How will law firms deal with the different class and experience levels that may be joining law firms at the same time? In this new legal world, designating classes for advancement by law school graduation year may no longer be feasible.
SHAKING HANDS DURING THE FLU EPIDEMIC - Legal Sales British Airways is currently running an ad which states, "Emails do not end in handshakes." And while their business development team is hoping you will jump on one of ther planes and run over the pond to England, their message is "spot on." All too many involved in lawyer marketing believe electronics are the way to client retention or demonstrate strong closing skills. If they were but to…
It is vitally important that partners examine the culture of their firm before making "blanket" modifications to the partnership structure/admission practices simply to satisfy the current, and perhaps short-term, economic issues.
When a Pension is addressing its liabilities and assets, it is important that it present a simple, straightforward way to fund for the future for its participants in a meaningful and effective manner. The volatility of the markets since 2007 has increased demands on the Pensions, as an uneasy balance of influences and the Pension Protection Act of 2006 have required increasing funding levels to meet mandated levels.
At long last, marketing and communications can take center stage and become the key indicator by which law firms can measure their success ratio.
Apprenticeships for new lawyers sound promising and the firms that are implementing them should be commended. However, under the current system of legal education and private practice, this model may not be realistic for most law firms.
Before firms can address the changes they need to make in their management and leadership, they must identify and understand the trends and issues that have developed, and the challenges they are creating. The list is extensive.
THE RED ZONE PLAY OF THE WEEK - 6 Touchdowns in the Snow Scoring 6 touchdowns in the snow is a truly special accomplishment, even for the New England Patriots. They anticipate the positives and the obstacles to accomplishing their goals. So too must business development consultants insure that their attorney marketing training includes a heavy dose of understanding the in-house counsel selection process. Just like a football player learns where the oppornents' strengths are located, so…
How to Avoid Destroying Your Firm's Future By Arbitrary Expense Cutting and Obsolete Planning Techniques There is a wonderful old Russian folk tale about the family in a sled being chased by ferocious wolves. To slow down the wolves, thinking to protect the remaining family members, they threw children overboard. That story comes to mind as we watch law firms, chased by the wolves of a depressing economy, decimate their firms by furloughing or firing staff, deferring'
A bunch of loose nails can be pounded with a shoe or a rock, but why not buy a hammer so you have the right tool for the job? Similarly, a load of transcripts can be tagged with sticky flags and painstakingly summarized on a yellow legal pad, but why not use software to help you comprehensively manage and annotate them? TextMap 5 from LexisNexis (formerly CaseSoft) is the right tool for the job.
