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Work Life Balance

Wisdom from a Chicago Solo

February 19, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Peter Olson, Solo in Chicago expresses the sentiments that drove many of us to solo and small firm practice in this post. And Peter offers a follow up link to an article from NALP on achieving work life balance.

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The Blackberry: A Short Leash or Liberation?

December 28, 2005 by Carolyn Elefant

It’s interesting how mobile technologies, like the cell phone or Blackberry, pager or laptop can serve as a leash or as liberation, depending on context.  This article, Blackberry:  High tech Ball and Chain for Lawyers, Boston Globe (12/22/05) reveals that law firm Burns & Levinson uses Blackberries to keep lawyers on a tight leash, always [...]

Read more Big Law/Small Law 8 comments

Yes, You Can Be A Part Time Shingler

December 11, 2005 by Carolyn Elefant

Solo Wannabee wonders whether you can start a law practice part time.  Surprisingly, the conventional wisdom on this question is no, that solo practice demands full time commitment to make it and that client demands are full time.  But that’s not my view.  As I’ve said before, there are as many right ways to hang [...]

Read more Business Models 14 comments

What Business Expenses Are Too High For You?

September 3, 2005 by Carolyn Elefant

Matt Homann of Non Billable Hour has run his cost benefit analysis and gives us his conclusions here: Poor health and strained family relations are both “business expenses” I’m unwilling to pay. Are you willing to pay that price?

Read more Solo Practice Trends 0 comments

Starting A Firm May Be the Only Escape from Biglaw Culture

July 7, 2005 by Carolyn Elefant

Tony DiRomualdo has this interesting article, Why Corporate Culture Counts, at the Wisconsin Technology Network. (7/7/05) that discusses the relationship between corporate culture and values.  He identifies examples of companies like Southwest, where positive corporate culture boosts employee morale, giving the company a leg up on competition.  But on the other side of the scale, [...]

Read more Biglaw Practice and Issues 2 comments

Stop Whining, Start Asking

January 5, 2005 by Carolyn Elefant

David Giacalone has this post on how law firm associates ought to start taking responsibility for their long hours rather than expecting the “powers-that-be” to do it for them.  David offers this qutoe by MCI counsel Anastasia Kellfrom a recent article in Washington Lawyer (Jan. 2005) (the D.C. Bar magazine) on The Tyranny of the [...]

Read more Reasons to Solo 4 comments

More on the Flex Time Option

December 19, 2004 by Carolyn Elefant

Arnie Herz of Legal Sanity (a great blog, by the way, if you’re looking for more satisfaction as a lawyer) has a post about flex time options for attorneys and a link to this article from the Wisconsin Bar Journal.  I’ve always been a proponent of flexible schedules, particularly for attorneys with young children or [...]

Read more Reasons to Solo 0 comments

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