JD Scoop

Legal Marketing Blogs - A Reference List

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:20:01 -0800

Here's a list of some of the legal marketing blogs I read regularly. Such a list is personal and unlikely to be comprehensive; even so, I've compiled it with the hope you find value at the end of a few of these links.

The list reflects no more or less than what grabs my attention today, and yes I'm using "legal marketing" in a broad sense. (Some of these blogs, for example, also focus on Law Practice issues, among others.) And yes, I am missing a few. (Some blogs are popular enough already - I need not point you to them.)

Legal Marketing Blogs:

Amy Campbell's Weblog
Law Consulting Blog (by Cordell Parvin)
Law Firm Web Strategy (Stem Legal)
Legal Marketing Blog (Tom Kane)
Amazing Firms, Amazing Practices (Gerry Riskin)
The Legal Watercooler (Heather Milligan)
Law Marketing Portal
Lawyerist > Marketing
22 Tweets (Lance Godard)
Virtual Marketing Officer (Jayne Navarre)
Myrland Marketing - Plan to Grow (Nancy Myrland)
Jasinski On Legal Marketing (Doug Jasinski)
Legal Ease Blog (Allison Shields)
Law Practice Matters (Erik Mazzone)
AttorneySync Blog
Law Marketing Blog (Larry Bodine)
The Rainmaker Blog (Stephen Fairley)
Real Lawyers Have Blogs (Kevin O'Keefe)
Rent My Brain (Jonathan Ginsberg)
Law21 (Jordan Furlong)
LawBizBlog (Ed Poll)
Marketing Strategy and the Law (Adrian Dayton)
What About Clients?
Legal Practice Pro (Jay Fleischman)
the [non]billable hour (Matt Homann)

I plan to add others as the spirit moves. Suggestions? Please share your links in a comment. Or tell me via Twitter.

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Also see:

- JD Supra's Legal Marketing Articles
- Legal Marketing on Twitter | on Facebook

Lane Powell's 'Legal Updates' iPhone App - Powered by JD Supra

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:40:40 -0800

We're pleased to announce the arrival of Lane Powell Legal Updates, a new iPhone app that streams by subject the articles, alerts, analysis, and briefs posted on JD Supra by Seattle-based law firm Lane Powell.

Freely available in the iTunes app store, Lane Powell's Legal Updates streams legal content (and expertise) covering bankruptcy, business law, construction, environmental law, health care, immigration, insurance, real estate, and other fields for which the multi-specialty, 135-year-old firm is known.

Lane Powell's mobile audience can read the firm's latest content using the iPhone's Safari browser or via PDF reader, which includes landscape (horizontal) view and zoom functionality for easy viewing. Readers can also easily contact Lane Powell lawyer-writers directly from the app, with the click of a button.

We've written before about Lane Powell's excellent content marketing efforts (see Aviva Cuyler's: Lane Powell Knows the Landscape - Inside and Out). It seems a natural next step for a law firm that understands the marketing value of showcasing legal expertise via substantive commentary and analysis now to take their content to a growing mobile audience.

Download Lane Powell Legal Updates from iTunes

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Related:

- Lane Powell iPhone App Puts Legal Updates in Your Palm
- JD Supra's 'Legal Edge' iPhone App Allows Lawyers to Connect with Mobile Users

Want a custom iPhone app for your law firm? Find out more here:
Law Firm iPhone Apps by JD Supra: Your Legal Expertise Everywhere

Lawyers & Law Firms on JD Supra: New Contributor Roundup

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:04:22 -0800

Here's a look at some of the latest lawyers and law firms to be publishing their work on JD Supra. We're happy to welcome them to the site:

Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, P.A. with offices in New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Delaware. The firm represents businesses, institutions and individuals.

Featured Doc: The Annual Real Property Tax Appeal Countdown Has Begun

Diaz Reus' lawyers handle corporate formation, licensing, tax, mergers and acquisitions, immigration, trust and estate, and family law matters--in addition to litigating complex, high-profile business and commercial disputes, criminal and regulatory matters and government investigations and security portfolio analysis from offices in Miami, Shanghai, Caracas, and Frankfurt, and an affiliate in Bogota, Sao Paulo, and Monaco.

Featured Doc: China's Rising Interest in Latin America

Shawn McCammon, attorney at Liberty Law, which offers outsourced general counsel services to Northern California businesses, and estate planning for individuals.

Featured Doc: Make sure your supervisors are implementing employees' accommodations

David Haenel, representing clients in DUI, criminal law, and traffic ticket matters at the firm of Finebloom and Haenel, which has offices througout Florida, particularly Sarasota, Orlando, Tampa, and Clearwater.

Featured Doc: Motion to Terminate Florida Probation Early

Ronald Shapiro, whose immigration firm serves businesses and individuals in Illinois and nationwide.

Featured Doc: Naturalization and Citizenship - E-Newsletter January 25 2010

Anne E. Raduns, whose firm provides marital and family law legal services to men and women, parents, and couples without children. The family law practice includes legal advice and representation in a range of family law matters, including: Divorce & Marital Dissolution, Paternity, Child Custody/Support, Property Division, Rights of Out of State Parents, Parental Relocation, Spousal Support, Child Visitation, Modifications, and Domestic Violence/ Restraining Orders.

Featured Doc: Florida Contested Adoption: Helping Father's Get Their Child Back

Howard Ankin, a workers compensation and personal injury attorney at Ankin Law Firm.

Featured Doc: State Trial Practice - E-Newsletter January 25, 2010

Carolann Swanson, commercial litigation and agriculture. Partner and Senior Litigation Counsel at Stokes Law Office, concentrating in commercial litigation matters including agricultural trade and litigation and perishable agricultural commodities.

Featured Doc: Communicating for Business

Katz, Friedman, Eagle, Eisenstein, Johnson & Bareck, advising labor unions and individuals on the laws concerning the National Labor Relations Act, ERISA, insurance coverage, work-related injuries, employment discrimination, benefit and disability law, class action lawsuits and serious personal injury claims.

