How To Offer Fantastic Client Service

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Matthew Hickey

Excellent customer service is the common sense foundation for the formation of any successful business. Although your practice’s clients differ from a normal business’ customers in many important aspects, a dedication to exceptional client service is a great way to stand out in the legal industry and to ensure that your clients return to you for their future legal needs.

Model Rules of Professional Conduct
The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and your state’s ethics rules set the minimum obligations you owe to your clients, and, to some degree, they also set the outer extent to which you can zealously represent your client. For example, under the California Rules of Professional Conduct, an attorney is required to provide a client with competent representation even if this requires the attorney actively obtain the skills and knowledge necessary through further research and training. Similarly, you are also required to maintain as confidential the information provided by your client; to decline representation of adverse interests; and to keep your client reasonably informed of the status of their case.

Expanding upon these minimum requirements is a great starting point when defining the client service guidelines for your practice. For example, be sure to thoroughly research all legal issues affecting your client when representing them – not just the issues presented by the matter before you. Competent is good, but you can offer better than mere competence. Also, continue to stay abreast of all new developments in the industries you represent. Furthermore, make sure clients always understand your commitment to maintain their information confidentially. Finally, don’t just keep your client reasonably informed, but report to them regularly and communicate with them frequently. Similarly, always respond to clients’ emails and calls promptly.

It is also worth noting that the ethic rules not only set the minimum standards which you are expected to meet, but also set some limits on how zealously you represent your client’s interests. For example, you may not advise your client to commit a crime; you may not threaten civil, criminal, or disciplinary action to gain an advantage in civil litigation; and your interactions with witnesses and jurors on behalf of clients is restricted.  Accordingly, when determining the extent to which you’ll offer excellent service to a client, your state’s ethic rules should be your starting point.

Understand Your Client’s Needs And/Or Business
In order to offer competent legal services to your clients it is vital that you understand the legal issues that affect the specific matter they have presented you, but it’s just as important to understand how the law affects them and/or their business personally if you want to offer exceptional legal service. Many legal issues directly affect a client’s sense of well being whether the matter is civil or criminal. Demonstrate that you understand and care how this case affects them personally. Be careful to understand your client’s long term goals and how the issues addressed by your representation can affect those long term goals. When representing a client who is a business or small-business owner, be sure to research their business and try to understand how your representation fits within the context of their overall business model and the industry they are engaged in.

Offer Excellent Value
Great value can be thought of as providing better than market service at below market price. If you pay $20 for a meal or a bottle of wine, for example, that tastes like a $40 meal or bottle of wine, as a customer, you feel as if you received a great value. The same is true for legal service. Find ways to cut the costs that are passed on to your clients. This can mean using alternative legal research tools to cut down on the costs of legal research, utilizing cheap and efficient tools such as Evernote to make your practice more efficient, or by setting up shop as a virtual law office to cut down on your overhead. Thanks to new technology, there are countless ways you can be creative to find ways to cut down the costs of your legal service.

Your Client Is Not A Customer
The difference between a customer and a client is that a customer is always right. Meanwhile, your client is not always right. This is true whether your client understands this or not, and great client service requires you to understand the difference. As a lawyer you are a professional with a specific understanding of the intricacies of the legal system. Your client is coming to you because they lack that specific knowledge or understanding. Most practicing attorneys have encountered or will encounter situations in which a client is badly misinformed as to the law affecting their case. Similarly, many practicing attorneys have experienced situations in which clients have requested that the attorney take actions which would violate the rules of ethics. Accordingly, you need to be able to recognize instances when your client is wrong or misunderstands the nature of the law in their industry or the value of a case. In order to provide great client service to them, it then becomes your responsibility as an attorney to provide straight-forward and thoughtful legal advice which they can understand within the context of the ethical rules by which you are bound as an attorney. This will occasionally require either telling a client they are wrong or even refusing to comply with a client’s demands when doing so could subject the client to further litigation or criminal actions or you, as the attorney, to disciplinary action.

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in Ethics, New Technology, Solo Practice | Tagged , , , , , , , |

1 Comment

Niche This!

