Juggling a newborn baby and a solo practice isn’t easy. I discovered this firsthand after welcoming my daughter into the world this past January. It was especially difficult for me because I work from home, and I’m what my wife refers to as a “hands on” type of father. In fact, from the first day…
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Tag Archives | lawyer
9 Tips for Drafting a Clear-Cut Contract
Many lawyers define themselves as being involved in either litigation or transactional law. In fact, I do this myself. And for many, the distinction may be somewhat warranted. But if you’re a solo practitioner or small-firm attorney, there’s a good chance that your work involves at a little of both. Even if your practice focuses…
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The Baby and the Solo Practice
5 Easy Ways to Support Your Support Staff
Next Wednesday, April 24, is Administrative Professionals Day—a chance to recognize the hard work and achievements of the support staff who are essential to any successful business. For small legal practices, your support staff is especially critical to your success. If you’re like most lawyers, you probably have no idea how to e-file your latest…
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The Independent Solo: Working Amicably With Opposing Counsel
There is a misconception both within the legal industry and about the legal industry that opposing counsel must be nasty to each other. However, it’s been my experience that not only does an adversarial relationship not have to be an unpleasant relationship, but it’s better for everyone involved when it is not. Indeed, in cases…
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The Newly Independent Attorney: What To Do When You Make A Mistake
Many lawyers, especially lawyers new to the game, live in near constant fear of making mistakes. Those attorneys who don’t live with a healthy amount of respect for the possibility of mistakes are bound to confront the issue the hard way sooner or later. Truly, no one is perfect (except maybe San Francisco Giants’ starting…
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The Many Benefits of Having a Blog
At the recent Sociable Lawyer Meetup at The House of Shields in San Francisco, an attorney I met asked me: “Should I start a blog?” Of course, my answer was “Yes.” As you may recall, in my second ever blog post for The Sociable Lawyer I recommended that attorneys consider blogging in order to grow their professional…
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Follow Up to The Sociable Lawyer Meetup at House of Shields
There is no question that social media provides incredible opportunities for tech-savvy attorneys who want to expand their reputation and professional network. Using Twitter and Facebook you can meet, interact, and communicate with colleagues and potential clients across the globe from your home or office. And although we believe strongly in the value of those…
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Fastcase’s Powerful New Legal Research Tool for Android
As you already know, legal research costs aren’t insignificant. Especially if you rely on Westlaw or Lexis. This can be a huge hurdle for many newly solo practitioners who struggle to keep overhead and costs as low as possible. This may be especially true if you charge clients on a flat fee basis. Thankfully, there…
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The Newly Independent Attorney: Staying Productive When Working From Home
New technology continuously changes the way in which we live our lives. And, of course, that includes the way we work. Telecommuting, virtual law practices, and similar arrangements are certainly among some of the biggest of those changes. Indeed, some studies suggest that as many as 20-30 million people work from home at least one…
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The Newly Independent Attorney: Billing Issues Follow Up
In a post last week I considered the issue of how newly independent attorneys can determine what to charge clients, when to charge clients, and how much to charge clients. It’s an issue every newly independent attorney entering solo practice has to address. After publishing my post, I presented the issue to the attorneys on…
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