Featured Doc: A Summary of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act

Chris Chua, a Singapore corporate lawyer with over 8 years' experience in commercial and corporate legal practice. She specializes in advising businesses in all stages of its life cycle - from start-up and growing it through acquisitions and restructures; to retiring from the business by selling or handing it over to the next generation.

Featured Doc: Doing Business in Singapore - Top 5 Issues in a Shareholders Agreement

What about you? Are you looking for an effective way to showcase expertise and connect with new clients, colleagues, and the media?

Join JD Supra. Create a professional profile and start posting your legal work online!

New: Clio Facebook Page - Powered by JD Supra

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:45:43 -0800

We're pleased to announce the launch of a new Facebook page for Clio, the legal software as a service (Saas) company. As you know, Clio provides a suite of web-based online practice management tools for solo lawyers and small firms.

Powered by our own in-house applications, Clio's Facebook page:

automatically streams the company's blog and JD Supra document portfolio,
allows visitors to sign up for Clio's monthly newsletter (as well as connect to the firm's other online platforms, like LinkedIn and Twitter),
publishes a daily social transcript of tweets on any subject (at time of writing, all tweets for "goclio"), and
features a custom-built About Clio section, complete with press mentions, a tour of Clio's software offerings, and the ability to sign up for the Clio service.

In the words of company president and co-founder, Jack Newton:

We see this as an excellent way to engage with fans and clients on a more personal level, and look forward to building an active community around Clio on Facebook. We'll be able to keep our readers informed and up-to-date with daily posts and with the tools JD Supra has provided us, such as our Blog connection, Social Transcripts, and JD Supra Documents.

As we've noted elsewhere, we are big fans of the way Facebook pages allow businesses to engage with their readers by delivering "shared" content into Facebook news streams. Clio is able to create community with content using many of the apps we've built into their page.

For regular updates about software as a service, online practice management tools, company news and information, become a fan of Clio's Facebook page today!

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Related:

- You Should be on Facebook - Here's Why
- 3 Apps for Your Law Firm's Facebook Page
- Lawyers and Law Firms on Facebook

Want a custom, professional presence on Facebook? Start here.

The COBRA Subsidy Extension - What It All Means

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:40:37 -0800

For your reference, here's what JD Supra contributors are writing about President Obama's December, 2009, extension of the COBRA premium subsidy program.

JD Supra Employment Law Update: The COBRA Subsidy Extension

The COBRA Premium Subsidy is Not Over! - by Miller & Martin PLLC:

While the rest of us were busy putting the final touches on our Christmas packages, on December 19, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010 ("DDAA"). This law extends both the eligibility period and the length of the COBRA premium subsidy created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("ARRA")...

COBRA Subsidy to Continue - by Shawn McCammon:

...the 2010 DOD Act extended the COBRA premium reduction eligibility period for two months, through February 28, 2010 and increased the maximum period for receiving the subsidy from 9 to 15 months.

COBRA Premium Subsidy Provisions - by Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP:

The Department of Labor has just published the new model notice to be used for COBRA. The notice must be sent to all eligible individuals by February 17, 2010...

COBRA Subsidy Extended - by Dinsmore & Shohl LLP:

The Act also includes a period for the retroactive payment of premiums for individuals who were entitled to the subsidy but whose subsidy period expired on November 30 and who failed to pay their premium for December coverage. The retroactive period is 60 days, commencing with the enactment of the provision or, if later, 30 days after provision of notice...

Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Alert: COBRA Subsidy Extended - by Mintz Levin:

Not all COBRA "qualified beneficiaries" are entitled to take advantage of the subsidy. Rather, a qualified beneficiary is eligible if he or she is an "Assistance Eligible Individual" (AEI), defined as a COBRA qualified beneficiary who becomes eligible for COBRA, during the period beginning September 1, 2008 and ending February 28, 2010, due to the involuntary termination of employment of the covered employee...

- Earlier COBRA Updates & Related Commentary:

Much Anticipated New Model COBRA Notices Released - by Williams Kastner
Questions and Answers Regarding COBRA Subsidy (July, 2009) - by McAfee & Taft
DOL Issues Model COBRA Notices to Reflect Changes Mandated by the Stimulus Package (March, 2009) - Foley Hoag LLP
COBRA Changes Effective Immediately (Feb, 2009) - Williams Kastner
COBRA Subsidy in New Stimulus Law Adds Administrative and Notice Requirements for Employers (Feb, 2009) - McAfee & Taft

.....

Labor & Employment Law on: JD Supra | Facebook | Twitter

Ready to add your work to the mix? Do so now.

Temporary Protected Status Granted to Haitians in U.S.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:10:49 -0800

The Department of Homeland Security has granted Temporary Protected Status to Haitian nationals residing in the United States as of the date of Haiti's devastating earthquake (January 12, 2010). For more information, see the following updates by JD Supra contributors:

Temporary Protected Status for Haitians - by Sands Anderson Marks & Miller:

Temporary Protected Status is sometimes granted to countries when conditions temporarily prevent nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, when the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano temporarily halted the removal (deportations) of Haitians with standing removal orders. Those who do not have removal orders, but are detained in detention centers, will remain jailed...

Temporary Protected Status Granted for Haiti - by Collins & Collins, P.C.:

The Temporary Protected Status is for a period of 18 months. Individual nationals of Haiti are eligible. In addition, aliens having no nationality who habitually resided in Haiti are also eligible. To be eligible, the individual must have been continuously present and continually residing in the United States as of January 12, 2010, the date of the earthquake in Haiti. Eligible individuals have 180 days to register for Temporary Protected Status. Those eligible may also apply for employment and travel authorization...

More Information on Haitian Deportation - by Robert Kraft:

The administration has clarified the earlier announcement regarding the suspension of deportation of Haitian citizens. The Haitians must have been in the United States before the earthquake January 11, and any Haitians who arrive here illegally after that date will be deported...

