<b>Professional Development University:</b> CLE For The Soul
February 03, 2006
With civility and ethics at the top of lawyers' agendas, it at times seems to some to be a fragile balancing act as the need to zealously advocate for one's client and keep the practice profitable in a very populated profession can bring one close to the ethical bright line. In fact, the inception of the continuing legal education mandate in many states came on the heels of ethics breaches that were grievous enough to demand that ethics, professionalism, and general professional development be mandated. Out of crisis did come opportunity.
NJ High Court Says Lawyers' Internet Listings Must Say They Were Paid For
February 03, 2006
As advertising gravitates more to the Internet, for lawyers as much as other service providers, the New Jersey Supreme Court's Committee on Attorney Advertising is doing its best to adapt its regulatory scheme to the medium. <br>This year alone, there have been four directives issued on what lawyers may and may not do on the Web, and the most recent puts new restrictions on lawyers' online listings to ensure that potential clients don't interpret them as official endorsements.
Is Anti-Spyware Legislation Congress's Killer App In 2006?
February 03, 2006
Reading the news, one might think the encroaching patchwork of state anti-spyware laws and the proliferation of high-profile cases against surreptitious spyware distributors could finally prompt Congress to take action on spyware in 2006. But a closer look reveals that states, Congress and the Federal Trade Commission have not yet reached a consensus on what spyware is and how best to address enforcement. Even if Congress does act on spyware this year, the legislation is likely to offer an incomplete solution to computer users and, for legitimate online behavioral advertisers, to leave substantial litigation questions unaddressed.
Associate Overcompensation?
February 03, 2006
As described in the following article abridgements from A&FP sibling publications, associate salaries and rates are headed up once again, pressures from cost-conscious clients notwithstanding. I have a possibly discomfiting view to offer on this, but first let's take a look at the bandwagon effect now in progress in some major U.S. legal markets.
Building a State-of-the-Art Anti-Bribery Program
February 03, 2006
Anti-bribery laws have serious consequences for anyone doing business internationally. Violations come to light during routine M&A due diligence, when competitors complain or employees blow the whistle, or when companies voluntarily disclose as a part of their Sarbanes-Oxley reporting obligations. When they do come to light, strong internal controls may shield executives from some liability and restore confidence amongst shareholders and regulators.
<b>Commentary: </b>In Law Firm Marketing Today, the Glass Is Half Full
February 02, 2006
When legal marketers are ahead of their lawyers, or when lawyers are ahead of their legal marketers, their expectations of one another are out of sync. These days, the departure of a marketer, whether by choice or with a nudge, presents an opportunity for a firm to reassess where it is, where it wants to go and how it will get there. Each new marketing hire represents an opportunity for more precise alignment of a marketer's skills and characteristics with a firm's strategic and financial objectives.
Using the Write-Speak-Sell Approach To Business Development
February 02, 2006
In today's world, corporations live and die by the success of their brands. Unfortunately, the world of law remains remarkably detached from what is essentially the lifeblood of the majority of industries. It is often difficult to differentiate one top-tier law firm from another, which is in sharp contrast from the marketing efforts of other service sectors such as accounting, management consulting or investment banking. Branding is essential to business development, regardless of industry sector.
The LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings
February 02, 2006
For more than 135 years, attorneys have relied on the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory to provide them with authoritative information on the worldwide legal profession. Martindale-Hubbell's exclusive Peer Review Lawyer Rating System evaluates attorneys and law firms in the U.S. and Canada with its independent peer review process.
Client Feedback: Have You Taken It To The Next Level?
February 02, 2006
Is it possible that your firm has gone as far as it can with its present approaches to client feedback ' that is, surveys conducted either by written/Web questionnaires, by telephone interviews or by in-person interviews? Has the value received reached a plateau and are you now experiencing diminishing returns? If so, isn't now the time for your firm to be exploring ways to take client feedback to the next level ' especially with the firm's largest and most valued clients?
