A smattering of relevant and interesting posts from the blawgosphere and beyond.

  • What’s Holding Organizations Back?” from Conversation Agent. This is an interesting post that explores the reasons for which companies are not engaging more actively in Web 2.0 and, when they do, why they might not be able to realize the full potential of the new tools. How does it apply to lawyers and legal marketing? Because it explains why “joining the conversation is the tip of the iceberg.” Read it and think about how it could apply to you.

  • 10 Tips for Kicking Ass as a Freelance Writer” from copyblogger. I know that lawyers aren’t freelance writers. But they write, don’t they? And they give presentations, don’t they? And they pitch work, don’t they, sometimes in elaborate dog-and-pony shows, with PowerPoint slides and handouts and everyone on the team playing a specific role? So they might learn something from this post, which is really about communicating with your audience.

  • State of the AmLaw 200 Blogosphere, June 2009” from Real Lawyers Have Blogs. Want to know which of the AmLaw 200 firms are blogging, which aren’t, what they are writing about? Read this impressive compilation. The bonus: learning that number of blogging firms has more than doubled over the past two years. Still not convinced it’s a valuable use of time and resources? Nearly half of the AmLaw 200 is….

  • BigLaw Partner Compensation Systems Hurt Clients” from In Search of Perfect Client Service. Anybody else not a big fan of the expression “eat what you kill”? Clients aren’t prey, and lawyers shouldn’t build a business model out of feasting on them. Patrick Lamb, founder of Valorem Law Group, doesn’t like this business model either, and explains in this post why lawyers who eat what they kill shouldn’t be handling your legal work.

  • Blow Up Your PR Program” from PR Squared. Though written about PR, this post applies to lawyers (and accountants and consultants and just about any service provider who has clients). Don’t get stuck in “maintenance mode.” Challenge yourself – and your clients – to generating greater value from the relationship. You probably won’t do it the way this post describes, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.