In the news: "Turning 50 has triggered some reflection by consultant Frank Michael D'Amore on what he's learned in 25-plus years in the legal profession. He discusses four important lessons that can help lawyers in both their professional and personal lives, including, 'Don't hold happiness hostage.'"

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 26 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written anonymously: "The Ohio Supreme Court has translated 27 common forms used in general, domestic relations, juvenile and probate court cases into Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, and Somali. A few of the key forms include those related to domestic violence and stalking. Click here to find the translated forms."

Active links are available by clicking on the author's name above..

When Defendant Found Amenable to Rehabilitation in Juvenile System

From the site: "2008-1562.  In re M.P., Slip Opinion No. 2010-Ohio-599...

Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2010/2010-Ohio-599.pdf

View oral argument video of this case...

The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled today that an order of a juvenile court denying discretionary bindover of a juvenile offender for trial as an adult because the court finds the defendant is amenable to care or rehabilitation within the juvenile system is not a final order from which the state may appeal as a matter of right." 

Read full text

Source: The Supreme Court of Ohio, 25 February 2010.

This post was written by Chuck Kallendorf: "The United States Supreme Court, yesterday and the day before, issued rulings seen by some as further weakening defendants' Miranda rights.

Last Tuesday, the Court in Florida v. Powell held that Florida's alternative wording of the Miranda warning was acceptable, even though it does not explicitly state that a suspect has a right to have a lawyer present during questioning.

Maryland v. Shatzer, yesterday, established new, more permissive rules for police who want to question a suspect for a second time after the suspect invokes Miranda's right to remain silent.

Law.com this morning said that latter case in particular "weakens the so-called rule evolved from Edwards v. Arizona in 1981 , which stated that, once a suspect invokes Miranda, any subsequent waiver of the right triggered by a police request is deemed involuntary -- making further police questioning improper...

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Hamilton County Law Library Blog, 25 February 2010. Reproduced with permission.

This post was written by Tom Kane: "By this I don't mean to put down technology and social media as ways to develop business, because we know they can and are effective at some level. But, it is still important to not forget those old fashion means of developing business that include face to face meetings, and my point of the day - handwritten "Thank You" notes.

Remember those times your mother drove you nuts with "have you thanked Aunt Betsy for that knitted sweater yet?" Maybe that is the cause for many people to have an aversion to thanking people for.....whatever. Or, they may thank them, but in the quickest and least painful manner possible. Unfortunately, they are passing up one of the most effective means of producing a real, favorable impact on their business.

I ran across an article on ProfitAdvisors.com on "How to Build Your Business with Thank You Notes" by accountant Michael Gray dated January 1999 (I luv that old stuff). His main points in my view:.."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Marketing Blog.com, 25 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "Many attorneys at big firms have the luxury of having a secretary, a paralegal, and other support staff to them through their day. Most solo practitioners are all-in-one shops, and do everything from their own bookkeeping, to mailing motions, and answering phones. If you operate a successful solo firm, outsource some tasks to free up more of your time and maximize your productivity...

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

In the news: "Beth Baldwin, an assistant state disciplinary counsel in Connecticut, says there's increased demand for trustees -- lawyers who volunteer to assist clients, refer cases and clean up files when another lawyer has died or can no longer maintain a practice. "People are working longer and doing things on a smaller scale and once they're gone there's no one there to pick up the pieces," she says. Trustee work requires a significant amount of commitment, but volunteers also find it rewarding to help other lawyers."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 26 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

From an article by Tom Mighell: "Now that more than 200 million people have joined Facebook, lawyers are starting to experiment with this most popular form of social media. It's not that lawyers feel it's especially safe to do so, but they recognize that Facebook is a place they probably need to be.

Not surprisingly, lawyers talk a lot about privacy and security concerns they have there, and their wariness is justified. As you may know, Facebook recently made some big changes to its privacy controls that created some controversy.

If you follow the simple steps below, you will be in the top 1 percent or 2 percent of lawyers using Facebook when it comes to good privacy and security. However, I can't protect you from your own lapses in good judgment. I can't say too often: "Think before you post."

FOR NEWBIES AND OLD-TIMERS

Here are my five best tips, whether you are just signing up for an account or have been a longtime member.

1) Use a strong password and change it on a regular basis...

2) Review and make appropriate changes to your privacy settings...

3) Be discriminating in your use of Facebook apps...

4) Take control of what others can put on your page...

5) Consider using "friend lists..."

Read the full text of this important article by clicking on the author's name.

This post was written by Chuck Kallendorf: "The Ohio supreme court announced the adoption of amendments to its rules for the appointment of counsel for indigent defendants in capital cases today. They take effect March 1. (Announcement)..."

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Hamilton County Law Library Blog, 22 February 2010. Reproduced with permission.

This post was written by Penelope Trunk: "...So I get this book in the mail - The Power of Slow: 10 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World - and for some reason I find myself reading it during violin practice. This is very bad because we are in a Suzuki program, which means I'm the teacher.

I said to myself, this is crazy, I'm reading a book about slowing down my life as a way to multitask while I am teaching my child to love music. I forced myself to put the book down.

But I liked the book. And I asked the author, Christine Louise Hohlbaum, to write a guest post on my blog. Which is something I never do. Because I end up hating all guest posts and spending way too much time editing them.

The first thing I did when I saw her guest post is I said no. I said this cannot be a guest post. But I think it was okay because that's her first piece of advice:

1. Learn to say no with panache...

2. Watch your words...

3. Honor Set-Up Time...

4. Save the best for last...

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name. There are a lot of comments on this post!

Source: Brazen Careerist, 22 February 2010. © 2009 Penelope Trunk, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "In this terrible economy, lots of recent (and future) graduates are considering going solo as way to practice law. I have been fortunate to work among a number of successful solo practitioners, and there are some hallmarks of success.

Willingness to do anything...

Find a support system...

Patience...

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 22 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by John Jantsch:  "For many businesses, particularly service oriented businesses, getting up in front of a group of prospects with the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise is one of the best lead conversion opportunities going.

Holding workshops and seminars live and in person has long been an effective tool. The web makes this tool even more powerful and more affordable as it allow you to conduct online versions of seminars that don't require you to rent a room or your prospects to leave their homes and offices.

Online seminars are a marketing tool every business should consider adding to the mix. Below are seven steps to consider to make your online seminars pay.

1) Get sponsored...

2) Educate, don't sell...

3) Pick your platform...

4) Cause interaction...

5) Create a backchannel...

6) Have bonus content...

7) Promote the archive...

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Duct Tape Marketing, 22 February 2010. © 2003-2010 Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing, reproduced with permission of the author.

From an e-newsletter sent by Sabrina Pacifici:

Source: Pacifici, Sabrina. "New on LLRX.com for January/February 2010." Copyright © LLRX TM, Law Library Resource Xchange, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://www.llrx.com/subscribe.htm>.

Podcast description from the site: "Education is vital to a successful paralegal career. On this edition of The Paralegal Voice, co-host  Vicki Voisin welcomes Linda J. Wolf, ACP,  the current President of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and Attorney Elizabeth Mann, Department Head of the Paralegal Program at Greenville Technical College, to focus on the importance of paralegal education. They will also discuss entering and growing in the career field and what employers look for when hiring paralegals.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Teris, Westlaw Deposition Services, Clio, and the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:54 -- 22.7MB)

Related Podcasts

• March 5, 2009 -- Paralegals in a Down Economy
• July 7, 2009 -- New Hiring Trends in the Paralegal World
• March 12, 2008 -- Paralegals: The Backbone of the Law Practice

Active links and podcast are available at the source site listed below.

Source: Legal Talk Network, 8 February 2010. © 2010 · Legal Talk Network. Reproduced with permission of Scott R. Hess.

This post was written by Connie Crosby: "The latest episode of the new video podcast Social Mediators by Thornley Fallis PR professionals Joseph Thornley, Terry Fallis and Dave Fleet raises some good questions about employee policies, especially around social media. In it, they talk about whether employees should take care in what they say on their personal lives (notably online) and whether they are always representatives of their companies. Also see the full Pro PR blog post Social Mediators 2: Are you always one of us?"

Access links and view video podcast by clicking on the author's name above.

Source: Slaw.ca, 22 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw.

This post was written by Richard Georges: "Lookout Mobile Security :: Security that moves with you. Mobile and smart phones have an inherent security risk. They are small, and can be lost or stolen easily... So, why not use an application that is free, downloadable, and which not only backs up all of your contacts and photos, but also contains an antivirus that scans all new downloads?

