Editorial	Practice Management and Operations	Law Firm Marketing
Legal Technology	Notable Mentions of the Week	Podcasts

July 20, 2007

Issue 4

In this Issue:

iPhone Useful for Lawyers?
Greening of the Brief
Practice Management Blog
How To Professionally End a Business Relationship
Ten Ways To Get Business When Bootstrapping A Startup
Small Firm Marketing Blog
Electronic Marketing Tips
Should Law Firm Advertising include Directory Listings?
Assess Your Firm's Performance
The ABA Law Practice Management Section's webzine, Law Technology Today's New Podcast and other resources:
Legal Writing and technology: Odd Bedfellows
LexisNexis Enhances atVantage Law Firm Business Development Solution
Injury Lawyer Referral Service Found Unethical-Consumers Beware
Is Your Lawyer on YouTube? No? That Might Be a Good Thing…
PodCasts

Editorial

Is the iPhone for Lawyers?

By Alina Dain

Tired of all the iPhone hype? Do you see the iPhone as the newest toy for adolescents and have trouble taking it seriously? Depending on your needs as an attorney, you just might be mistaken.

You've heard it before: the iPhone is Apple's new internet-enabled device that functions as a mobile phone, a camera, a video player, and an mp3 player. Using a touch screen, the iPhone enables the customer to use e-mail, web browsing, text messaging, and visual voicemail on the go.

In a legal technology blog from http://lawtech.wordpress.com, Steven Richardson says,"If you just need a good smart phone that combines your phone and PDA, you're probably already good to go […] However, if you need to be connected to the internet for e-mail and web browsing, and using your laptop is not always practical, the wider screen and interface has a lot of advantages as far as the display of the information and navigating the web."

“Using a touch screen, the iPhone enables the customer to use e-mail, web browsing, text messaging, and visual voicemail on the go.”

The iPhone does have potential disadvantages. Stevenson mentions that you will not be able download non-Apple applications to the device, which might limit you, and essentially the iPhone was not designed for business purposes. This does not mean that the device cannot be helpful to a technology savvy attorney, but before you run to the store, define the degree of technology implementation in your firm, consider whether you can afford a device whose entry-level model costs $499, and finally, wait some time to check out customer reviews. Keep an open mind. It may be what you've been looking for.

Practice Management and Operations

Greening of the Brief

Many attorneys will use hundreds of sheets of printing paper… per day! Attorneys are beginning to recognize their business' environmental impact and have responded by implementing strategies to protect the environment while realizing substantial savings.
http://makower.typepad.com/joel_makower/2007/07/law-firms-and-t.html

Practice Management Blog

Are you thinking of outsourcing, downsizing, or making a business operation modification? Before making your next move, find out what others have tried. At MyShingle.com you’ll receive advice from real attorneys who discuss the dos and don’ts of managing small firms. http://www.myshingle.com/my_shingle/law_practice_management/index.html

How to Professionally End a Business Relationship

Ending a business relationship can be as uncomfortable and emotional as breaking up with a companion. However, there are steps you can take to ease the tension and end the relationship on a positive note.
http://www.inbusinesslasvegas.com/2007/07/13/law.html

Law Firm Marketing

Ten Ways to Get Business When Bootstrapping A Startup

Maintain a consistent flow of clients with simple and cost-effective marketing practices that will increase the probability of your firm’s success.
http://desicritics.org/2007/06/23/120019.php

Small Firm Marketing Blog

Blogs are no longer outlets for self-reflection and rant. Now, legal professionals are harnessing the Blog as a marketing tool. Find out the right way to Blog and avoid legal problems.
http://dcbalpm.wordpress.com/2007/06/30/pr-firm-tech-image-on-blogging/

Electronic Marketing Tips

Are you a multi-tasker? Are your ears free? Listen to an informative, and useful, half-hour discussion about electronic marketing over lunch without wiping your hands between bites.
http://www.legalmarketingblog.com/
marketing-tips-electronic-marketing-advice-from-a-couple-of-technology-pros.html

Should Law Firm Advertising include Directory Listings?

Law Firm Marketing Coach, Henry Harlow, discusses the benefits and drawbacks of listing your service in a directory, outlines the types of directories that are good marketing tools and the types to avoid, and points out strategies for proper directory marketing.
http://www.Law-Firm-Marketing-Coach.com

Assess Your Firm’s Performance

Please log on to http://legalcast.wufoo.com/forms/assess-your-firms-performance/
to complete a short survey.

Legal Technology

The ABA Law Practice Management Section's Webzine, Law Technology Today’s New Podcast and Other Resources

“How do you help clients find their way to your doorstep? Use the Internet's whizbang! This podcast contains many tips and strategies, including website development and search engine optimization, the purchase of keywords on search engines, directory listings (free and paid), electronic newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and much more.”
http://www.abanet.org/lpm/ltt/articles/vol1/is4/digitaledge/index.shtml

Legal Writing and Technology: Odd Bedfellows

Sean Harrington discusses various online sources such Wikipedia and e-briefs, which have raised concerns of unreliability when used for legal research. Attorneys should use good judgment when using Internet sources for legal research and in court documents.
http://mntech.typepad.com/msba/2007/06/legal-writing-a.html

LexisNexis Enhances atVantage Law Firm Business Development Solution

LexisNexis has announced the development of a new version of atVantage™ that aids businesses such a law firms. The advanced business development solution analyzes and tracks growth opportunities, identifies trends, and evaluates competing firms. The new version provides refined navigation, competitive intelligence information gathering capabilities, additional content, and additional integration with complementary technologies. http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?
ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070627005013&newsLang=en

Notable Mentions of the Week

Injury Lawyer Referral Service Found Unethical-Consumers Beware

Firm Marketing through client testimonials and dramatizations is illegal in the state of Florida. The Florida Bar is now taking legal action against several attorneys who gained clients through such a service. Attorneys throughout the U.S. should check their state’s law on the matter before pursuing such advertising.
http://www.orlandoinjurylawyerblog.com/2007/06/injury_lawyer_referral_service.html

Is Your Lawyer on YouTube? No? That Might Be a Good Thing…

Patrick Thibodeau discusses a controversial YouTube video that shows an immigration attorney giving advice on how to circumvent the U.S. requirement to hire American workers before hiring foreign workers. Attorneys should learn from this case and use good judgment when marketing on websites such a YouTube and be aware of the dangers of promoting by offering “not so legal” advice to clients.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?
command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9025879

PodCasts

To listen to any of our audio PodCasts on legal topics of interest to you, click this link http://www.legalfish.com/podcast/index.php

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