The Modern Firm, LLC

Brendan Chard, of The Modern Firm will be presenting and exhibiting at the Strategic Solutions for Solo and Small Firms in Duluth, MN August 8-9.

Topic: Websites and On-Line Marketing, Make Them Work For You.

Description: This program will show you how to make a website a key part of your marketing and business operations. You will learn how a website can generate leads, save time/money, enhance your image and improve client service. We will demystify how websites, search engines and online advertising work so that you can make informed decisions that save and earn you money.

Learn more about this and other MinnCLE events at www.minncle.org

Lawyers tend to forget that law is a service industry. Clients have a myriad of choices for their legal representation. By focusing on client service, lawyers can better retain current clients, gain more referrals, and minimize the risk of ethics complaints.

By Roy S. Ginsburg

If you ask attorneys whether their clients are satisfied, most would, of course, say yes. If you then ask them “What makes you so sure?” the responses would typically range from “They don’t complain” to “They’re nice to me” to “They pay their bills” to “They continue to do business with us.” But statistics indicate otherwise. Such client behavior hardly translates into satisfaction:

• In 2005, a national consulting firm polled Fortune 1000 clients to determine client satisfaction. Only 30 percent of clients said they would recommend their primary law firm.1

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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

Brendan Chard has been invited back for a 3rd time in a row to speak at Michigan ICLE’s Solo & Small Firm Institute. The event will be held in Dearborn, Michigan at the Ford Conference Center.

Brendan will be speaking on:

• Law Firm Websites, not just a marketing device
• Getting the most out of Microsoft Outlook
• Security, Firewalls & Backups: Be sure you can sleep at night

This is a dynamic and exciting event for solo and small firm lawyers in Michigan. It includes two days of three learning tracks on Technology, Substantive Law, and Practice Management.

For more information see the Michigan ICLE website at: http://www.icle.org

Pro bono service is frequently considered a selfless act, the “right thing to do.” But can a selfless act also be selfish? With respect to pro bono service, the answer is yes. While many attorneys volunteer legal services, few seem to recognize that performing pro bono work often yields substantial practical economic benefits for themselves, their organizations, and the profession as a whole. In short, when it comes to pro bono service, “it pays to be good.”

“Pro bono” means “for the public good.” Historically, a certain segment of the legal profession felt responsible to ensure equal access to the legal system in the hope that justice would not become a concept that was simply bought and sold. This responsibility is partially derived from a social contract between lawyers and society. Society provides an exclusive license to individuals who want to practice law, thereby offering lucrative career opportunities for many. In return, lawyers give something back to society; that “something” is pro bono service.

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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…)