Ask The Coach
May 01, 2003
This month's question:<BR>We occasionally receive RFPs for work that we really don't want. How can we gracefully phrase the "thanks but no thanks" letter?
On The Job <B>Hiring Process Leads to Good Staffing Decisions</b>
May 01, 2003
Whether you're building a marketing staff, replacing departing employees or expanding the skill sets available for your firm, you'll make better hires if you use a few simple steps to clarify and control the process.
You Are The Tea: The Crucial Role Of Image In Law Firm Marketing
May 01, 2003
Imagine, for a moment that, instead of being an attorney, you are a pile of tea. I'm fairly certain no one has ever asked you to do so before, but bear with me. You are a pile of tea. Not a big pile. A few ounces. And, truth be told, you aren't much different than any other pile of tea. You might be a slightly different flavor. You might be decaffeinated. And, while tea connoisseurs might disagree, to almost everyone else, let's face it, tea is tea. Now, here's your choice: You can put yourself in a generic box with the local supermarket chain's logo on it and sell on aisle 14 for $1.99, or you can pack yourself into a fancy white box decorated with Japanese higura characters with delicate cranes and bonsai trees, call yourself Tazo, and sell at Starbucks for $4.99.
Firms Take Hard Line on Law Directories
May 01, 2003
What is the single biggest marketing expense at many large law firms? Not hip, computer-animated television commercials. Not bold, full-page ads in <I>The New York Times</I> or <I>The Wall Street Journal</i>. Certainly not pens and tote bags handed out to clients and law students.
Product Review: RainMaker Software's Business Intelligence Suite
May 01, 2003
Founded in 1845, Robinson & Cole LLP is a commercial law firm with more than 200 lawyers in six offices throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. As with most firms, our time and billing system is critical to daily operations. Vast amounts of information go into the system, but extracting data in a meaningful way was always a struggle.
No Strings Attached: Cutting the TechnoCord with a Wireless Law Practice
May 01, 2003
Those frustrating cables ' they're everywhere! Intertwining and connecting seemingly plug-incompatible gadgets in our laptop cases; tangling purses and briefcases in a snakelike mass of plastic-encased cords; connecting Palms to PCs; going from headsets to cell phones; "conveniently" linking us to printers (when sometimes the cables weigh more than the laptop); stretching to scanners; retracting (or not) from telephones; coiling like a garden hose around the legs of our chairs while connecting us to a network. Arrgh! Enough!
Practice Tip: <B>How AutoCorrect Can Help in Document Creation</b>
May 01, 2003
Last month we introduced you to AutoCorrect, a Microsoft Word feature that allows you to automatically detect and correct typos, capitalization errors and general misspellings as you type. We explained the differences between plain text and formatted text and how each is treated within AutoCorrect and also provided steps on how to add and remove AutoCorrect entries.
Put Technology In Its Place ... and Deliver Results To The Bottom Line
May 01, 2003
When lawyers discuss the role of information technology in their practice, a phrase often heard is "it's a necessary evil." Regardless of firm size or practice area, complaints regarding information technology (IT) are unfortunately all too common: large investments ... disappointing results.
After 100 Years, Hospital Liability Takes a Sharp Turn
May 01, 2003
You are ordinarily not liable for the misdeeds of others, right? Sure, you can be vicariously liable for certain conduct of employees and agents, but not others you may associate with, such as independent contractors. Except sometimes. And now, if you're a hospital that allows independent contractor physicians to treat patients at your facility, "sometimes" is presumptively "all the time." That is the rule laid down in the recent decision, <i>Mejia v. Community Hospital of San Bernardino</i> (2002), 99 Cal.App.4th 1448.
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