Planning for the Unexpected
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A frequent complaint of solo practitioners is that since they are alone and in charge, it is difficult to get away for a vacation. But somehow, most seem to manage by finding another lawyer to cover for them should there be an emergency type of situation. That’s easy to do because the vacation is planned. But what if you are taken away from your practice for something that is not planned? What if you are incapacitated or even die from an accident? Do you have another lawyer to cover for you under these circumstances? Continue reading at www.myshingle.com Read More
Back to Business School for Ethics Violations
When a lawyer runs afoul of the rules of professional conduct, there are consequences. Depending on the severity of the rule violation, discipline might consist of disbarment, suspension, reprimand (public censure) or admonition (private reprimand). What about being sent back to school for an ethics violation? Continue reading at www.attorneyatwork.com. Read More
Categories: Legal Careers
Be a Small-Town Lawyer
No one needs to remind law students and recent law school graduates about the dismal job market. Only 85 percent of the class of 2012 found a job of any kind post-graduation — and only 64 percent of those jobs required bar passage, which is an all-time low. This is the fifth consecutive year of decline and the lowest rate in 18 years, according to the National Association for Law Placement. Continue reading this post at www.attorneyatwork.com Read More
Categories: Legal Careers
Get a Better Job: When and How to Pursue an Alternative Career
At one time or another, many lawyers consider ditching their legal career and doing something else. It’s no surprise why. A recent Forbes article reported that the number-one unhappiest job in America is associate attorney. Continue reading this post at www.lawyerist.com Read More
Categories: Legal Career Counseling
Four Tips for Meeting Two People in the Room
Lawyers typically dread attending events like annual bar association fundraisers, CLE conferences — or any gathering where there will be a large number of attendees. In short, they dread the type of event where their “working the room” skills are put to the test. To make connections that bring in new clients, though, you have to spend plenty of time outside of your office — and, sometimes, your comfort zone. Continue reading this post at www.attorneyatwork.com Read More
Five To-Dos for Unemployed Senior Lawyers
Last month, Jared Correia wrote two excellent posts on why older lawyers are finding it harder to stay employed and the challenges encountered because of certain employer assumptions. Now it’s time to focus on what out-of-work senior lawyers should be doing to rejoin the workforce. Continue reading this post on www.attorneyatwork.com Read More
Categories: Legal Careers
Successful Networking Is a Numbers Game
The most successful salespeople strongly believe that sales is a numbers game. In other words, you don’t have to be an ace or a homerun king to be successful at business development. You just have to keep pitching and swinging in the general direction of the clients. The more at-bats, the more runs (clients) you are likely to earn (win). Continue reading this post on attorneyatwork.com Read More
Categories: Business Development
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
In this troubled legal economy, most of the focus is on attorneys who are unemployed or underemployed. More attention should be paid to those who are unhappily employed. In a lousy job market, many lawyers feel compelled to remain in jobs that they despise. While it’s not new for lawyers to be unhappy about their jobs, it is new that jobs are scarce and unhappy lawyers do not have as many options if they leave. Continue reading this post at www.lawyernomics.avvo.com Read More
How to Make Small Talk
“Working the room” is the one business development tactic that strikes the most fear in lawyers. Most lawyers hate finding themselves at a reception at some conference or benefit, where they hope to meet a few new people in a crowd of hundreds. Even when the drinks are free, most lawyers would prefer going to the dentist. Continue reading this post on www.lawyerist.com Read More
Categories: Business Development
Soliciting Clients by Text Message
It can be hard for legal marketing ethics experts to keep up with rapidly expanding modes of electronic communication, but the State of Ohio recently gave it a try. The issue was text messaging. Is a text message like an email, or is it more like an internet chat-room conversation, where the communication takes place in “real time?” If your answer to this question is, “Who cares?” my response is that lawyers should care. How you answer this question determines the legal and ethical guidelines that control when you solicit a client by texting. Continue reading this post at www.lawyernomics.avvo.com Read More
Categories: Legal Marketing Ethics
