I’m always delighted to find a new resource that makes my life easier, and so this week I’m offering you a few of my favorites. I’ve used each of these myself, and I hope at least one will prove handy for you.
Mozy.com online computer back-up system:Â A couple of years ago, I suffered through three [...]
What written marketing materials do you have? Examples include a website, a one-page description of your practice, a newsletter, articles, and so on. For this week’s activity, choose one item for review. (Although I would generally include a biographical sketch as written marketing material, exclude it for this week’s purposes.)
As you read your marketing material, [...]
Pop quiz: Who are your best referral sources? List the top 10 of each right now. If you are a more junior lawyer in a law firm and don’t yet have your own clients, list the senior lawyers for whom you do the most work.
Were you able to make the list? This information should be [...]
Wednesday’s post Top Ten Tips to Overcome Overwhelm apparently hit a nerve with more than a few readers! In comments sent directly to me by email, procrastination was identified as the top challenge for many of you. In response, I’d like to offer you a video — which may be enabling procrastination, but it’s a [...]
Overwhelm can tank a day faster than just about anything else. When you have more email than you can handle, an out-of-control task list, and phone calls that just won’t stop, it’s almost impossible to operate effectively. Even if you manage to limp along, you may find that you’re distracted and that things are falling [...]
Last week’s WRA focused on the language to use in introducing yourself to potential clients and others. This week, let’s look at the substance of the introduction.
Many lawyers seem to fall into the habit of the “just the facts, ma’am” introduction, which goes something like this: “Hi, I’m Bob Smith. I’m a litigator with Dew [...]
The economic crisis and the resulting fallout has brought numerous changes to law-as-profession and law-as-business, and now law schools are bringing change to the table as well. According to an article in The National Law Journal:Â
Washington and Lee University School of Law has thrown out its traditional third-year curriculum and replaced it with a [...]
by James A. Durham
The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering is aptly named: at just 52 pages (including the title page, copyright, and table of contents), you’ll need less than an hour to discover the essential skills of great lawyering. Some readers may be wondering why anyone would need a book to learn what great [...]
What kind of language do you speak when you’re talking with potential clients and referral sources? I don’t mean English or Spanish, but whether you use “jargon” or “regular” language. As with most anything else, each has its place, but you must select the appropriate language intentionally.
If you’re talking with lawyers or legally sophisticated consumers, [...]
The American Lawyer recently reported the results of a study titled After the JD, conducted on behalf of the American Bar Foundation. The study, which tracked 5000 lawyers who began practicing in 2000, found that “new lawyers working for firms of more than 250 lawyers are less satisfied with their jobs than their counterparts in [...]
September 30, 2009 
