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A New Year's Question – What Is YOUR Biggest Marketing Challenge For 2007?

December 31, 2006 By

As I sit here waiting for the ball to drop on another year, I wonder what 2007 will bring. Some people predict a landslide of new bankruptcy filings, others aren’t so sure. But one thing is certain, and that’s the fact that every consumer bankruptcy lawyer in America will need to market effectively in order to bring in business. Public perception of the availability of bankruptcy, new competition, and a host of other challenges wait in the wings.

So what’s YOUR biggest challenge? Post a comment to this blog or just e-mail me at a jay@drlcny.com; I’ll be sure to address your concerns during 2007 in an effort to help you make the most of this upcoming year.

If you send an e-mail, be sure to let me know whether I can refer to you by name when I post the response to your challenge. If you don’t let me know, I’ll assume you wish to stay anonymous.

Happy 2007, and here’s to a profitable year!

Filed Under: Legal Marketing

What Do Home Office Lawyers Appreciate?

December 31, 2006 By

I was tagged by Legal Andrew and must respond. And today is the deadline. I delayed doing this post, mainly because I was having a hard time coming up with something to say. And than it came to me, talk about what you know.

So what does a Home Office Lawyer Appreciate?

  • The HOL appreciates the freedom of not having to commute to the office. The freedom of the “carpet commute” that takes no more than two minutes on a bad day. The freedom to not waste valuable time driving to the office. Not fighting traffic and wasting money on gas.
  • The HOL appreciates the fact that he does not need an in house staff to accomplish what needs to be done to meet the client needs. The freedom to utilize the full advantages of using a virtual staff. Not putting up with office politics and the problems that come with having on site staff.
  • The HOL appreciates the technology that is available that enables him to maintain his office in his house, but at the same time provide the best legal services to his clients.
  • The HOL appreciates the fact that having his office in his house actually allows him more time to spend with his wife and youngest son. TIme that he would have had to waste going back and forth to the office. TIme he would have had to spend working at the office instead of going home.
  • The HOL appreciates the fact he can save on overhead and in turn help his clients save money on legal fees.
  • The HOL appreciates that blogging has actually enabled him to grow his firm even after moving his office to his home. He appreciates that blogging has become his only marketing tool and that it has tremendous “return on investment.”
  • The HOL appreciates that blogging has given him the opportunity to meet and get to know some of the greatest people and developed some wonderful friendships because of it.

Are you a lawyer who works from home?  What do you appreciate?

Filed Under: Untethered Lawyer

Home Office Lawyer Blog – TypePad Featured Blog

December 30, 2006 By

This blog was the featured blog for today on TypePad. Use the above link to view the post.

Grant D. Griffiths is a WiFi-loving, Mac-toting, comfy sweats-wearing, family law attorney who works from home and encourages other lawyers to do the same. Home Office Lawyer reports on all sorts of tech tools that enable him to work from home, law office management, marketing, and many innovations newsworthy for bloggers of all genres. Check the left nav-bar for a list of other like-minded attorneys and if you’re interested in following suit (not filing suit) read his new book, Ten Ways to Benefit by Being a Home Office Lawyer. He is also the author of four other blogs including Kansas Family and Divorce Lawyer. Clients need not worry about a lack of formality, Griffiths wears a suit to trial.

Source for Post: TypePad Featured Blogs.

»crosslinked«

Filed Under: Blogging For Lawyers, Untethered Lawyer

Circus Ponies Notebook

December 29, 2006 By

After my post about Programs to Help the Mac Lawyer be More Productive I have had request to see what my notebook looks like.    You will have to have at least the trial version of Notebook to look at it.  If you would like to have a copy, drop me an email and I will send it to you.  For what ever reason, I can’t attached it as a file to this post.

Oh, and sorry windoze users.  This is a Mac only program.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Connected Lawyer – Basecamp

December 29, 2006 By

One of my goals for 2007 was to start using Basecamp in my practice to work with clients in the management of their cases. Well, I did not wait until 2007. I started using it last night. So far the response from clients has been nothing but positive.

The Greatest American Lawyer has been using Basecamp for a while now in his own practice.

Through the technology we communicate with our virtual workers, assign tasks to specific cases and do most of what make us high-tech; however, Basecamp is a technology not meant to revolutionize the way that lawyers do their work, but to revolutionize the way in which any project of any kind is managed.

In my practice, Basecamp will be used to manage cases. Each client will have access to their own case. By using Basecamp, each client will have access to all the documents in their case. They will know when court dates and other important dates are. They can leave comments or questions about their case and they can keep up on the progress of their case. I see Basecamp as a way to keep the client more involved in the process of the case. In addition, it allows them to track their case.

I see no downside at all with using Basecamp in my practice. As I discover how to use Basecamp more, I will post updates regularly about my own experience with Basecamp. I know I have only touched the surface of what it can do. And if any of you are using it now, please post comments here as to how you are using it.

Filed Under: Virtual Law Office

Microsoft's Bribe

December 27, 2006 By

So, if you give a blogger a windoze laptop, will they post good things about Mcrosoft and their new operating system, Vista. An operating system that already has holes in it.

Bloggers Blog states that “If you give a blogger a cool Acer Ferrari laptop he or she will love you — or at least talk about you. That seems to be the idea behind Microsoft’s recent gift. Microsoft gave an undisclosed number of tech bloggers Acer Ferrari notebooks as part of a Windows Vista promotion.”

Whatsnextblog.com talks about the possible scandal brewing over Microsoft’s blogger bribe campaign.

This will go down as one of the best marketing/PR campaigns ever or as one of the biggest flops ever. Time will tell. But, have you noticed. It takes a bribe to get someone to talk nice about Microsoft. Take note, how many laptops has Apple sent out to get the great comments they get from bloggers? I would venture, none.

Filed Under: Virtual Law Office

Incredible Resource For Internet Marketing, SEO And More

December 26, 2006 By

By Jay S. Fleischman, Esq.

Kevin O’Keefe posted today about the best Internet marketing posts of 2006 as listed by Techipedia. This list is an incredible Internet marketing resource and you should definitely check it out.

Over 100 posts written by the best Internet marketing experts are listed under multiple categories.

  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Link Building
  • Site Design/Usability
  • Social Networking/Social Media Optimization
  • Copywriting
  • Blogging
  • Search-Engine Specific (Google, Yahoo, and MSN too)
  • PPC/Adsense/Paid Inclusion

OK, so go check out this post. It will help you as you plan your marketing efforts for 2007.

Filed Under: Legal Marketing

Grant Griffiths On My Virtual Phone System

December 25, 2006 By

By Jay S. Fleischman, Esq.

I was on the phone with Grant Griffiths of the Home Office Lawyer last week, and he expressed some interest in my phone system. We got to talking about it and he asked me to do a guest post on his Home Office Lawyer blog. If you haven’t ever read it, you’re definitely missing out on some terrific information. Grant is a Kansas family law attorney, and rides the third wave better than most lawyers I’ve met.

My post can be found by clicking here. I think it’s a really good example of how you can use technology to make your practice mobile.

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Filed Under: Office Technology