How to Build Trust With Other Attorneys

The whole point of the attorney-client privilege is that clients should be able to trust lawyers with their secrets. So why should it be hard for attorneys to trust other lawyers? Yet sometimes it seems impossible to have a...

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Do Clients Actually Care If Your Law Firm Is 'Green'?

The whole greenwashing epidemic has somewhat subsided as the consumer public has gotten a bit more savvy at spotting the bogus claims of a company being green. Even the government stepped in, years ago now, to help combat false...

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James Woods Saved From Defamation Claim by a Question Mark

Harvey Weinstein is a misogynist, isn't he? Bruno Mars is a Milli Vanilli poser? And a statement isn't defamatory if it's a question, right? That is in fact the case in a defamation lawsuit against actor James Woods. Woods,...

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You Have a Virtual Practice and Didn't Even Know It

Every lawyer has a website, whether they know it or not. From the State Bar to LinkedIn, your information is already on the internet for consumers to find. And when you use a web-enabled device to research, send information,...

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When Can You Swear in Pleadings?

You know you can't just sling vulgarities at your opponents across the pleaded aisles of the halls of justice. Nevertheless, in pleadings filed across the country, attorneys often struggle with the age old question concerning pejoratives, vulgarities and curse...

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Bad Habits That Are Hurting Your Law Practice Bottom Line

There are bad habits, and there are worse habits. In a law practice, there are also those habits that are so bad they cost you time and money. Those are the worst.  We're talking about those time-sucking, senseless habits...

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Can LinkedIn or Medium Blogs Help Your Legal Career?

Depending on where you'd like your legal career to go, writing for the public or professional audience can really help quite a bit. And depending on the exact audience you're writing to, you may even consider not publishing your...

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Work-Life Balance Tips for Solo Lawyers With Kids

Stacy Ehrisman-Mickle is the poster child for a lawyer hanging in the work-life balance. Actually, her child is the poster child because Ehrisman-Mickle had the kid strapped to her chest when she showed up in court. The judge chastised...

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Is 2018 Your Year to Go Solo?

In the Chinese Zodiac, 2018 is the year of the dog. So what better time to go solo? Seriously, if you have been thinking about the solo route, why wait for some cosmic event? It's about going for it....

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Will New Tax Laws Help or Hurt Your Small Law Firm?

If a dog takes a smaller bite out of your leg, is that a benefit? Didn't think so. Likewise, if the new tax laws take a smaller bite out of your business, it's still gonna hurt. It is especially...

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Can Law Firms Measure Productivity Without Billable Hours?

Although the billable hour still seems to be the gold standard when it comes to legal billing, businesses and individual clients that have been paying billable hour rates are starting to realize that the gold standard died long ago....

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Legal Lessons Before Cosby Retrial

Is Bill Cosby seriously laughing as he approaches a retrial for sexual assault? The standup joker took to the stage recently for the first time in years, his scandal pre-dating the Harvey Weinstein affair that has torched Hollywood. Meanwhile,...

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3 Tips to Navigate Law Office Politics

Although law firms do not tend to adhere to the typical structure of most for-profit businesses, the politics certainly can feel rather typical. As associates try to impress partners, backs get stabbed, "friends" get crossed, and lawyers suddenly have to...

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Is Retrial Kicking a Dead Horse?

Federal prosecutors seem intent on kicking a dead horse -- no disrespect intended to Sen. Bob Menendez. But Menendez, who had a lock on re-election until the government came after him, was nearly acquitted in a federal corruption case...

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Commercial Pot Tenants Need Signed Landlord Permission Slips

Under California's new legal marijuana laws, in order for a marijuana business that rents space to be licensed, the business's landlord must provide a written acknowledgment that they know their property is being used by a commercial marijuana business....

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How to Successfully Threaten Legal Action Against the Government

In a move that has left beaver, salmon, and wildlife advocates pleased, the federal government and state have agreed to stop killing beavers in the state of Oregon in response to a threat of litigation by wildlife groups. If...

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Judge Suing Court Over Death Penalty Reassignment

When somebody sues a supreme court over a decision, it's a knee-jerk reaction to think that somebody is a fool. After all, you don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. Would you believe, you don't...

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If You Want Happy Clients, Don't Confuse Them

As a lawyer, it is your job to help clients navigate the confusing, and unforgiving, legal system. We lawyers can often forget that we provide a service, rather than a product, to our clients. If clients don't understand, or...