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Should you create a niche market for your law practice? You would typically find this topic more in the business / corporate world. I believe it is important to any business owner in any industry. Law Firms are starting to catch on. Everyone has a process by which they go through to reach certain goals. When starting my solo firm I was a firm believer that I should develop and promote a particular area of the law that I would be known as the expert in. This is not a post about actually developing a niche (maybe I’ll write about that next) but this is more about my own way of evaluating whether a niche market is a viable option to grow myself in. I believe others could benefit from the following questions I asked myself as I developed my niche.

First let’s review a couple of definitions per Wikipedia.com:

1) Niche Market: the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing.
2) Passion: a very strong feeling about a person or thing.

What are you passionate about?
I’ve read blogs, books, and attended conferences about developing a niche market and they all agree on one thing. You have to have passion. We start here because people like doing business with people who enjoy, with enthusiasm, what they are doing on a daily basis. People feel it when you love what you are doing, they enjoy it when you enjoy it, and they know when you are faking it. Let’s face it, wouldn’t you prefer doing something you truly adore engaging in on a daily basis? Take a moment and think about answers to the following questions. What type of activity do you enjoy spending time on, reading about, and sharing with others? If you didn’t have to worry about billable hours what type of work would you gain pleasure from?

What do you know already?
Many of us already have a background or skill sets in certain areas. How can you drill down on an area where you have experience? Think of it as an upside down pyramid, where the bottom is your niche and the top is all areas of knowledge. The more you narrow your niche down the further you go down the pyramid and your skill set will lead you to a logical niche. What areas are you already versed at and could dig a little deeper to develop?

Who do you know already?
Ask clients what their needs are. Ask other attorneys where they see future work coming from. This might just open up ideas that you had not thought about. That’s what happened to me. Be open. If you are interested in another area of the law seek out who would be potential clients and ask them what their needs are. This is what I call informal market research.

Does it make business cents (yes, I meant CENTS)?
Could you make money at this niche market? This relates back to the previous question. If there are potential clients and you are able to meet their needs then the niche might be a viable option. Are you still not sure if this a workable option for you? Give some pro bono time in the area you wish to have a niche or grow your expertise in. You might actually get some work and figure out it’s not what you thought and you can move on quickly. Or on the other side you could enjoy it, do good work, and develop a client. Hence, you now have a niche market.

Having a strong niche makes personal and business sense. Being the go to person on a particular area of the law gives referral sources and clients an easy way to find you. It is okay if it takes time to adopt where you would like to take your practice. As long as you are making positive progress you are moving in the right direction.

About the Author

Tenicia Vanzant practices law from her virtual law office in her home state of Michigan.  She focuses on helping small businesses with an emerging interest in alternative energy law.  Tenicia strives to be efficient in all areas of her life and that includes the business of the law.  She uses social media, software and online law firm management to run her online law office. Her motto is “there’s always room for improvement”. She can be reached at tvanzant@orionlegalservices.com.

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in Guest Contributor, Solo Practice, Virtual Law | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Leave a comment

Cost-Effective Legal Research Alternatives for Solo Attorneys

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Matthew Hickey

Performing legal research is an important and unavoidable aspect of the practice of law, but the costs of using the largest commercial legal research tools (namely, Westlaw and Lexis) are not insignificant. Thankfully, there are numerous no-cost and/or low-cost legal research options available that can help you cut down, or even bypass entirely, those costs, thereby offering your client legal service that is both top notch and cost-effective.

Google Scholar
Considering the fact that it is free, Google Scholar is a surprisingly powerful legal research tool. Without any charge or membership required, Google Scholar provides fully searchable access to full text state and federal case law and statutes, scholarly articles and patents. Using the advanced search option you can limit your results to opinions from specific federal districts or state courts. Citations within your results are hyperlinked to the relevant opinions making research even easier. In fact, it even includes a “How Cited” tab which shows the specific context in which the case you are reading has been cited by other authorities. The database includes all case law dated over 50 years old (80 years or more for federal opinions), but is missing significantly older case law. It’s also worth noting that aside from the “How Cites” tab, there is no quick and easy method to determine if a case is good law as you would on Lexis or Westlaw. Also, Google Scholar doesn’t provide keynotes to summarize a case’s important issues. Nonetheless, the price is certainly unbeatable.

