Podcast description form the site: "On this edition of Law Technology Now, host Monica Bay welcomes  Andrew Adkins III, Director of the University of Florida's Legal Technology Institute,  to talk about the recent case/practice management survey conducted by the Legal Technology Institute.  Monica and Andy discuss why small firms tend to be resistant to this technology, how it can increase profitability and productivity and what managing partners need to know.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:08 -- 17.1MB)

Related Podcasts

• January 20, 2010 -- Favorite Law Practice Management Tips for A Successful 2010
• January 19, 2010 -- Practice Management and Ethics Issues, Plus Choosing a Litigation Support Vendor
• July 1, 2009 -- Choosing Practice Management Software
• June 11, 2009 -- Job Insecurity at the Firm
• March 3, 2008 -- Legal Software Magic Bullet?

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

Source: Legal Talk Network, 4 March 2010

This post was written by Leora Maccabee: "Last week I joined Sam Glover of Lawyerist and Blois Olson of Tunheim Partners to teach a seminar on websites, online marketing and social media to 100+ lawyers in the process of hanging out their own shingles as part of a day-long "How to How to Start & Build a Successful Law Firm" CLE.

In preparation for the course (and because it's fun) I reached out to my followers on Twitter to get some advice for these daring lawyers about to start their own firm."

Continue reading this interesting post, read some of the tweets and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

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

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.

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 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.

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 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.

Posted by Ernest Svenson: "I got an email the other day from a lawyer who had a couple of questions about my communications tools: 

"What phone system are you using?  Do you have a traditional landline and also a cell phone or only a cell phone?  I am a solo practitioner with two incoming lines and AT&T DSL service.  I am searching for a more effective system and hopefully something less expensive than the $325 or so monthly cost."

Obviously, everyone's communication needs will vary slightly.  So it's not like there are absolutes that apply across the board. Nevertheless, there are some broad principles that solo and small firm lawyers should keep in mind.

1. Consider using a VOIP service for your business line...

2. Leverage your cellphone...

3. Seriously consider a 'virtual receptionist' service...

4. My current set-up...

5. Conclusion..."

Full text is available at the source site listed below.

Source: Ernie the Attorney, 10 December 2009

Posted by Carolyn Elefant: "Two weeks ago, I presented a nearly full day CLE in Oregon on Solo by Choice in the Current Economy, with a summary by Beverly Michaelis, one of the Oregon Professional Liability Fund's Practice Management Advisors.  But below are a couple of slides that I used for the Oregon program and others, highlighting many of the free products and services available to lawyers starting or running a law firm.  Though I don't believe that it's necessarily prudent or always cost-effective to run a law firm on freebies alone, free services, when used appropriately can give lawyers a wide range of capabilities that once would have been cost prohibitive.  And of course, don't forget that yet another free tool for starting a law firm is MyShingle!

Take a look at these slides and please let me know about your favorite freebies in the comment section or your thoughts on some of the services that I've listed (I've used all of them at one time or another).

[Slide show is available at the source site listed below.]

Free Tools for Starting a Law Firm

View more presentations from carolynelefant.

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

Posted by Jim Calloway: "I never blogged about my Home Sweet Office article due to some technical issues here. But it is clear more and more lawyers are considering an office-based practice. I find it interesting that many of the success stories involve an established lawyers leaving the firm and "moving home," taking his/her existing clients and charging them a lower billing rate. Certainly it is easier for some lawyers to operate out of a home-based practice, such as a lawyer who only does appellate briefs and can met with clients in the trial lawyer's office when hired. Frankly I cannot imagine building a new family law practice, for example, out of a home unless it was part-time and limited. But I know some have done it.

I hope you enjoy the article..."

Full text and active links are available at the source site listed below.

Source: Jim Calloway's Law Practice Tips Blog, 20 November 2009