Solo Practice University® » Social Media

Should Lawyers Be Interested in Pinterest?

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:23:13 +0000

I know. Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, now Pinterest. Can you handle yet another distraction? Well, when you first heard about blogging it was just for people journaling about their everyday problems…until it wasn't. When you first heard about Facebook you thought it was just for your teenagers….until it wasn't. When you first heard about YouTube you thought it was just a bizarre place where Spielberg wannabees posted pointless videos nobody wanted to see….until it wasn't. When Twitter came on the scene you thought it was just about people tweeting what they had for lunch….until it wasn't. Now Pinterest is becoming the rage and you're thinking it is just one more time suck which you have little or no interest in. I felt the same way…until now.

I will certainly not be the first person to write about about how lawyers can use Pinterest. But even in these past few months more compelling information on this Silicon-based company is surfacing explaining why you may want to pay attention even if you are not ready to get involved.

What is Pinterest? 'Vision boarding' is an old concept. It is also called a Treasure Map or a Visual Explorer or Creativity Collage. Typically it is a poster board on which you paste or collage images that you’ve torn out from various magazines. (I remember doing one in college!). Pinterest has taken vision boarding and brought it into the social media space. A Pinterest user’s interests are now accessible to the world in a truly visually gorgeous format. Users collect photos which link to products and services they love, creating their own pinboards (or visual boards). They also follow the pinboards of other people whom they find interesting. But I find even this description very limiting as I'll explain later. Pinterest has the potential for so much more.

As someone just tweeted to me the other day:

How can an attorney use it (Pinterest) effectively? It's difficult when Pinterest is such a visual medium and the law is not.

What I was so happy about with this question was is it wasn't the automatic response, 'what a waste of time!' At least many have now learned their lesson to not dismiss a new platform out of hand but instead ask the question, ' how can I use it effectively if I choose to use it?'

So, why should Pinterest even be on your radar? Pinterest has been one of the fastest-growing social networks to ever hit the web and is now the number-three most popular social network in the U.S. and seems to be dominated by women. It comes up right after Facebook and Twitter, both of which are already known globally and have millions of users. LinkedIn is ranked fourth. Over 80% of 'pins' on Pinterest are repins (think retweets) which shows you how viral content on Pinterest can be. It is also rumored to have surpassed Google+ in terms of referrals. (For those who are dismissing Google+ and calling it a wasteland, do so at your professional peril. There is more to Google+ than meets the eye and there is renewed interest in the platform these past months.) But more importantly, the three founders of Pinterest (really unknown entrpeneurs up until this point) have managed to secure financial backing from Silicon Valley to the tune of $37.5 million in venture capital. Money usually talks…and very loudly. Here is a great infographic on how Pinterest may be a game-changer. And now it's going 'pinternational'.

So, how can lawyers take advantage of Pinterest? I don't think you should jump right in at all. I do think it needs to be on your radar and you should be thinking about if you choose to use it, how can you make the best use of this very user-friendly platform to continue your ongoing online marketing efforts. However, at the very least I would certainly recommend you create an account with your name/business name as you should on all sites of this nature.

Here are a few pointers for using Pinterest:

Repurpose your best online content. The time-conscious smart lawyer will recognize there's no reason to reinvent the wheel. Repurpose your best online content and pin it up on Pinterest. Take advantage of Google analytics or, if your're a blogger, find your posts which have generated the most comments or retweets on Twitter or have been shared on other sites. Then pin it. You've now repurposed content and presented it to a whole new world of potential clients or referrers of clients. The key: this is a visual board. If you have to take some time to add an appropriate image to a current blog post, do so.
Be laster-targeted. Remember your key words. When you create and name boards use profession-related keywords. When you start pinning appropriate content to each board you can write a brief description of what you are posting to highlight the content. This description should also contain those relevant key words. The more you are laser-targeted the easier it will be for your audience to locate and share your information.
Share profession-related content. The same as Twitter and Facebook, share the content of others because, as you already know, in order to be perceived as an expert (and just plain generous, too), you need to show you have the pulse on what is happening in the world, not just your world, and share it with your Pinterest followers. You can have unlimited boards which is what allows you to be so focused within each board. This requires you to truly stay organized, compartmentalize, and share.
Share your interests: There is no harm in creating a board dedicated to an interest or hobby, too. If you're a runner or love movies you should share this. The rules for Pinterest are no different than any other platform. I love to tweet on a variety of topics relating to entrepreurship, demographics, economics, and health. I'm doing so on Pinterest, too, and will probably add more boards as I get the hang of it.
Follow other Pinners and repin their content. It's visual Twitter. The same rules apply. Pinterest has two critical elements to it: visual bookmarking and social networking. While you are busy pinning your favorites, don't forget how important it is to also engage others. One way, and it will take a while, is to find others whose pins you enjoy and showcase them on your site in a dedicated board, very similar to retweeting another's great tweet, or adding them to a 'list' you've created on Twitter of people you follow like 'solo lawyer gurus', 'tech lawyers', 'employment lawyers'. You get the point.
Don't start pinning until you know why you're on Pinterest. This is just good advice for any platform. Know why you are spending time creating a space on Pinterest just as you do with Twitter and Facebook and YouTube. Social Media Examiner also presents a list of the many ways Pinterest can benefit a business. You just need to figure out if and when you are going to spend time here. You can start by checking out Solo Practice University's nascent presence on Pinterest.
Make it easy for others to post to Pinterest. Even if you haven't yet developed a presence on Pinterest, if you have a Facebook, Twitter, Google+ share button on your website already, add a 'Pin It' button so others can pin your content if they want to!
A little caution should be used. We all know Pinterest was highlighted recently because of copyright concerns. However, it appears Pinterest is addressing the issues as users are apparently creating more good than harm for companies as pinners drive traffic to their sites, and I suspect this will be less and less of a concern going forward.

