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Showing posts from September, 2020

Becoming a Legal Twitterer

Surveys  show that a significant number of lawyers and their firms are using Twitter.  Lawyers mostly use Twitter for following news, marketing, and establishing reputations. See samples using a  Directory of Legal Twitterers , a  List of Lawyers to Follow , or a  Table of Top Law Feeds .  Learn more by reading articles about the benefits of Twitter , creating an account , ethical issues , getting followers , marketing with social media ,  starting up , and user tips .   Also see O'Reilly's  Twitter Book  and the ABA's   Guide to Legal Ethics and Social Media.

Digitally Signing Documents

Signature technology can be used on business, government, and personal documents.  Popular software programs with electronic signature capability include Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word .  Digital signature software programs like Docusign  provides encryption in addition to electronic signatures. Learn more by reading articles about paperless signing , notarizing e-documents ,  document management ,  legal requirements , and when and  how to use signature technology .  Also see reviews of software for  digital signatures  and  document management.

Checking Facts

Fact checking is essential because of the exponential growth of news sources and partisan reporting. Remember to be skeptical, compare sources, and don't share articles without verifying. For more fact checking tips, read articles about bias ,  literacy , reliability , scammers ,  spotting fake news , and teaching critical thinking . Try adding a fact checking extension to your web browser. Check out the bias ratings of your news sources at a fact checking website  and view a  diagram of ideology ranking  of news sources.  Consult the ABA's Legal Fact Checker which seeks to help media and individuals find answers to legal issues.

Drafting Better Contracts

Write professional looking contracts by using concise wording, paragraph numbering, section headings, and tables of contents. Use letter-size paper and single spacing to make contracts easier to scan. For more tips, read articles about  form libraries , word processing ,  writing clearly , and technology tools  like document management software . Improve your drafting skills by attending an ALI Webinar  or taking a Ken Adams  workshop . Also see Dell  Toedt's  archive of drafting articles  and his contract checklist .  For in-depth study, read PLI's contract handbook  and the  ABA's Manual of Style for Contracts and other ABA books about business contracts , computer contracts , construction contracts , documenting deals ,  drafting style ,  government contracts , leases ,  medical contracts ,   prose in contracts ,  settlement agreements , structuring transactions , and tech contracts .  Webinar

Boosting Morale

Good morale benefits law firms, lawyers, and staff.  Morale improves recruitment, productivity, and teamwork. Read articles about  improving law firm morale with coaching ,  compensation , communication s, mentoring , and newsletters .  Also read articles about productivity improvemen t and boosting morale during the Coronavirus situation  and recessions . For more in-depth study, read the ABA's book about Lessons in Leadership and  Being a Champion for Your Firm and Employees .

Marketing with Blogs

Blogging builds reputations, informs clients, and markets professional services. It can be done by individual lawyers or by groups or firms. Research best practices by reviewing top ranked blogs . Add a Blog page to your firm’s website and enable visitors to subscribe for email updates. Search blogs using the ABA's Search Tool , Justia's Blog Directory , and Lexblog's Network  to access blogs published by thousands of lawyers and law firms. Learn more by reading articles about creating , hosting , marketing , readership , rankings , starting ,  syndicating   and tips .  Read books like the ABA's Blogging in One Hour  and the Dummy's Guide for in-depth study. And see below for links to Blog Pages at law firm websites hosted by Justia. Sample Blog Pages at Law Firm Webistes Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell , Los Angeles (Business Law) Arnold & Smith , Charlotte (Divorce Law) Siegfried River a , Coral Gables (Construction Law)

Marketing with Podcasts

Podcasts are recorded audio programs that are available using websites or podcast apps. Podcasting began in the early 2000’s. Now more than 30% of Americans listen to podcasts while driving, exercising, and walking. Lawyers can podcast to attract prospects and educate clients. It can be used to spotlight practice specialties or firm achievements.   Podcasting requires more time and money than other marketing activities, but it can help you and your firm stand out from others. Make podcasts available at your firm's website and on popular services like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Spotify.  Consider using a consultant to overcome technical challenges.  Below are resources for do-it-yourselfers, including articles, books, directories, and examples of lawyers who podcast.   Articles Benefitting from Podcasts Challenges Finding Listeners   Keeping it Legal Lawyers Who Podcast   Launching a Podcast   Listening to Podcasts to Get News Marketing with Podcasts Promoting Firm Podcasts Statisti

Advancing Careers

Legal careers are a journey that starts with law school and ends at retirement. Stops along the way include new jobs and firms, practice specializations, career pivots, and partnerships. To assure career success, read articles about career strategies ,  creating a checklist , doing a makeover , getting a mentor , specializing ,  and professional development.  For in-depth study,  read career books  like the ABA's Guide to Building a Successful Law Career , NALP's Guides to Legal Specialties and  Managing Careers , and Thomson's Career Management Handbook . F or more information,  visit  career blogs  and  websites  like the ABA Career Center . 

