The relationship between attorney and client is one of the most complex business relationships across all professions. The high duty that lawyers owe their clients requires them to put the clients' interest first. Yes, this means putting their clients' interest ahead of their own interest, even when it comes to payment.
I'm always amazed by the collection tactics of most law firms. The primary weapons tend to be past due notices, strongly worded letters, and -- worst of all -- leverage. Now, attorneys aren't supposed to wheel leverage against their clients, but the issue of payment complicates matters sometimes. Lawyers too often use their position of strength over their clients to get paid.
Continue reading "Navigating the Sometimes Tricky Waters of Client Relationships" »
On Monday, The Supreme Court will hear case involving an Ontario, California police officer, Sgt. Jeff Quon, who used his government-issued text-messaging device for personal use. The court is to decide whether the police department violated the officer's privacy rights when it reviewed the content of the messages being exchanged, work-related and personal. Read more in this Cnn.com Article: "Supreme Court to hear texting privacy case".
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Police Sgt. Jeff Quon sent hundreds of text messages on his city-issued page
- Review by department found most were personal, many sexually explicit, court says
- Quon says "informal" policy let officers send personal texts if they paid charges
- He had signed off on city policy saying no expectation of privacy on city-issued pagers
Continue reading "Supreme Court to Decide the Future of Employee Privacy Rights" »
According to this recent ABAJournal article entitled
US News Warns of Tough Times for Law Grads; Expert Says ‘It’s Just Like the Lottery’, law school graduates are finding it much harder to find employment in today’s struggling job market.
U.S. News reports that those who are considering attending law school should carefully weigh the costs of obtaining a law degree to the benefits of holding one.
Continue reading "Tough Times Ahead for Graduating Law Students in Today’s Job Market" »
In the article, "Communication Is Key for Success as a Lawyer, Panel Says" by Jeff Jeffrey on Law.com, reports that communication was a key topic for discussion at the recent seminar, "The 20 Keys to Successful Law Firm Management", held at the D.C Judicial and Bar Conference in the International Trade Center/Ronald Regan Building. Here are some of the panelists' suggestions for lawyers to communicate effectively:
Continue reading "Effective Law Firm/Lawyer Communication is Key Topic at the 2010 Judicial and Bar Conference" »
Carolyn Elefant of My Shingle.com and The Law Firm of Carolyn Elefant discusses the many ways solos and small firms can build their arsenal and business fast on today's GAL Radio.
Announcer: 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 Allen: Good morning and welcome to GAL Radio. My name is Damien Allen, and joining me today on the phone is Caroline Elefant of the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant in Washington, DC, and the proprietor of MyShingle.com. Good morning and welcome to the program, Carolyn.
Continue reading "Grow Your Small Firm NOW" »
The ABA has given the University of St. Thomas Law School permission to waive the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) requirement for a limited number of students. According to a recent article in the ABA Journal, several universities have started similar programs in an effort to boost diversity.
Related Stories:
Continue reading "ABA Gives Permission to Drop the LSAT Requirement." »
Regurgitation Thursday: Damien Allen and Enrico Schaefer discuss the changes the past five years have brought in the practice of law by way of technology, the internet, and new business models.
That’s right, it’s Regurgitation Thursday where we look backwards, backup some history, and reflect on the past so we can better understand the present and future.
Announcer: 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.
Continue reading "The Greatest American Lawyer: Looking Back at the Beginning" »
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