As a company, we care deeply about creating value for content creators. We’re spending a great deal of time reaching out to content creators to understand their needs and concerns. So far, we’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback and have created both tools for publishers who want to make it easier to pin their content (the “Pin It” button for publisher sites) as well as tools for those who would prefer that their material isn’t pinned (an opt-out code that content owners add to their site that prevents content from being shared on Pinterest).

Our goal at Pinterest is to help people discover the things they love. Driving traffic to original content sources is fundamental to that goal.”

I'm no social media guru and I don't play one on the internet. However, now that I've done some homework, I find there is a lot of potential here. The numbers are playing out, Pinterest is fun and easy to populate if you've already have a body of work on the internet, and we are nation addicted to social media. As solo practitioners, time is precious yet there is a great need to be a part of the environment where potential clients and referrers of clients congregate. It's why 20% of your time is, or should be, devoted to marketing, socializing, networking. I recommend exploring Pinterest at some point in the not too distant future. Figure out how you want to use it because in my opinion the field is wide open on this one. If you're already on Pinterest, let me know so I can follow your boards and showcase what you are doing on ours! If you want to follow SPU on Pinterest you can do so here.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Social Media Skill Adds Value in Job Search…And Solo Practice

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:30:46 +0000

Social Media Attorney Job Opportunity! Our DC office is working on a search for a Social Media/Patent Attorney – 2+ yrs patent prosecution experience + social media experience required – message me for details

Appropriately so, this ad was posted on Facebook by legal recruiter extraordinaire, Amanda Ellis. Amanda encourages law students and all lawyers to utilize social media in their job search and has written THE book on how to do it.

The reason this very recent job advertisement caught my eye is she is always on top of recruitment trends and if she is posting a job that requires social media skills in addition to legal skills you know this is soon going to be a standard requirement.

Right now, however, it is an added-value skill which separates you from the pack and allows you to distinguish yourself and bring something new to the party if those who are hiring are recognizing it's value but don't necessarily want to do it themselves. It also allows you to be a mentor to your mentors which helps to bridge the generational gap in the workplace.

How does this tie into solo practice? Well, if you had any doubt that you need to get involved with social media on a professional level, this should put all your doubts to rest.

If you are in law school start using your social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter with your future professional life in mind. Start following lawyers in areas of interest. Like their Law firms' professional page.

It's okay to practice the 'lurk and learn' method of social media. If you have something of interest to share, share it. It's about responsible baby steps. But I'm going to defer to Amanda's book and recommend you buy it because it is a great primer on what to do and how to do it…the right way.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

How Lawyers Can Handle Bad Reviews and Complaints on Social Media

Debra Bruce — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:29:54 +0000

When I spoke recently at the State Bar of Texas annual meeting about social media success stories for lawyers, I got a familiar question: “What should I do if someone trashes me online in social media?”

Almost every lawyer has experienced a client with unreasonable expectations, or one who got bad results because of their own bad behavior or bad facts. I can’t even count how many different people over the years that I have heard claim that they got cheated in their divorce settlement because their lawyer was in cahoots with the other side. (None of them told a credible story.) The difference today is that they can widely publicize their opinions and dissatisfaction online. I have been taken aback by the vituperative language used in anonymous comments to blogs and news posts. Given these common occurrences today, there is a definite risk that someday you will face an unfavorable rating or an untrue statement about your services online.

Some attorneys cite fear of negative comments as a reason for eschewing social media altogether. They are uniformed, however. Ratings and comments can be posted about your legal services on many sites whether you engage social media or not. If you don’t play, you won’t know what they say. It’s a good idea to check for your name and rating from time to time on various sites such as www.AVVO.com, www.LawyerRatingz.com , www.mojopages.com, and www.yelp.com . This is particularly important if you work in a consumer oriented practice, such as family/domestic, personal injury or criminal law, which are among the areas of practice that have the highest level of malpractice claims and grievances filed.