Fastcase
Fastcase provides access to Federal and State case law and statutes. Fastcase has also partnered with 18 state bar associations to provide free legal research to members of those states’ bars. Even if you aren’t a member of those state bar associations, Fastcase also offers a free iPad app that provides free access to case law for all 50 states and access to statutes for most states and the federal government. There are some holes in the offerings including only access to select codes and regulations (and no access at all to statutes for Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Ohio, and Pennsylvania). Membership provides online access to their database without the need of an iPad, and runs between $65-$95 a month (or $695-$995 a year) depending on the plan you choose.

Casemaker Elite
CasemakerElite provides access to Federal and State case law and statutes. Casemaker has partnered with 25 separate state bar associations to provide free legal research to members of those states’ bar associations. Their website provides intuitive interface that immediately calls to mind WestlawNext. Memberships are $49.95 a month for basic membership or $69.95 a month when coupled with Elite Pro which offers CaseCite (to check for negative citation of a case) and CiteCheck (for analyzing citations in your brief).

Jenkins Law Library
Membership with the Jenkins Law Library includes online access to the Fastcase database of cases and statutes, HeinOnline, LegalTrac, Nolo Guides and Forms, and several other useful legal research databases. Jenkins has even negotiated a deal that allows them to provide 20 minutes of daily access to Lexis. That’s certainly enough time to verify your search results and Shepardize the cases you located on Fastcase or Google Scholar. (Update: Jenkins is no longer able to offer Lexis access.  See the comments section for more details). They also provide helpful YouTube videos explaining how to use the various databases available through their service.  And although it isn’t free, it is ridiculously cost effective. Membership is $165 a year per attorney for the first four attorneys in an office.

Are there any good research tools I missed?  If you have a favorite or any insight you’d like to share about any individual service, please let me know in the comments section.

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in legal research tools, New Technology, Solo Practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

2 Comments

5 Tips For New Solo Practitioners

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Matthew Hickey

When I started contributing to The Sociable Lawyer earlier this year I declared that 2012 would be the Year of the Solo Attorney and Small Firm. But that doesn’t mean that I think going solo is going to be easy. Last week we discussed some of the important factors to consider when deciding whether to make the leap into solo practice. Of course some of us (myself included) have already taken that leap. If you too have already decided to make the jump, or are seriously considering it, here are five tips that will hep you make your new practice a success.

1) Constantly Network and Market Your New Firm

The odds are high that in addition to being a solo practitioner you are also your firm’s office manager, paralegal, and receptionist. Nonetheless, while you are getting your practice off the ground you’ll likely have some free time in between cases. Maybe even a LOT of free time. You should spend that time either marketing your firm or networking with colleagues.

You should attend networking events and conferences. You should join professional organizations. But in addition to these traditional marketing routes, I highly recommend starting a blog (or contributing to one) to promote your skills and knowledge online. I recommend creating a Twitter account and engaging with people in the industry you want to represent. In fact you should use any and all avenues of social media available to you including Linked In, Facebook, Google+, and anything that helps you establish your reputation and spread your name.

2) Be Patient

The odds are high that success won’t come over night. In fact, if you don’t have some nights where you find yourself worrying about when the next client is going to knock on your door (virtual or otherwise), then you are exceptionally lucky. Constantly remind yourself that success won’t happen over night. It is going to take both hard work and lots of time.

3) Be Committed

Closely related to being patient is remaining committed to the success of your firm. Like starting and running any new business, starting your own practice requires a lot of time and hard work. You’ll need to be committed to the reality that you have to work hard to make this a success.

4) Never Stop Learning

Keep yourself informed in changes in the law, changes in social media and developments in legal marketing. Learn about ways you can use new technology to make your practice more efficient and cost effective. Keep learning about the industries you represent and the changes that affect those industries. If you do have down time between cases you can use it as an opportunity to research issues that affect your industry. If you are writing a blog, you can kill two birds with one stone by researching a topic and later writing a blog post demonstrating what you’ve learned. Staying up-to-date on industry changes will not only keep you engaged, but it will also be apparent in your conversations with potential clients. Staying up-to-date on changes in technology will allow you to stay competitive and efficient in your practice.

