My Shingle has standing room only
Carolyn Elefant, proprietor of My Shingle, discussed marketing a solo and small firm by creating a network of professional colleagues. She attracted a standing room only crowd at the LegalTech show in Los Angeles and held the audience in the palms of her hands. Job well-done!
Chevron GC gripes against technology vendors
Charles A. James, General Counsel of Chevron, Inc., started his keynote remarks at Los Angeles’ LegalTech program by describing his employer, Chevron, as one of the Corporate 5!
I’m familiar with Corporate 100, AmLaw 100, etc. When he spoke about the top 5 companies in the world, he jarred my sensitivities. He’s right, of course, and I intellectually knew that. But, he connected with the emotional side of my understanding. He got my attention.
Of course, that’s the function of the keynote presenter – get the attention of the audience. He did that by describing his gripes against technology vendors ... and challenges to law firms.
Discussing how much work Chevron "farms out" (outsources) to outside counsel, and the metric (see below) he uses to increase the size of his internal legal department, Mr. James was more candid than I recall from other GC.
Continue Reading...
I’m familiar with Corporate 100, AmLaw 100, etc. When he spoke about the top 5 companies in the world, he jarred my sensitivities. He’s right, of course, and I intellectually knew that. But, he connected with the emotional side of my understanding. He got my attention.
Of course, that’s the function of the keynote presenter – get the attention of the audience. He did that by describing his gripes against technology vendors ... and challenges to law firms.
Discussing how much work Chevron "farms out" (outsources) to outside counsel, and the metric (see below) he uses to increase the size of his internal legal department, Mr. James was more candid than I recall from other GC.
Continue Reading...
IRS changes mileage rates
Thanks to Michelle Gallagher for the following information:
2008 MILEAGE RATE CHANGES
Purpose Rates 1/1 - 6/30 Rates 7/1-12/31
Business 50.5 58.5
Medical/Moving 19 27
Charitable 14 14
This is the first time in my memory that the IRS is reasonably current with today's economic realities! <g> If you have to go 10 miles to the grocery store, the IRS believes it will cost you $5.85 for the trip! All the more reason to ride a bike or shop more locally ... How has your life been impacted by "Big Oil"?
This is the first time in my memory that the IRS is reasonably current with today's economic realities! <g> If you have to go 10 miles to the grocery store, the IRS believes it will cost you $5.85 for the trip! All the more reason to ride a bike or shop more locally ... How has your life been impacted by "Big Oil"?
LA Tech Show
New York (ALM) is the “big one.” Chicago is home of the ABA. And now, Los Angeles is doing its part in promoting the effective use of technology. The partnership between ALM and Los Angeles County Bar Association continues to grow. Countervailing trends are at work and I’m eager to see the results with the show opening tomorrow.
Travel has become more difficult and expensive, thus localizing efforts to bring the information to the people rather than the people to the information makes sense. Of course, you do remember we’re talking about technology? There should be no reason to travel to see the benefits of technology ... just do it over the web!
On the other hand, as the phone company realized years ago, “high tech, high touch” is required to be truly effective today. Thus, personal contact and demonstration and networking are essential even in a techie world. Hence, the LA show.
There has been so much consolidation in the legal services world of technology, however, that it will be interesting to see just how many vendors are left standing to show in Los Angeles.
Stay tuned for more. As I said, I’m eager to see the 2008 version of the show.
Travel has become more difficult and expensive, thus localizing efforts to bring the information to the people rather than the people to the information makes sense. Of course, you do remember we’re talking about technology? There should be no reason to travel to see the benefits of technology ... just do it over the web!
On the other hand, as the phone company realized years ago, “high tech, high touch” is required to be truly effective today. Thus, personal contact and demonstration and networking are essential even in a techie world. Hence, the LA show.
There has been so much consolidation in the legal services world of technology, however, that it will be interesting to see just how many vendors are left standing to show in Los Angeles.
Stay tuned for more. As I said, I’m eager to see the 2008 version of the show.
Mike Downey, attorney with Hinshaw and Culbertson LLP in St. Louis, MO talks about Alternative fees
Mike Downey is an attorney with Hinshaw and Culbertson LLP in St. Louis, MO. He recently spoke to several members of the Finance Core Group, Law Practice Management Section, American Bar Association, about the reasons for and some ethical considerations of alternative legal fees. His comments were well-spoken and directly on target for lawyers who have client responsibilities in negotiating fees before the inception of legal work.
27 minutes, 24 seconds
6.4MB
If all else fails, sue!
It's very hot where I am today --- over 100 degrees. Many parts of our country are facing one natural disaster or another. Sweltering heat, overrun rivers, fires, etc. You name it, and Nature seems to be telling us that she is in control, not us. Can we do something to address Nature's wrath? In many cases, the answer is yes ... be sure we have enough power for air conditioning, build the levees well enough to withstand the "500 year storm," etc. You get the idea. There must be the political will to do this.
Likewise, in our law practice. Clients get angry with us, they have financial reverses, they didn't get the result they expected or, for some unknown reason, they just don't pay their bill. Can we do something to avoid this situation? More so than with weather, the answer is "yes." We can be more proactive in both our intake session --- setting reasonable expectations --- and we can be more vigilant monitoring our clients' behavior after our billings are mailed, making sure we get paid for work we do or we stop working before the client will be prejudiced by our cessation.
I discuss some of these scenarios in my book, Collecting Your Fee: Getting Paid from Intake to Invoice, which is mentioned in today's LawBiz® Tips alongside my article, "If All Else Fails, Sue."
Likewise, in our law practice. Clients get angry with us, they have financial reverses, they didn't get the result they expected or, for some unknown reason, they just don't pay their bill. Can we do something to avoid this situation? More so than with weather, the answer is "yes." We can be more proactive in both our intake session --- setting reasonable expectations --- and we can be more vigilant monitoring our clients' behavior after our billings are mailed, making sure we get paid for work we do or we stop working before the client will be prejudiced by our cessation.
I discuss some of these scenarios in my book, Collecting Your Fee: Getting Paid from Intake to Invoice, which is mentioned in today's LawBiz® Tips alongside my article, "If All Else Fails, Sue."
Double billing - A new twist
New York's Attorney General announced a settlement with two law firms who will pay $500,000, plus, to avoid prosecution.
There is a new twist raised in these cases. Under the "double billing" phenomenon, a lawyer cannot bill two clients for the same minute of time. When using the hourly billing system, you can bill only one client for each segment of time to be billed. In other words, when waiting in court for a matter to be called, and billing client A for that time, the lawyer cannot bill client B for that same waiting time though he/she is doing other work for client B pending the call of the court. Or, while charging client A for travel time, the lawyer cannot charge client B for working on his matter on the plane.
The new twist is that lawyers in two law firms were listed as employees of the New York State's pension funds. This gave them retirement credits from the funds even though they either did no work at all for the funds or were gainfully employed and paid by the law firms, not the funds. This takes "double billing" to entirely new level!
There is a new twist raised in these cases. Under the "double billing" phenomenon, a lawyer cannot bill two clients for the same minute of time. When using the hourly billing system, you can bill only one client for each segment of time to be billed. In other words, when waiting in court for a matter to be called, and billing client A for that time, the lawyer cannot bill client B for that same waiting time though he/she is doing other work for client B pending the call of the court. Or, while charging client A for travel time, the lawyer cannot charge client B for working on his matter on the plane.
The new twist is that lawyers in two law firms were listed as employees of the New York State's pension funds. This gave them retirement credits from the funds even though they either did no work at all for the funds or were gainfully employed and paid by the law firms, not the funds. This takes "double billing" to entirely new level!
Jay Larock, Director of Product Management for Corel WordPerfect Office talks about the new WordPerfect
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite X4 is here. Jay Larock, Director of Product Management for Corel WordPerfect Office, is interviewed by Ed, talking about the latest version of WordPerfect's Office Suite. Several important features have been added. Ed specifically addresses the WordPerfect improvements, their outstanding word processing application.
19 minutes, 15 seconds
4.4MB
What should I consider when raising my fees?
The client’s perception of value determines whether the price we charge is reasonable for the service provided. Demonstrating value lets you make a convincing case about raising your fees.
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Budgeting for Success
West LegalEdcenter will host a LawBiz program entitled, The Budget as the Foundation of an Engagement. Why should you think about creating a budget, a budget for the practice, a budget for the client matter? Create a budget only if you want to get paid!
AVVO runs into roadblock
Larry Bodine reports from the Illinois State Journal-Register:
"Who’s licensed to practice law in Illinois? None of your business.
