Legal Marketing & Consulting

Fla. Law Firm that Sued over ‘Don’t Settle’ Tagline Allowed to Challenge Ad Rules

A Florida lawyer in a dispute with bar officials over his law firm’s tagline may challenge the state’s attorney advertising rules, a federal appeals court has ruled. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled (PDF) last week that Jacksonville lawyer William Harrell Jr. may sue the Florida Bar…

Jun 22, 2010 1:14 PM CDT

Justin Bieber—the Lawyer—Is Extremely Popular on Facebook

Last summer, Philadelphia lawyer Justin Bieber started getting 50 to 60 Facebook friend requests each week, but few of his new acquaintances were the potential personal injury clients he was hoping to attract with a new marketing campaign. The messages said “I love you” or “I love it when you…

Jun 16, 2010 12:05 PM CDT

Plaintiffs Firms Create News Websites Where Potential Clients Congregate

Plaintiffs law firms are spending money and time on websites and social media in marketing efforts that are beginning to take the place of more traditional ads. Potential clients are increasingly targeted through websites set up to resemble community forums or news boards, the Wall Street Journal reports. The story…

Jun 15, 2010 12:18 PM CDT

Proposed Utah Ethics Rule Would Bar Lawyers’ False Comments About Judicial System

A proposed ethics rule barring Utah lawyers from knowingly making false statements about the judicial system has garnered no supporters in online comments. Online critics said the proposal is too broad, too vague and “smacks of totalitarianism,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The comment period closed on Monday. The proposal…

Jun 15, 2010 11:51 AM CDT

Social Crisis

Firm’s blog advises how to handle trouble in the public eye

Jun 1, 2010 6:19 AM CDT

Solo Reprimanded for ‘Legal Experts’ Trade Name

Orlando lawyer Gary Elvin Doane is a solo practitioner—not that there’s anything wrong with that. He is not certified as a specialist by The Florida Bar in all areas of practice—not that that’s unusual. But because of those two factors, Doane can’t use the trade name “legal experts,” according to…

May 21, 2010 2:43 PM CDT

Website Bundles Lawyer Purchases for Volume Discounts

The CEO of a new group-buying website for lawyers called GroupESQ hopes a snowball effect will lead to better and better discounts for its online buyers. GroupESQ groups individual lawyer purchases to get a volume discount. The website went live last Tuesday, its CEO, Steven Choi, tells the ABA Journal.…

May 18, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Lawyers Blast FindLaw Offerings as Spam

When Findlaw.com launched 15 hyperlocal, news-based blogs last winter, the legal blogosphere took note—and aim—at the alleged “spam blogs.” New York City-based lawyer Eric Turkewitz’s New York Personal Injury Law Blog shares the name with one sponsored by the Thomson Reuters legal information Web portal. He blasts the legal marketer…

May 2, 2010 1:44 PM CDT

Rehnquist the Mensch

Regarding “The William Rehnquist You Didn’t Know,” March: I met Justice Rehnquist in 1972 after he gave a speech in Washington, D.C., and I had to bring his car from the garage. It was an old BMW, which was exciting to me, a college student who rode the bus.

May 1, 2010 9:00 AM CDT

Bad Blogs?

Lawyers blast FindLaw offerings as spam

May 1, 2010 6:50 AM CDT

Speak Up

Public speaking continues to reign as a rainmaking tool

May 1, 2010 6:30 AM CDT

Eyes Widen as Above the Law Blogger Attends NALP Panel on Online Rumor Mills

Fellow attendees stared at him as though he had three heads and vampire fangs when he went to a National Association for Law Placement program this morning on navigating online rumor mills, says Above the Law blogger Elie Mystal. But there is no silver bullet that can kill the insider…

May 1, 2010 12:01 AM CDT

Two-Sided Business Card, Potential Client Confusion Cited in Lawyer’s Suspension

A Seattle lawyer has been suspended, in part for mixing his law practice with his duties as president of the local chapter of a civil rights organization. Lawyer Alfoster Garrett Jr. was suspended for 2½ years, the Seattle Times reports. A disciplinary report by the Washington State Bar Association suggests…

Apr 29, 2010 12:51 PM CDT

Lanny Davis Is Latest BigLaw Lawyer to Form His Own Firm

Add another lawyer to the growing tally of seasoned BigLaw attorneys who are moving to smaller firms. Lanny Davis, a well-known lawyer in the nation’s capital who formerly worked as special counsel to President Bill Clinton, is leaving McDermott Will & Emery to form his own partnership, reports the DealBook…

Apr 15, 2010 11:02 PM CDT

Inspired by Richard Susskind, Lawyers Form ‘No-Staff, Paperless’ Firm

Renowned for big bills, the legal profession is changing in response to technology and pressure from clients to cut costs. One of the latest examples is Temple Bright, a United Kingdom law firm established by three attorneys described by the Law Society Gazette as a trio who have “trained and…

Apr 14, 2010 11:53 PM CDT