5) Cut Corners Where You Can

Finances can be tight when you first start your practice so it helps to minimize your expenses. There are numerous ways you can do that without jeopardizing your time management and efficiency. For example, at first you might want to consider working from a home office while you develop your practice. Your clients don’t need to know. After all, you’ll frequently communicate with your clients via email and telephone. If face to face meetings are required you may be able to offer to meet with clients in their office (for their convenience of course). If that isn’t practical for reasons specific to your practice you might still be able to consider a shared office space.

You can also cut corners on your legal research by using websites such as Google Scholar Legal (free), Fastcase (free via iPad/iPhone App and through many state bar associations), and Jenkins Law Library ($155 a year); or by hitting the books by visiting a local law library. I regularly recommend using Evernote for case management, not only because it is free for a basic membership, but because it is all the best tool I’ve encountered for organizing case files: paid or otherwise. Meanwhile, Google Docs offers free document and spreadsheet production as an alternative to the costlier Microsoft Word or Word Perfect.

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in New Technology, Solo Practice | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Leave a comment

Are You Ready to Go Solo?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Matthew Hickey

Although many attorneys dream of making the move, the transition from a steady paycheck to the uncertainties of solo practice is scary. Nonetheless, most solo practitioners never look back after making the move and/or will tell you that they are glad they took that leap of faith. Ultimately, whether you are ready or not is a very personal decision between you and your family. Having recently made the move myself, I’ve learned there is a lot to consider. I’ve prepared a list of things to consider to help you decide what the right decision is for you:

1) Is This What You Really Want?

Presumably, you are considering a solo career because you believe that owning your own firm will offer you greater job satisfaction than your current career path. But is that true? Factors such as compensation, stress levels, camaraderie, and autonomy are often thought of as some of the most important elements in career satisfaction, and therefore should be considered when deciding whether this is what you really want for your career.

Compensation
As a solo, you’ll probably not earn as much as your colleagues in BigLaw. Certainly not right off the bat anyways. Still, Carolyn Elefant, author of Solo by Choice, notes that by their second year in solo practice “a solo is likely to be close to matching their previous salary, and, by the third year, most solos will exceed what they earned before leaving a law firm or government position.” Perhaps more importantly, once you bring in clients, every dollar you earn will go towards your salary and running your business. For many people, there is a value in knowing that you alone are earning the fruits of your labor.

Stress Levels
You’ll probably find just as many things to stress about in solo practice as you did as a law firm. Indeed, going solo will dramatically change the nature of your career. You’ll now be responsible for all of the responsibilities of running a business. You’ll have to market your firm, network to expand your circle of colleagues and potential clients, manage all aspects of client development, open and manage multiple bank accounts, create and manage a website, manage the day to day operations of your office, etc. In other words, all of the hundreds of details involved in running a business will be your sole responsibility. And that is on top of the usual responsibilities of being a lawyer.

Camaraderie
Unless you engage in a shared work space or similar arrangement you may find that going solo is lonelier than life at a firm. Of course, I’d personally recommend using that as motivation to network, network, network. In fact, while you are trying to get your practice off the ground you should expect to spend more time on business development, networking and marketing than actually practicing the law. If you aren’t performing legal work, you should be connecting with people who might be able to help you grow your practice.

Autonomy
Perhaps the greatest thrill in going solo is the freedom you’ll experience. “Face time” becomes a silly by-product of your past life. You’ll have the choice as to which clients and cases you accept. You’ll create your own schedule. You won’t have to attend mandatory lunch meetings. You’ll be able to fully judge the quality of your own work by your results instead of by arbitrary billable hour requirements. Heck, you can show up to the office in jeans and a sweatshirt if that suits you. It’s your prerogative.

2) Are You Committed to Making Your Practice a Success?

If you want to succeed as a solo practitioner you’ll need to be driven. By most accounts, the first few months, maybe even the first year, can be discouraging. Clients may not come in as fast as you’d hoped. You’ll face unexpected roadblocks and difficulties in terms of both client development and in just establishing your own business. In order to succeed as a solo practitioner you need to believe in yourself, understand that success doesn’t happen overnight, and be willing to work hard to make your business succeed. You graduated from law school. You passed your state bar. You can do this too if you work hard to make it happen.

3) Can You Afford To Go Solo?

