Another “man am I glad I had the sense to start my own firm” story. I remember late in my second year of law school, when every one was looking for summer associate positions. Unless the practice has changed since the days of yore when I was attended law school, law students try to find…
Category: Your Own Law Firm
The Entertaining Use of “Buy Me A Coffee”
My discovery of Buy Me A Coffee. My partner and I both donate an inordinate amount of time speaking to callers and responding to emails. These are not clients or even potential clients. Rather, the calls involve the same legal situations that are presented to us over and over, given our practice areas. If a…
Dealing with clients who are convinced, “They are up to something.”
I remember all those many years ago when starting my firm, that I felt like I had to act like the big firm I had come from, which included having a receptionist to answer the phone. I thought it appeared unprofessional for an attorney to answer their own phone. Turns out, clients love that…
Organize Your Chrome Bookmarks to Save Time
I have long been annoyed by one of my morning rituals, because I knew there was a better way to proceed, if I would just take the time to figure out how to organize my Chrome bookmarks. The ritual. There are a couple of things I like to check in the morning. First, I like…
Should You Charge for Consultations?
When meeting with clients, should you charge for consultations? After implementing the law firm marketing plan contained in Big Fat Pipeline, the calls will start pouring in, and the issue of whether you should charge for client consultations will immediately arise. The answer to that question will turn on your individual circumstances and goals,…
Don’t Be That Attorney – The Uncommitted Extortionist
I see this a lot in the wrongful termination context, and I even warn callers, who are seeking to have their case handled on a contingency basis, that they will likely encounter this type of attorney if they make enough calls. I call these attorneys “Uncommitted Extortionists.” The Uncommitted Extortionist is an attorney who will…
Don’t Be That Attorney — Learn to Take Your Lumps With Aplomb
Ah, memories. Like the corners of my mind. I came across a news article about an attorney who is experiencing the sting of a footnote by an appellate court, and it reminded me of my own footnote experience. First, my experience. In one of my more bizarre cases, I represented a small business in…
Sleazy Attorney Technique No. 8: The Phantom Settlement Offer
Recent shenanigans by a particular opposing attorney made me think of a war story which just happens to illustrate Sleazy Attorney Technique no. 8.** When I first started practicing I had to be hit over the head with this technique a few times before I knew what was happening. I tend to assume the…
Don’t Let the Client’s Problems Create Problems for You
Being actively concerned about your clients’ problems will naturally come with the territory if you have a heart. When you are representing someone who is about to lose their home due to fraud, or lose visitation of a child through a custody battle, you can’t help but be awed by the life-altering nature of your…
How to Use “Freemiums” to Market Your Law Firm
“Freemium” is a business model that works by offering a product or service free of charge (typically digital offerings such as eBooks) while charging a premium for advanced features, functionality, or related products and services. The word “freemium” is a portmanteau* combining the two aspects of the business model: “free” and “premium”. Thanks Wikipedia. Freemiums…
All Clients Will Shop On Price if That is the Only Distinguishing Factor
I’m not here to spread doom and gloom about the legal job market, but these articles keep catching my eye. The latest if from the , where Paul Caron reported on a service he described as the eBay for lawyers, with the terrible name Shpoonkle. The Shpoonkle service allows clients to post their legal problems,…
Ten Tips from a Podcast Listener to Make Your Legal Podcast Better
Hosting a podcast is a tremendous way to promote your law firm, as I previously discussed in detail in this article. Even if no one ever listens to the podcast (not a goal I am recommending), the podcast will nonetheless help to establish you as an expert, and brings major SEO benefits. I am…
Another Benefit of Content-Based, Niche Marketing
I scored a hat trick this morning, and I wanted to share the experience with you. At the risk of sounding all lah dee dah and altruistic, I did not get into law for the money. If you read my profile page, you’ll see the motivation to go to law school was a conflation* of…
Must-Have Plugins for Your Law Firm’s WordPress Website
First, a cautionary tale about plugins. I once switched to a new WordPress theme that I really liked, in part because on the articles page it showed little more than the headline from each blog post. For the reader, that serves up a list of articles from which to choose, without a lot of scrolling….
Don’t Be That Attorney – What Part of “Without Cause” Don’t You Understand?
Forgive me if I periodically vent here, but I’ll use my diatribes to illustrate important points. One of my fundamental points is that the practice of law is far more enjoyable if you are on the right side of a case. You can feel great about what you are doing, knowing that you are on…
How to Create (Legit) Backlinks to Your Site with Reddit
First let me tell you right up front that I haven’t tried this technique yet, but I have no doubt that it will work based on the video you are about to see. Let me also tell you that the guy who does the video, “Jay,” really knows his stuff, but he takes…
Don’t Forget Bing and Yahoo in Your Law Firm Marketing Mix — How to Find Love and Success Even When Google Rejects You
The Holy Grail of search engine optimization for a law firm is to get your website in the number one position of the Google search results for your practice area. But contrary to popular belief, Google is not the only game in town. The number varies based on a number of factors, including the demographic…
Fiverr.com – Your Law Firm’s Low Cost Personal Assistant
If you have not yet experienced the joy that is Fiverr.com, you are in for a real treat. Fiverr is the world’s largest online marketplace for $5 services, with weird services such as “I will write any message on my lips and take a photo” or “I will make fun of someone in my stand-up…
It’s Your Time to Shine, Juke Box Hero
In a town without a name, in a heavy downpour Thought he passed his own shadow, by the backstage door Like a trip through the past, to that day in the rain And that one guitar, made his whole life change – “Juke Box Hero” by Mick Jones (Foreigner) At the risk of sounding grandiose…
Does Starting Your Own Law Firm Have to be a Lonely Experience?
I happened across an article entitled Thinking of Going Solo? Think Carefully, published on the American Bar Association website by an attorney named Jennifer Ator. It is important to read the introductory paragraph, because Ms. Ator specifically confirms that starting your own firm can be a wonderful thing, and states that once her friends “eventually…
How Does Google Work?
In my book, How to Create a Big, Fat Pipeline of New Clients for Your Law Firm in Just 10 Days, I discuss all the factors Google looks at to determine which search results will appear on page one. I came across this very good video that discusses the issues as well, and provides a basic…
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Restore My Faith in Humanity
No doubt much to the chagrin of my partner, I give away an obscene amount of free legal services. The thing is, I’ve been doing this so long that I have worked out easy solutions for many of the legal problems I get calls about. Most attorneys would no doubt bring the caller in and…
New York Busts 19 Companies for Fake On-Line Reviews
Bloomberg Businessweek published a great article on Tuesday, discussing fake Yelp reviews, following a sting operation in New York, designed to catch businesses engaging in the process. Referring to the process as “astroturfing”, the article details the sting by the New York State Attorney General. The AG set up a fake yogurt shop in Brooklyn,…
Five Reasons Attorneys Get Suckered by SEO Marketing Scams (and How to Make Sure You’re Not One of Them)
In my book, How to Create a Big, Fat Pipeline of New Clients for Your Law Firm in Just 10 Days, I provide the following anecdote: There is a classic Peanuts comic, where Linus is going door to door trying to sell wadded up pieces of paper as cat toys. His sales presentation is good,…
Yelp Reviews for Attorneys – Yelp Sues the McMillan Law Group, Claiming it Posted Fake Reviews
Yelp Reviews for Attorneys As part of your legal marketing, it is very beneficial if you can offer testimonials, and great if you have good on-line reviews. However, what follows is a cautionary tale of why attorneys must avoid the temptation of creating their own reviews. My primary practice area is free speech and defamation,…