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Future Lawyer, 19 February 2010. © 1996-2010, Richard M. Georges, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Karin Conroy: "When seeking to improve performance, results or overall satisfaction in themselves, their business or their employees, too many follow conventional wisdom and focus on fixing weaknesses. Find what's wrong and try to correct it. Unfortunately, that "wisdom" leaves them struggling on the path to mediocrity. Three sources that I have been reading lately converge on methods to surpass the mediocre, whether it is within your small business or within the confines of a large, bureaucratic organization. Find your motivation, find your strength, then develop your niche...

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 22 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by Tom Kane: "In good times and in bad, getting noticed is obviously a critical factor in developing business. But especially in these economic times, it is even more crucial to be doing the kinds of things that allows your firm to stand out from the crowd.

In a post entitled "Getting Noticed" my friend Thom Singer over at Some Assembly Required points out one simple way to do that..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Marketing blog.com, 19 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Omar Ha-Redeye:  "David Canton previously mentioned privacy concerns with status updates on social media.  But these concerns could translate into higher premiums for homeowners as well, simply for using social media.

The Telegraph is predicting that premiums in the U.K. could be adjusted in the future to reflect the supposed inherent risk in participating on social media platforms,

... "Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their information gathering, even using Google Earth and Streetview to plan their burglaries with military precision. Insurance providers are starting to take this into account when they are assessing claims and we may in future see insurers declining claims if they believe the customer was negligent."

The article also provides some advice to mitigate some of these risks, including not posting home address or home phone on social media platforms, refusing invites from people you don't know, and turning off location-based services."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 21 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw.

This post was written by Chuck Newton: "The Real Estate Marking SEO Blog always has some interesting posts.  One is How To Dominate Social Media In Three And Half Minutes.  I am not sure you can actually dominate social media, period, but I think the point of the post is to give you a down and dirty review, in bullet point form, of what you need to do, and that is good practice. Although it is a real estate site, I think it applies to Third Wave lawyers as well. In modifying what is stated in that post, here is what is stated:..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Chuck Newton Rides the Third Wave, 11 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

Podcast descrition from the site: "Just recently 15-year old student Phoebe Prince from South Hadley, Massachusetts took her own life after she was being constantly "cyberbullied" by a group of students at her school.  Phoebe's story is one of many that has left communities reeling, schools in the hot seat and parents enraged by the lack of protection of their children and a lack of discipline against the perpetrators. Co-hosts and attorneys J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi welcome David T. Tirella, partner at the firm Eaton, Powell & Tirella and Debra Johnston,  founder of Students For Safer Schools and mother of Jeffrey Johnston, a victim of cyberbullying, to discuss the latest in cyberbulling prevention, legislation against cyberbullying and what to do if your child becomes a victim.

For more information on Cyberbullying go to stopcyberbullying.org or bullypolice.org

Special thanks to our sponsors, Suntrust, and Clio.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (24.7MB)"

For active links and to listen to the podcast, click on the source site listed below.

Source:  Legal Talk Network, 18 February 2010. © 2010 · Legal Talk Network. Reproduced with permission of Scott R. Hess.

In the news: "The hidden dangers lurking in many interviews are those tough or possibly inappropriate questions for which there seem to be no right answers, but many wrong ones, note consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass. They discuss how to save yourself if you get hit with one."

DANGEROUS QUESTIONS include:

• Tell me about yourself.

• Why are you looking to move?

• Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?

• What are your strengths/weaknesses?

• Why do you want to relocate?

• What do you do in your free time?

• The Hypothetical

• Questions for which you don't have an answer

QUESTIONABLE QUESTIONS include:

• Marital Status/Children

• Age

• Political, Religious and Social Affiliations

• Nationality and Citizenship

• Disabilities

and OFFENSIVE QUESTIONS

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 22 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by StephanieWestAllen: "Excerpt:

This year, about 2.5 million Americans will die...

With all due respect to the loved ones and friends you leave behind, it's your life, and the way you want to recognize the end of your life is up to you. By having a plan that thoughtfully reflects your wishes, you'll not only do this but also lift a lot of stress and worry from the loved ones you leave behind. That's not a bad final gift for you to make.

Click to read the rest of "8 Steps to Prepare for Your Final Act" (U.S. News & World Report).

To reach the blog post and the active links, click on the author's name.

Source: idealawg, 20 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Simon Fodden: "A study commissioned by the U.K. Ministry of Justice, "Are Juries Fair" [PDF] by Cheryl Thomas, examined the following issues:

• Do all-White juries discriminate against BME defendants?
• Do jurors racially stereotype defendants?
• Do juries at certain courts rarely convict?
• Do juries rarely convict on certain offences?
• Do jurors understand legal directions?
• Do jurors know what to do about improper conduct in the jury room?
• Are jurors aware of media coverage of their cases?
• How is the internet affecting jury trials?

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

This post was written by Susan Cartier Liebel:  "...Plan for solo practice, not the Big Law job and the Big Law job opportunity may present itself.

To answer you regarding this particular thinking, the new grads are worrying about the wrong issue and their thinking is incorrect.  They should plan for solo practice BECAUSE of the economy and by doing so, they are MORE attractive to the new firm emerging out of this chaos.  Why?  The new firms are going to be (or should be) more interested in self-starters and someone who doesn't have to be hand-held through any process, who can make rain independently and reduce the large firm's initial training costs...

The full text of this interesting post is available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Build a Solo Practice, 15 February 2010 @ SPU Copyright 2010 Susan Cartier Liebel, reproduced with permission.

In the news: "Last July, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe dropped lockstep compensation in favor of a performance-based system, and almost 30 Am Law 200 law firms have followed suit. But are these new tiered-pay structures just another way to cut associate pay -- without having to disclose anything?"

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 18 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Laura Bergus: "Regardless of where you are on your path to a legal career, you should try to master the variety of legal research tools at your fingertips.

During my 1L legal writing course, our law librarians empowered me with fundamental legal research skills. We learned to apply these skills to the archaic online databases of Westlaw and LexisNexis, and I presumed they were the only games in town.

There are, of course, alternatives to so-called "Wexis." Here are some recommendations based on the type of research query..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 18 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

In the news: "Whether you're looking for work as a lawyer or interested in client development, LinkedIn can be a useful tool, says consultant Debra L. Bruce. One reason why: the ability, essentially, to present your resume on steroids. Bruce also offers some warnings to keep in mind."

Seven other reasons to use LinkedIn:

1. Professional focus...

3. Friends cubed...

4. Company connections...

5. Recommendations...

6. Discussion groups...

7. Learning opportunities...

8. Invitations to connect...

RISKS FOR UNWARY LAWYERS

1. Specialization...

2. Testimonials...

3. Advertising...

4. Solicitation...

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 19 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

From the e-newsletter: "Perhaps very welcome news to legal employees is ButterflyVista's recent release of JobFish 2010; a windows application that facilitates the use of online job boards to seek employment opportunities."

Read more...

Source: FindLaw's Modern Practice: Law & Technology. 18 February 2010 Copyright © 2010 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.

The Dialogue Resource Guide offers step-by-step directions and discussion questions to enable you to lead a discussion on this year's theme, Law in the 21st Century: Enduring Traditions, Emerging Challenges.

The Dialogue explores three topics: reforming American government in the 21st century, music distribution and copyright, and pirates and the law.

For more information on the ABA Dialogue program, visit www.abanet.org/publiced/features/dialogues.html.

For more information on Law Day 2010, visit www.lawday.org.

Join Law Day on Facebook..."

Source: An Email from Division for Public Education [abapubed@abanet.org], 19 February 2010.

Podcast description form the site: "Budgetary concerns have forced lawyers to take a hard look at software costs. That's brought Open Source software onto their radar screens. The price - free - is obviously attractive, but Open Source is a completely different approach to software than lawyers expect. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell introduce the approach and philosophy of Open Source, the programs available, and when and where it might make sense for you. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis' co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies.

Show Notes Wiki

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:37 -- 28.0MB)

Related Podcasts

• December 9, 2009 -- Going Mobile: The Rise of the Mobile Platform
• July 1, 2009 -- Choosing Practice Management Software
• March 3, 2008 -- Legal Software Magic Bullet?"

The active links are available at the source site listed below.