Obviously, finances are an important consideration when considering whether to go solo. You need to consider what types of financial obligations you have. Do you have loans to repay? A mortgage? Are you your family’s sole bread-winner? Unless you are able to bring clients with you into your new practice, it is entirely possible, maybe even likely, that you’ll initially have no income at all from your practice. Ideally, you have enough in your savings to cover your living expenses for a few months while you get your practice off the ground. You can lessen the impact of certain financial obligations, such as student loans, by filing for a deferral or investigating potential loan forgiveness programs.

You may even want to consider what other potential sources of income available to you during those first few months just to keep yourself afloat. But be careful not to become too reliant on those other income sources as many veteran solo attorneys warn that relying on outside income sources can be detrimental to the growth of your new practice.

Thankfully, it is easier than ever to start a practice on a shoestring. You can use services like Evernote for file management. You can use Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, LinkedIn and similar services to promote your expertise and services. There are countless cheap and free apps for your iPhone or iPad that will help you practice law efficiently and cost-effectively. There are hosts of free legal law libraries available on the Internet. It’s easier than ever to work from home, run a virtual law office, or partner with other attorneys for shared office space. Rocket Lawyer’s very own On Call program can help you connect with potential clients and discover new leads.

Are you already a practicing solo attorney?  What other advice would you offer to those considering whether to make the jump?   Let us/them know in the comments!

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in New Technology, Social Media, Solo Practice, Virtual Law | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Leave a comment

Our First Sociable Lawyer Premiere Event of the Year in NYC (Photos)

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Matthew Kaufman

It was great seeing everyone last week at our first Sociable Lawyer Premiere Event of 2012 in New York City’s La Biblioteca!

We had a big turn out to hear the official nominees for the Attorney of the Year Award and even got to meet Robert Howe, one of the nominees, in person.

Meeting so many of you face to face is always a ton of fun.  Check out some photos of the event and don’t forget to vote for the Attorney of the Year! Remember, the winners will each receive a grant to a charity of their choosing.

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in Events | Tagged , , |

Leave a comment

Cyber-Ethics: New Proposed Changes to ABA Model Rule 7.1

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Matthew Hickey

It’s not always easy to determine when a lawyer’s use of social media sites like law blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to market and network violates a state’s ethical rules.

For example, if a lawyer has a LinkedIn profile and receives a recommendation from a former client, is the lawyer responsible for the content of that recommendation? Potentially. A recent South Carolina Advisory Opinion held that the lawyer is in fact responsible for the recommendation since recommendations are “communications about the lawyer’s services.”

To make matters worse, the current Model Rules aren’t entirely clear. In fact, the confusion has led the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services to propose changes to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct.  In a January 19, 2012 letter, the Committee proposed the following changes to Rule 7.1 and Comment 1 of the Model Rules:

A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication to a potential client about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services. A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading.

Comment [1] This Rule governs all communications about a lawyer’s services, including advertising permitted by Rule 7.2.  Whatever means are used by a lawyer to communicate with a potential client about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services to make known a lawyer’s services, statements about them must be truthful.

Comment [4] A communication with a potential client may be misleading when a lawyer recommends the services of another lawyer not in the same law firm and receives something of value for that recommendation without prior notice to the potential client of the recommendation.

The Committee was concerned that the prior version of Rule 7.1 was too broadly interpreted by states in ways that could unconstitutionally impose limits on a lawyer’s free speech. Further, the Committee noted that pursuant to Rule 8.4(c) any communication that is not made to a potential client, but that is nonetheless deceitful or that includes a misrepresentation, could subject the lawyer to discipline anyways.  Thus, the goals of the proposed changes are to differentiate Rule 7.1 from Rule 8.4(c), and to clarify that “the Rule’s application is limited to communications directed to a potential client.”

In other words, the proposed changes are intended to streamline the current Model Rules to make it easier to apply to the use of social media and blogging.

Obviously, the marketing potential from the use of blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are substantial and worthwhile. But the proposed changes call attention to the fact that you’ll want to be careful when using these sites to be certain that the comments you and others make on your site do not contain information about you “the lawyer” or your “lawyer services” that could be considered false and/or misleading — even if that means deleting an overly flattering testimonial that could deceive potential clients.

