The Modern Firm, LLC

Attorneys are widely perceived as successful in life and many would affirm their satisfaction with their careers. But lawyers who can claim they “couldn’t be happier” are rare, and far more common are those who don’t take time to consider how making changes might yield greater satisfaction.

Some of you may remember the movie, City Slickers, starring Billy Crystal. He plays a radio ad salesperson who is going through a rough stage in his career. Like most, he complains to himself and others about his predicament, but unlike most, he is given a chance to reflect upon where he is in his career and where he’d like to go. The opportunity presents itself when he is asked by his son to talk to his elementary school class about his career. He begins his speech by saying, “value this time in your life. This is the time in your life when (more…)

One of the most commonly asked questions regarding our Law Firm Merchant Account service pertains to the rules surrounding trust accounts. The rules and requirements vary state by state, so you should check with your local bar to determine which of the following scenarios will work for you.

Scenario 1:

Tie the trust account directly to the merchant account and have discount fees withdrawn in a separate transaction.

With this configuration the entire deposit will be placed into the trust account. A separate transaction will withdraw the discount/processing fee from the trust account. Often the merchant can configure the (more…)

Law firms of every size and discipline face growing exposures with respect to breaches in their computer security and information systems, with increasingly sophisticated attacks occurring more frequently. Due to rapidly changing policy coverages and premium in this area, it is important that you frequently review your firm’s exposures and options for handling them. And just because you don’t handle web-based transactions it doesn’t mean you are insulated from a problem. Certainly, if your firm keeps records or information on-line or stored locally on hard-drives, (more…)

There is a common misconception in a large segment of the legal profession that marketing equates to advertising and spending a lot of money. That couldn’t be more wrong. Marketing in law firms is all about sweating the details. The details cost you a little extra time and attention, but can deliver big dividends to your firm down the road. It is the best way to differentiate your firm from others.

Most important for every law firm are your relationships with clients. It’s the trust your clients develop in you, your knowledge of their business and industry, your responsiveness, anticipation of client needs, and, of course, the results you deliver. (more…)

Brendan Chard, president of The Modern Firm, has been invited to speak at the first annual Ohio State Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference in Columbus, OH on December 14th. This marks the 3rd state in which Brendan has done continuing legal education presentations on law firm website design and marketing.

The two presentations are entitled:

• Creating a Great Law Firm Website
• Searching Engines and Online Marketing, Make Them Work For You

More details and a copy of presentation materials will be posted soon.

Check out the Ohio State Bar website at http://www.ohiobar.org

On June 9th and 10th, Brendan Chard will be presenting at the Upper Michigan Legal Institute and the Michigan Bar Leader’s Forum.

At the Institute he will be covering a collection of technology related money-saving tip for small law offices. The presentation will range from topics such as using a firm website, scanners, and mobile devices to consolidating and controlling phone and fax communication, creating a virtual office and more.

At the Bar Leaders Forum Brendan will be fielding questions on the topic of member communication using the mailing list system that The Modern Firm provides to the State Bar of Michigan sections. Expect to hear about ways to boost member participation and improvements to technical support.

For more information on the events see the State Bar of Michigan website at this link (opens in new window).

Brendan Chard, president of The Modern Firm, has been invited to speak at the 2nd annual Solo and Small Firm Event in Duluth, Minnesota, August 6-8.

Brendan will be presenting on how to get the most out of a law firm website. The presentation will cover marketing tips, do’s and don’ts, tips for creating business efficiencies, how to get started and more.

This will be the second time Brendan has presented at this event and if it is anything like the first year, this is the hot event for solo and small firms in Minnesota. Don’t miss it.

For more information see the Minnesota CLE webpage: http://www.minncle.org

Executive coaching, a professional development tool that combines strategic consulting and problem-solving counseling to help professionals set and reach their business and/or personal goals, has in the past decade found much support in the business community. Managers in corporations, including blue chip companies such as IBM, AT&T and Kodak, are realizing its benefits. Lawyers on the other hand, are just now becoming familiar with the concept.

That the coaching trend is more prevalent in corporate America than in the legal profession is no surprise. Historically, law firms have followed the lead of their corporate clients on implementing management and operational innovations. For example, most companies were using email and Web sites long before law firms got on board. Coaching has proven to be no different for a variety of reasons.
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Proposed changes to the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct regarding marketing and professional communications call for modest adjustments in existing rules while encouraging effective client relations.

by Roy S. Ginsburg and Kenneth F. Kirwin

Business development. You keep reading about its importance to your career. You keep hearing about it from other lawyers in your firm and other professional colleagues. So you finally decide to do something about it. Everyone has told you that the key is networking. First stop: your law school alma mater-sponsored cocktail reception. You figure, this shouldn’t be too awkward; chances are pretty good you’ll run into someone you know and, sure enough, you do. (more…)