Source: Legal Talk Network, 17 February 2010. © 2010 · Legal Talk Network. Reproduced with permission of Scott R. Hess.

In the news: "Today, there's no need to leave the legal profession if you no longer wish to practice law. Attorneys are well-suited to several administrative roles within a law firm setting, as discussed by Saul Ewing's Leslie Kart Gross and Jennifer Smuts of Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz."

From the article: "There are a number of different administrative roles within a law firm setting for which attorneys are particularly well-suited. They include:

• Marketing

• Recruiting

• Professional development

• Pro bono and diversity

• Client relations

• Human resources"

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 17 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

Podcast description from the site: "On this debut podcast of The Landy Law Letter, host John L. Torvi, from the Herbert H. Landy Insurance Agency of Needham, Massachusetts welcomes  Dan Reed, Second Vice President of Travelers Bond & Financial Products, Professional Liability,  to help better understand how lawyers' professional liability insurance fits into your legal practice. John and Dan will discuss a firm's insurance needs, the 'classic' legal malpractice claim, negligence and what a lawyer should be looking for in professional liability insurance.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:48 -- 15.7MB)

Related Podcasts

• October 15, 2007 -- Legal Accountability"

Get active links at the source site listed below.

Source: Legal Talk Network, 10 February 2010 © 2010 · Legal Talk Network. Reproduced with permission of Scott R. Hess.

This post was written by Tom Kane:  "When I was in-house as the first marketing person in the mid-80's, I had no staff to speak of - as in none, except for a great secretary I shared with a lawyer. You can imagine how much of her time I got. I quickly learned to utilize any staff person - librarian, copy room people, paralegals, etc. I could con............err sweet talk into helping me on various projects.

The important lesson I learned is that the staff of law firms are bright and talented. And they can be extremely helpful, if they are given the respect they deserve. In this month's issue of the ABA's Law Practice Today there is an article about managing relationships with your staff by Sheila Blackford, who is the practice management advisor for the Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund.

Her "staff relationship checklist" includes:.."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Marketing Blog.com, 16 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author

This post was written by Greg Lambert: "I feel like I've been picking on the folks at Thomson Reuters regarding the launch of WestlawNext, especially with this post last week.  I expected a quick response from Thomson Reuters on my questioning their approach to pushing this out to law firms and more specifically to law students.  The response came this morning from Anne Ellis, Senior Director of the Westlaw Library Relations team.  I thought I'd push this out on the blog as a more reasoned response than the one we got from the anonymous 'A Westlaw Rep.'  In fact, I hope that Anne cc'd all 'Westlaw Reps.' on this so that they can give a better response to the specific questions we had on the roll-out. The first three paragraphs are mostly 'corporate speak', but Anne goes on to answer some of the questions we had on the effect that law students will have on the new search algorithm (which was my primary concern.)..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: 3 Geeks & a Blog, 15 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the authors.

This post was written by Simon Fodden: "The two things everyone using computers is supposed to do are: back up regularly and create difficult, changing passwords. The two things that nearly everyone using computers fails to do are: back up regularly and create difficult, changing passwords. Now, the business about backing up wouldn't apply to computers used in law offices (would it?). But it's not so clear that all firms and lawyers in those firms have got a good password policy in place..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 16 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by J. Benjamin Stevens: "The apps listed below were included on a recent list of the ten of the best apps for busy lawyers.  You can read much more about each of these apps in the full article, but a short summary of each is listed below:..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: The Mac Lawyer, 16 February 2010. Copyright © 2010, J. Benjamin Stevens, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Bonnie Shucha: "Fastcase recently released an app for the iPhone. And not only is the app free, but so access to the case law and statutes that it contains -- even if you don't practice in a state like Wisconsin where the desktop computer version of Fastcase is free through the State Bar.

So far the reviews have been very good, including this one from iPhone JD:..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: WisBlawg, 10 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Karin Conroy: "I have to admit, Google AdWords confounded me at first. I had logged into the site many times clicked around a little, became frustrated, and found something else to do.  The hurdle I could not overcome was the lack of clear, simple instructions to create an introductory account, become proficient, and enjoy the benefits this tool has to offer.

I can happily report that I finally set aside my reservations and spent some worthwhile time determining how to get my account working - and it works (and I can prove it with real numbers). The good news is that it is really difficult to make a huge or costly mistake with this method of targeted advertising.

Based on my experience, here is the missing 5 Step Startup Manual to get up and running with AdWords:..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

This post was written by Omar Ha-Redeye: "On February 9, 2010, David Cruickshank spoke at UWO Law on "The Business of Law: Hot Topics and Emerging Trends in the Legal Profession."  Cruickshank is a partner at Kerma Partners in New York City, and provides professional advice to law firms and other services.

My notes from his talk follow...

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 14 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw.

This post was written by Julie A. Fleming:

I burn my candle at both ends
It will not last the night.
But ah my foes and oh my friends
It gives a lovely light.
Edna St. Vincent Millay

"What do you think when you read this?  If you're like many lawyers, you felt a flutter of recognition -- perhaps just before you recoiled at the idea that, perhaps your candle won't "last the night."  It's just the weak who can't burn and burn and burn, right?

Sustainability isn't an exciting word, and most of us don't see it as something to aim for.  After all, we tend to want bigger and better and more, not homeostasis.  What does it mean, though, to have a "sustainable practice?"...

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Life at the Bar, 10 February 2010. © Life at the Bar LLC Blog, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "The worst days are the ones where you run around like a madman, going from one meeting to another with no breaks. Although it may look nice on your calendar to have no "empty spaces" in between events, buffers can help make life a lot less stressful.

Continue reading this informative post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 13 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by StephanieWestAllen:  "Excerpt:

With the new year now here it is time to take stock of where you have been and where you want to go. A book can help you make the changes you want this year. Transforming Practices, Finding Joy and Satisfaction in the Legal Life by Steven Keeva, an editor for the American Bar Association's The Lawyers Magazine, shows lawyers how to "find profound satisfaction, pleasure, and joy in his or her work," according to its cover..."

Click to read the rest of "Teaching lawyers to be in the now" (The Lawyers Weekly). Or pdf (begins on page 23).

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: idealawg, 11 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

In the news: "Videoconference interviews are becoming more common as law firms and corporations expand geographically, and as travel becomes more expensive and time-consuming. With these types of interviews, presentation is a key factor, note consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 16 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

Podcast descrition (from the site): "The murder of a young woman in Massachusetts raises new questions about the laws and the legal system in cases involving abusive relationships.

19-year old Allison Myrick was stabbed to death  -  her ex-boyfriend charged with murder. Authorities and family members revealed details including two restraining orders which did not prevent this tragic crime.  Attorneys and co-hosts Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams welcome Attorney Marsha Kazarosian from the Kazarosian Law Offices and the Honorable Judge Eugene M. Hyman from the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California, to explore what could have gone so terribly wrong. They will look at how the legal system, lawyers, legislators and others can better protect victims in abusive relationships and how we as a community can prevent these tragedies.

Show Notes: If you or someone you know is involved in an abusive relationship, call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or contact Break The Cycle.  You may donate in Allison Myrick's honor on line at: www.breakthecycle.org/donate or by phone at, 310-286-3383 x805

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:12 -- 29.6MB)

Related Podcasts

• February 11, 2010 -- Suffolk Law's Battered Women's Advocacy Clinic
• November 7, 2007 -- The Early Release of William Flynn
• November 3, 2006 -- Tests of Justice

To listen to this important podcast, click on the source site listed below.

Source Legal Talk Network, 5 February 2010. © 2010 · Legal Talk Network. Reproduced with permission of Scott R. Hess.

In the news: "Moving or copying large Microsoft SharePoint document libraries from one site, or extranet, to another is a recurring need in law firms. Mark Gerow, of Fenwick & West, shows how to move a document library of any size with just a bit of .NET code using the Windows SharePoint Services SDK."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 16 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "February 8 was National Clean Out Your Computer Day. If you did not follow this well-known holiday, schedule an hour this week to tidy up your friend. If you are lucky enough to have an IT department, call them up and ask for physical on your computer..."

Continue reading this informative post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 14 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

In the news: "In anticipation of Valentine's Day, Texas Lawyer talked to four married lawyer-couples to find out how they came to sign the ultimate contract with each other. Find out how things like bad restaurants and a high school debate team played parts in these legal love stories."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 12 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Allison Shields: "I was one of the many millions who stayed tuned to CBS after the Superbowl this last Sunday to watch the new reality show, Undercover Boss. To me, it was a hit - at least this episode was, since I've been thinking a lot about it ever since.