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in Blogging, Ethics, New Technology, Social Media, Twitter, Virtual Law | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Leave a comment

What Makes a Great Attorney? Vote Now for Attorney of the Year

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Jenny Greenhough

What makes a great attorney?

  • A great attorney fights for his or her clients’ causes relentlessly.
  • A great attorney cares about his or her clients and communicates often and openly.
  • A great attorney tells clients up-front how they’ll be charged, with no surprises.
  • A great attorney generously gives his or her time in the community.
  • A great attorney is the neighbor who helps you dig a fence in your back-yard.

That’s what people said, and a lot more, as they wrote to us about who should win Attorney of the Year.  We sorted through hundreds of glowing nominations for attorneys who make a big difference everyday.

And yes, that made it really hard to choose just 20 finalists.

Click here to view the finalists and vote for your favorites!

Congratulations to the finalists, and a big thanks to all of the great attorneys nationwide who make a difference everyday.  You’re all winners.

Voting is open until March 1.  Please use the twitter hashtag #RLAotY when singing the praises of your favorite finalist.

Image courtesy of Marco Belluci.
 
 
Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in Rocket Lawyer News, Sweepstakes and Contests | Tagged , |

Leave a comment

How To Use Twitter To Promote Your Law Practice

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Matthew Hickey


Social media has radically altered the way people network in all industries. For many lawyers social media has changed not only the way they engage with their clients and colleagues, but has also the way they meet and initially interact with new connections. For this reason alone, Twitter should be a part of your office’s marketing strategy, plain and simple.

Here is why Twitter Can Be Valuable For Your Practice:

1. Discover new and useful information.

Twitter is only as valuable as you make it. When you first create your account you won’t be following anyone and no one will be following you. If you aren’t a famous celebrity, there is no better way to get followers than by following other people first. Once you follow them, many people will reciprocate by following you back. As a result, you are expanding the reach of the messages you posted on Twitter.

But that isn’t the only reason it is important to follow people on Twitter. When you first create your account you’ll probably feel like you don’t understand the appeal of the site. That is normal. That is because part of Twitter’s value comes from the stream of information you receive from the people you follow. The more people you follow, the more information in your stream, and thus the more useful Twitter becomes.

I’d suggest that at first you should seek out at least 100 people to follow. These people can range from famous celebrities, news hosting services, politicians, brands, bloggers, industry leaders, colleagues, family, friends, The Sociable Lawyer, Rocket Lawyer, etc. Once you find some people who share similar interests, it couldn’t hurt to take a look at who they are following as a way to discover more people with similar interests that you’d also benefit from following. If you are doing it right, you’ll eventually probably find yourself following far more than 100 people. If you are following people involved in your industry then you’ll discover that the information they are sharing is often extremely useful.

2. Demonstrate your professional competence and knowledge.

The second reason Twitter will be valuable to your practice is because it gives you an opportunity to simultaneously communicate with many people at once. Your normal messages on Twitter are public, and everyone who follows you can see the information you post on Twitter. In fact, they can take that information and share it with all of their followers by “re-tweeting” your messages. In other words, Twitter is a great way to network with a large number of people simultaneously. If your Tweets demonstrate your knowledge and competence as a professional and a participant in the industries you represent, it should be easy to see how that can help you market your legal services.

3. Basic tips for getting started.

So what is the best way to market your legal services on Twitter? If you are a solo practitioner you should have a single Twitter account. Create an account name that is simple and straightforward. I recommend just using your name or the name of your practice. Your bio should also tell potential followers about you, a few topics you are very interested in (legal and non-legal) and what practice areas you are engaged in. Don’t be afraid to let your personality come through in your bio and your messages. People want to follow real people on Twitter and are more likely to connect with you if you seem genuine and engaging.

Meanwhile, if you are an office with 3 or more attorneys, it makes the most sense to have multiple, individual accounts for each attorney to use to promote the practice. As Adrian Dayton, a lawyer and author of the book Social Media For Lawyers, explains: “social media shouldn’t be 100% of one person’s job, but rather should be 1% of 100 people’s job.” This is because it will provide each of the individual attorneys the opportunity receive new information while simultaneously demonstrating their competence. I’d even argue that the enlightened approach recognizes that your associates can play a big part in promoting your practice through social media. If you trust them to attend cocktail parties, client meet and greets, or other networking events, then you can trust them to promote your practice on Twitter. It demonstrates to your clients that you have smart, thoughtful attorneys working with you on their cases.

