A bill is a communication with a client, which means it is a marketing opportunity. Use this “2xFISTed” acronym to remind you how to make your bill shine and increase the likelihood that it will both get paid promptly and speak to the value you offer your client when she looks at it.
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In advertising on your law firm website, wouldn’t you love to feature praise like this from judges? [Your name here] is, I think, an exceptional lawyer, one of the most exceptional lawyers I’ve had the pleasure of appearing before me…
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In November 2012, Washingtonians voted in favor of Initiative 502 (I-502), which legalized the possession of certain amounts of marijuana by adults 21 and older. I-502 also legalized the commercial cultivation, manufacture, and retail sale of marijuana. While I-502 created a legal marijuana economy in Washington, it had no effect on the federal Controlled Substances […]
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When you last heard from us, we were in the buildup to Seattle’s first-ever Legal Technology Startup Weekend, held the weekend of Oct. 10, 2014, at WeWork. As a refresher, Startup Weekend is a nonprofit organization that hosts three-day competitions where teams develop and launch startup enterprises.
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In 1886, Reuben H. Donnelley created the first official Yellow Pages directory, which grew into the advertising giant of the last generation that lawyers have been part of for years. Ask your niece/nephew about the Yellow Pages and see what reaction you get: the 10-year-old won’t even know what it is and the 20-year-old will say they […]
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Your law firm is ready for a location change. Now it’s time to box everything up and ship it across the city. Simple as that, right? If only. I am the firm administrator for a six-attorney office that, for the past several years, was located in downtown Kirkland. Our lease was ending in the upcoming […]
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No matter how good you are or how brilliant your idea for a firm is, there will be surprises after you start. You think one set of clients will flood in, but instead you get another set. You are impressed with one online marketing strategy at the beginning, only to be horrified six months later […]
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In the June WSBA Legal Lunchbox CLE, a poll was taken. One of the questions was, “How many of you have a business plan currently?” After 495 people responded the numbers were tallied. Less than 20% of the viewers had a business plan. Some of that could be attributed to the viewership not all being business owners […]
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Whether you embrace technology or grudgingly tolerate it, it’s an unavoidable part of the modern law practice. But incorporating technology into your office doesn’t have to be painful. Our tech-book guide, featured in the July/August issue of NWLawyer, is full of books that will show you how to create a LinkedIn profile, run a virtual […]
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As a former IOLTA auditor, I saw a large variety of skill levels in bookkeepers. People who call themselves bookkeepers are not all cut from the same cloth. There is no licensing requirement in our state for bookkeepers. Plus, not all bookkeepers understand that the rules of IOLTA record keeping are not the same as keeping the firm’s […]
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Recently, someone told me that succession planning for her firm didn’t sound interesting at all and she didn’t need it because she was a millennial. I hadn’t bought into the “millennials think they are invincible” theory completely until that moment. Well, I’m here to tell you the bad news: Unpredictable things happen to everyone — […]
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It is important for a lawyer to select the correct professional services entity. Otherwise, a lawyer may be in violation of the following statutes (for example, Chapter 18.100 RCW, RCW 25.15.045 and RCW 25.05.510). The selection of the wrong entity could also violate the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct (for example, RPC 8.4 for misrepresentation […]
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Marketing in a small town can present unique challenges to the solo or small firm practitioner. You have a smaller pool of potential clients from which to draw. You also have a product — or, in this case, a service — which doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the traditional advertising and marketing methods of other […]
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Few of us became lawyers without incurring substantial debt and forgoing opportunities to earn a living during those years of studying. Further, most of us entered the profession with the expectation of earning at least an above-average income. Providing pro bono, low bono, and other charity services is noble and should be encouraged. That said, you cannot […]
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April 8, 2014, marked the end of support to Windows XP. Microsoft says it will push some security updates until 2015, but it is time to be proactive and decide what to do to protect your system, if you still have Windows XP. Option 1: Install an alternative operating system. “Upgrade” to Windows 8.1. Be […]
Read More… Perhaps you are a solo practitioner ready to hire your first assistant, or a small firm practitioner whose practice is thriving and it’s time to add an associate. Whatever your reasons for bringing a new person on board, here are 5 key components that can help make the process a success. Craft an up-to-date, well […]
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