Related:

Adoption Process of Haiti Orphans Expedited by Homeland Security - by Collins & Collins, P.C.:

DHS has announced a humanitarian parole policy to allow orphaned Haitian children to enter the United States under temporary protected status. The policy is part of the U.S. government's ongoing relief efforts to assist Haiti following the devastating earthquake. The humanitarian parole will allow eligible children entry to the United States on an expedited basis to insure that they receive the care they need...

For information on how you can support the disaster relief in Haiti start with Google's crisis response center.

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Immigration Law: JD Supra | Facebook | Twitter

Quick Hits: Recommended Reading for the Week (Jan 15, 2010)

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:20:56 -0800

File under: weekend reading.

Here's a quick look at some of the articles and news (mainly to do with online matters) that recently grabbed our attention.

Meant to be helpful, this reading list is by no means comprehensive. Before we file away, we thought we'd share with you:

Facebook Now Allows Comment Replies by Email (Facebook blog)
How Google Ranks Tweets (Technology Review)
Why Are We Still Debating? (Are You Writing This Down?)
LinkedIn Wants Users to Connect More (WSJ)
Social Media Marketing Explained in 61 Words (WebInkNow)
3 Ways to Use Search & Authenticity in Personal Branding (Personal Branding Blog)
30 Content Marketing Truths for 2010 (Junta42)
Seven Ways to Get Your Marketing Back on Track (Clickz)

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Federal Estate Tax in 2010: What's Happening?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:01:01 -0800

[Updated January 22, 2010] For your reference, here's a look at how lawyers and law firms on JD Supra are making sense of the 2010 repeal of the Federal Estate Tax. For more information on why the estate tax was repealed, and the myriad of consequences, start with these articles:

2010 Federal Estate Tax: Estate Law Updates on JD Supra

Estate Tax Repeal is Here - by Cole Schotz:

To the surprise of most estate planning practitioners, the arrival of January 1, 2010 brought with it a federal estate tax repeal. Congress was unable to compromise prior to year end on legislation that would have either maintained the status quo ($3.5 million applicable exclusion amount and a 45% estate tax rate) or implemented new exclusion amounts and/or tax rates. As a result, the following rules apply in 2010...

2010 Federal Estate Tax Repeal - What Does It Really Mean? - by Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP:

The 2010 federal estate tax repeal has been nine years in the making, yet we can honestly say that no one saw it coming. Congress did not act, and we now find ourselves in a system created by what some commentators are calling "congressional malpractice" and what the Senate Finance Committee Chairman describes as "massive, massive confusion." Here is the bottom line of how the estate tax landscape has changed and what to look out for over the next 12 months...

Estate Tax Uncertainty in 2010 - by McAfee & Taft:

The future of the federal estate tax laws remains uncertain. Many planners believe it is likely that legislation, when it is passed, will result in a return to something akin to the 2009 rules, which provided for a $3.5 million per person federal estate and GST tax exemption and a tax rate of 45%...

Estate and Gift Tax Update - Changes in 2010 and Beyond - by Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP:

"No matter what Congress does or does not do, many estate plans allocate assets among trusts or beneficiaries through the use of formulas that assume the existence of a federal estate tax. Plans prepared in the last several years may have anticipated the 2010 temporary repeal..."

Would Retroactive Reinstatement of the Federal Estate Tax be Constitutional? - by Randy Spiro:

The perfect storm for estate planning arrived on January 1, 2010 when the federal estate tax was repealed, but only for persons dying on and after January 1, 2010 but no later than December 31, 2010. Adding to the mystery is Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus' pledge that the Senate will pass a bill reinstating the tax, which legislation the House of Representatives previously passed on December 3, 2009. But would a retroactive reinstatement pass constitutional muster for persons dying on and after January 1, 2010 and before the date of the bill's passage and signing by the President?

The Stealth Estate Tax of 2010 - by Kaufman Law Group:

"In 2001, Congress revised the federal estate tax schedule, gradually increasing the individual exemption from estate tax from year to year. Pursuant to this legislation, the exemption was raised to $3.5 million per person ($7 M per couple) in 2009, and there is a scheduled one-year exemption from all federal estate tax for 2010. But not many people realize that this one-year "gift" is really a Trojan tax horse! " (Also from Kaufman Law Group: Avoiding the Stealth Estate Tax)

Is the Estate Tax Dead or Only Sleeping? - by Jeffrey Crown:

"For the present, there is no Federal estate tax. But there are two reasons not to celebrate yet. First, the estate tax is being replaced by a moratorium on "stepped up basis at death." Secondly, there is a possibility that Congress may reinstate the tax retroactively..."

Uncertainty On Existing Estate Plans And Gifting Strategies Due To Repeal Of The Federal Estate Tax - by Fox Rothschild:

"In the context of Federal Estate Tax repeal, some wills use technical language that may have the effect of reducing the surviving spouse's actual share of the decedent's estate to zero.This result may be completely unintended..."

Temporary Tax Repeals May Alter Your Estate Plan - by Dinsmore & Shohl LLP:

"Estate tax changes next year could include elimination or significant restriction of wealth-shifting opportunities currently available, including restrictions on valuation discounts and on the use of Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs). While current law applies, and values and interest rates remain low, planning opportunities are available..."

Tax Law Change May Reinstate Estate Rules - by Sands Anderson Marks & Miller:

Everyone expects (yes, that crowd of everyone again) Congress will pass a more permanent extension of the estate tax law setting the tax-free amount at a higher level, but Congress is full of surprises and, with an election coming up, Congress could easily do nothing about further estate taxes (just as happened this year) and let the exemption drop back to $1,000,000...

The Temporary Repeal Of The Federal Estate Tax And Its Effect On Your Estate Plan - by Morrison & Foerster LLP:

Although some would see this as another cause for celebration, for many the repeal will create more problems than it solves. In addition, the repeal of the estate and GST tax laws -- even though under current law it will only last for one year -- requires most individuals to consider whether their wills and trusts still operate as planned or instead leave their beneficiaries facing unintended consequences...

