help Lawyers, But Aren’t They a Pain in the Neck for Clients?

January 3, 2010 by Carolyn Elefant

Client surveys and customer feedback are all the rage these days and law firms are jumping on board. In fact, Matt Homann of LexThink released a great client survey template that’s available at Lawyerist. Like the experts, I’ve always believed, albeit somewhat reflexively, that client surveys improve the client experience.  And I still do.  But [...]

Read more Client Relations 0 comments

A Happy Ending to the $50K Question, Should I Solo Now?

October 5, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

In May 2008, I discussed a tantalizing question posed by reader who at the time was employed in a federal clerkship, after having spent two years at biglaw.  He asked  do I go solo now and forfeit the $50,000 clerkship signing bonus from a large firm, or take the leap into solo practice immediately after [...]

Read more Questions & Advice 1 comment

Would You Hire An Unemployed Lawyer As A Volunteer?

March 29, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

From Newsday, I learned that the Nassau County Attorney’s office hopes help out in this economic downturn by opening its doors to bring on several volunteer lawyers who haven’t been able to find other employment.  Positions range from working with the county’s Home Ownership Center to advise in mortgage default situations to defending the county [...]

Read more Outsourcing & Hiring 7 comments

Reader Question: Should I Take Consumer Cases Short Term Even Though I Want to Do Business Law Long Term?

January 29, 2009 by Carolyn Elefant

I try to respond personally to the many emails that I receive from readers, but every so often, the email raises a question that has broader interest to other readers, so I post it here.  Here’s an email that I recently received, with my response – but I welcome you to chime in: Q:  I [...]

Read more Business Models 2 comments

The Rituals of Oral Argument – Please Share Yours!

October 26, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Ever since I advanced, rather surprisingly, through the rounds of my first year Moot Court competition, I’ve adhered rigorously to certain rituals of oral argument.  Back then, my rituals involved meditating in front of a candle and listening to this James Taylor album over and over again.  These days, I memorize case citations and JA [...]

Read more Litigation & Courts: Policy and Practice 6 comments

Should I Turn Down A $50k Bonus Clerkship Bonus To Start My Own Practice?

May 26, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Here’s a question from a reader of this site and Solo by Choice: I spent two years at a large law firm and now clerk for a federal district court judge.  I want to start my own practice after my clerkship concludes, but if I do, I’ll be turning down the $50k starting bonuses that [...]

Read more Questions & Advice 5 comments

Start a Law Firm…In North Carolina?

February 27, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Go east, young lawyer if you want to start a law firm.  As this article reports, a recent study released by the Pope Center for Higher Education shows that North Carolina needs more lawyer in light of recent population growth and a strong economy.  The catch – only graduates of accredited ABA law schools qualify [...]

Read more Questions & Advice 4 comments

Q&A About Solo By Choice: Why Did You Call It That, and How Can I Order It?

February 7, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

In this latest installment of my Author’s Cut/Pocket Part series, I’m going to address two of the questions about the book that I’ve been frequently asked this month: 1.  Why did you call the book Solo by Choice, particularly when so many people don’t voluntarily choose solo practice? When I started the writing process, my [...]

Read more Books 0 comments

Letter to A New Lawyer

January 12, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

What advice do I have for a new lawyer?  That’s the money question from my friend and colleague, Susan Cartier Liebel who’s preparing this week’s Blawg Review #142 on that very topic. To start, I asked myself what kind of advice I would have found useful two decades ago when I was a new lawyer.  [...]

Read more Encouragement 0 comments

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →