Law Practice Management Welcome to the Practice Management Advisor Pipes Feed brought to you by the Law Office Technology & Management Section of the Tennessee Bar Association. “PMA Pipes” is an RSS newsfeed that was designed by the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center. It combines posts from the blogs of Practice Management Advisors from across the United States, as well as the ABA’s Site-tation blog, into one convenient location. Regardless of the size of your firm, “PMA Pipes” is a great source of content on all issues affecting law practice management. The blogs brought to you by this feed include: Law Practice Matters, Reid My Blog, Law Practice Tips, Law Practice Advisor, The Last Word, Thoughtful Legal Management, and Compujurist, among others. [Thoughtful Legal Management] A New Portal… ♫ Feel in my heart the start of something new…♫ Lyrics and music by: Matthew Gerrard & Robbie Nevil, from High School Musical. The BC Courthouse Library Society is launching their new website today (http://www.courthouselibrary.ca/cms/) which should be ‘live’ shortly (the . . . Read More... [Reid My Blog] Verizon's Droid: Not Ready for Primetime? The Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg tries to love the new Motorola Droid, but his integrity shines through his prose and he is really letting readers know the new phone is not ready to take on the iPhone. But is Walter's review written with an eye to the future of all Android phones? I'm guess. . . Read More... [Law Practice Advisor] Time in a Bottleneck: Online Scheduling Tools Make Meetings Happen Getting a large number of people together for a meeting is like herding cats into a bathtub. When you’re talking busy cats . . . I mean, people . . . it’s even worse. Grease those cats. Now, give those greased cats business suits and a knowledge of how to exploit loopholes. Lawyers are some of t. . . Read More... [ABA Site-tation] SaaS and Cloud Computing Data Portability--Bulk Export from Google Docs Now Available Body:   In August we wrote about the importance of data portability and the efforts of some companies to allow users of Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud computing services to easily download their data, for purposes such as keeping local backups and transferring the data to other services. . . . Read More... [Slaw: Dan Pinnington] Steven Covey addressing the Drucker Institute live on the web right now (12:30 eastern) Steven Covey is addressing the Drucker Institute live on the web: http://www.drucker100.com/ Not sure if it will be available afterwards. Thanks Dave Bilinsky for the link.. . . Read More... [Avoid a Claim] Form Of Order In Applications To Prove A Lost Will Under Ontario Rule 75.02 Cross-posted on the SLAW blog (www.slaw.ca) As part of a brief endorsement dated November 3, 2009 in RE: IN THE ESTATE OF Evelyn O’Reilly, et. al., Justice D. M. Brown of the Superior Court Of Justice–Ontario provided some useful direction on the form and content of an order in applications to p. . . Read More... [Slaw: Dan Pinnington] Form Of Order In Applications To Prove A Lost Will Under Ontario Rule 75.02 Cross-posted on The AvoidAClaim blog (www.avoidaclaim.com) As part of a brief endorsement dated November 3, 2009 in RE: IN THE ESTATE OF Evelyn O’Reilly, et. al., Justice D. M. Brown of the Superior Court Of Justice–Ontario provided some useful direction on the form and content of an order in ap. . . Read More... [PA Law Practice Management] Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) goes into effect on November 21, 2009. You will need to replace your federal employment rights poster(s) at your office in order to remain in compliance.. . . Read More... [Slaw: Dan Pinnington] Consumer Reports Magazine’s Electronic Gadgets Xmas Shopping List I over-think and over-analyze every purchase I make, large or small. One of my favourite sources of information is Consumer Reports Magazine (www.comsumerreports.org). The December issue arrived at home yesterday. It is “The Best New Electronics” issue and is perfectly timed for anyone thinking . . . Read More... [The Last Word] When It’s Time to Say “So Long…” From time to time I get calls from lawyers who are looking for information on shuttering their practices. Sometimes it’s for happy reasons, like appointment or election to a judgeship or a long-awaited retirement. Other times it involves a family relocation and, sometimes, small firms just don. . . Read More... [Avoid a Claim] Lawyer/Client Communication Errors Are The Biggest Cause Of Malpractice Claims For my first real post to AvoidAClaim, I want to focus on the biggest cause of malpractice claims: lawyer/client communication-related errors. Over the last eleven years, by cost and count, more than one-third of LAWPRO claims involved this type of error – almost $25 million or close to 8,200 clai. . . Read More... [Just Oregon Lawyers Blog] The Importance of Planning I spoke at the The Oregon Minority Lawyers Association (OMLA) and the Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) Hanging Out Your Shingle yesterday with two successful Portland, Oregon solo practitioners, Ken Mitchell-Phillips of Mitchell Phillips Law PC and John Kodachi of John A. Kodachi, PC. Our panel was m. . . Read More... [Avoid a Claim] Please Check your AvoidAClaim RSS Feed And Email subscription Due to a minor configuration glitch, we had to make some changes to the AvoidAClaim RSS Feed on the weekend. Please check your RSS feed if you subscribed in the first few days after we went live. The correct feed is <http://feeds.feedburner.com/avoidaclaim> You can also subscribe to receive . . . Read More... [Oregon Law Practice Management] Fourth Amendment Does Not Protect Third Party E-Mail Excerpt from New York Court Scores Over Oregon In Recent Email Privacy Opinions by Jennifer Granick Last week, two new district court opinions took opposing views on the question of whether the Fourth Amendment protects stored email. One of the cases easily adopted the prevailing view that the Const. . . Read More... [Law Practice Tips Blog] Debate on the Free Access to Law Apparently there is a fairly robust online debate about the state of the free access to the law. As we know the law is generally found in case opinions and statutes, which are, generally speaking, in the public domain by.... . . Read More... [Oregon Law Practice Management] Lessons from Solo and Small Firm Bootcamp Last week I spoke at the King County Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Success Strategies CLE. I participated in the Basic Training/Bootcamp Track for newly admitted lawyers, and was fortunate enough to follow Joseph Shaub, a terrific speaker. Joe’s presentation was peppered with great marketing tip. . . Read More... [SC Small Firm] Lawyer to Lawyer Occasionally I get calls from lawyers, both new and not so new, with a legal question. Fortunately for me (and them) I can give them the same answer every time. Use the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Directory. It’s part of the Lawyers Desk Book every year. It’s a list of lawyers who have experience i. . . Read More... [Law Practice Advisor] That’s a Wicked Google-y!: Refine Your Googling with Search Operators and Latent Functionality I’ve written previously here at the blog about some of the nifty applications and programs that the folks over at Google have introduced. Not that I ever really get into web stuff, but I have been generally impressed with Google. My like affair began when I made two almost concurrent moves: I stop. . . Read More... [ABA Site-tation] Friday PMA Blog Roundup - 10/30/09 Body: Another busy week of blogging for the law practice management advisors, and a new blog joins the list: Beverly Michaelis wrote an interesting post on what lawyers can learn from dentists about running a solo practice. Laura Calloway posted a suggestion about identifying yourself in emails and. . . Read More... [Thoughtful Legal Management] The Future of Lawyers? ♫ I’ve seen the future, baby: it is murder. Things are going to slide …♫ Lyrics, music and recorded by Leonard Cohen. I had the pleasure of attending The Futures conference in Denver CO recently that was part of the College of Law Practice Management’s Annual General Meeting. S. . . Read More... [Law Practice Tips Blog] Federal Judge Rules Lawyers do not have to Comply with FTC Red Flag Rules The American Bar Association prevailed today on its motion for an injunction and declaratory judgment that the Federal Trade Commission's interpretation that the "Red Flag" indentity theft prevention rules should apply to law firms was overbroad. More information here.. . . Read More... [Just Oregon Lawyers Blog] Remembering the first year of law practice– a call to mentor our new lawyers. When I was in my last year of McGeorge Law School in Sacramento, California, I decided to start my own law practice. Along with my law books, I toted Jay Foonberg’s “How to Start & Build a Law Practice,” getting myself ready to run my own show. Jay was my mentor. Then I moved [. . . Read More... [The Last Word] ABA TECHSHOW Discounts, Plus Best of TECHSHOW It’s time to start thinking about making plans to attend ABA TECHSHOW 2010. For those who are not familiar with it, TECHSHOW is the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s annual two and a half day CLE program and vendor expo centered around practice management and the use of technology in. . . Read More... [Law Practice Matters] Evernote for Lawyers and Law Practice Today Folks who follow me on Twitter (@erikmazzone) know that I love Evernote. They also know I drink too much coffee and hate Notre Dame and the Red Sox. But I digress. If you are curious about Evernote - what it is and how you might use it - I wrote an article in the October issue of Law Practice Today . . . Read More... [Law Practice Tips Blog] Can a Lawyer Really Use Twitter to Market a Law Practice? Since the topic of lawyers marketing with Twitter has been discussed a lot lately in various forums, I couldn't resist giving my opinions with "Can a Lawyer Really Use Twitter to Market a Law Practice?" in the Oklahoma Bar Journal.... . . Read More... [ABA Site-tation] In Case of Emergency – Disaster Recovery Resources Body: September was National Preparedness Month which emphasizes the responsibility of individuals, families, and communities -- including the private and nonprofit sectors -- to do their part before an emergency. While September is behind us, the potential for disaster is ever present.   The ABA . . . Read More... [ABA Site-tation] Dictionaries on Demand: Mobile law dictionaries Body: The ABA Journal announced Black’s Law Dictionary Now in iTunes. This is the first iPhone/iPod Touch app from West Publishing and features the most recent edition of the dictionary. At $49.99 it is less than the Amazon price for the print edition.   Shortly afterwards came the announcement . . . Read More... [PMATips] Value Decisions - 10/27/09 Should you negotiate a fee reduction for your service?. . . Read More... [Oregon Law Practice Management] What Lawyers Can Learn From Dentists About Solo Practice Last week I went in for my regular dental cleaning, and it reminded me that we can learn a thing or two about how these professionals manage their solo practices. Consider the typical dental office: the dentist is a sole practitioner who usually employs two or more hygienists and at least one recept. . . Read More... [Law Practice Matters] Stay Closer to Clients - 4 Tips for Better Email Newsletters I have a love-hate thing with email newsletters. On the one hand, I am consititutionally incapable of refraining from signing up for an email newsletter from any business I patronize. Erik see sign up list. Erik sign up. On the other, I occassionally stare at my overstuffed Gmail inbox with the inte. . . Read More... [Just Oregon Lawyers Blog] Getting Control of Email Glut on a Monday Morning/Afternoon Had a -first-thing-Monday-morning appointment in Portland, Oregon. Rain-swollen streets made me look forward to getting into my dry office in Tigard. Until I fired up my computer and saw 399 unread emails waiting for me. Email glut on gray Monday morning is especially dreary. I know that a big chunc. . . Read More... [Law Practice Tips Blog] How to Declare E-mail Bankruptcy "Why is my email broken?" was the title of a blog post today by my friend, Ernie the Attorney. He begins, "Almost everyone I know who uses email extensively for work is overwhelmed by email....Some people declare 'email bankruptcy,' which.... . . Read More... [The Last Word] A Tale of Two Emails or I Don’t Talk to Strangers I received two email messages recently. Each was from someone I did not know. Both posed a single, easy-to-answer question, but it’s amazing how different my reaction was to each. The first contained nothing but the question and the sender’s name and city. The question challenged somethi. . . Read More... [Avoid a Claim] Welcome to practicePRO’s AvoidAClaim blog practicePRO is pleased to be venturing into the blogosphere with the AvoidAClaim blog – www.avoidaclaim.com. AvoidAClaim has a narrow and specific focus: helping lawyers avoid legal malpractice claims. In conjunction with practicePRO’s website, www.practicepro.ca, AvoidAClaim will provide ri. . . Read More... [Compujurist] If you Steal From a Client, Don’t let your Website Domain Lapse. Perhaps an even worse fate is to take an advanced fee from a client on the same day your license is suspended, cash the check and then advise the client they can pick up their file but make no attempt to return the fee. Then, allow your domain registration to lapse and have the client purchases it. . . . Read More... [Just Oregon Lawyers Blog] Life Balance Balance time in the office with time enjoying the outdoors.. . . Read More... [Just Oregon Lawyers Blog] Fraud & Embezzlement – stay alert, stay safe, report. I spoke with an Oregon attorney who closely monitors the law firm’s trust account. This attorney was unpleasantly surprized to find an additional transaction posted to the trust account. A copy of the check showed an out-of-sequence check number and a poor approximation of the lawyer’s s. . . Read More... [Thoughtful Legal Management] Marketing Yourself Graciously ♫ In elementary I used crayons, even chalk I learned to count money before I could read and talk And my mama told me son, you need to shine I couldn’t stand at the back, I had to lead the line..♫ Lyrics and Music by Wesley Weston Jr. and Tommy Granville, Jr, recorded by Li’ Flip. Thi. . . Read More... [ABA Site-tation] Friday PMA Blog Roundup - 10/23/09 Body: It was a busy week for the law practice management advisors, with plenty of great posts going up. Here's what they wrote about: Jim Calloway blogged about social media for lawyers, time capture software, the benefit of ABA magazine subscriptions, and a blog with tips for trial lawyers. Ellen F. . . Read More... [Law Practice Tips Blog] Site of the Week: Trial Lawyer Tips Blog Mitch Jackson has been really turning out some nice tips on his Trial Lawyer Tips blog. I don't do jury trials any more, but I wanted to pass along this nice resource to my readers and encourage Mitch and co-blogger.... . . Read More... [Law Practice Advisor] Preach What You Practice: LOMAP Debuts New Podcast, "The UnBillable Hour" Back in July (which seems like it was just yesterday, given our being recently hit with a heat wave two days following a snowstorm--the Spirit works in mysterious ways, does he not), Rodney wrote here at the blog about the importance of listening to podcasts. Taking not wanting to be hypocritical to. . . Read More... [The Last Word] Windows 7 Arrives. Should You Invite It In? Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest operating system, went on sale today. While people are not lining up around the block to purchase a copy, many lawyers may be wondering whether it would be worth their time, money and trouble to upgrade from XP or Vista. Like most questions raised in the law offic. . . Read More... [SC Small Firm] Outlook contacts If you’re like me, you have created multiple folders under your main address book in Outlook. I store my personal contacts in the default Contacts address book, which I can access from my Windows Mobile device. However, I created additional folders for groups of other contacts by going to Contacts. . . Read More... [The Last Word] A Useful Book, and Masterful Legal Marketing, Too I am frequently asked by new lawyers for a list of books that I think they should acquire as they set up their practices. A new book, the Alabama Appellate Practice Guide by Ed R. Haden, Chair of Balch & Bingham, LLC’s Appellate Focus Team, came across my desk this week, and I’ve add. . . Read More... [Oregon Law Practice Management] FAQ About Credit Cards Accepting credit cards for payment is a common business practice some lawyers avoid because they are fearful of the ethical implications. The process can be intimidating, unless you know the answers to some common questions: Q: Can I accept payments by credit card? A: Yes. However, carefully review . . . Read More... [Thoughtful Legal Management] A Big Leap Forward… “Oi! Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck…” Genie from the movie “Alladin”. A fellow PMA (Practice Management Advisor) passed along this tip and I thought I would share it. She has chronic back pain (as have so many office workers). Work was somethi. . . Read More... [SC Small Firm] Read Out Loud Adobe Acrobat Standard and Professional versions will read PDF files to you! This feature is called Read Out Loud and it is easy to use. Using the feature is a two-step process. First the feature is activated; next you command it to read. To use the feature open a PDF: 1. Click on View>Activate . . . Read More... [Compujurist] Legal Implications of Cloud Computing Whether we want to admit it or not, cloud computing is making an impact on the way we practice law as well as the way our clients approach computing and information storage. Lawyers need to have a t least a basic understanding of the benefits and potential pitfalls that this new technology will impo. . . Read More... [PMATips] Read Out Loud - 10/19/09 Adobe Acrobat Standard will read PDF files to you! This feature is called Read Out Loud and it is easy to use.. . . Read More... [Compujurist] Marketing Tip: You need your own internet domain name. While some people don’t mind sending email to an AOL, GMAIL or HotMail account, it lacks a sense of professionalism and indicates to the world that you don’t take modern communication practices seriously (and we won't even get into the privacy/confidentiality concerns many of us have with the se. . . Read More... [Oregon Law Practice Management] Unclaimed IOLTA Funds Periodically, lawyers find they have unclaimed client funds in a trust account. This can occur when clients disappear or checks remain uncashed. Common situations include: A client may deposit a retainer with the lawyer and then never return to the office. When the lawyer tries to make contact, the . . . Read More... [Compujurist] Wisconsin Lawyer Learns – If you’re going to Cite, Get it Right The ABA Journal has posted an interesting story about an unnamed Wisconsin lawyer fined for getting a case citation wrong. The citation appeared in a footnote in a brief to the Court of Appeals; however, not only did the cited case not support the proposition put forth in the footnote, it wasn't eve. . . Read More... [PA Law Practice Management] Planning Your 2010 Budget for Postage During these tight economic times, it seems everyone is going over their budget for 2010 with a magnifying glass. What should you plan for in postage increases?. . . Read More... [Law Practice Advisor] Data Privacy Creep: SJC Joins Club, Approves Interim Guidelines for Prevention of Identity Theft; File a Way The grand Commonwealth of Massachusetts has, of late, taken a serious interest in the protection (from identity theft) of its residents’ private information. This is, to be sure, a good thing, in the abstract, and far better than other objects that the state could be/has been engaged in. I have be. . . Read More... [Thoughtful Legal Management] A Leopard or a Chevy… ♫ What’s New Pussycat?♫ Music by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, recorded by Tom Jones. One morning I walked into the office only to be greeted by the “blue screen of death” on my office IBM Lenovo. Whatever had caused the crash had also corrupted the database of one of my most treasu. . . Read More... [Law Practice Advisor] Jump Like Jack Flash: Get to Windows Folders Faster Using QuickJump (It’s Alright Now) TechHit, inventor and purveyor of “Outlook utilities that save you time”, as well as other various and sundry utilities and add-ins for use with your email, social networking websites and operating systems, has recently released its QuickJump software, which is a way to “quickly” (now) navig. . . Read More... [PMATips] 70 Sizzling & Lawyer Friendly Apps - 10/13/09 G.M. Filisko has written a well organized compilation of “70 Sizzling & Lawyer Friendly Apps” for the October issue of the ABA Journal Magazine.. . . Read More... [Compujurist] Marketing Tip: Create Your Brand While your brand can include a logo, it is more than just a logo - your brand should represent you, your practice, your philosophy of business and practice niche areas. Your brand represents YOU and how you want the potential clients and the public to perceive you in the legal marketplace.. . . Read More... [SC Small Firm] Word 2007’s extra space Stop the annoying extra line after a paragraph!. . . Read More... [PMATips] Try GatherGrid.com to schedule meetings - 10/06/09 Does meeting or event scheduling make you crazy? Try http://www.GatherGrid.com This website allows you to create an event, list possible times and send an e-mail notification to participants. When the participant links to the event site they enter the times that work for them and the event coordinat. . . Read More... [SC Small Firm] How Good Lawyers Survive One of my favorite funny movie lines of all time comes from 1956’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers“. Our hero is running for his life. His voice-over narration is (deadpan): “I had known fear before, but never fear like that.” The understatement cracks me up every time.. . . Read More... [PA Law Practice Management] Online Banking and the Next Generation of Trojans Online banking is getting more dangerous as malicious code gets more advanced. A news report which posted on September 29, 2009 on CNet News revealed what security experts referred to as the "next generation" of banking Trojan. The bank Trojan, dubbed URLZone, has features designed to thwart fraud d. . . Read More... [PMATips] Who’s Been Viewing Your Gmail? - 09/29/09 Has someone gained access to your email account without your knowledge?. . . Read More... [Reid My Blog] Carolyn Elefant Takes a Final Bow at Legal Blog Watch After 1,680 blog posts at Legal Blog Watch, Carolyn Elefant has decided to take a well-deserved break from the daily grind of blogging. Blogging consistently is not easy, but Carolyn and her blog partner Bob Ambrogi have not only done it consistently, but have achieved consistent excellence in the i. . . Read More... [Law Practice Matters] In Defense of Multi-tasking, or How I Justify Driving and Texting     Not really. It's hard to text at 80mph. Kidding. Sort of. But that's between me and my traffic attorney. (Thanks, Timothy!) Recently, multitasking - that darling of 80's productivity - has gotten a bad rap. It turns out that multittasking makes it harder for your brain to focus or swi. . . Read More... [Law Practice Matters] Niche Marketing for the Small Law Firm   Sometimes you learn something brand new. Other times you find a new way to look at something old. The other day I was at a meeting (no surprise there; Bar Association life includes a LOT of meetings...) of the NCBA Law Practice Management Section Council. Our new section chair is my friend L. . . Read More... [Law Practice Matters] Is There a Time Bomb in your LinkedIn Profile? I got an interesting email the other day. It was from a North Carolina lawyer asking me my opinion about a facet of LinkedIn profiles. The question was (paraphrasing): do you think social networking profiles that ask users to list their "specialties" could yield potential violations of Rule 7.4 of . . . Read More... [Reid My Blog] The Nightmare Left Behind South Carolina blogger and SC Bar practice advisor, Courtney Kennaday, has posted actual photographs of a deceased lawyer's office recently taken by the lawyer appointed to close down the practice after the solo lawyer died suddenly. This is exactly the type of nightmare that Courtney and I wrote ab. . . Read More... [Busy Lawyer's Guide to Success] Free MP3 of LAWPRO’s Special Webinar: Fraud-How You Can Avoid Being Its Next Victim On May 26 LAWPRO put on a special webinar aimed at helping lawyers to avoid being the victims of fraud. It was hosted and broadcast by the Ontario Bar Association. You can now listen to a free MP3 of this program, and follow along with the program PowerPoint. While frauds targeting lawyers have not . . . Read More... [Busy Lawyer's Guide to Success] How to Succeed in the Practice of Law When You Are “Suddenly Solo” The latest issue of Law Practice Today (www.lawpracticetoday.org), the ABA Law Practice Management’s webzine was published today. This blockbuster issue has all sorts of great articles for the “suddenly solo” lawyer. This is new lawyer starting out as a solo because they didn’t get a job at . . . Read More... [Busy Lawyer's Guide to Success] Eight Time-Saving, Productivity-Enhancing Management Tips for Busy Bar Leaders I recently had the opportunity to address the incoming national and chapter leadership of the American Immigration Lawyers Association at the annual meeting in Las Vegas. It was a great event, and I want to salute the hard work of these lawyers who, in addition to having busy law practices, help our. . . Read More... [Reid My Blog] Recession-Related Ethics: Navigating Tough Times I am pleased to be a faculty member for this ABA-CLE ethics teleconference on Tuesday, July 28, 2009. In these still-difficult times, it is more important than ever to be confident of the ethical boundaries when it comes to client conflicts, fee arrangements, and new marketing ventures.In this telec. . . Read More... [Reid My Blog] Solos, Please Beware of Scams That Can Cost You! Several bar associations are warning their members to be aware of financially-devastating scams being carried out against lawyers, especially solo practitioners. According to the ABA Journal, at least one small firm found out the hard way to the tune of $400,000. The scam is familiar to those of us . . . Read More... [Busy Lawyer's Guide to Success] Success is Now 20% Off ABA Publishing just announced a special 20% discount on all ABA books, including The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Success: Essential Tips to Power Your Practice, now through July 24, 2009. The price of Success has never been lower. Of course, while price is important, the we believe the value reader. . . Read More... [PA Law Practice Management] Clinging to Windows XP Is your firm still hanging onto Windows XP? If so, you're not alone. Ninety-six percent of those who responded to a recent TechRepublic survey indicated they are still using XP.. . . Read More... [PA Law Practice Management] Malicious Web Sites Increasing Your Security Risk Exposure The recently published story by Susan Bradley entitled "Big-name Sites Spread Latest Malware Infections" on the Microsoft Secrets web site should be mandatory reading for anyone who uses Internet Explorer to surf the web.. . . Read More... [Busy Lawyer's Guide to Success] Hilarious Video Hits Home for Lawyers Too Jim Calloway, Carl Falstrom, and I presented The Fine Art of Getting Paid at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference in Las Vegas this past week. I really like this seminar because it is based on audience participation; each time we do this seminar, it is enlightening, . . . Read More...