"Who’s licensed to practice law in Illinois? None of your business.
That’s what the state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission has told a Seattle company that wants to post the names of lawyers on the Internet and assign grades based on performance, awards, experience and disciplinary records.
Avvo (listen to our podcast interview with Mark Britton, CEO and Founder of Avvo, Inc.) has posted information online about lawyers in more than a dozen states. The company, which started its Web site a year ago, says it has received lists of lawyers from 30 states. Illinois, however, has balked.
Tax man cometh
It's clear that the taxing authorities are hurting for money. New York adopted a provision that requires that sellers to New York residents collect and pay to New York their sales tax even if the seller has no physical presence there. Thus, at least one internet seller has now withdrawn. How will this provision interfere with electronic commerce? What makes this seller unique? Why should physical presence make a difference concerning collection of tax on sales to in-state residents?
And California is seriously considering imposing a tax on professional services, even on lawyers! Would this violate the rules of confidentiality by requiring the disclosure of the client's name when creating a report to the State? What other rules of professional conduct might be violated by such a provision? Stay tuned as the legislature continues its deliberations --- and then almost certainly litigation to prevent its implementation.
And California is seriously considering imposing a tax on professional services, even on lawyers! Would this violate the rules of confidentiality by requiring the disclosure of the client's name when creating a report to the State? What other rules of professional conduct might be violated by such a provision? Stay tuned as the legislature continues its deliberations --- and then almost certainly litigation to prevent its implementation.
Mark Britton talks about the Avvo lawyer rating system
Mark Britton is the founder and CEO of Avvo, Inc. He was interviewed by Ed concerning the novel approach to rating lawyers. Mark talks about the objectives of Avvo: to help consumers enter the legal community with confidence, to help lawyers differentiate themselves and increase their revenues. They do this, in part, by rating lawyers by three separate modalities: Peer review; Client review; and Avvo review. Avvo is now moving beyond just rating lawyers into providing information to consumers. Listen to this interview and learn about the new rating methodology that will envelope most lawyers in the near future.
41 minutes, 17 seconds
9.7MB
Common traits for successful people
In a recent interview, authors of Kickstart - How Successful Candians Got Started talk about how they got the idea for their new book. They also share the traits that all the successful interviewees seemed to share:
1. They love what they do
This means that they aren't "working," they're "playing" -- Long hours do not become burdensome, but and extension of the joy they take in what they do. If you're going to put in long hours, you ought to be enjoying the time.
2. They're persistent and focused on what they do
This means that they don't allow distractions to take them away from their vision.
3. They're "pushy" about getting to the top of their respective endeavors.
This means they are assertive and directive when needed.
Good traits to have in any field to be successful. A new associate in a law firm would do well to learn these lessons, and more that you can glean from the 70 interviews (including a Canadian Supreme Court Justice) in the book.
1. They love what they do
This means that they aren't "working," they're "playing" -- Long hours do not become burdensome, but and extension of the joy they take in what they do. If you're going to put in long hours, you ought to be enjoying the time.
2. They're persistent and focused on what they do
This means that they don't allow distractions to take them away from their vision.
3. They're "pushy" about getting to the top of their respective endeavors.
This means they are assertive and directive when needed.
Good traits to have in any field to be successful. A new associate in a law firm would do well to learn these lessons, and more that you can glean from the 70 interviews (including a Canadian Supreme Court Justice) in the book.
Blogging and TechnoLawyer
TechnoLawyer has created a new video with their 30,000th eBook download. A fun job ... Can you see our LawBiz Blog in the list of blogs? You have to look fast as the video speeds up at the end! <g> But, we're there.
Respect for the law
We're taught that "respect for the law" is an underlying foundation for our society.
In a recent case, the courts have denied a law license to a Michigan applicant because he said he has no respect for the Michigan court that fails to protect the civil liberties of plaintiffs.
How can others respect the law with decisions such as this?
In a recent case, the courts have denied a law license to a Michigan applicant because he said he has no respect for the Michigan court that fails to protect the civil liberties of plaintiffs.
"Lawrence says he holds the Michigan court system in low regard because a majority of Michigan Supreme Court justices have been hostile to civil rights plaintiffs. He says he doesn’t regret answering truthfully when the character and fitness committee asked about his political beliefs, and he would do it again." (ABA Journal)
How can others respect the law with decisions such as this?
