Legal Marketing & Consulting

The bad business of ignoring the justice gap

Roughly two-thirds of those eligible for legal aid in Massachusetts (read: people in extreme poverty) are turned away because there aren’t enough legal aid attorneys. Approximately 80 percent of all individuals in civil court represent themselves—in matters that will change their lives in drastic ways. Whether our law schools have…

Feb 18, 2016 8:00 AM CST

Avvo offers fixed-fee legal services through an attorney network in 18 states

Expanding on a fledgling plan to offer fixed-fee legal services through a network of lawyers, Avvo has announced that it is rolling out the program in 18 states beginning Tuesday. “The beauty here is we get them the customer, we get the cash up front, and they don’t have to…

Feb 9, 2016 4:40 PM CST

Attorney blasts billionaire Rams owner in St. Louis Super Bowl ad

Add another lawyer to the short list of those known for their Super Bowl advertising. Attorney Terry Crouppen appeared on local stations in the St. Louis area this weekend, offering viewers and Rams owner Stan Kroenke his thoughts about the team’s relocation to Los Angeles, during Denver’s defeat of North…

Feb 8, 2016 3:25 PM CST

After years of legal battle, Mexican immigrant becomes a New York lawyer

Cesar Vargas, brought to this country from Mexico as a 5-year-old, has lived in the U.S. without documentation for most of his life. Nonetheless, he graduated from college and law school and, in 2011, passed the New York bar exam. And, on Wednesday, after years of legal battle, largely because…

Feb 3, 2016 2:05 PM CST

Viral ads launch young attorney into role in Taco Bell’s Super Bowl product promotion

Tongue-in-cheek viral Internet ads by a young criminal defense attorney have apparently launched Bryan Wilson, aka ‘Texas Law Hawk,’ into a new role as a Taco Bell celebrity pitchman. Appearing in a teaser for an ad that is scheduled to air during the Super Bowl, the business-suited Wilson holds a…

Feb 3, 2016 12:55 PM CST

How can you attract positive media attention for yourself or your clients? (podcast with transcript)

Podcast Transcript Stephanie Francis Ward: You may have noticed that some lawyers are often quoted in the press. They might have a practice that naturally garners attention; or perhaps they are great at explaining complex issues succinctly and have a good camera presence. Or it could just be they’re known…

Feb 1, 2016 8:30 AM CST

Florida rules prohibiting uncertified lawyers from advertising as specialists are struck down

A federal district court has ruled that a Florida Bar prohibition against individual lawyers and law firms stating on their websites that they are specialists or experts in a practice field without being certified in that field violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The ruling also applies to…

Feb 1, 2016 2:30 AM CST

Bankruptcy lawyer suspended for ‘screwing banks’ ads

Updated: An Indiana bankruptcy lawyer has been suspended for 30 days for ads that said he has been “screwing banks since 1992.” The Indiana Supreme Court suspended the lawyer, Brent Welke of Indianapolis, in a Jan. 7 order (PDF) noted by the Legal Profession Blog. Welke agreed to remove the…

Jan 13, 2016 6:15 AM CST

Avvo readies rollout of fixed-fee legal services

The lawyer directory website Avvo has begun testing a service that offers fixed-fee, limited-scope legal services through a network of attorneys, and plans to roll out the service more broadly over the next few months. Called Avvo Legal Services, the service offers a variety of limited-scope legal services at a…

Jan 12, 2016 3:10 PM CST

Ex-TV newswoman’s videos tell plaintiffs’ tales in personal injury cases

During a snowstorm in 2011, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer going 50 miles an hour slammed into Brian Benning's Toyota Sienna near Dakota, Illinois, a few miles from the Wisconsin border. The high school basketball coach suffered 27 broken bones and traumatic brain injuries, nearly losing his life. In the days just…

Jan 1, 2016 2:10 AM CST

How blogging can help you carve a niche for your practice (podcast with transcript)

Can a commitment to blogging help develop a practice area and turn you into an expert? In this month's Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Hilary Bricken, a Seattle lawyer and one of the authors of Canna Law Blog. Ward speaks with Bricken to find out how her firm decided to launch a blog on the topic of marijuana law; how the blog has performed as a client-development tool; and how writing for the blog has helped her expand her own knowledge and expertise.

Dec 7, 2015 8:30 AM CST

Law firms give and receive thanks by way of donated turkeys

As Thanksgiving looms, law firms throughout the country were looking for a way to give back this week. In Florida, for the seventh year in a row, that meant free turkeys for those who lined up outside the Pendas Law Firm in Orlando. On a first-come, first-serve basis, law firm…

Nov 25, 2015 11:45 AM CST

Client’s photos of John Lennon and Sex Pistols are prominently featured in law office exhibit

A photo of the Sex Pistols breaking out the booze during an early a.m. plane flight might not be everyone’s idea of appropriate law office decor. But for a New Jersey business law boutique whose client roster includes a photographer who has chronicled rock and roll icons since the 1970s,…

Nov 24, 2015 8:00 AM CST

Half Price Lawyers is back in business

A Nevada law firm called Half Price Lawyers has reopened under new management. The name is provided under a licensing arrangement, Vegas Inc. reports. The law firm, taken over by lawyer Glen Truitt in 2013, closed its Las Vegas and Pahrump offices in February, the Pahrump Valley Times reported at…

Nov 16, 2015 8:35 AM CST

Do BigLaw firms need to tighten their belts? Business is slowing, surveys say

Following a strong 2014 for many BigLaw firms, demand for their services and revenue growth is increasing at a slower rate this year, a survey says. At the same time, expenses are growing at a slightly faster rate than last year, says Citi Private Bank’s law firm group in a…

Nov 11, 2015 2:35 PM CST