Keeping Current

Set aside time in your daily schedule to check developments in law, news, and technology. Keep current on legal news by visiting legal news websites . Stay alert to general news by subscribing to top ranked aggregators , associations ,  blogs , newsletters , newspapers , podcasts ,  twitter feeds , and websites . U se social media posts for quick updates and scholarly journals for deeper learning.  Use  podcasts ,  social media , and webinars while commuting, exercising, or travelling. Consult a bias checker to view a  bias chart . Avoid information overload by curating news sources and limiting media use, and switching off alerts. For more strategies, read articles about  checking facts ,  preemption checking ,  publications for lawyers , and staying current on legal news and  current events .  Also check resources at websites maintained by law libraries at universities of  HK , USF , and  UW .

Researching Legal Blogs

Legal blogs contain concise articles about developments in law , marketing , management , and technology . Publishers include associations , individuals , law firms , and  research organizations . Subscribe to a blog's RSS Feed or newsletter  to  stay current  with  top blogs .   Research blogs using  t he ABA's Search ,  Justia's Directory , and Lexblog’s Channels . Also see Duke's  Resources , NYU's Tools , the Law Professors Blog Network  and NLRG Archive . Remember  to consider the source and check the author to avoid using inaccurate information .

Researching Legal Articles

Bar journal and law review articles save time by providing analysis, explanation, and leads to key primary sources. Visit Harvard Law Library's website for an article about finding articles . And  click here for the ABA's free tool for searching law journals.  

Marketing with Social Media

Social media impacts careers, discovery, marketing, reputation, and research. ABA surveys indicate that many lawyers and firms are using social media tools like Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Podcasts, and Twitter. Get started or improve your skills by reading the articles and books linked below. Articles  Alternatives Avoiding Over Use Best Practices   Creating Brand Identity Discovery in Legal Proceedings Influencers   Ethics   Marketing with LinkedIn Metrics   Networking Managing Social Media Marketing with Social Media Networking Participating in Online Communities Strategies Using LinkedIn Time Tips   Writing Books  Creating an Online Publishing Strategy Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers Lawyers Guide to Social Media LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers LinkedIn Marketing Techniques Legal Ethics and Social Media Marketing on the Internet Social Media Law Social Media Marketing Twitter in One Hour for Lawyers Young Lawyers Guide to Social Media Providers Blogging Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Staying Healthy

During the Coronavirus situation, stay healthy by taking daily walks, going on weekend outings, and finding activities to keep connected with family and friends. For more health tips, read articles about exercise videos , eating healthy ,  getting exercise , making friends ,  mental health ,  staying healthy , walking , and  well-being . Also see the ABA's book on Well-Being an d its Mental Health Website , and visit Bloomberg's Lawyer Health Website . 

Prospecting for Clients

Dale Carnegie's best-selling book about marketing explains how to win over people by being attentive, friendly, and sympathetic. Titled How to Win Friends and Influence People, over 30 million copies have been sold since first publication about 100 years ago. Click here for an article with tips and resources for using Carnegie’s methods to convert prospects into clients.  Also see articles about addressing unmet needs ,  improving intake , and using  checklists , forms   and software .  

Managing Reputations

Clients, lawyers, and jurists use the Internet to evaluate your reputation for ethics, knowledge, and trustworthiness. In January 2021 the ABA released ethical guidance about responding to online criticism. Manage your reputation by monitoring references to your name on the Internet to correct errors and supplement information.  Use AAW's Checklist for Reputation Management  and DBI's Digital Branding Checklist .  Read articles about building your reputation ,  editing your Google profile , ethical concerns ,  handling fallout from bad reviews , improving your reputation ,  managing directory listings ,  protecting your firm's reputation , and  responding to negative reviews .