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in Blogging, New Technology, Social Media, Twitter | Tagged , , , , , , , |

1 Comment

Are You Cut Out to be a Virtual Lawyer?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Guest Contributor

Virtual law is a fairly new concept in the legal community. Many businesses have been truly successful while only offering an online "store front." The reality is, many industries have learned to use the tools of technology to become more efficient and to attract new customers. For many attorneys, a Virtual Law Office (VLO) is that tool. Basically, a VLO is a tool used by attorneys to do their work using the web and provide legal services to clients primarily online.

Do you have what it takes to effectively run a VLO? Here are 3 simple questions you have to ask yourself before taking the plunge:

1. Can you focus on pure transactional and / or counseling?

2. Do you have an interest and willingness to keep up with technology?

3. Are you a sharer?

If you've answer yes to all the above then you might have the knack to be a virtual lawyer.

1. Can you focus on pure transactional work?

Clients are becoming more and more sophisticated in their legal knowledge and providing full legal service is becoming more difficult in today's environment. Limited, unbundled, transactional, or whatever you wish to call it is the way to go. With that in mind, you have to ask yourself what areas of the law lend themselves to be more transactional than others, or how can you be, let me dare say it, CREATIVE to provide transactional work for clients. Some clients wish to do it themselves and seek counseling on their terms. Business, bankruptcy, estate planning, family law --- these are just some the areas where attorneys with VLOs have made a mark. A VLO doesn't have to be all or nothing proposition. If you want to convert limited service clients to full service-- that's okay. It's your business you can do what you want. Well, you can do what you want within the ethic rules of your jurisdiction that is.

2. Do you have an interest and willingness to keep up with technology?

Having an online law office is all about the technology. There is no way to get past it. If you already are savvy in this area then you are ahead of most attorneys. Take what you know, increase your tech-know and make it work for you. One thing I have learned in my short time as a virtual lawyer is that I don’t have to know it all, but I have to be willing to learn and grow. Technology involves not just marketing yourself by blogging or posting on social media sites. Consider how you will perform your work, and what’s the best way to communicate with clients. What virtual practice management platforms or software will you use for correspondence? Even the simplest avenue such as telephoning takes some additional thought. For example, do you go with a free phone service or pay for a virtual receptionist to answer your calls? Will you have a completely online office or limited office space to meet clients face to face? Do what you are most comfortable with and what makes sense for your practice area.

3. Are you a sharer?

Becoming a virtual attorney requires a commitment to share your knowledge, skills, and expertise without the billable hour attached. You have to be willing to share not only your thoughts and ideas but others point of view. Of course, this will all be done over the public domain of the internet. Nonetheless, this is the most effective means to market your virtual practice and your personal commitment to your clients. How do you share? 1) Blogging for the benefit of clients, other attorneys, or just sharing your opinion, or 2) Commenting or posting about articles that you have or clients might have an interest in. Remember the days when we were told to keep abreast of clients interests, and if we came across an article or wrote an update on case law that could be of interest to them, we should mail them a copy? Think of this in the same way but you save on the stamp.

Becoming a virtual attorney gets your creative juices flowing. This is not a one size fits all. Today’s technology provides you with the choice as to how you want to practice law and be of service. Keeping abreast of our ever changing environment shows an obligation to learn more and more about how to use virtual technology to make the practice of law more accessible and more effective for clients.

Please share your thoughts on what it takes to be a virtual attorney in the comments.

About the Author

Tenicia Vanzant practices law from her virtual law office in her home state of Michigan. She focuses on helping small businesses with an emerging interest in alternative energy law. Tenicia strives to be efficient in all areas of her life and that includes the business of the law. She uses social media, software and online law firm management to run her online law office. Her motto is “there’s alwas room for improvement”. She can be reached at tvanzant@orionlegalservices.com

Related articles
{lang: 'ar'}
Posted in Guest Contributor, New Technology, Online Profile, Virtual Law | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

2 Comments