In this first episode of the new series, Larry O'Donnell, President and C.O.O. of Waste Management, went 'undercover' in his own company to find out how his corporate policies affected workers on the front lines....

What can lawyers learn from the show and from O'Donnell's experiences?...

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Ease Blog, 10 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Jordan Furlong: "I was talking the other day with a partner in a large national firm. For a variety of reasons, including the nature of his practice area, his annual billings have been declining for a couple of years now, and he's been contacted about it by some of the senior people in the firm. He's been tempted, from time to time, to respond to their concerns by saying: "Have you ever noticed that every year, you raise my billing rates, and every year, I bill fewer hours?"

That neatly encapsulates what I think is a real and dangerous trend at a lot of the bigger law firms: week by week, rate increase by rate increase, they're pricing themselves out of the market..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Law21.ca, 9 February 2010. © 2008 Jordan Furlong, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Jim Hassett: "Whether you choose to focus on current clients and referral sources or to spend your time looking for new ones, the marketing tactic that is most critical in this changing economy is increasing the value you provide.  This need is hardly limited to the legal world.  In his book, What the Customer Wants You to Know, consultant Ram Charan described how the internet and the global economy are changing the way customers think and what it means to people who sell: "[Businesses] are under enormous pressure to deliver value to their clients and their shareholders.  They are compelled to use the newfound power of transparency and overcapacity to drive down prices."  One result is that the traditional tools of business development - "long-term relationships, golf games, skybox seats and theater outings" - are losing their power (p. 4).

The same trends have now come to the legal world, with a vengeance...

In interpreting this result and others from the survey, they noted that:

CLOs rated the importance of "relationships" with outside law firms at exactly the same low level, whether for critical work, important work or commodity work.  The personal element apparently doesn't carry as much weight in the hiring decision in 2009.

How do you deliver more value? Value lies in the eye of the beholder, so it all starts with asking clients questions like this..."

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Business Development, 10 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Tom Kane: "A lot of mistakes made by lawyers when it comes to marketing and business development are pretty simple, and simple to overcome. They just must be recognized and dealt with. A reader sent along an email, which led me to an article by Kenneth Hardison of the Personal Injury Lawyers Marketing and Managing Association (PILMMA) that was short, to the point and worth sharing.

His 7 mistakes include...

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Law Marketing Blog.com, 11 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Simon Fodden: "There's an interesting little post on Tim Bray's blog, Ongoing, entitled "The Listening Engine." Bray, one of the bloggers I've been following for years now, is the Canadian software developer and entrepreneur who co-founded Open Text Corporation and who is now the Director of Web Technologies at Sun Microsystems. He's thoughtful, sensible.

In The Listening Engine he puzzles over how it is that RSS and Twitter are resources that some people simply don't make use of...

He muses that we may be seeing a simple stratification in society into two layers: those who are well-informed because of their "intensity of listening," to use his phrase, and those who are not...

Continue reading this thought-provoking post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name. While you are there, check out the comments section for additional thoughts on the topic.

Source: Slaw.ca, 10 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "Most attorneys carry some form of smartphone with them to check email, calendars, and other tasks. Today's smartphones, however, can help attorneys in many others ways like information gathering..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 11 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by Tara Calisham: "Unless you've been living under a rock (or, okay, under a few feet of snow -- stay warm DC area!) you will have heard about the launch of Google Buzz. It actually launched a few days ago but has only within the last day or so been set up for all GMail accounts.

Do you use Twitter? Google Buzz is sort of Twitter for GMail. A new menu item is set up within your GMail, and when you click on it you'll see posts from people who you're following. (You can see a brief video demo and explanation of Google Buzz at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi50KlsCBio.) You can also see other content they're posting to other Web properties, depending on how they've set up their Google Profile...

Continue reading about Google Buzz by clicking on the author's name.

Source: ResearchBuzz, 11 February 2010. © 2006-2010 ResearchBuzz, reproduced with permission of the author.

From the e-newsletter: "So, you want to hire an unpaid intern? It certainly shouldn't be difficult to find one. These days, with the slow hiring in law firms, there are many young attorneys out there who are trying to get some experience. There are also several law schools that host clinics, where students get class credit to participate in unpaid internships."

Read more...

Related Resources
• FLSA Opinion Letter regarding unpaid interns (FLSA)

Source: FindLaw's The Practice Paper: For Solo & Small Firm Lawyers. 10 February 2010 Copyright © 2010 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.

This post was written by Alexis Martin Neely: "Everyone from researchers to business moguls are devoting energy and study to the subject of "drive" and whether traditional motivators (like the carrot and stick) are enough to steer us down a successful and fulfilling career path in today's world.

As I explored this issue as it relates to the legal field, I sought out expert advice from Daniel Pink, the New York Times Best-Selling author of "A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future" and his newest book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us." Both of these books have critically important information for all lawyers..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

This post was written by Dan Pinnington: "The 'future of law' is the theme of the current issue of Law Practice Magazine. It has an amazing article by Merrilyn Astin Tarlton titled "Figuring Out Your Place In The Race."

When it comes to wisdom and insights on innovation and the future of law practice, few, if any, know and see more than my friend Merrilyn. This article in a must read for any managing partner or lawyer that wants to figure out what their firm needs to do to innovate and succeed in the practice of law...

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 10 February 2010, reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw.

This post was written by Rita Handrich: "Matthew Harrison has an article on Colorism in the January issue of The Jury Expert. He discusses the role of colorism (or "skin color bias") in the workplace and then three trial consultants discuss his work in the context of the courtroom. There's a lot of good information for litigators in the trial consultant responses and we recommend you go take a look if you are interested in learning more about the relationship between skin color and bias (in the workplace or in the courtroom..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: The Jury Room, 10 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Douglas Keene.

In the news: "Some lawyers think the way to get a "name" is to give presentations at conferences. They're right, but they might be surprised at the nature of that name, says anonymous columnist The Rodent. Presenting is much better than being a lobby lizard, but make sure your speech is a good one."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 11 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Tom Kane: "According to a feature article in this month's InsideCounsel one consultant who helps clients structure alternative fee arrangements "estimates that only about 2% of total legal billings currently are being done on alternative basis - but he contends it's an increasing trend." That certainly isn't a surprise.

He goes on to say "I'd expect that almost 20% of all billings would be on alternative billing in eight to 10 years..." According to the article, 35% of respondents to Fulbright & Jaworski's Litigation Trends survey said that the down economy has pushed them "to increase their use of alternative fees."

Based on that, I guess I'm just surprised to hear that it's going to take close to a decade for alternative fees to get up to 20% of billings...

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Marketing Blog.com, 9 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author

This podcast was posted anonymously: "Welcome to GAL Radio, brought to you by the Greatest American Lawyer blog.  Changing the way law is practiced through technology, innovation and creativity.  Turning the business of law on its head and shaking things up to the betterment of clients, lawyers, law firms, and society.

Damien:  Good afternoon, and welcome to GAL Radio.  My name is Damien Allen, and today joining me on the phone is Professor James Cox, the Director of the Law and Entrepreneurship LLM Program at Duke University School of Law.  Good afternoon and welcome to the program, James.

Play: The Duke University Law Entrepreneur LLM Program- Merging Business and Law
(click title to listen)

Continue reading the transcript of the podcast and reach the active links by clicking on the link above.

Source: The Greatest American Lawyer, 10 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

From the e-newsletter: "The cloud computing technology currently available is carrying us into the future in terms of the remote off-site handling and storage of our data. But are we safe in the cloud? Is our private data secure? Good questions."

Read more...

Related Resources
• Online Protection for Your Company's Confidential Information

Source: FindLaw's The Practice Paper: For Solo & Small Firm Lawyers. 10 February 2010 Copyright © 2010 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe  <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.

This post was written by John Jantsch: "Marketing podcast with Brian Solis (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download - subscribe now via iTunes

For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I asked Brian Solis, Principal of FutureWorks and co-author of  Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, about the future of the PR industry as we know it.

There's plenty of doom and gloom surrounding the practice of public relations in the social web world, but Solis suggests, and I totally agree, that there's a tremendous opportunity if firms and departments understand how to evolve and grab it..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Duct Tape Marketing, 9 February 2010. © 2003-2010 Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing, reproduced with permission of the author.

