Ramsey County Law Library Blog

The Ramsey County Law Library is committed to being a resource for small firms and solo practicing attorneys. With this in mind, the Law Librarian has identified several other blogs which offer unique insights and tips for such practices. These blogs were all found through the ABA Journal Blawg Directory.  Check them out!

•  http://rurallawyer.com/  Thinking of leaving the metro and setting up practice back in your old home town? Get an honest inside peek at such a life change at this site.
• http://lawyerist.com   This deep,wide blog contains covers different law practice points of view, including marketing, practice management, technology, career development, law school success, legal ethics, starting a new practice, and much more.
•  http://solopracticeuniversity.com/blog  “…Devoted to all solo/small firm practitioners, discussing issues faced, offering advice, education, support and inspiration.” This site attacks those thorny issues exclusive to the solo practice, such as obtaining health insurance coverage, generating business, client relations issues, and so much more. The mainstay of this website is the collection of online courses aimed at solo practitioners.
• http://www.smallfirminnovation.com   Operated by Clio, “the leading practice management, time & billing and client collaboration platform for small- to mid-sized law firms,” this site looks at nuts-and-bolts practice aspects including accounting, hiring, marketing, outsourcing, technology, work-life balance, and a “reference library.”
• http://www.attorneyatwork.com   Dedicated to offering “one really good idea every day,” the Law Librarian is biased in favor of this site which also offers great book recommendations and fantastic book reviews.
• http://www.iphonejd.com   Do you operate much of your practice from your iPhone or iPad? This blog is dedicated to assisting you.

So…maybe you have tips and stories of your own that should be shared? Maybe you need to start writing your own blog. Get started at http://wordpress.org .

Having recently been “friended” by my teenage niece on Facebook, I had the chance to see what she was up to and who else her “friends” were (close to 200 of them). But when I tried to play a video link on her page, my McAfee lit up like the Fourth of July. I did not personally know the “friend” who left this loaded link on her page, and I’m not sure she did either.

Whereas a teenage girl’s overblown “friending” might be excusable, careless or unethical friending by legal professionals is not so forgivable. As reported by Julie E. Bennett in this week’s Minnesota Lawyer, social networking is useful (perhaps necessary) for today’s practitioner, but also loaded with potential ethical hazards. It may be tempting to “friend” an opposing party or witness for purposes of viewing their otherwise publicly unavailable social networking page for relevant information. This kind of “friending” may run counter to MRPC Rule 4.2, which forbids a lawyer communications regarding the subject of representation with a person who is known to be represented by another lawyer without that lawyer’s consent. “Friending” an unrepresented party could also violate MRPC Rule 4.3, which requires a lawyer to clearly indicate their role and partiality in the communication. Using a fictitious identity or an employee to gain access to a social networking page for such purposes also violates MRPC Rules, and possibly criminal statutes as well.

…Looking at it from the other direction, safe and prudent practice would require a lawyer to be hyper-cautious of any social networking “friend” requests they might receive, and should warn clients (both potential and retained) to likewise be cautious.

Are you a solo practitioner facing down the busy holiday season with its additional demands to your already-packed schedule? Are you starting to think that you could use some extra help around your office? Even solo practitioners who have always cherished their “lone wolf” status can come to the realization that it is time to expand their practice to include an employee or two. Dan Heilman writes about this process in the December 3, 2012 issue of Minnesota Lawyer (“Solo Practice: Now Hiring”).

So when does a solo attorney know that this moment-of-truth has hit them? Typically it is when he or she realizes that they cannot bring in any more revenue because their “plate is full”, i.e. administrative tasks cutting into billable time. It can also hit when an attorney realizes that despite being able to bill many tasks, they could bill more per hour for the more demanding aspects of the practice, and charge a smaller billable hourly fee for simpler tasks that could easily be delegated to someone else.

For this reason, Heilman warns against simply assuming that “I just need a secretary.” A close look at your practice and the major drains on your time might show that you do indeed need someone to handle administrative tasks, in which case an administrative assistant would best serve your needs. Are you being buried with file management and case prep? Perhaps a paralegal could best take these tasks off your plate. Do you spend much time doing research and traveling to routine court appearances? It might be time to take on an associate. (The latter two, of course, would generate their own billable hours at a rate lower than yours.) The end result of your new hire would ideally be more time for you to network your business and to bill for your special expertise.

Some practitioners might believe that hiring an extra person is beyond their financial means, but Heilman also points out that you may not have to pay an employee typical market rates if you can offer them a flexible schedule in return. Indeed, many experienced and highly skilled legal professionals find themselves seeking flexible gigs that combine well with family commitments, school, or another job. Others may simply be burnt out with the “big law” scene, and desire a more intimate work environment closer to home. Not certain about your caseload or business future over the long term? Legal staffing agencies can help you find someone for contract employment. It is true that these agencies charge a placement fee for direct hire placements, but they might be worth the savings in time and effort that posting a job notice and going through resumes entails.

…Or to consider it another way, you could make someone’s holiday a very special one this year by offering them the perfect employment opportunity!