'The Way I Connected'

Officially launched on March 31, 2009, Martindale-Hubbell Connected (www.martindale.com/connected) a new global online community designed specifically for legal professionals. The network is quickly expanding as lawyers realize the advantages to connecting, networking, and collaborating with trusted and authenticated colleagues. The following article reflects two different lawyers, with equally different needs, who have benefited from utilizing Martindale-Hubbell Connected.

Meredith B. Stone, Vice President and General Counsel for the Americas for NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc. describes her experience first, followed by Evan Brown, a lawyer who specializes in Internet law at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Chicago.

When my teenage daughter got drawn into the world of online social networking, I considered it a social tool for her generation, but not something for practicing professionals in the business world. Now, only a few years later, my colleagues and I are imitating our children by establishing virtual connections and joining online networks. We join these online communities not because we are bored or have a few spare hours on our hands, but because networking can assist us in meeting our business needs and streamline access to information.

The question then presents itself: Which networks should we join? As a group, lawyers are naturally cautious, and many of us, myself included, shudder at the thought of submitting ourselves to the vulnerabilities inherent in an ungated online network like Facebook.

However, in a fast-paced legal environment, even the most hesitant of lawyers must adapt, and a trusted online community for professionals can offer unparalleled 21^st-Century resources. Martindale-Hubbell Connected provides attorneys with an opportunity to expand personal networks in an environment limited to legal professionals and protected from spammers.

I've been using Martindale-Hubbell Connected since the Beta stage, and have come to value some key features. First of all, the site makes it simple to set the privacy settings I want. I also appreciated that it suggested contacts, saving me the time of trying to think of all the lawyers I've met in my career. So far, I haven't been bombarded with requests for “friendship” from unwanted sources nor have I been the victim of spam. It is very much a world created for attorneys by attorneys, where my current and potential contacts are truly my professional colleagues from all over the world.

While networking is an important aspect to the site, there are other ways attorneys may benefit by using Martindale-Hubbell Connected. I particularly utilize the site to obtain up-to-date information specific to my practice areas. Much of the content on Martindale-Hubbell Connected is drawn from the vast LexisNexis database, so I've found I have access to articles from a wide variety of publications.

In addition, I've been tracking forums and discussions about my practice areas, and have benefited from learning what other lawyers are saying about topics that don't always make it into cocktail conversations, but are important to my work. For example, through Martindale-Hubbell Connected, I've been able to follow the legislative steps involving the Employee Free Choice Act, and some dynamic conversations dissecting it.

Martindale-Hubbell Connected also has an area for job listings, obviously an important tool in these economic times. I've found it interesting to track which employers are hiring, the qualifications they are seeking, and also which practice areas are still in demand even in a down economy.

For those of us who are in-house attorneys making hiring decisions about outside counsel, Martindale-Hubbell Connected provides another useful tool. I can review a vast collection of attorney profiles in the Martindale directory, including reviews by clients and other lawyers. Especially in this economic climate, a careless decision about outside counsel can affect the outcome of a case or problem and, ultimately, the health of the company. I also appreciate the ability to do side-by-side comparisons of individual lawyers, another good way to narrow down my choices. I will likely continue to rely upon the capacity to research my potential hires through Martindale-Hubbell Connected.

The ability to obtain information about other attorneys has provided me with useful insight in other circumstances, for example, when facing opposing counsel. I have already had several occasions when I needed to do some speedy intelligence gathering on another attorney. I'll admit that my confidence level goes up a bit when I know I have done my research on the attorney on the other side of a matter.

All in all, I've found that an online networking site dedicated to the specific needs of lawyers can be a powerful resource. The online networking world can provide a path to develop and use a sophisticated network that will allow me to do my job better and more efficiently.

Meredith B. Stone is the Vice President and General Counsel for the Americas for NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc. The views expressed in this article are her own, not necessarily those of the company she represents.

In truth, it's not surprising that I utilize social networking tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I am, after all, an intellectual property and technology attorney who delves in the legal minutiae of social media as a matter of my daily business.

A blogger too, I ardently believe in open social networking sites to communicate with friends, family, colleagues and potential clients. I use technology to enhance my public profile, garner new clients and maintain relationships with other attorneys in my field. I have, as they say, embraced the digital age.

While open social networking tools have an ever-increasing important function, there's a special need for more targeted sites for specific professions. Take one look at the recently launched Martindale-Hubbell Connected, and the potential for networking among lawyers is clear. What better place to find a virtual community to help in your day-to-day business needs?

Launched at the end of March, Martindale-Hubbell Connected is currently open to private practice attorneys and corporate counsel. Non-practicing lawyers and non-lawyers, such as law school faculty, students, law firm marketing directors and paralegals, will be invited to join later in the year. My firm has been using the service since the beginning of March, while it was still in Beta testing.