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Small Firm Lawyer Reality Check: Is There Really a Key to Success?

It turns out there is no key to success. It's just a metaphor to sell the idea that success can be achieved with one, quick turn. But it's a lie. So how do you achieve success as a solo...

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What to Do When Clients Demand More for Less

Have you ever put something on Craigslist, only to have potential buyers low-ball you so low that "dirt cheap" sounded good? Or, if you are from the last century, did you ever have a garage sale and somebody offered...

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Mediating Mass Torts, Class, and Consolidated Cases

When it comes to mediating mass tort, class, complex, or just massive, cases, fashioning a resolution that all the parties can live with, and that a court will approve, can often feel nearly impossible. However, it is not just...

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Does Your Firm Need a Data Analytics Officer?

Littler Mendelson has been making legal headlines over the recent hiring of a Chief Data Analytics Officers. The role is designed to head up the firm's data analytics practice as well as help to implement new technologies. Other large...

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Niche Legal Practices Areas That Have Taken Off in Recent Years

The bad news is some practice areas are gone. The good news is others are taking their place. According to reports, scores of new practice areas have evolved in recent years. Fifteen years ago, they didn't even exit. It's...

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Tips for Your Law Firm Succession Planning

It's just wrong to let someone else make your estate plan without you, so why would you let anybody plan law firm succession without you? Seriously, getting old is hard enough without people waiting around for you to get...

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Lawyer Things to Do for National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Since 2010, the month of January has been designated as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and in 2007, January 11 was declared as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Day. If you have any doubts that human...

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Can the Chief Justice Stop Judicial Sexual Harassment?

In the 2017 year end report drafted by Chief Justice John Roberts, in addition to applauding the successes of the federal judiciary, he acknowledges that sexual harassment in the workplace is inexcusable and has no place in the courthouse....

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Pros and Cons of Becoming an Environmental Lawyer

You may love the outdoors -- until you get caught in a hailstorm. Being an environmental lawyer can be like that, too. You may love it, but then there are those bad days. Here are some pros and cons...

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FindLaw Strategist's 10 Best Writing Tips From 2017

Here at FindLaw, we write about the law quite bit. And one topic that just never seems to get old for us, and for our readers, is writing about legal writing. Whether it's technical stuff like the capitalization of the...

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Trump's Cease and Desist Letter Burned by Lawyers With 'Fire and Fury'

A recently published book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, received the attention of the president before it even hit the shelves. In response to a sneak peak published by New York Magazine, the book's publisher received...

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FindLaw Strategist's Top 10 Practice Tips From 2017

Over the past year, the FindLaw writers have done their best to impart wisdom gleaned from across the internet about the best tips for legal practitioners. From finding free CLEs to discovery tips to simply keeping your desk clutter...

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Are Your Paralegals Getting You Into Hot Water?

Nobody likes it when somebody hovers over their work -- especially when that somebody is an attorney. But lawyers are directly responsible for the work of their employees, and it presents a serious challenge. You have to depend on...

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Should You Take a Pretrial Vacation or Spa Day?

Trial is stressful. There's no doubt about that. No matter how planned out every last minute is, there will always be surprises that you didn't plan, and couldn't have known about. After a certain point in your preparation, you...

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Sessions' Pot Edict Could Be a Downer for Cannabis Lawyers

Remember when pot used to be... Oh that's right, you don't remember when you use pot. But still, it used to be legal in an increasing number of states. Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered his legal troops...

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Rose Bowl Surprise Results in Emergency Trial Extension

Getting an emergency extension, especially for a trial date, is generally reserved for serious emergencies, like injuries, illnesses, disasters and catastrophes. Luckily for one Georgia lawyer, his judge considered the Georgia Bulldog's Rose Bowl appearance to be good cause....

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Is Now the Time to Become a Weed Lawyer?

Given the new California law permitting the recreational use of marijuana, countless more lawyers are invariably asking themselves the same question: Should I break into the marijuana law business now? If you're only doing it for the money, you...

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Now Is a Good Time to Seek Pardons for Immigrants

In his farewell speech, President Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke of a military-industrial complex -- an informal alliance whereby the nation's military feeds the arms industry. With his inaugural speech, President Donald Trump spoke of a battle against immigrants. It...

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Kick Off 2018 With New Customer Service Goals

So maybe you've already broken your New Year's resolution; it's alright. We live one day -- not one year -- at a time. Progress usually occurs in small steps anyway. So let's start 2018 with the number one priority...

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