A smattering of interesting posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

  • When No News Is Bad News” from James Warren in The Atlantic. Journalism is changing. Not in a good way. This post is a little out of scope, but as Warren puts it: “This matters because of the unique role journalism plays in a democracy.
     

  • Watching the time go by” from Jay Shepherd at The Client Revolution. Shepherd is an important voice in the billable hour debate, but you’ve seen his name here a few times so you already knew that. Repeat after me: clients want value, not hours. 

  • Savvy Lawyers Value Their Human Capital” from Gini Nelson and Victoria Pynchon on The Complete Lawyer. Worth a read for the unnamed GC’s quote alone, this post offers great advice for lawyers and firms alike on getting through these tough economic times, not just in one piece, but ahead of the competition. 

  • Client Technology Surveys – A Powerful Little Tool” from Dennis Kennedy on DennisKennedy.blog. Although technology surveys are not my gig, client communications are. This post reminded me that there are many opportunities to talk to your clients about things that matter to them. When you say, “tell me what you do so I can do it too,” your client will like that. A powerful little tool indeed. 

  • How to Ask for an Outside Counsel Budget That Really Means Something” from Rees Morrison and Paul Morrison on Law.com. Improving the quality of outside legal budgets through better communication helps both lawyer and client better quantify the value of legal services. What’s not good about that? This article provides practical advice on doing it. 

  • Marketing Me: Why it’s worth it” from Heather Milligan at The Legal Watercooler.  Milligan really nails it on this one. Personal experience has taught me what she articulates so well: never ever forget that you alone are responsible for your career. The fact that she names me in the post only confirms how smart she is! Thanks, Heather.

  • 10 Ways I Use Twitter and Why I Do It The Way I Do” from Susan Cartier Liebel’s Build a Solo Practice blog. There are a lot of posts, and by a lot of posts I mean A LOT OF POSTS, on how lawyers can use Twitter effectively. This one rises above the rest.