Solos/Small Firms

Median pay for new associates doesn’t budge from 2015

Median pay for first-year associates is the same as it was two years ago—$135,000—according to a salary survey by the National Association for Law Placement.

Jun 2, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: Free client consultations can cost you

Dear Daliah: Should I offer free initial client consultations?

Dear Readers: Unless you have a very streamlined process for fielding new clients or can delegate the task to a non-attorney, my recommendation would be to charge.

May 18, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Victimized by ransomware, law firm sues insurer for $700K in lost billings

A Rhode Island law firm has filed a lawsuit against its insurer over coverage for a ransomware attack that locked down the firm’s computer files for three months. Moses Afonso Ryan, a 10-lawyer law firm in Providence, says it paid $25,000 in ransom, but the amount is far less than…

May 2, 2017 11:09 AM CDT

When should lawyers bet on themselves? Sometimes clients will give you the answer

Avvo went all-in on the gambling metaphor for this year’s Lawyernomics conference. As conference-goers learned, however, there’s a difference between making a calculated, smart bet and recklessly letting it ride on double-zero.

Apr 22, 2017 10:00 PM CDT

Lawyers: Don’t be afraid to double down on data

On Friday, during the first full day of the Avvo Lawyernomics conference, attendees got a steady stream of two topics that, for many lawyers, were among the reasons why they decided to go to law school in the first place: math and science.

Apr 21, 2017 9:24 PM CDT

Ask Daliah: It’s OK to start as a generalist, then choose a practice

Dear Daliah: How did you choose your practice area? Is it better to start out a generalist or a specialist?

(Culled from online questions)

Dear Questioners: There are two philosophies when it comes to hanging your own shingle: Take anything that walks in the door, or focus on a specific area or areas.

Apr 20, 2017 8:30 AM CDT

8th annual Lawyernomics conference will encourage attendees to bet on themselves

Ever since Avvo moved its annual conference to Las Vegas from its Seattle home base, the online legal services marketplace has resisted using gambling-related metaphors as conference themes. Not this year. The eighth annual Avvo Lawyernomics Conference will focus on “betting on yourself” and taking risks. The conference, which brings…

Apr 19, 2017 2:00 PM CDT

Boies Schiller expands in California with acquisition of litigation boutique

Boies Schiller Flexner has announced that it is acquiring a Los Angeles litigation boutique with more than two dozen lawyers. Caldwell Leslie & Proctor will join Boies Schiller on April 17, report the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, the New York Times, Law.com (sub. req.) and Bloomberg Big Law Business.…

Apr 11, 2017 11:53 AM CDT

Casetext secures $12 million in venture capital funding

Legal research company Casetext has received $12 million in Series B funding. The company announced Wednesday that the lead investor in its latest round of venture capital funding was Canvas Ventures, a firm that has previously invested in Siri and Evernote. According to a press release (PDF), prior Casetext investors…

Mar 22, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

DC lawyer sues Trump over financial disclosure form

A Washington, D.C. lawyer has sued President Donald Trump for not specifically identifying his personal debts on his candidate’s financial disclosure form. Politico reported Sunday that Jeffrey Lovitky, a government contracts and health law solo practitioner, has filed a complaint (PDF) with the U.S. District Court for the District of…

Mar 21, 2017 1:48 PM CDT

60 Tips in 60 Minutes focuses on increasing productivity for work and life

The always-popular ABA Techshow closing session, 60 in 60, has taken on several iterations over the years: websites (“60 Sites in 60 Minutes”), general tech tips (“60 Tips in 60 Minutes”) and a hodgepodge of things (“60 Tips, Tricks, Gizmos, Gadgets and Sites in 60 Minutes”).

Mar 18, 2017 4:22 PM CDT

Chatbot to help victims of military sex trauma wins Tech for Justice hackathon event

The traditional Saturday morning plenary session of ABA Techshow served as a wrap-up of activities that took place during the preceding three days, and underscored the main themes of the conference.

Mar 18, 2017 4:09 PM CDT

Avvo, LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer CEOs say their products help bridge access-to-justice gap

The ABA Techshow’s highly anticipated, and somewhat controversial keynote session took place on Friday afternoon at the Hilton Chicago. As promised, Avvo CEO Mark Britton, LegalZoom CEO John Suh and Rocket Lawyer CEO Charley Moore took part in a panel discussion that focused on their careers, their thoughts on the…

Mar 17, 2017 6:08 PM CDT

If you step away from your legal tasks to learn tech, you’ll stop wasting time at work

In order to eliminate waste and become more efficient, lawyers have to do something that, for many, might seem like the epitome of time-wasting. Likewise, if lawyers wish to upgrade their technological capabilities and improve the way the practice law, they have to do something that, for many, is antithetical to their being: Stop practicing law.

Mar 17, 2017 1:35 PM CDT

Ask Daliah: How to market on a budget

Dear Daliah: How do you find clients using methods that don’t cost more than $1,000 and don’t demand your every-day (every week?) attention? A simple plan to implement a marketing strategy.

Karen Guthrie

Dear Karen: Not all firms are alike, and not all firms can implement the same marketing strategies. However, all firms, regardless of size or practice area, can and should do these three things to effectively attract new clients—without spending lots of money.

Mar 16, 2017 8:30 AM CDT