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More information on...

JD Supra: Trusts & Estates Law | Tax Law - Twitter: Trusts and Estates | Tax Alerts - Facebook: Estate Law & Lawyers | Tax Law ...

Ready to add you own work to the mix? Post it now. Find a larger audience with JD Supra.

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Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - Increased Protections for Military Families

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:05:45 -0800

[Updated January 20, 2010] - For your reference, here's a reading list to make sense of recent amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and how these latest changes have increased protections for military families:

FMLA Amended Again By The National Defense Authorization Act for 2010 (by Duane Morris): On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, Public Law 111-84 ("NDAA for 2010"). Primarily a defense appropriations law, the NDAA contains several amendments to the family military-leave provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA")...

Family and Medical Leave Act Further Helps Military Families (by Sheppard Mullin): The bill increases protections for families of military personnel who wish to take leave from work under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The new amendments expand on changes implemented less than a year ago requiring that certain employers provide unpaid leave for qualifying family members of military personnel...

Recent FMLA Amendments Regarding Military Leave (by Dinsmore & Shohl): This new entitlement is now extended to an employee whose spouse, son, daughter or parent is a member of the regular Armed Forces - not just the National Guard or Reserves - and is deployed to a foreign country, rather than only when deployed in support of a contingency operation.

FMLA's Military Leave Provisions Expanded (by Ford & Harrison): The NDAA also extends the scope of military caregiver leave to families of certain veterans, who previously were not covered by the provision. It also permits military caregiver leave for serious injuries or illnesses that are the result of pre-existing conditions that were aggravated by service while on active duty.

The FMLA Gets (Yet ANOTHER) Facelift! (by Miller & Martin PLLC): Most of the news media's focus has been on the financial and other "support for our troops" aspects of this law. However, it has serious human resource implications as well...

FMLA - Background Reading & Archived Updates:

Family and Medical Leave Act E-Newsletter (Howard Ankin) - January, 2010.
DOL Clarifies FMLA Amendments Related to Servicemember Care and Other Military-Related Exigencies (Littler Mendelson) - November, 2008.
President Signs Bill Expanding FMLA Protection for Military Family Members (Ford & Harrison LLP) - January, 2008.
Highlights of the Final Revised FMLA Regulations (Dickinson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen, P.C.) - January, 2009.
Proper documentation may have helped resort in FMLA lawsuit (Fox Rothschild) - December, 2009.
Tackle Tough FMLA Issues (Denise Drake, Spencer Fane) - 47-page resource guide, Oct. 2009.

Additional information is available in JD Supra's Military Law center, or by following @MilitaryLaw on Twitter.

Got FMLA-related news and analysis to add to the mix? Please do so now.

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Lawyers & Law Firms on JD Supra: New Contributor Roundup

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:05:40 -0800

Here's a look at some of the latest lawyers and law firms to be publishing their work on JD Supra. We're happy to welcome them to the site:

	Daryl Thompson, a DUI attorney in Orange County, California, who has been representing clients charged with misdemeanor and felony DUIs for more than 33 years. Featured Doc: California Ignition Interlock Devices...
	New York law firm, Melito & Adolfsen, which handles complex commercial litigation, including insurance coverage, reinsurance arbitrations and litigations, all types of tort defense, labor law cases, nursing home claims, products liability, professional liability... Featured Doc: CGL vs. Workers' Comp 1B - Coverage In Construction Cases...
	Collins & Collins, P.C., which represents clients in personal injury, immigration, and criminal law matters throughout New Mexico. Featured Doc: Protection of Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence in New Mexico...
	Fox Rothschild, whose 450 lawyers in 15 offices coast to coast deliver a full range of legal services - from the traditional (Litigation, Corporate, Labor and Employment) to the emerging services (Intellectual Property and Tech and Venture Finance)... Featured Doc: Key Developments In Executive Compensation: What Should A Public Company Do Now And In 2010?
	Catherine Bertram, handling personal injury, products liability, and professional malpractice cases in Washington, D.C. Featured Doc: Copyright Grants: as Powerful as Kryptonite?
	Sands Anderson Marks & Miller, a Virginia and North Carolina firm that offers a comprehensive range of transactional and litigation legal services to businesses, business owners and company executives, financial institutions, governments, healthcare providers, professional service firms and practitioners, the insurance industry and individuals. Featured Doc: Talk is Cheap: Except When You Are Sued for Cellphone Usage...
	Kaufman Law Group, providing estate and asset protection plans to clients in Illinois.. Featured Doc: Checklist Of Items To Bring To Initial Estate Planning Meeting...
	David Wolf, partner at Wood, Atter & Wolf, which represents clients and their families in personal injury, criminal law and family law matters throughout Florida. Featured Doc: Advice for Parents : What To Look For In a Day Care Center?
	Miller & Martin PLLC, a leading Southeastern full-service law firm with almost 200 attorneys in three cities. Clients range from individuals to multi-national corporations. Featured Doc: Law Firms Targeting Nurses For FLSA Claims...
	Partridge, Snow & Hahn, LLP, one of the largest law firms in Southeastern New England. The firm represents privately and publicly held businesses, family-owned businesses, not-for-profit institutions, government agencies, regulated industries, educational institutions, and high-net-worth individuals. Featured Doc: 2009 Year-End Tax Tips...
	W. Andrew Arnold, a solo practitioner, with over 17 years experience as a litigator, with experience in employment law, nursing home abuse and neglect cases, business litigation and non-compete disputes. Featured Doc: Legal Memorandum in Wage Payment Case: Oral and Written Terms...
	Jonathan Ginsberg, a Georgia-based social security disability attorney . Featured Doc: Migraine Headaches in the Workplace...

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What about you? Are you looking for an effective way to showcase expertise and connect with new clients, colleagues, and the media?

Join JD Supra. Create a professional profile and start posting your legal work online!

Lawyers & Legal Professionals Looking Ahead to 2010

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:54:44 -0800

Send us your thoughts, in a handful of lines, looking ahead to 2010...

That's what we've been asking the lawyers and legal professionals in our circle. And here are some of the answers - disparate thoughts from a disparate mix: our friends, the people we follow with interest online, the professionals using JD Supra.

We'll include others as they come in. (And if you have something to add, please send me a note. I'll update through the new year.)

Lawyers & Legal Professionals Looking Ahead to 2010...

Construction attorney Chris Hill:

Social Media will take off for lawyers. I had great success in 2009 with this and met many clients attorneys and other professionals who will be great friends and business contacts. The Construction landscape will focus on money even more than in the past and attorneys must take that into account when talking about risk, green building or any other area of business advising. Contractors like business decisions, we need to help them make the right ones.

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Gerry Riskin, founder, Edge International:

I predicted Doom and Gloom in the legal profession in a blog post in August of 2007. I did not say that that "Doom and Gloom" was an "appropriate" response to economic challenges. 2010 is a year to conquer adversity by increasing market share, growing margin and therefore profit, even in the face of falling demand. Our clients will accomplish this through stronger leadership: concentrating on opportunity instead of solving problems.

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IP strategist, attorney Jackie Hutter:

Next year will be a watershed year for lawyers and law firms. Those who understand that clients will be looking for new models for purchasing legal services--and not just alternative or discounted hourly rates--will be poised to capture business from more their more conservative peers. Those who ignore these changing times may find life rather "interesting."

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Steve Matthews, principal, Stem Legal:

The mobile web made some major inroads in 2009, but I expect it to become a priority in 2010. By year's end, expect to be tired of iPhone application launches from the legal industry - both from vendors and law firms. I also expect to see an increase in law firms launching mobile versions of their website, and mobile friendly extranets.

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Agriculture and Environmental Lawyer Cari Rincker:

I hung my own shingle a few months ago here in NYC and looking forward to my first full year as a solo. In 2010, I am going to continue to network and build my agriculture law practice through social media like JD Supra, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and my blog and get more involved in the legal community in the tri-state area. I hope that 2010 is a prosperous year for
the economy and Rincker Law, PLLC!

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Business and real estate attorney Richard Vetstein:

2010 will be the year of the next generation of residential real estate closing services. Market leaders will utilize cutting edge web-based transaction management portals so lenders, realtors, buyers, and sellers can communicate with each other and view the transaction status and documents on a real time basis. The year will also hopefully see the increased adoption of electronic closing and electronic recording capabilities. Real estate attorneys will also fully embrace the power of internet marketing, blogging and social media in their marketing plans.

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Larry Port at Rocket Matter:

We must learn to be responsibly connected. It's time for us to recognize the incredible power that Internet tools give us, but more importantly, when to apply them. Hopefully in 2010 professionals will start thinking more critically about Internet technologies that now inform all aspects of our lives, and learn to connect, and disconnect, in a responsible way.

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IP attorney Stephen Nipper:

The best book I read in 2009 was Seth Godin's "The Dip." If you haven't read it, DO. In "The Dip," Godin mentions the following passage from the Declaration of Independence:

...all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

My challenge to my fellow attorneys is this: if there is an "evil" you are suffering (or see others suffering), whether that "evil" be personal, professional, or societal, do something about it. Maybe that means fixing broken relationships. Maybe that means ending other relationships. Maybe that means righting a wrong. Whatever it means to you, and no matter how uncomfortable it is in the short term, deal with it. Let 2010 be the year that you started enjoying life again.

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Insurance defense & civil litigation attorney Dan Cummins:

In 2010, never underestimate the power of just being nice. It can disarm, and even befuddle, your opponents like no other means. The extensions of professional courtesies will also only serve to improve the image of attorneys and the bar as a whole.

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Business development advisor Larry Bodine:

2010 will bring a lot of changes in the way law firms conduct commerce with clients. Client still was rate cuts and law firms want to increase rates, so something has to give. The ACC Value Challenge is an example of the sea change that's occurred. Smart law firms will productize their services, such as conducting a liability audit of a company for a flat fee. Survivors will also offer alternative fees of all flavors to land and keep a client. Law firms will offer private CLE courses to clients, and broadcast webinars to give that "added value" all clients want. And any lawyer who becomes a student of his client's business and helps them increase their bottom line will have a client for life.

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Nursing home abuse attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld:

There is no magic bullet when it comes to business generation via the Internet ... I wish. When it comes to building an online presence, the same old-school rules apply: work, knowledge, integrity and more work.

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Freelance attorney, legal researcher, & writer Donna Seyle:

2010 will be a year when:
1. solos and small firms will really assimilate legal tech as cost-effective & efficiency practice models;
2. a variety of new law firm pricing models will proliferate as clients become more sophisticated and lawyers find satisfaction in getting out from under the pressure of the billable hour;
3. judicial decisions and other regulations will emerge to address the ethical implications of the use of social networking information in legal matters;
4. social media sites will continue to integrate their functions to consolidate various funnels of information (my personal greatest wish!)

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Trademark & business lawyer (and spice merchant) Venkat Balasubramani:

To the always battling social media cheerleaders and curmudgeonly lawyers: your antics are entertaining, but you're probably both misguided. While the curmudgeonly lawyers are correct that social media doesn't remove the need for quality legal work and hard work, social media will undeniably change the way we interact and how the legal profession is practiced. The social media cheerleaders are probably correct that there's some sort of revolution under way, but it will not happen as quickly as anyone hopes.There will always be a need for good judgment, quality writing and advocacy. Social media can never replace this.

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Author; legal consultant; law practice management expert, Patrick McKenna:

In August of 2008, I sent out a client advisory entitled Managing In a Prolonged Downturn that predicted: "that for the next five years, every time you think it's safe to get up and dust yourself off from this downturn, every time you feel like you've endured the worst of it, another piece of news is going to come along to freshly bludgeon you. This time the economic slowdown is going to be a lot different and, in many ways, a hell of a lot tougher." In that paper I identified, in detail, 12 danger signs that when considered collectively could indicate that this recession may be far more severe and prolonged than one might expect.

I was mindful then, as I am now, that I may be labeled as some kind of doom-monger, but took some comfort in the thanks I received from a number of my clients. Unfortunately I remain of view that 2010 will be just as difficult (if not more so by the second half) as 2009 has been for our profession, and it may be an unpleasant reality that even more lawyer lay-offs will be necessary.

I am an optimist at heart and am confident that things will eventually get better; but for the next 12 months prudent fiscal policy both within your professional firms and within your personal lives is paramount.

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Joshua Gilliland, Professional Development Manager, D4 LLC

Solo practitioners to lawyers from mega-firms must know what they are talking about. Courts are not tolerating arguments such as "I'd don't know what you mean by 'native file'" or failed initial disclosures. 2010 is the year to know what you are doing.

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Allison Shields, Legal Ease Consulting:

My wish for lawyers in 2010 is that they see the New Year as an opportunity to embrace innovation - to differentiate themselves, provide exceptional service to clients and change the way they practice law; doing things in a new way can help them boost their practice to a new level even before the economy turns around.

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Entertainment, trademark, & copyright lawyer Tamera Bennett:

My success is not measured by my number of "fans" or "tweets," but by the satisfaction I receive in providing quality work to appreciative clients. Wishing blessings to you and yours for the holidays and 2010.

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Legal marketing consultant Rafi Arbel:

Small and medium firms will continue to gain market share from large law. There will be an unprecedented opportunity for these firms to target corporate clients looking for high-quality, cost-effective counsel. It is more important than ever for firms of all sizes to redouble their marketing efforts, both online and off, to capitalize on these opportunities and strengthen their relationships with their most profitable clients.

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ICBC claims attorney Erik Magraken:

I predict many more lawyers getting engaged in social media marketing over the next year, some effectively, and many others unsuccessfully. My advice to any lawyers starting in this endeavor is that it is worthwhile but there are no shortcuts. With commitment and effort an effective niche can be carved out. Lazy shortcuts and spamming will not work in the long-run and will mortgage your credibility.

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Estate planning attorney Randy Spiro:

Discretionary areas of the law (such as mine, estate planning) have been slow in 2008 and 2009. But that just means there is pent up demand for 2010.

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Writer, editor, legal consultant Jordan Furlong:

Lawyers' previously iron grip on the legal services marketplace will continue to loosen in 2010: clients will exercise more influence over how legal tasks are performed, delivered and sold. More lawyers will adopt alternative fee arrangements, which will require them to fundamentally reconsider how they carry out their work and control their costs -- and that will be the real turning point for the profession.

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Niki Black; attorney; founder, lawtech Talk; legal technology author:

2010 will be the year that: 1) lawyers using online networking, "intermedia", will become commonplace, and 2) cloud computing will gain greater acceptance in the legal field, especially as cloud computing providers adapt to and respond to attorney's data confidentiality and security concerns.

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Technology/contracts/intellectual property/literary lawyer Dana Newman:

The recession created an opportunity to re-examine the conventional legal services model, especially the inefficiency of the Big Law structure. Clients want experienced lawyers, but at a reasonable price. I think there is going to be more demand for cost-effective, flexible, client-focused legal services offering highly skilled lawyers available to work on a project or as-needed basis.

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Bruce Carton, Securities Docket:

The SEC has its new management firmly in place now, and has had time to get its restructuring finalized in the Enforcement Division. I believe that these points, combined with a significant boost in 2010 funding and intense public pressure for the SEC to show it is doing its job, will result in an unprecedented amount of securities enforcement activity in 2010.

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Business development and legal consultant; 22 Tweets founder, Lance Godard:

2010 is the year in which lawyers and legal professionals must free themselves from the legacy of Marshall McLuhan and see social media for what it really is: the medium and not the message. Why? Because worrying if they're doing social networking right prevents them from innovating in the areas most valuable to their clients: delivery of service, billing, practice management, etc. The legal profession probably won't look all that different from that which we knew before the economic crisis -- BigLaw will get bigger, GlobalLaw will get more global, associate salary wars will begin anew when the money to do so becomes available -- but the lawyers able to determine how their clients define value, transform their practices to deliver that value, and articulate that value in communications and actions alike are those who will be the most successful in 2010.

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Bankruptcy attorney Christine Wilton:

In 2010 Bankruptcy will be the new Black!

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Doug Jasinski, principal and founder of Skunkworks Creative Group:

Identify the legal work you are most passionate about. Chances are it's complex, and either emerging or enduring. Pursue more of that complex work both because it will make you happier and because routine work done in routine ways will increasingly be in jeopardy

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Ed Poll, principal, LawBiz Management:

Thrive in the new era.

As we wake up from the recent financial crises, we will dust ourselves off and look to the future. Arising from a bunker mentality, lawyers will see the opportunity to help many clients deal with pent-up demand, postponed divorces, new merger opportunities and more complex compliance requirements, among other new legal matters facing both Corporate America and "Main Street Joe." Lawyers who understand their clients needs and wants will thrive in
2010.

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Martha Sperry, principal, Advantage Advocates:

My prediction for 2010 is that developers will be emphasizing mobile platforms and applications, as well as focusing on manipulating the incredible flow of content into a more efficient, personalized and relevant experience. Social engagement on the web will become more commonplace and less scary for the mainstream, for personal and professional purposes. My hope is that the discussion surrounding web presence and e-networking becomes less about the 'why' and more about the 'how' and my tip for engagement is to remain authentic and willing to further the conversation at all times.

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Michael Mintz, Community Manager Martindale Hubbell Connected

Lawyers will find ways of using social media tools to replace time spent in email. Location based services like augmented reality will open up a whole can of legal issues for tech savvy lawyers and academics to pounce on. More law firms will switch to flat rate billing with ratchet up clauses for complexity of work. We will see a decline in the growth of general social media networks and an increase in specialized communities, which cater to the specific needs of professionals. We will see litigation over trade secrets leaked through cloud computing.

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Employment & Family Lawyer Garry Wise:

2009 was the year the legal profession began to truly "get" what social media is all about. An interesting (and largely unanticipated) spin-off of this trend has been the increasing prominence of law bloggers as presenters in accredited CLE programs. In this sense, blawging truly came of age in the last twelve months.

With this in mind, my quick tip for my fellow advocates in 2010: do not underestimate social media as a legitimate springboard for professional opportunity, broadened horizons - and much resulting personal satisfaction.

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Jayne Navarre, principal, LawGravity.com:

I never really appreciated the pressure a lawyer faces in creating a revenue stream until I started my own marketing firm and felt it first hand. It's one thing to understand it in theory or have others tell you how to do it. It's quite another to have to face your fears and keep on doing it even when you don't feel like it. But, once you have a few successes, confidence fuels the fire and the process is really amazing and exciting.

"There's always been a social element for lawyers who are intent on developing their business. Social technologies give them more freedom to do what they've always done--gain exposure, develop relationships, build trust, opinionate, attend "parties," and join conversations--in more places, any time of day or night. There are no geographic borders, time zones, or transportation issues; what's not to like?

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Clio founder Jack Newton:

If you survived 2009, you can survive anything.

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And a few more from our pal, Venkat Balasubramani:

To clients: the Internet may revolutionalize the legal profession and your relationship with lawyers, but don't get your hopes up. Dealing with your lawyer will still be similar to dealing with your mechanic, plumber, or dentist. It will never be something you describe as "fun," and will always require a leap of faith.

To Twitter (and other social media networks and sites): I worry about you.

To everyone else: get outside and smell the fresh air. There's much more interesting stuff going on outside the office and away from the computer screen.

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We'll be adding additional thoughts from your colleagues, peers, and friends as they come in. Got a few thoughts of your own to share? Drop me a line and I'll add them.

As above from Venkat, we hope you enjoy a few moments away from the screen and office during this holiday season.

Warm year-end wishes from all of us at JD Supra to you!

Content Marketing in 2010: Good News for Lawyers

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:41 -0800

I'm a fan of author and speaker Joe Pulizzi - he's written the book on Content Marketing (Get Content Get Customers; highly recommended if you don't already know it). Joe's e-digest of marketing articles is one of those emails I still very much look forward to reading every week.

Recently Joe put together 100 Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions for 2010, a collection of thoughts and opinions by some of the best and the brightest in this field.

I recommend reading the entire post. In the meantime, here are a few choice excerpts from the original. Highlights for any legal professional using content to showcase expertise and market their service online.

100 Social Media & Content Marketing Predictions for 2010 - excerpted...

From Jason Falls:

...I think more will become aware that making content highly portable is the key to engaging an ever-more-mobile audience. Whether it's implementing RSS and mobile feeds on a website, funneling brand messages to social networks, etc., I think more will start to see the power of content distribution and customer engagement through that content. 2009 was about learning social media. 2010 will be about figuring out how to use it well.

From Brian Halligan:

...I think 2010 is the year brand marketers figure out that interrupting their way into people's lives through advertisements just does not work anymore as we consumers are sick-and-tired of being marketed to and are getting better-and-better at blocking the interruptions out ... They will start creating remarkable content that spreads via social media, draws in links from other content creators, and ranks in Google's search engine.

From David Meerman Scott:

...The phrase "social media" will soon be considered obsolete as more and more organizations publish online content.

From Scott Abel:

...User expectations have changed and consumers are no longer willing to settle for mediocre experiences. Today, they expect all content to be accessible, consumable, and shareable - no excuses.

From Simon Payn:

...Marketers will get more feisty and opinionated in their content to build trust with their best prospects and clients. I've tried it...and it works!

From Mike Arauz:

...Transparency FTW!

From Kim Kleeman:

...there will be a clear division between quality customized content and content created in a factory-like fashion. Just like junk mail began to dilute our mail system, poorly created content will become a nuisance. If you are looking to protect and market your brand, focus on engaging your customers with content that will build trust and the relationship your brand seeks.

From Nettie Hartsock:

...more brand marketers will come to understand that content is only valuable if it is deeply rooted in their expertise. They will stop creating "bait and switch" content and instead empower content that is free, extraordinarily valuable and not "back to me - yakkity yak content."

From Jon Wuebben:

...more companies will understand the value and effectiveness of content: creating and distributing it, but also leveraging it. How will brand marketers do it in 2010? By having a presence in the blogosphere, in social networking, in local search and everywhere their customers and potential customers are online.

And a favorite, from Don Philabaum:

...A global shortage of electricity will require content producers to distribute content in wheel barrows and deliver content from door to door!

...

That last prediction notwithstanding, we think these are exciting times for the legal profession. As we've written elsewhere, many lawyers are prolific writers - and that can put you ahead of the game in an online landscape where quality content counts for so much.

Here's looking forward to helping you make the most of content marketing opportunities in the new year.

Lawyers, spotlight your expertise: post your articles, alerts, commentary, blog posts, filings, on JD Supra now.

LinkedIn for Lawyers: A "How-to" Reading List

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:29:54 -0800

For your reference, a list of articles to help you make the most of professional networking platform LinkedIn.

LinkedIn might need no introduction (according to Steve Matthews, as of June, 2009, 840k legal professionals use the service), but do you know how to make the most of your time on the site?

LinkedIn for Lawyers: A "How-to" Reading List

LinkedIn for Lawyers 101 - guide to getting started and making the most of your profile, groups, Q & A, add-on applications, and other features.
New User Starter Guide - beginner tips provided by LinkedIn (example: "Add a profile photo - people never forget a face").
LinkedIn User Guide: Attorneys - as above, but these basic recommendations were crafted by LinkedIn with lawyers in mind.
How to Get Started With LinkedIn - a repeat of some of the information above, but clearly explained and with additional tips (such as: "Create a LinkedIn Email Signature")
100+ Smart Ways to Use LinkedIn - offering a broad view, a clearinghouse of information that is the result of a group writing project begun in 2007.
Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn - an oldie but goodie from Guy Kawasaki (with tips covering everything from "Enhance your search engine results" to "Gauge the health of a company.")
How to Successfully Participate in LinkedIn Groups - a basic primer for anyone uncomfortable or unfamiliar with professional "socializing" online.
8 Tips for Managing a LinkedIn Group - curious about starting your own group? Read this from Mashable, covering everything from member promotion to news feeds.
Facebook Could Learn a Thing or Two from LinkedIn's Faceted Search - article by Mashable about the value of faceted search filtering on LinkedIn, a new development on the site.
LinkedIn for Business: Using LinkedIn Answers - video by Rich Brooks explaining how to jump into LinkedIn's "Answers" feature (includes monitoring Q&A via RSS).
LinkedIn Mobile - a resource from LinkedIn, when you're ready to go mobile via iPhone or Blackberry.
How to Use the Twitter-LinkedIn Connection Properly - a look at the value of selective Twitter updates only in LinkedIn (and how to make the connection).
How to Create Your LinkedIn Company Profile - step-by-step guide (and video) for creating a company profile on LinkedIn ... good information for law firms and solos interesting in extending LinkedIn footprint.
5 Ways Lawyers Can Get More Out of LinkedIn in 2010 - Kevin O'Keefe, quoting CIO Magazine's Kristin Burnham (and touching upon groups, recommendations, advanced search, and more).
LinkedIn Business Development Checklist - by legal marketing and business development professional Larry Bodine, as posted to JD Supra.

Additional resources:

Be sure to check in with the original LinkedIn Lawyer, David Barrett, who for some time has managed one of the biggest LinkedIn legal networks - and knows a thing or two about how to use the site. (Check in here for a list of LinkedIn legal groups, as curated by David.)

Other LinkedIn groups: Legal Innovation, Legal Marketing, Legal Tweeters, Legal Blogging, and Legal Professionals on JD Supra. Join what interests you - jump into the conversation.

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Do you have any favorite LinkedIn resources to add to the mix? Leave a comment or connect with me (on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, the local coffee shop) and I'll include your link.

Immigration Law: USCIS H1-B Site Visits - An Employer Reading List

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:20:34 -0800

Over the past few months, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been conducting a stepped-up program of H1-B workplace audits. The site visits are aimed at reducing cases of H1-B violations and fraud. According to JD Supra contributor Nachman & Associates, P.C., "as many as one in five applications [are] affected by either fraud or 'technical violations' of the H-1B program."

What do the USCIS site visits mean to employers hiring foreign workers? How can business owners and managers prepare for such visits? For your reference, here is a reading list of recent related alerts and commentary posted on JD Supra.

USCIS H1-B Site Visits - Employer Reading List

Do you have insights to add to the mix? Post your legal commentary on JD Supra today.

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Additional information, see:

- JD Supra's Immigration Law center
- Immigration Law on Facebook and Twitter.

The Changing Media Landscape: Opportunity for Lawyers and Law Firms?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:31:43 -0800

I've been holding on to last week's "The Media Equation" column by David Carr in the The New York Times: The Fall and Rise of Media - worth a read if you haven't yet seen to it.

Like many of us in the Digital Age, I usually do the equivalent of clip a piece like this one: tweet the link, share it on Facebook, bookmark it on delicious or digg. Then I'm done; on to the next article, the next post, the next nugget of information.

But for the past week this particular article has lingered on my desktop in an open browser, not ready to be archived.

On one level, it is personal: I am the son of an old-school, print media journalist - a South African journalist who happened to chronicle life in that country during some of its most turbulent years (1960s to '90s). I will forever remember (and miss) the typewriter sounds of a busy newsroom, and the smell of ink and paper and hot metal as important news went to print.

Yet, there is optimism in Carr's piece about the changing media landscape. ("...cabals of bright young things are watching all the disruption with more than an academic interest. Their tiny netbooks and iPhones, which serve as portals to the cloud, contain more informational firepower than entire newsrooms possessed just two decades ago.")

A few standout statements from The Fall and Rise of Media:

"...the supply of both editorial and advertising content more or less doubles every year.

"...on the Web, pretty good -- or even not terrible -- is often good enough."

"Certain stalwart brands will survive and even thrive because of a new scarcity of quality content for niche audiences that demand more than generic information."

Especially the last half at that last sentence:

...a new scarcity of quality content for niche audiences that demand more than generic information.

When you overlook the carnage that is the decline of traditional media ("if you ignore all the collateral gore"), you see opportunity.

This includes opportunity for lawyers and law firms - who are without question terrific sources of expertise (and that missing quality content) at a time when the best you can say about most user-generated content (the golden child of new media) is: "pretty good -- or even not terrible -- is often good enough."

I am unsure how many lawyers and law firms understand their place in this changing landscape - and see the opportunity available to them.

Quality Content for Niche Audiences

Our efforts at JD Supra have always been informed by the understanding that lawyers are prolific generators of top-quality written work; our job is, among other things, to place that work in front of the niche audience(s) who want to read it.

Your expertise - covering every endeavor, every profession and industry, showcased in the form of client alerts, articles, newsletters, blog posts, court documents (incl. favorable decisions) - holds wide interest among numerous people. Business owners, managers, consumers, parents, employees, musicians, politicians, entrepreneurs, doctors, patients, homebuyers, landlords, tenants, scientists, manufacturers, immigrants, and on and on and on.

So what does the changing media landscape mean for lawyers and law firms? Simply this: participate.

Participate in the new media landscape. In the words of Jordan Furlong (repeated here by me, frequently): think like an editor.

Start posting your analysis, commentary, news alerts and other legal content online. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, JD Supra, even YouTube: these are your tools. An audience is waiting.

What you bring to your "niche" (read:" target") audience can help fill a void currently filled, in no small way, by content that is either "pretty good" or, more likely, "not terrible."

Lawyers and law firms can do better than that.

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