To me, the idea of having a separate network to connect with attorneys from around the world is exciting. Like most attorneys, I often need to find a quick, but reliable referral. Sometimes I have to gather some information about a legal issue outside of my particular expertise. Sometimes I am looking for perspective on a state or international question outside my normal geographic sphere. Although Martindale-Hubbell Connected is in the genesis of its existence, I've already found that I can use my recently acquired contacts to get the help I need.

What makes Martindale-Hubbell Connected especially powerful is its database of more than one million lawyers and deep roots in the legal community. The site combines a massive resource of legal professionals with social networking to provide users with a pre-populated list of potential contacts in an extremely seamless fashion. In addition, Martindale-Hubbell's partnership with LinkedIn means that I can pull my contacts from my established network into this new one.

When I started using Martindale-Hubbell Connected, it did what many networking sites do ' it gave me a list of suggested connections. But the results were surprisingly thorough. Martindale-Hubbell Connected suggested to me long-since forgotten acquaintances, not just from my law school days or among my obvious workplace colleagues. It found lawyers I argued with and against in court, and others with seemingly obscure connections. Basically, I was able to connect with lawyers who didn't immediately come to mind, but who are valuable assets to add to my networking circle.

I also find Martindale-Hubbell Connected useful for finding others who share a special interest in a particular aspect of the law. I started an Internet law group, and have already had a number of attorneys join. Through this group, I've met other attorneys in my field that I didn't even know existed, despite all the conferences and forums I've attended. I can check their credentials and explore the nature and contours of their practice. I can chat with them to see if we click and then look to them if I ever need someone to help me on a case in their geographic area or involving their emphasis within our shared specialty. I've found that in a national practice, I'm always in need of colleagues with whom I can bounce ideas and exchange news pertinent to our practice.

There are some other features to Martindale-Hubbell Connected that I find especially intriguing. I look forward to reading blogs from other lawyers and to participating in more forum discussions on Internet law. I also understand that Martindale-Hubbell Connected is offering a system for outside counsel and in-house counsel to collaborate on RFPs. While I haven't used these features yet, I see them as potentially helpful one-stop shopping for busy business professionals.

For someone like me, online networking is second nature, and has been for several years. But for those who are new to it, and hesitant to invest a lot of time, Martindale-Hubbell Connected seems like a perfect introduction to the benefits of online networking in a carefully crafted professional environment. With an easy-to-use interface, even the most reticent Luddite can find a robust networking community with little effort or experience in the digital world. And for both the technologically savvy veteran and inexperienced newcomer, Martindale Hubbell Connected's vast array of potential contacts and tools make it an easy choice for fruitful encounters.

Evan Brown is a Chicago-based lawyer who specializes in Internet law at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP.

Officially launched on March 31, 2009, Martindale-Hubbell Connected (www.martindale.com/connected) a new global online community designed specifically for legal professionals. The network is quickly expanding as lawyers realize the advantages to connecting, networking, and collaborating with trusted and authenticated colleagues. The following article reflects two different lawyers, with equally different needs, who have benefited from utilizing Martindale-Hubbell Connected.

Meredith B. Stone, Vice President and General Counsel for the Americas for NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc. describes her experience first, followed by Evan Brown, a lawyer who specializes in Internet law at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Chicago.

When my teenage daughter got drawn into the world of online social networking, I considered it a social tool for her generation, but not something for practicing professionals in the business world. Now, only a few years later, my colleagues and I are imitating our children by establishing virtual connections and joining online networks. We join these online communities not because we are bored or have a few spare hours on our hands, but because networking can assist us in meeting our business needs and streamline access to information.

The question then presents itself: Which networks should we join? As a group, lawyers are naturally cautious, and many of us, myself included, shudder at the thought of submitting ourselves to the vulnerabilities inherent in an ungated online network like Facebook.

However, in a fast-paced legal environment, even the most hesitant of lawyers must adapt, and a trusted online community for professionals can offer unparalleled 21^st-Century resources. Martindale-Hubbell Connected provides attorneys with an opportunity to expand personal networks in an environment limited to legal professionals and protected from spammers.

I've been using Martindale-Hubbell Connected since the Beta stage, and have come to value some key features. First of all, the site makes it simple to set the privacy settings I want. I also appreciated that it suggested contacts, saving me the time of trying to think of all the lawyers I've met in my career. So far, I haven't been bombarded with requests for “friendship” from unwanted sources nor have I been the victim of spam. It is very much a world created for attorneys by attorneys, where my current and potential contacts are truly my professional colleagues from all over the world.

While networking is an important aspect to the site, there are other ways attorneys may benefit by using Martindale-Hubbell Connected. I particularly utilize the site to obtain up-to-date information specific to my practice areas. Much of the content on Martindale-Hubbell Connected is drawn from the vast LexisNexis database, so I've found I have access to articles from a wide variety of publications.

In addition, I've been tracking forums and discussions about my practice areas, and have benefited from learning what other lawyers are saying about topics that don't always make it into cocktail conversations, but are important to my work. For example, through Martindale-Hubbell Connected, I've been able to follow the legislative steps involving the Employee Free Choice Act, and some dynamic conversations dissecting it.