In the news: "Lawyers who represent clients and their firms well may be rewarded with a leadership position. Herein lies the problem. Most lawyers, like most human beings, are not natural leaders. Consultant James Dolan discusses how all leaders, natural or not, can become more effective."

A few points from the article include:

• An effective leader is not a control freak.

• An effective leader spends more time listening than doing.

• An effective leader has clear boundaries and is willing to make appropriate sacrifices.

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 10 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Ray Millard: "The crux of the billable hour debate really seems to lie primarily in one very basic conundrum. That is: how else to accurately and sensibly value the output for a wide diversity of legal services, other than "by the hour," with anything like the same ease of applicability. It seems almost sacrilegious to ask the question .... but this by no means the first time that the dilemma has arisen about sensible metrics to measure performance in the production of diverse products or services.... 

...I wonder if the current wave of enthusiasm for alternative fee arrangements and value pricing (which I enthusiastically endorse and with which I join) is going to achieve what the Soviets could not, and come out with usable measures of value for all of the wide range of diverse services that law firms deliver to their clients, in ways that make economic sense for both buyer and seller and are easy to apply. Hopefully it will ...."

Full text is available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Adventure of Strategy, 29 January 2010. Copyright 2010, Rob Millard, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Gregory A. Mattacola: "A lawyer today need only perform a cursory scan of his or her mail and e-mail to be hit with all the various areas one supposedly needs to manage in order to be an effective attorney. The seminars and webinars range from rainmaking to real estate and everything in between. Yet glaringly missing from all these learning opportunities is mention of that lawyer's health - both mental and physical.

All of these offerings purport to make one a better lawyer and businessman but how about simply making the lawyer better - whether that be mentally, physically or spiritually? There is a deafening silence when it comes to these issues and it makes one wonder why. Is there not a need?..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 10 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by Andrew Terrett: "Legal Project Management - Control Costs, Meet Schedules, Manage Risks and Maintain Sanity" by Steven Levy. Daypack Books, Seattle WA, 2009. Price: US$29.95  ISBN: 1449928641

"Steven Levy's book marries project management with legal practice. This is a useful practical guide on how lawyers can get started."

The nature of legal services is changing. Indeed barely a week passes without another article in the legal press about Alternative Fee Arrangements and the death of the billable hour. Consequently the need for better Project Management has become a hot topic within law firm practice management circles. It is perceived by many as part of the solution in driving greater efficiencies in the face of shrinking legal budgets and ever louder calls for cost controls from General Counsel and CEO's. On the face of it, project management seems to be a great fit with its promise of on-time and on-budget delivery. But can it work in law firms and in-house legal departments? This book is the first to tackle that question thus the timing of this book could not be better..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 9 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw.

This post was written by Dennis Kennedy: "My latest technology column for the ABA Journal is out. It's called "Going Mobile: Your future work platform is on the phone " and it takes a practical look at what is starting to seem like a smartphone revolution.

My goal in this column was to provide a simple introduction and primer to what Tom Mighell and I have been calling the "mobile platform" on our podcast. We are moving to a world where smartphones are commonplace, where smartphones run applications and give us anywhere, anytime Internet access, and, as a result, the everyday world of technology use seems to be moving us to working on our smartphones.

In the column, I offer a gentle introduction to world of iPhone and other mobile apps, the implications of anytime, anywhere access, and how expectations are changing and will continue to change. The idea is that you need to start looking at your smartphone to do more than handle email and make calls.

I highlight three key developments...

I end with four simple and gentle suggestions to get started on the mobile platform...

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Dennis Kennedy.com, 9 February 2010. © 1995 - 2005 Dennis Kennedy, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by John Heckman: "While you can't get rid of the Word 2007 Ribbon (except via third-party programs), you can seriously augment the QuickAccess Toolbar so it functions almost like a Word 2003 toolbar.

To do this, click on the Microsoft icon at the upper left corner of Word and select Word Options..."

Continue reading this informative post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Does It Compute?, 3 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Rick Georges: "Lab Rats Look At IPad, IPod, Kindle and Netbooks This little video from my friends at LabRats does a good job of looking at the good, the bad and the ugly of the new device from Apple. Take 20 minutes, and you will have a good feel for the pros and cons of the tablet computer that will be coming out in a couple of months..."

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Future Lawyer, 10 February 2010. © 1996-2010, Richard M. Georges, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Chuck Newton: "And no, I am not talking about a stat in the World of Warcraft, and I am not talking about the grandmaster pimp daddy of cheese and all things cheddary.

I am talking about the power of moving quickly and easily. The act of being nimble. A kind of practice dexterity. Quickwittednes. Acuteness. Alertness. Hustle. Readiness. Velocity. Intellectual acuity.

When you think about it, agility is really the greatest aspect of the Third Wave practice of law. It is the thing that both distinguishes the possibility of law today from the past, and it is what offers the greatest reduction in failure of lawyers and law firms today. It is what makes the solo practice of law enjoyable..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Chuck Newton Rides the Third Wave, 7 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Omar Ha-Redeye: "Nada Khirdaji has an interesting piece on her transition from legal research skills in law school to research skills in practice in CCH's law student monthly,..."

Get active links to the article and Omar's excerpts and commentary by clicking on the author's name above.

Source: Slaw.ca, 8 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw

This post was written by Bonnie Shucha: "U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim has written a thoughtful piece about PACER for The National Law Journal. Tunheim has been closely involved with PACER as longtime member and chair of the Judicial Conference's Court Admini­stration and Case Management Committee.

In the article, the judge responds to recent questions and criticisms about PACER's fee structure, functionality and privacy protections. Although I encourage you to read the full article, his conclusion offers a summary of his views:..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Wisblawg, 29 January 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "Given attorney's busy schedules, communicating over email is many times preferable. The ease of email, however, sometimes overshadow a number of problems with email communications. A New York Housing Court judge has developed a helpful "email etiquette guide" to alleviate the most common problems..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 8 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

In the news: "Electronic privacy in the workplace is a tangled subject, with only a few sure footholds for employers. Attorneys are hoping a Supreme Court ruling will provide unifying guidance on employer monitoring of employee text messages in a case currently under consideration by the justices."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 9 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by David Bilinsky: "I guess it was just a matter of time. IT World posted an article today by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (sjvn@vna1.com) entitled: "Can you trust Chinese computer equipment?"

While this may seem like the musings of a hyper-active Homeland Security Department, it is based on MI5's report in The Times Online "China bugs and burgles Britain" that the Chinese Government has given British executives equipment with security holes..."

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 5 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw

This post was written by Tom Mighell: "I've never been a fan of giving PowerPoint presentations from my phone - I like more control over the program I'm using to give the presentation. However, with MightyMeeting I might just have to give it another try. MightyMeeting has a different take on the whole "presentation by smartphone" thing: instead of loading the presentation on your phone, you upload it to the MightyMeeting server. You can then send your attendees a link to the file when you're ready to present - but it's actually a link to the presentation that you can control remotely from your phone..."

To learn more about how MightyMeeting works and how you can use it, click on Tom's name.

Source: Inter Alia, 8 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Greg Lambert: "After years of listening to my friends tell me why they "looooovvveee" their Macs, and how it is "sooooo" much easier to use than a PC, and that I'm an idiot (not a Mac/PC issue apparently), I think I'm finally feeling some empathy for them. Not because I'm going to rush out after 20 years of using a PC, but because I went out traded in my old Windows Mobile 6.0 phone (BlackJack I on AT&T) and bought an Android phone (Samsung Moment on Sprint)..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: 3 Geeks and a Blog, 5 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author

I know Law Day isn't until May, but good planning now saves a lot of scrambling later! See the ABA Law Day Checklist at: http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/LD_planning_timeline.pdf for ideas on getting started.

This post was written by Julie A. Fleming: "Through years of school and various jobs and activities, we've learned how to persist even in the face of difficulties.  Persistence is an important trait, since (in the words of one of my current favorite songs) "what's worth the prize is always worth the fight."  No fight may mean no prize, and we've integrated that lesson in our professional lives.  (Think back to law school, and I virtually guarantee you'll remember at least one class that would have stopped you cold had you not been committed to fighting your way through.)

