Law Practice Today - A Great Resource for Lawyers

The Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association publishes Law Practice Today, an online magazine specifically targeted toward the business issues involved in the practice of law in four core areas: Management, Marketing, Finance and Technology.

Law Practice Today is a FREE resource for attorneys - you don't have to be a member of the LPM Section, or even a member of the ABA, in order to access the magazine and its articles. The May issue was just posted. It focuses on the issues encountered by lawyers starting or re-starting their own practices.

Here's what you'll find in this issue:

Finance
Two of the questions most frequently asked by lawyers are: “How much money do I need in order to open my own practice?” and “What do I do about clients who want me to reduce my fees?” This month’s issue addresses both. Erik Mazzone’s article, “How Much Money Do You Need to Start a Law Firm” providing tips for lawyers to help them determine whether they’re ready to go out on their own.

It’s no secret that the recession is hitting the legal profession hard. Ed Poll addresses the ways law firms can retain income and clients by demonstrating value, managing knowledge appropriately, unbundling services and more in Legal Fees: How to Address the Client Pressure to Lower Fees.

Technology
Technology can give lawyers an advantage by helping them to be more productive, but it has its downside, too. In this month’s The Legal Mac Column, David Sparks discusses Using Windows on Your Mac, eliminating one more obstacle for those seeking to switch from PCs to Macs, whether you want to use Windows exclusively or Windows and OS X on the same machine. In BlackBerry Behavior: Is It Ruining Your Reputation? the darker side of technology rears its ugly head when BlackBerry users forget to be considerate of those around them (this article previously appeared as a post on this blog).

It’s tough keeping up with the latest technology, but Dennis Kennedy’s article, Legal Technology Trends for 2009: The Year of Hunkering Down identifies trends and provides tips for what lawyers can do now to stay ahead of the curve – even if they’re on a budget.

Speaking of budgets – most lawyers are looking for ways to cut expenses during the downturn. Joseph Kashi identifies Low-Cost Computer Fixes for Tough Times. And our own Rodney Dowell reviews Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Legal and tells of his personal experience installing and using the software across multiple platforms.

Marketing Yourself and Your Firm
Can small firms compete with big firms for business? Davis C. Bae shows how small firms can do just that in The Illusion of Size (And Other Ways to Compete with the Big Competition). Looking for a job? If so, you’re marketing YOU. Meri J. Kahan shows law students how their performance at a summer job or internship is an important first step to landing a full time position in Alchemy in a Down Economy: Turning a 2L Summer Associate Job into a Golden Full-Time One.

In Make Giving Part of Your Business Strategy, Andrea Malone shows lawyers how they can contribute to charity, even in tough times, and to do so strategically to benefit the firm as well as the charity. And Mister Thorne provides A Formula for Shy Attorneys, demonstrating how even shy attorneys can attract business, and learn successful rainmaking tips from Rainmaker Linda J. Ravdin in an interview by Beverly A. Loder.

Management
One of the decisions lawyers need to make when opening their own practices is about where to establish an office. Home office? Executive suite? Office share? The Essentials of Office Sharing and Executive Suites, an excerpt from Flying Solo provides tips to help lawyers make this all-important decision.

You’ve probably heard about the swine flu even if you haven’t been directly affected by it yet – but how will an outbreak affect your firm or your clients? Read Swine Flu – Some Employment Issues by Bernard Jacques to find out.

Podcast – Productivity Tips
This month’s installment of The Digital Edge Technology Podcast by Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson is a discussion with Reid Trautz and Dan Pinnington about their new book, The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Success: Essential Tips to Power Your Practice.

These articles and more are available at no cost to you and your readers on the LPM website. This month’s issue can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/home.shtml.