Martindale-Hubbell Connected also has an area for job listings, obviously an important tool in these economic times. I've found it interesting to track which employers are hiring, the qualifications they are seeking, and also which practice areas are still in demand even in a down economy.

For those of us who are in-house attorneys making hiring decisions about outside counsel, Martindale-Hubbell Connected provides another useful tool. I can review a vast collection of attorney profiles in the Martindale directory, including reviews by clients and other lawyers. Especially in this economic climate, a careless decision about outside counsel can affect the outcome of a case or problem and, ultimately, the health of the company. I also appreciate the ability to do side-by-side comparisons of individual lawyers, another good way to narrow down my choices. I will likely continue to rely upon the capacity to research my potential hires through Martindale-Hubbell Connected.

The ability to obtain information about other attorneys has provided me with useful insight in other circumstances, for example, when facing opposing counsel. I have already had several occasions when I needed to do some speedy intelligence gathering on another attorney. I'll admit that my confidence level goes up a bit when I know I have done my research on the attorney on the other side of a matter.

All in all, I've found that an online networking site dedicated to the specific needs of lawyers can be a powerful resource. The online networking world can provide a path to develop and use a sophisticated network that will allow me to do my job better and more efficiently.

Meredith B. Stone is the Vice President and General Counsel for the Americas for NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc. The views expressed in this article are her own, not necessarily those of the company she represents.

In truth, it's not surprising that I utilize social networking tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I am, after all, an intellectual property and technology attorney who delves in the legal minutiae of social media as a matter of my daily business.

A blogger too, I ardently believe in open social networking sites to communicate with friends, family, colleagues and potential clients. I use technology to enhance my public profile, garner new clients and maintain relationships with other attorneys in my field. I have, as they say, embraced the digital age.

While open social networking tools have an ever-increasing important function, there's a special need for more targeted sites for specific professions. Take one look at the recently launched Martindale-Hubbell Connected, and the potential for networking among lawyers is clear. What better place to find a virtual community to help in your day-to-day business needs?

Launched at the end of March, Martindale-Hubbell Connected is currently open to private practice attorneys and corporate counsel. Non-practicing lawyers and non-lawyers, such as law school faculty, students, law firm marketing directors and paralegals, will be invited to join later in the year. My firm has been using the service since the beginning of March, while it was still in Beta testing.

To me, the idea of having a separate network to connect with attorneys from around the world is exciting. Like most attorneys, I often need to find a quick, but reliable referral. Sometimes I have to gather some information about a legal issue outside of my particular expertise. Sometimes I am looking for perspective on a state or international question outside my normal geographic sphere. Although Martindale-Hubbell Connected is in the genesis of its existence, I've already found that I can use my recently acquired contacts to get the help I need.

What makes Martindale-Hubbell Connected especially powerful is its database of more than one million lawyers and deep roots in the legal community. The site combines a massive resource of legal professionals with social networking to provide users with a pre-populated list of potential contacts in an extremely seamless fashion. In addition, Martindale-Hubbell's partnership with LinkedIn means that I can pull my contacts from my established network into this new one.

When I started using Martindale-Hubbell Connected, it did what many networking sites do ' it gave me a list of suggested connections. But the results were surprisingly thorough. Martindale-Hubbell Connected suggested to me long-since forgotten acquaintances, not just from my law school days or among my obvious workplace colleagues. It found lawyers I argued with and against in court, and others with seemingly obscure connections. Basically, I was able to connect with lawyers who didn't immediately come to mind, but who are valuable assets to add to my networking circle.

I also find Martindale-Hubbell Connected useful for finding others who share a special interest in a particular aspect of the law. I started an Internet law group, and have already had a number of attorneys join. Through this group, I've met other attorneys in my field that I didn't even know existed, despite all the conferences and forums I've attended. I can check their credentials and explore the nature and contours of their practice. I can chat with them to see if we click and then look to them if I ever need someone to help me on a case in their geographic area or involving their emphasis within our shared specialty. I've found that in a national practice, I'm always in need of colleagues with whom I can bounce ideas and exchange news pertinent to our practice.

There are some other features to Martindale-Hubbell Connected that I find especially intriguing. I look forward to reading blogs from other lawyers and to participating in more forum discussions on Internet law. I also understand that Martindale-Hubbell Connected is offering a system for outside counsel and in-house counsel to collaborate on RFPs. While I haven't used these features yet, I see them as potentially helpful one-stop shopping for busy business professionals.

For someone like me, online networking is second nature, and has been for several years. But for those who are new to it, and hesitant to invest a lot of time, Martindale-Hubbell Connected seems like a perfect introduction to the benefits of online networking in a carefully crafted professional environment. With an easy-to-use interface, even the most reticent Luddite can find a robust networking community with little effort or experience in the digital world. And for both the technologically savvy veteran and inexperienced newcomer, Martindale Hubbell Connected's vast array of potential contacts and tools make it an easy choice for fruitful encounters.

Evan Brown is a Chicago-based lawyer who specializes in Internet law at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP.