Creating a strategic plan for your law practice 
Published: November 26, 2012
Tags: 20 Things Lawyers Need to Know in 2013, business plan, law firm
A strategic business plan is a must for every law firm, according to Kentucky attorney Robert Young.
“Whether you have two lawyers or 50 or 500, you still need a plan for where you want to take the firm,” Young said. “It keeps you from making major decisions by the seat of your pants.”
Cutting edge law firm marketing in 2013
Published: November 26, 2012
Tags: 20 Things Lawyers Need to Know in 2013, Google, law firm, law firm marketing, marketing, Pinterest, Podcasts, QR codes
Legal marketing continues to go high-tech, with lawyers turning to mobile devices to connect with consumers via QR codes and making use of new social networks like Pinterest.
For lawyers considering one of these strategies, each has its own advantages and challenges.
Avoiding the risks of “accidental clients”
Published: November 26, 2012
Tags: 20 Things Lawyers Need to Know in 2013, accidental client, client relations, law firm, legal malpractice
A hefty legal malpractice verdict in 2012 reminded attorneys to beware of “accidental clients.”
A jury ordered Holland & Knight to pay $34.5 million to two investors who believed the firm was representing them in forming a business entity with a third investor; the law firm claimed it represented only the business entity, not the individuals.
The benefits and challenges of limited scope services
Published: October 10, 2012
Tags: ABA, American Bar Association, book review, ghostwriting, law firm, unbundled legal services, unbundling
Stephanie Kimbro is well-known for starting one of the first virtual law practices in 2006.
Now the North Carolina-based attorney has written a book for the American Bar Association addressing the opportunities and challenges of unbundled legal services.
Solo attorney grapples with employee’s actions
By:
Scott Lauck
Published: September 27, 2012
Tags: attorney discipline, embezzlement, law firm, Legal Malpractice Monitor, office staff, support staff
Attorney Kevin Jamison in his law office in Gladstone, Mo. Behind him are portraits of his great-great grandfather, his father and his son, who served in the Civil War, World War II and Afghanistan, respectively. Photo by Scott Lauck.
In 2010, Kansas City, Mo., solo practitioner Kevin L. Jamison fell headlong into the ultimate nightmare for a small law office.
Jamison fired his office manager of 10 years after she refused to turn over the password to her desk computer. He soon learned that his client trust accounts had been overdrawn. His long-trusted employee, he alleges, had been embezzling from him for years.
Lawyers paying non-lawyer colleagues
By:
Thomas Spahn
Published: September 20, 2012
Tags: law firm, Legal Malpractice Monitor, legal staff, paralegals, salary, support staff
The Wisconsin Supreme Court held recently that a law firm could pay a paralegal a percentage of the gross proceeds from cases on which the paralegal worked. The Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation had argued that the compensation plan violated the prohibition on sharing legal fees with a non-lawyer. (In re Weigel, 817 N.W.2d 835 (Wis. 2012)).
The opinion represents the latest chapter in a long‑running debate about how lawyers can compensate their non-lawyer colleagues. This has been a contentious issue, and the decision in the Wisconsin case highlights the continuing controversy.
‘Deal of the day’ ads may have serious implications
By:
Michael H. Darling and Christopher D. Hawkins
Published: August 2, 2012
Tags: coupons, law firm, legal ethics, online advertising, Rules of Professional Conduct
Some lawyers have begun to utilize “deal of the day” advertising, where the potential customer purchases a coupon or voucher permitting them to buy the item or service at a discounted rate. This marketing model has proven an effective tool for attracting new customers and increasing overall business, but with ethics authorities across several states disagreeing on whether “deal of the day” or similar coupon marketing tools violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, whether this form of advertising is safe for attorneys to employ is less than clear.
Jury sides with attorney in spat over fees
Published: August 1, 2012
Tags: attorney fees, California, law firm, Nebraska
A Lancaster County, Neb. jury has sided with a California lawyer and against a Lincoln law firm in a dispute over attorney fees that led to a trial.
Class-action debt-relief settlement approved against law firm
Published: March 15, 2012
Tags: excessive fees, Florida, law firm, mislead
A federal judge has approved a controversial settlement in a class-action lawsuit against a law firm accused of misleading and charging excessive fees to clients around the nation seeking debt relief.
ABA proposes change in firm ownership rules
Published: December 6, 2011
Tags: ABA, American Bar Association, law firm, law firm ownership, legal ethics, Rules of Professional Conduct
Last month the American Bar Association’s Ethics 20/20 Commission proposed changing the Rules of Professional Conduct to permit other service professionals, such as accountants, social workers and public relations professionals, to partner with attorneys to own up to 25 percent of a law firm.
