Archive for August 2012
The Starting a Law Firm Calculator
Although I question the value of business plans , starting a law firm without even a vague idea of anticipated revenue sources or expected expenses is foolhardy. To help guide the law firm planning (or prediction) process, I’ve developed, with the help of my computer-savvy husband, a basic calculator to list and total your…
Read MoreWhy I Don’t Focus on the Hardships of Starting a Law Firm
Starting, or more accurately, sustaining a law firm is hard. Scott Greenfield hammers the point sharply but accurately; Sam Glover more mildly but equally accurately. So why don’t I? As a longtime blogger focused on solo and small firm practice, and author of Solo by Choice, I’m the first to admit that I, like other…
Read MoreSolo Practice Post-Mortem Part III: Would He Have Made It and Was Soloing a Bad Idea?
Scott Greenfield responded to Part I and Part II on Post-Mortem of a solo practice. Scott criticizes everything from the author of the post (who left a successful practice to start a firm partly because he didn’t like the work he was doing and partly for a better work life balance) to the value of social…
Read MoreA Departing Solo’s Post-Mortem on the Practice That Didn’t Cross the Finish Line (Part I)
Editor’s Note: Sometimes solo practice doesn’t work out. Recently, a member of one of my listserves shared one of the best and most objective post-mortem analyses of a solo practice that didn’t quite make it to the finish line. Despite increasing momentum towards the end of the second year, the author (who has a family…
Read MoreCompanion Post to the Solo Practice That Didn’t Finish (Part II): The Marketing Plan That Started to Work
Editor’s Note: In the previous post, the solo lawyer who is transitioning out of his practice mentioned that his online marketing efforts were starting to bear fruit. In this post, there’s a description of the activities that started the turn-around. Don’t get the wrong idea – online marketing isn’t a silver bullet since if you…
Read MoreAre You a Nobody Until You Win Your Case?
Noted video-expert and medical malpractice attorney, Gerry Oginski criticizes a Jacoby & Meyers television commercial that concludes with the voiceover: You’re a nobody until you win your case. Gerry comments – and I agree – that the ad isn’t particularly effective marketing since calling potential clients “nobodies” may instill hard feelings at the outset. Though…
Read MoreThe Ethics of Legal Subscription Services
Via Jordan Furlong’s twitter stream, I learned about Legal Care, a UK-based legal subscription service. The Legal Care package costs 14 pounds/month and includes free template documents, a will pack, document review service, 25 percent discount on fees if a solicitor is needed and a guaranteed response to emailed inquires within an hour, 24/7. Legal…
Read MoreFuture Fridays: Doodling the Law
Centuries later, hieroglyphics are making a come back. Or so it seems, based on the graphic-rich menus that predominate the new trend of casual, make-it-your-own and faux-healthy (take a look at the calorie count for some of the items) eateries like Sweet Green, Boloco Burrito, Naked Pizza and Cava Mediterranean where I’ve been indulging several…
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