Recession 2008: Ten Steps Solos Should Take Right Now
Originally published in GPSolo magazine

Ten steps you can take to help soften any blow that your law practice might take if the economy does turn south. Download pdf of article here.

  Developing Your Practice
Originally published in The Young Lawyer

Developing a successful practice requires long-term planning and a candid look at where you are now and where you want to be down the road. Here are the basic, but critical, aspects of successful practice development. Download pdf of article here.

  Get Down to Business: Strategies to Manage in a Down Economy
Originally published in GPSolo Law Trends & News

Strategies for cutting expenses and enhancing revenue in a down economy are fundamental to “The Business of Law”®. The firms whose attorneys understand these two truths will be able to manage in a down economy successfully while ensuring their long-term future and success. Download pdf of article here.

  What To Do When Your Firm Implodes
Originally published in Litigation News

In this difficult economy, attorneys around the country may find themselves wondering—what should we do if our firm falls apart tomorrow? They continue to have ethical duties to the clients and the firm amidst the wind-up of their business concerns? Download pdf of article here.

  Small Marketing Steps with Big Impact
By Aviva Cuyler
Originally published in GPSolo April/May 2009, 26:3

Take these small marketing steps—“small” in cost and relative time commitment—to make an enormous impact on the growth of your business. Download pdf of article here.

  Shake Big Savings from Small Practice Management Ideas
By Reid F. Trautz
Originally published in GPSolo April/May 2009, 26:3

Making the smallest change in your business can often yield the biggest improvement. Download pdf of article here.

  Saying ”No”—The Three Steps to Doing it Well
By Joshua Hornick

To keep your workload manageable and your life sane, you must say “No” to some requests. Mastering the skills involved in saying “No” will benefit your clients, your colleagues, and yourself.

  Dealing with Impaired Attorneys
By Sheila Blackford

Lawyers navigate a stressful career that studies show can lead to depression and addiction. Learn not only the signs, but also ways to help.

  Thinking About the Unthinkable: How to Guard Against Fraud and Embezzlement in Your Firm
By David Debenham and Sheila Blackford

Here’s a look at how to spot the red flags and safeguard your practice against lawyers or staff that may have the motive, means and opportunity to commit fraud or embezzlement.

  How to Prevent Fraud and Embezzlement: A Checklist

  The People Paradox: How Can You Cut the Cost of Your Firm’s Greatest Asset?
By David E. Gaulin

As firms lose business, many are turning their cost-cutting sights on their greatest asset and biggest expense: their people. But out of serious challenge comes the opportunity to examine the entire spectrum of talent management and compensation—and to restructure the firm’s business model in overdue ways.

  Corporate Responsibility: The Lawyer's Role
By Brad D. Brian
Originally published in Litigation Magazine 32:3

From Upjohn to Sarbanes-Oxley and after, the corporate attorney's role continues to change. Has erosion of the privilege affected government reporting? On a smaller scale, are your interviews with employees protected? Brian, an experienced federal prosecutor, provides a framework for corporation cooperation. Download pdf of article here.

  From the Bench: Lessons Discovered Along the Way
By Jeffrey Cole
Originally published in Litigation Magazine 32:3

In the tradition of Judges Kennelly and Gettleman from the Northern District of Illinois, newly appointed Judge Jeffrey Cole stresses the need for practicioners to act like professionals. Judge Cole's advice comes from observations and realizations of his first months on the bench: Remember to be clear, concise, respectful, patient, tolerant, honest, and dignified—remember to do everything else too. Download pdf of article here.

  Bar Associations, Law Firms, and Other Medieval Guilds
By Joel Henning
Originally published in Litigation Magazine 32:1

We have moved well past the age of treating the law as a guilded profession. Hennings suggests that the law firm-as-a-business trend has shifted the power from firms to clients who seek the most for their money. He encourages firms to keep clients through better service. Download pdf of article here.

  Blogging and Podcasting: Challenges, Legal Issues, and Lawyer Advertising
By Matthew J. Smith
Originally published in The SciTech Lawyer 3:3

While blogs and podcasts have created an innovative way for lawyers and others to disseminate information, lawyers and their clients need to be aware of the potential downside to using this technology. Claims of copyright and trademark infringement, dilution and unfair competition, defamation, and invasion of privacy can ensnare unwary users. Ethical canons and state bar association rules may also constrain the use of blogs and podcasts as vehicles for advertising and providing legal information to the public and other lawyers. Download pdf of article here.

  Are We Worthy? Is Law Firm Electronic Security Adequate to Protect Client Secrets?
By John F. Emerson
Originally published in The SciTech Lawyer 4:3

Many law firms are discovering that the security of their document management is sometimes far behind that of their clients. This article discusses methods of ensuring the safety of confidential client data for both small and large firms. Download pdf of article here.

  Spoliation of Digital Evidence: A Changing Approach to Challenges and Sanctions
By Steven W. Teppler
Originally published in The SciTech Lawyer 4:2

After the Zubulake decision, businesses now have a duty to preserve electronic evidence or face sanctions. This article discusses the obligations of this decision for businesses, including forensic and antiforensic software to assist in managing data. Download pdf of article here.

  Surviving Total Destruction of Your Law Office and Client Base After a Catastrophic Disaster
By Glenn C. McGovern
Originally published in Tort & Trial 41:3

Expect your office and the city you work in to be destroyed some day. That's according to a solo practitioner who lost his New Orleans office and much of his practice to Katrina. The author provides specific advice, based on hard-earned experience, on how lawyers can protect themselves and their livelihoods in a catastrophe. Download pdf of article here.