An opposing principle is the concept of diminishing returns, in which additional effort doesn't produce additional results proportional to that effort.  For example, when you draft a memorandum for a client, the first and second drafts are generally critical to the end result.  By the time you get to the fifth or fifteenth or fiftieth draft (depending on the complexity of the matter at hand), you're making only small changes and word-smithing.  A single word can occasionally affect the impact of an entire document, so experience is often required to know when you've reached the point of diminishing returns..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Life at the Bar, 3 February 2010. © Life at the Bar LLC Blog, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Allison Shields: "Last month I posted on stripping down your practice, and I suggested that while procedures and systems can help your productivity, they need to be re-evaluated from time to time to ensure that they are working and that they are necessary.

This same issue arose during a number of my client meetings over the past two weeks. As I work with lawyers on streamlining their practices and improving productivity, we invariably encounter old, outdated, redundant or unnecessary procedures. Many times, the old procedures have become unnecessary because new technology has been put into place which takes the place of several old ways of working, but only some of the old procedures have been eliminated..."

Continue reading this interesting post and access the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Ease Blog, 5 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Cheryl: "If you pick the top three companies known for their extraordinary customer relationships; Nordstrom, Amazon and Starbucks, it's pretty easy to dissect their redeeming qualities...

Consumers still want to buy from real people and want to buy and associate with people and businesses who carry similar values and good will..."

The full text of this post is available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Service Untitled, 5 February 2010. © 2006-2010 Service Untitled Group, reproduced with permission of Douglas Hanna.

In the news: "Like the dating scene, the job interview process may start with a rendezvous for coffee at a local cafe. Although the meeting is held in an informal setting, the rules of interviewing apply, note consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass. You still must prepare, dress appropriately and sell yourself. Presenting your case in a public place presents some challenges, however, particularly when the location is noisy and busy. Here are some tips for getting coffee with an interviewer without burning yourself."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 8 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Susan Cartier Liebel: "There is a very timely and accurate post in today's Wall Street Journal (H/T to Fred Abramson for bringing it to my attention via Twitter) called  'How to Succeed in the Age of Going Solo" While they focus on 'consultants' they also recognize this applies to all those who are forced (or choose) to become self-employed.

The article very nicely lays out the realities of the workforce in this country and how solos in many professions will keep growing, recognizing this is the future path for millions of Americans..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Build a Solo Practice, 8 February 2010. Copyright 2010 Susan Cartier Liebel, reproduced with permission.

This post was written by Michelle Golden: "Asking 'What's the ROI of social media?' is akin to asking 'What's the ROI of a telephone?' or 'What's the ROI of a computer?' or 'What's the ROI of e-mail?'

First, these are all tools. They all have the potential to be significant time-suckers. And they each can make us enormously effective. Depending on our purpose and actions with the tools.

Second, to truly gauge ROI--on a broad basis--you would have to consider ALL the cost to acquire, set up and maintain each of these over time. You would also have to consider ALL the value attained through the use of the tool over time. 

To do this properly and completely would be an enormous job, would require some use of metrics, and some use of judgment or anecdotal evidence...

A more realistic and useful approach is to project desired ROI use-by-use or, in marketing terms, initiative-by-initiative..."

Learn more about ROI for tools by clicking on the author's name above.

Source: Golden Practices, 7 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "Admittedly, as long as you can afford it, having an office is a must. But I also think that having a mobile, paperless, office makes life a lot easier.

Today, for example, I needed to accompany a family member to some unexpected medical appointments. There was no freaking out because my entire practice is on my iPhone and my MacBook Pro at home..."

Continue reading this interesting post and access active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 7 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC, reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "Every practicing lawyer, regardless of practice area, needs to be a great storyteller. At some point in the course of representing a client, effectively conveying their story will be critical to their case. When you have the spotlight, make sure you take advantage..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 4 February 2010, © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by Jim Hassett: "When the economy changes, lawyers must change too.  New client demands and new levels of competition are requiring lawyers to rethink the way they develop business.

When I wrote the book Legal Business Development: A Step by Step Guide a few years ago, I outlined the steps each lawyer should take to find their unique individual answer to the question, "What should I do today to increase new business?"

The fundamentals of marketing have not changed since then, but the world has.  In the current economy, every lawyer must focus first on defensive marketing - protecting the clients and referral sources they already have - and on providing clients with more value...

If you agree that defensive marketing would be a good idea, where should you start?  Review tactics that have worked at other firms, quickly pick out an item or two that fits your practice and personality, and give it a try.  Here are five of the best tactics to increase client satisfaction:..."

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Business Development, 3 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

Expert's Testimony Without Viewing U.S. Trademark Register Insufficient to Support Counterfeiting Conviction

From the site: "2008-2490.  State v. Troisi, Slip Opinion No. 2010-Ohio-275...

Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2010/2010-Ohio-275.pdf

View oral argument video of this case.

...The Supreme Court of Ohio today ruled that a trademark-investigation expert's testimony that he is aware that certain trademarks are registered but that he has never personally viewed the trademark-registration documents is insufficient to prove by itself that the trademarks are registered on the principal register in the United States Patent and Trademark Office as required for a conviction for trademark counterfeiting under R.C. 2913.34..."

Read full text

Conviction for Escape Does Not Require State to Show Postrelease Control Was Orally Announced at Sentencing

From the site: "2008-2119 and 2008-2172.  State v. Jordan, Slip Opinion No. 2010-Ohio-281.

Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2010/2010-Ohio-281.pdf

View oral argument video of this case.

...The Supreme Court of Ohio today ruled that, to obtain a conviction for the crime of escape for violating the terms of a post-release control order, the state may prove that a defendant was subject to postrelease control without proving that during a sentencing hearing the trial court orally notified the defendant that he would be subject to postrelease control. The Court's 5-2 decision was written by Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer..."

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Source: The Supreme Court of Ohio, 4 February 2010

Read more...

Source: FindLaw's Modern Practice: Law & Technology. 4 February 2010 Copyright © 2010 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.

This post was written by Allison Shields: "My last post talked about creating follow up systems to make the most out of your network. Some readers wanted some more 'meat,' so I prepared a more detailed, step by step guide. The permutations of a follow-up plan are almost endless; this example is just meant to give you some ideas to get you started..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 5 February 2010, © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by Rita Handrich: "...'Rhetoric', in modern times, is often used dismissively and seen as meaningless and perhaps manipulative as intimated in the phrase "mere rhetoric"...

In the courtroom, you can use the same strategy. Frame opposing counsel's oratory as 'rhetoric' and that becomes a code word between you and the jury for "meaningless and perhaps manipulative". You, on the other hand, have "reality"--a truthful and honest account. (Just make sure you back up that assertion with some facts.)..."

The full text of this post is available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: The Jury Room, 5 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Douglas Keene.

This post was written by Tom Kane: "Niche practices can be marketed more effectively and cheaper than a general practice in my opinion. Law firms that promote their niche practices will easily standout from the crowd; and can charge more for the practice, if they do.

Two of my posts on niche marketing that come to mind from a few years back include "Narrow Your Niche for More Effective Marketing" and "Do You Have a Niche and What Are You Doing about It?" Take a look, because there is a hot new niche that just came on the market. And there ain't going to be a recall any time soon..."

Continue reading this interesting post and get active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Marketing Blog.com, 4 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author

In the news: "Environmental law, which saw the same slowdown in transactional work other practices did, along with decreased enforcement under the Bush administration, is showing signs of life in both lateral movement and practice niches. Attorney Kevin J. Bruno, who recently moved to Blank Rome, says government enforcement, particularly at the federal level, is going to pick up. And Manko Gold Katcher & Fox managing partner Robert D. Fox expects emerging areas like climate change and sustainability will continue to grow."

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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 5 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Tina Hilton: "Being a Home Office Warrior comes with a lot of wonderful perks like flexible schedules, being your own boss and more.  But what many of us fail to share is that it can also come with a feeling of being alone, lack of motivation and fear.  Of course, traditional careers come with all of that too, but when you're working for someone else, staying employed tends to motivate you when these type of situations arise.  When you're self-employed, sometimes fear of failure can motivate, but it can also be paralyzing.

We've all been there. We may call it anything from writers block to being stuck in a rut, but no matter what you want to call it, you're going to need to do something to get past it.  Everyone is different, so I can't say what will work for you, but I'd like to share the two things that I do when I feel paralyzed in any way..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Home Office Warrior, 26 January 2010. © 2008 Home Office Warrior, reproduced with permission of Grant Griffiths.

