How to avoid asking for Business
I’ve finally figured out why so many lawyers want to know, “But how do I ask for the work?” It’s because the picture they have in their minds is a pretty scary one. It’s something like this: You and a former colleague are sitting together over coffee or lunch. You share stories about your kids’ accomplishments and talk about your summer vacations — then you blurt out, “So … got any work you can give to me?” Yeah, that sounds awkward to me, too. Because if that’s the way it pl
Google Snippets and what you need to know....
Google continues to test new search result features — PPC ads, knowledge panels and Local results, to name a few — and your organic search strategy continues to get pummeled with each new test. To keep organic traffic flowing to your site, it’s important to keep up with the changes and adjust your strategy. Featured snippets — those short answers that appear on top of Google search results when users ask a question — is one feature you want to stay abreast of. If you aren’t o
Ripped from the Headlines
When you’re looking for fresh ideas to write about on your law firm’s blog, don’t overlook the one source that never stops giving 24/7: the news. Whether it’s a broad movement, a regional issue or a specific development that’s relevant to your clients, consider using current events in your blogging strategy. Properly executed, these timely pieces can position you as an authority in your practice area and draw more potential clients to your website. As an added bonus, you migh
Seven Ways Lawyers can Reduce Clients' Stress
We can’t alleviate all the stressors felt by our clients in the course of their legal matters, but when lawyers, law firms and clients work together, the stress can be reduced and effectively managed. Here are tactics that firms and lawyers can use to ensure clients are satisfied, informed and less stressed. 1. Clear Communication The lawyer-client relationship can disintegrate rapidly without effective communication, leading to mistrust and misunderstandings. Lawyers need to
Using a Private Club as Your Office Away from the Office
You’re in Los Angeles for a deposition that gets cut short because your expert witness’s dog had an existential crisis. Now you have a gaping hole in your schedule that you want to fill by grinding out a brief on the Fremulizer patent. But where? Not a coffee shop, you’re in grown-up mode. You want a place with swagger. Someplace hip. Someplace where they’ll treat you like a VIP. You want leather chairs, a fireplace and total silence. And probably really good Wi-Fi. Join the
Thought Leadership Marketing
Lawyers competing for clients in today’s cut-throat market know this to be true: It’s noisy out there. Competitors are thumping their chests and shouting “I’m an expert” to anyone who will listen across the internet and social media. At the same time, and likely as a result of all the bravado, clients are becoming increasingly discerning. They’re seeking out real experts, not self-proclaimed ones. For lawyers willing to put in the work, this set of circumstances shouldn’t rai
Ethics Rules: Be the Change Start by knowing the players in state bar ecosystems.
The ethics rules governing lawyers are the subject of a lot of grief. They are sometimes hard to apply, often confusing and always slow to evolve. But lawyers who live on the sidelines of the ethics ecosystem may have only themselves to blame. On the other hand, if you want to be the change, you need to get in the game. Here are some ideas on how to do that. First, we need to know the players. There are those who make and amend the rules, those who interpret the rules and tho
Hey, You! Stop Sitting in the Back at Presentations
In “Five Affordable Ways to Learn More About the Law,” Megan Zavieh covered how to earn your CLE credit without maxing out your credit card. But, ultimately, getting the most value for your conference dollars depends on your behavior. One thing is becoming more noticeable with each presentation I give or attend: A lot of attendees automatically head toward the back of the room. It happens so much that now before I begin my presentation, I tell the people sitting in the back t
Seven Ways to Increase Law Firm Billable Hours
Let’s be honest. Tracking time and then generating invoices is the least fun part of being a lawyer or running a law firm. You went to law school to practice law, that’s your passion. Yet without the essential task of tracking your time well, invoicing promptly and collecting money, there’s no way to keep your practice going! Can your firm honestly say it’s collecting all the billable time possible? Clio’s bombshell Legal Trends Report in September startled the industry by sh
When your vocabulary gets wasted!
No, we don’t mean your words go into the garbage. On the contrary, a tipsy vocabulary may enrich your communications. In the right case, soused language can be spot-on. Drunk Getting sloshed has been part of the human experience almost for as long as there have been humans. This explains the hundreds of words we have to describe a process or condition almost everyone can relate to. “As intoxicating as counsel’s argument may appear, the evidence does not support it.” “We must
