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So far this year, we’ve published more than 200 blogs posts but just a handful of them have been contributed blog posts – and those contributed posts are exceptional.
Below is a list of seven contributed posts – most of which were published over the summer and might have been missed – which we solicited from legal experts across the industry. The ideas conveyed span an array of interests, from large law business development to corporate counsel and small law firm strategy.
1. Unique Tech Needs of Virtual Law Firms
Stacey Romberg, an attorney in Seattle, took a “leap of faith” in 1999 and started her own law firm – a virtual law firm. Virtual law comes with its own unique challenges and advantages including specific technology requirements. “Operating an efficient virtual law firm and using case management software goes hand in hand,” she wrote. She makes her case with five strong points based on her experience.
2. Tips for Modern Law Firms with Modern Clients
“Trying to apply 20th century solutions to 21st century clients simply won’t work,” according to Camille Stell of Lawyers Mutual. “It will result in sour client relations, which in turn will produce bar grievances and malpractice claims.” Why? Because the new generation of modern law firm clients “want less service and expect lower fees. They are ‘do-it-yourselfer’s’. They diagnose themselves on WebMD and want to Skype with a doctor to get a prescription.”
3. Small Law Planning: It’s the Execution
In an epic post on strategic planning for small law firms, Charity Anastasio, a Practice Management Advisor with the WSBA Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP), points out executing on a plan is often the hardest part. “The importance of communication in this part of the process cannot be overemphasized,” she wrote. “It is essential that transparency be the rule and that everyone in the firm be compliant with the changes, at a minimum, and optimistic and excited about them as an ideal.”
4. Law Firm BD: Blocking and Tackling
Sometimes the best answers for improving the pipeline mean returning to the fundamentals. In a rather witty, if not contrarian, contribution, Derek Maine of Teague Campbell Dennis & Gorham, LLP, writes, “Like a great many things in life, what you are doing is perfectly fine and you are being held back by what you are not doing.” While some in the industry swear by conferences for networking and new business development, Mr. Teague’s answer suggests what’s old is new again. “You need to stuff envelopes,” he said.
5. The In-house and Outside Counsel Relationship
“Quite often, the laments and wish lists by in-house counsel and outside counsel are fundamentally the same,” according to Timothy B. Corcoran of the Corcoran Consulting Group. He offers a list of creative ideas to build a roadmap for improved collaboration.
6. How to CRM for Law Firms
“While legal tends to lag behind in technology adoption, it is critical for firms to adopt and embrace a Client Relationship Management system (CRM) in order to compete,” wrote Deb Dobson of Fisher & Phillips LLP. “CRM is the technology that helps a firm better understand and manage the relationships with clients, prospects and referral sources.”
7. eDiscovery: Insource or Outsource
“With every unique organization starting from a different vantage point and facing varying possible outcomes, this decision-making process can seem overwhelmingly complicated,” according to George Socha of Socha Consulting LLC, and co-founder of EDRM, a guidelines and standards organization that creates practical resources to improve eDiscovery and information governance.
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We are always interested in original, well-conceived and non-promotional concepts from contributors. If you have an idea for a guest post, please read the “About Us” section for a few guidelines and contact information to pitch and idea.
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Photo credit: Flickr, Tim Evanson, Albert V Bryan Federal District Courthouse (CC BY-SA 2.0)