This post was written by Simon Fodden: "As everyone will doubtless know, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against permitting the District Court for the Northern District of California to broadcast on YouTube the challenge to California's Proposition 8, as had been originally planned. That doesn't mean that the screen's gone blank, though..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 3 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "The vast majority of lawyers offer free consultations or evaluations to prospective clients. Others charge for first consultations, depending on the type of case. If you are considering switching to a different method, or feel uncomfortable one way or another, here are a few things to consider..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 3 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

In the news: "A key question facing IT departments is how to make sure outsourcing is done correctly while keeping the due diligence involved in vendor down-selecting and transaction costs under control. Attorneys Adam Chernichaw and Howard Wettan have six suggestions to help strike this balance."

In short, they are:

1. Have your own form of Master Services Agreement...

2. Demand comments on your form of Master Services Agreement with the Request for Proposal responses...

3. Keep your team of stakeholders lean...

4. Require the vendor's decision-makers to be available for contract discussions after selection. ..

5. Maintain an expedited dispute resolution procedure as an option once the engagement is under way...

6. Have a seamless exit management plan in place once the engagement is under way...

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 4 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Tom Mighell: "Well, after months and MONTHS of speculation, Apple finally unveiled its vaunted iPad tablet computing device. Does it signal a game change in the way mobile technology is designed, or is it just an oversized iPod Touch? Will lawyers use it as device for fun and games, or does it have real application for the legal profession? Those are some of the questions we tackle in the latest episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, entitled The iPad: Gadget or Game-Changer? We had a lot of fun in this episode, and we also briefly discussed the debut this week of WestLawNext, from Thomson Reuters. Give us a listen."

To reach the blog post and the active links, click on the author's name.

Source: Inter Alia, 3 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

From the e-newsletter: "As Microsoft prepares to roll out Office 2010, law firms should consider whether to invest in the latest version of the software."

Topics discussed include:

The Latest Version of Office

Your Firm's Hardware and Operating System Situation

Your Current Version of Office
Integration Issues

IT Support and Adoption
Budgetary Issues

Read more...

Source: FindLaw's The Practice Paper: For Solo & Small Firm Lawyers. 3 February 2010 Copyright © 2010 FindLaw, a Thomson Business. Subscribe  <http://newsletters.findlaw.com/>.

This post was written by Richard Georges: "Clio: Online Legal Practice Management Software | SaaS for Lawyers, Attorneys, Law Firms.  There is another competent cloud based practice management system, as the comments to my blog post about RocketMatter indicate..."

To reach the blog post and the active link, click on the author's name.

Source: FutureLawyer, 3 February 2010. © 1996-2010, Richard M. Georges, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Tara Calisham: "I thought the Internet was the Internet, but you can also consider the Internet as "the Cloud". And there's a lot going on in "the Cloud," from applications to hosting to content delivery systems. Several companies provide products and services to the Cloud, and Cloudbook has a directory of over 1200 of them.

(If, like me, you are somewhat confused about what Cloud computing is, Wikipedia can give you an overview. There's also a video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJncFirhjPg that helped me understand it better.)

So anyway, the Cloudbook Products and Services Directory is available at http://www.cloudbook.net/directories/products-services-directory. The products and services listed there are divided into several broad categories, including applications, platforms, and network services. I decided to take a look at the applications and got a list of subcategories that included sales, marketing, data, collaboration, and human resources...

Full text and active links are available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: ResearchBuzz, 4 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by John Jantsch: "Warning: I have no scientific research to back up the theory I'm about to ponder...

I don't really recall the first time I discovered this, but it's happened enough that I can't deny the powerful tool it is.

When I am looking for inspiration for my writing or simply trying to connect the dots to make something whole, I fall back on a process I've come to call monochromatic reading... Here's the idea behind this. Whenever I am trying to get inspired, original or innovative in my thoughts to add to a presentation, blog post, article, product, service or book, I spend a fair amount of time reading. No surprise there, everyone does that, but what I've found is that some of the best ideas come from unrelated texts - if I know how to read them.

What I do is come up with one single topic - business growth, referrals, persuasion - whatever I am trying to work on - and I pick up books that are not related to the topic and read through them quickly looking only for ideas that relate to or parallel my subject. So, if I doing a piece on business growth, I might actually find some incredibly innovative ideas in a book about how bees build colonies. (Actually nature works are some of the best) The key to this is the single or monochromatic focus while I read..."

The full text of this post is available by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Duct Tape Marketing, 2 February 2010. © 2003-2010 Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by StephanieWestAllen: "The presence of dogs is growing in US courtrooms. From "Using training and lovability, Amos the dog calms kids in court" (Free Press - Michigan):

The idea of using dogs to ease courtroom tensions is not new and is gaining popularity across the country. Courthousedogs.com began in Seattle when an assistant prosecutor in King County, took her disabled son's service dog to work one day a week and discovered that the dog had a profoundly calming effect on young witnesses. Now that county, and others in Texas, Georgia, Montana, Florida and Maryland have dogs working courtrooms..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: idealawg, 1 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

In the news: "The number of lawyers who commit suicide each year in the United States may be six times greater than the national average, according to some studies, notes Ann D. Foster, the director of the State Bar of Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program. She discusses some steps lawyers can take if they sense a colleague may need help. As members of one of the original healing professions, Foster says, lawyers may be in a unique position to help friends, colleagues and clients out of a mental health crisis."

What to do:

1. Pay attention to suicide warning signs...

2. Consider risk factors for suicide...

3. Be prepared to ask questions and to listen...

4. Get help and advice...

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 3 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by Tom Kane: "A comment to a recent post of mine led me to a book about overcoming America's No. 1 Fear - public speaking. The title of the book Stage Fright: 40 Stars Tell You How They Beat America's #1 Fear by Mick Berry and Michael Edelstein got my attention. It isn't the same as "writer's block" or in my case "Blog Fright," as in I'm suppose-to-do-a-blog-post-today, and haven't done it.

There isn't anything that compares to the pure terror experienced by some people when they have to get up to speak before an audience, especially a bunch of strangers..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Legal Marketing Blog.com, 2 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Steph Kimbro: "A law practice may provide unbundled or limited legal services to clients online whether that practice is a completely web-based or an existing brick-and-mortar law office adding a virtual law office component.

Unbundled legal services are provided when an attorney creates a legal document or provides the legal guidance for clients, but the clients themselves are responsible for either filing the legal document or ensuring that the document is properly executed and handled according to the instructions and legal guidance provided by the attorney..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 2 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

This post was written by John Heckman: "The Arizona bar has released the first ethics opinion about the propriety of online storage. Read the article here 

The key provisions are:

"First, the client files would be accessible only through a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) server, which encodes documents, making it difficult for third parties to intercept or read them. Second, the lawyer would assign unique randomly generated alpha-numeric names and passwords to each online client folder. The folder names contain no information that could identify the client to which it belongs. The password would not be the same as the client folder name. Third, all online client files would be converted to Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files and protected with another randomly generated unique alpha-numeric password."

The password provision amounts to saying that on-line storage is completely unrealistic..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active link by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Does It Compute?, 25 January 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Connie Crosby: "Back in November John Gregory wrote about Dealing with Digital Assets After Death and a New York Times article quoting Montreal marketing consultant Adele McAlear.  Adele happens to be a friend, so I took the opportunity to speak with her in detail about the topic on behalf of Slaw readers. Our full interview (held in December) is below..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Slaw.ca, 2 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of Simon Fodden, founder of Slaw.

This post was written by Evan Schaeffer: "Fastcase is free for the iPhone. There are two good reviews here--

• "Review of the Fastcase iPhone App," at Legal Geekery;
• "Review: Fastcase -- free caselaw and statute research for the iPhone," at iPhone J.D.

To reach the blog post and the active links, click on the author's name.

Source: The Trial Practice Tips Weblog, 2 February 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

This posted was written by Mark Bennett: "Try this:

Stand up. Raise one foot off the ground. Now shift your weight forward. Don't set your raised foot down. What happens?

You fall down.

But if you do the same thing and set the raised foot down  to stop your fall, you take a step. Raise the other foot off the ground, shift your weight forward, and set your raised foot down to catch you. String a series of these events together, and you're moving across the ground. Walking.

The walking metaphor is so common that it is easy to stop noticing it (when you choose your path in life, know that you can't walk on water, but you can walk the walk and march to the beat of a different drummer--Soundtrack: I Walk the Line). Walking is a model for much of human existence, including the practice of law (which begins, after all, when we pass the bar): a series of controlled falls.

