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A book of tips for conducting the business of law 

Published: May 8, 2012

Tags: book review, practice management

Pssst … want to hear a secret?

Coach and management consultant Ed Poll wants to share a few in his new book, “Secrets of The Business of Law: Successful Practices for Increasing Your Profits.”

Compiled from Poll’s LawBiz blog as well as other publications, each chapter functions as a stand-alone piece of advice on a given topic. Chapters are grouped by subject matter, such as “Client Relations,” “Financial Management” and “Law Office Technology.”

Budgeting time and money for marketing expenditures 

Published: April 20, 2012

Tags: budget, marketing

Despite all the financial demands solos and small firm attorneys face, it’s crucial to make some room in the budget for marketing expenditures, says Jared Correia, a Senior Practice Advisor at the Law Office Management Assistance Program in Boston.

Smartphone data more important in litigation 

Published: April 19, 2012

Tags: cell phones, e-discovery, smartphones

Smartphones are increasingly becoming not just useful tools for lawyers on the go, but potentially important factors in litigation.

Trial strategy: Should you let jurors handle the evidence? 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: April 13, 2012

Tags: evidence, jury

A recent study by the University of Notre Dame suggests that humans learn and retain information differently if their sense of touch is engaged.

Trial consultant Douglas Keene said this means that the value of touching a piece of evidence cannot be overstated.

First court approves computer-assisted e-discovery review 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: April 12, 2012

Tags: computer-assisted review, e-discovery, New York

For years, technology experts and attorneys have been predicting the rise of computer-assisted coding and review for electronic discovery.

Earlier this year, U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew J. Peck of the Southern District of New York was the first to issue a reported opinion in support of the technology – also referred to as “predictive coding” or “intelligent review” – calling it “an acceptable way to search for relevant [electronically stored information] in appropriate cases.”

Don’t pin all your marketing hopes on Pinterest 

Published: April 9, 2012

Tags: internet, marketing, Pinterest, website

The latest social media phenomenon, Pinterest, is growing in leaps and bounds, with more than 11.7 million unique visitors in January alone, according to comScore.

Pinterest functions as an online bulletin board, with users “pinning” images that they like or want to share.

Plaintiffs sue food companies over ‘all natural’ claims 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: April 5, 2012

Tags: class action, consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, false advertising, misrepresentation

A number of recent lawsuits filed by plaintiffs allege that companies are falsely advertising their products as “all natural” or “100 percent” natural when they in fact contain synthetic ingredients or genetically modified organisms.

A foot in the door: Getting a first client meeting 

Published: April 4, 2012

Tags: client recruitment, clients

Struggling to get meetings with prospective clients?

Larry Bodine, a legal marketing expert and editor in chief of Lawyers.com, and David Ackert, a business development specialist at The Ackert Advisory, recently explained the key steps at a webinar sponsored by The Business Development Symposium, a firm that specializes in helping lawyers find clients.

Supreme Court denies certiorari for Engle litigation 

Published: April 2, 2012

Tags: Engle litigation, Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court

In between hours of oral argument over the federal health care legislation, the justices took the time to deny certiorari in the first of the Florida tobacco suits to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

No deal: Indiana bar cautions attorneys about coupon sites 

Published: March 30, 2012

Tags: advertising, coupon websites, ethics, fee-sharing, Groupon, legal ethics, legal marketing, Rules of Professional Conduct, social media, social media marketing

Using group coupon or daily deal marketing is “fraught with peril” and is likely not permitted under the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct, the State Bar Association’s Legal Ethics Committee recently said.