Show me a lawyer who claims not to make mistakes, and I'll show you a lawyer who's either a liar or pathologically unselfaware. We make mistakes (missteps, faux pas). Usually we are able to recover (get back on track), but sometimes our mistakes harm our clients, endangering their futures, their freedom, and their lives..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Defending People, 22 January 2010. © 2010 Defending People, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Penelope Trunk: "I have earned a lot of money in my life. But I have never had an extravagant life. I don't own a house. I've never bought a new car. I've never bought a new piece of living room furniture, and I do not own a single piece of real jewelry. What I have spent money on was always intended to help me with my career. That was so I know that I can always earn money doing something I love.

I leased a BMW when it was clear that that mattered when it came to making deals in LA. I hired a stylist when I realized my clothes were holding me back in NYC. In Madison I have tons of household help so my kids don't have a crazy schedule because of my work schedule.

I am convinced that frugality is a key quality for a successful career.  Here is why frugality helps your career:..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name. Be sure to read the comments section after the post - there are some good points made there and more food for thought!

Source: Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist, 1 February 2010.  © 2009 Penelope Trunk, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Chuck Newton: "Susan is the founder of Solo Practice University, and a great resource in a lawyer's quest to go solo.  When she was selected as one of the ABA Journal's Legal Rebels, she discussed the objections some lawyers and law students have to going out on their own. Below is the video."

[The video is 9 minutes well spent if you are contemplating going solo!]

To reach the video and the active links above, click on the author's name.

Source: Chuck Newton Rides the Third Wave, 31 January 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Anthony Cerminaro: "Most corporate mission statements are worthless. They consist largely of pious platitudes... A mission statement should not commit a firm to what it must do to survive but to what it chooses to do in order to thrive. Nor should it be filled with operationally meaningless superlatives such as biggest, best, optimum, and maximum...

"To test for the appropriateness of an assertion in a mission statement, determine whether it can be disagreed with reasonably. If not, it should be excluded...."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: BizzBangBuzz, 19 January 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Gyi Tsakalakis: "How you publish your online content is almost as important as creating it. That is where legal content platforms come into play.

As new legal content platforms continue to spring up, it becomes challenging for busy lawyers to decide where to allocate their online time. However, participating on these legal portals is some of the most effective marketing available. Here are three that we routinely recommend to our clients:.."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 1 February 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover

This post was written by Tara Calisham: "Sunmee Huh took a Google Custom Search engine and tweaked it to make it more ergonomic for older users and a little less confusing to novice searchers. The result is called Good50 and it's available at http://www.good50.com. While it's not quite perfect -- some of the functionality doesn't work for me -- it's a good start..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: ResearchBuzz, 2 February 2010. © 2006-2010 ResearchBuzz, reproduced with permission of the author.

From the e-newsletter: "Wikipedia is arguably one of the most comprehensive research sources on the Internet today - but it's so darn big, it can be difficult to make sure you're getting all you can out of it.  That's where Powerset comes in - it's a search engine for Wikipedia.  Do a search for anything, and you'll get a listing of "Factz," and then a listing of Wikipedia articles containing the search terms.  Reading the articles within Powerset is really easy - you can navigate the outline on the right, or view images or map locations related to the topic.  Powerset is now owned by Microsoft, so no telling whether it will ever develop into something even more useful."

Source: Mighell, Tom. Internet Legal Research Weekly. Volume 11, Issue 4. 31 January 2010. Subscribe <http://lists.inter-alia.net/mailman/listinfo/inter-alia>.

This post was written by Tom Mighell: "I'm a bit behind in covering this site, but it's such a great idea I wanted to mention it. PDFmyURL allows you to almost instantly create a PDF from any page on the Internet. Just type in the URL of any web page, click the button, and wham! Instant PDF of that page. There are also some advanced options that allow you to format the style of the PDF - landscape orientation, header/footer, table of contents, margins, page size, and more.

One thing I really like about this tool, and one thing I'm not wild about:..."

To continue reading the blog post and access the active link, click on the author's name.

Source: Inter Alia, 1 February 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Penelope Trunk: "I've been walking around with the July/August 2007 issue of the Harvard Business Review constantly, for close to three years. Sometimes, if I'm getting on a plane, I'll put it with the other heavy stuff into my luggage, and then get it out later. When my last car broke down in the middle of an intersection, I got the magazine out of the trunk before I abandoned the car.

The article that I'm attached to is The Making of an Expert by Anders Ericsson, Michael Prietula and Edward Cokely. I would not normally bother to tell you all three authors for one article in my blog. This is not a medical journal. But I love the article so much, that I want you to know all of them.

The article changed how I think about what I am doing here. In my life. I think I am trying to be an expert.

Being an expert is not what you think, probably. For one thing, the article explains that "there is no correlation between IQ and expert performance in fields such as chess, music, sports, and medicine. The only innate differences that turn out to be significant--and they matter primarily in sports - are height and body size.

So what factor does correlate with success?..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name. Be sure to read the comments at the end of the post - there's more great info there!

Source: Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist, 28 January 2010. © 2009 Penelope Trunk, reproduced with permission of the author.

This post was written by Ed Poll: "The following is a comment from a very successful consultant, Alan Weiss, one who has had experience with both large corporations and individual executives and consultants: 'Small businesses employ far more people than major corporations, and they create many more net, new jobs than do Fortune 1000 companies. They are the real engine of the economy. ... They are poorly treated at the moment by the banks and the government.' 

Sole practitioners and small firms comprise between 65% and 80% of the profession, depending on whose statistics you believe..."

Continue reading this interesting post by clicking on the author's name.

Source: LawBizBlog, 25 January 2010

In the news: "Rather than being intimidated by facing multiple interviewers at the same time, you can ace a panel interview with some preparation, say consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass. You may have to work a little harder to make sure you make a connection with each of the interviewers in the room, but as the authors note, panels can provide some advantages for both interviewers and job candidates. Here are some strategies to deal with the group dynamics and other specific challenges of panel interviews."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 1 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.

This post was written by StephanieWestAllen: "Click to read an interview (PsychCentral) of lawyer Daniel Lukasik, creator of the Web site LawyersWithDepression.com and owner of the blog Lawyers with Depression. He answers the questions "Why are so many lawyers depressed?" and "What can lawyers do on a daily basis to help their depression?".

I was very happy to see that one of the five recommendations he makes for dealing with depression is

Practice mindfulness..."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: idealawg, 31 January 2010. Reproduced with permission of the author.

From the site: "Is it time to start treating certain e-discovery tasks as "taxable costs," to be paid for at the conclusion of litigation by the prevailing party? On this edition of Law Technology Now, host Monica Bay chats with Austin-based attorney and special master, Craig Ball, author of Law Technology News' monthly e-discovery column, Ball in Your Court, to discuss whether some EDD tasks should be treated like photocopying. Don't miss this lively discussion!

download the free Podcast"

Source: Law Technology News Copyright 2010. ALM Media Properties,

From the e-newsletter: "Are you representing a company that wants to implement a social media policy?   Attorney Doug Cornelius has been compiling social media policies from companies across the company and making them available on his site.  So far he's got 144 policies, from companies like the American Red Cross, Fairfax County, Virginia, the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Navy. Great resource."

Follow this link to the site.

Source: Mighell, Tom. Internet Legal Research Weekly. Volume 11, Issue 4. 31 January 2010. Subscribe <http://lists.inter-alia.net/mailman/listinfo/inter-alia>.

This post was written by Randall Ryder: "If you want a way to answer your office phone on your mobile phone, or want your voicemails transcribed and either emailed or sent to you via text, consider Ribbit Mobile. Ribbit appears to offer very similar services to Google Voice [which is now available for iPhone users] and as of right now, is also free."

Continue reading this interesting post and access active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: Lawyerist.com, 30 January 2010. © 2007-2010 Lawyerist Media, LLC. Reproduced with permission of the site editor, Sam Glover.

In the news: "Now in beta and available for download, Microsoft Office 2010 comes with a number of enhancements to its suite, including an expansion of its Ribbon architecture, and the first ever web-based versions of its most popular applications. John K. Waters takes a walk through the new Office."

Read full text

Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire. 1 February 2010. Copyright 2009.  ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscribe <http://store.law.com/registration/register.asp?subscribeto=nw>.