What Not to Do

Don’t lash out online at the complainer or take a defensive posture. That will fan the flames and may draw out posts by lawyer-haters piling on. At best, you will appear to be wallowing in the mud with the swine. (To mix a few metaphors.)

When you don’t have to pay legal fees, you might be tempted to file a libel action against the person publishing ugly things about you. Cool your jets and consider the likely consequences, however. So far, most of the defamation lawsuits filed as a result of comments in social media have garnered a lot of negative publicity for the defamation claimant, but no compensation.

Consider the following examples:

In 2009, California dentist Yvonne Wong sued a patient and Yelp for defamation based on a negative review posted on Yelp.com. In 2011 the dentist was ordered to pay more than $80,000 in attorney’s fees to Yelp and the patient under California’s anti-SLAPP law. The court held that the Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) statute applied because the posting referenced the use of mercury fillings, furthering discussion of an issue of public interest.

In 2007, lawyers John Henry Browne and Alan Wenokur sued Avvo.com. Among other claims, Browne alleged that his rating of 5.7 out of 10 damaged his reputation. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik held that the ratings were opinions protected by the First Amendment, and dismissed the case. In Googling each lawyer’s name, I found hits about their lawsuit against Avvo for their mediocre rankings, prominently displayed on the first page of results. Did they really want to draw first page attention to those ratings?

In 2009, Horizon Group Management sued a tenant for $50,000 for tweeting “…Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it’s okay.” The tenant only had 20 followers on Twitter at the time, so almost no one would have noticed the tweet. Horizon’s lawsuit brought on a firestorm of criticism and national publicity, however, undoubtedly causing more damage to its reputation than the tweet. In 2010 the court dismissed Horizon’s lawsuit, holding that the tweet was too vague to be actionable.

What Can You Do?

The cheapest, quickest, and probably most effective thing you can do is to ask your happy clients to post reviews describing their positive experiences with you. As the positive reviews come in, the negative review will scroll out of sight. It may even wind up giving credibility to the glowing reviews, as the “exception that proves the rule.” Note that today on dentist Wong’s Yelp page the positive reviews significantly outnumber the negative ones. (The review that is the subject of the lawsuit appears to have been modified or removed.) Isn’t that more effective anyway?

In addition to, or in lieu of that, consider addressing the comment with a gracious apology or regret for their dissatisfaction, appreciation for the feedback, and an invitation to address the matter with the complainant personally. For examples of some good online customer diplomacy, see responses by “Josh, Intuit Product Manager” to complaints on Amazon.com about QuickBooks.

If the flaming occurs on Twitter, take some customer service tips from the playbook of Delta Airlines at http://twitter.com/#!/DeltaAssist. Sympathize, apologize and invite them to DM you (a direct message in a private conversation) so that you can address the problem. For more details about Delta’s proactivity online, read How Delta connected the dots between social media and customer service.

When a reader sees your sincere and gracious response, evidencing your effort to understand the client’s concern and find a solution, it will take some of the sting out of the client’s indictment. It might even convince prospective clients that you are the kind of caring and dedicated lawyer they want to work with.

Finally, it may sound masochistic, but have some gratitude for the complainers. They’re letting you know what you can do better. Most unhappy clients just go away and tell everyone except you about what you need to improve.

Written by Debra Bruce

Getting Social: My Social Media Journey

Rachel Rodgers — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:35:22 +0000

Social media has been very good to me! I have made friends, connected with colleagues and potential clients, been able to brand myself as the "Gen Y Lawyer," been asked to do interviews and guest posts, landed a couple of writing gigs (for example, that's how I got this job writing for Solo Practice University®!), among other things. I highly recommend social media as an effective way to brand and market yourself as a young or new (or older) attorney.

Recently, I was asked by Amanda Ellis to create a video for her presentation at the recent NALP Conference sharing my experiences with social media and the methods that I have used successfully. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, the video was unable to be shown. So I figured, why not share my social media experiences with all of you? Check out the video below:

In summary, here are the steps I took to get started on social media:

- Open Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. If you don't want to use your personal Facebook page for business, create a professional Facebook page. Be sure to upload a picture and write an engaging bio.

- Start following, friending and connecting with people who are doing what you aspire to do. For example, I knew I wanted to open a solo practice so I started following Susan Cartier Liebel and Carolyn Elefant on Twitter.

- Offer interesting, useful content to your social media community; usually a blog article you've written, but could also be audio or video.

- Engage! Share the interesting, useful content that others in your community are posting, comment and have conversations. Its fun!

- Spend no more than 1 hour every weekday on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. That is plenty of time to share your content, engage and be "in the know" on what's going on in your social media (professional) community.

How do you use social media? What awesome people and opportunities have resulted from your social media activity?

Written by Rachel Rodgers

Audio: Social Media & Networking For Businesses (Part 3)

Susan Cartier Liebel — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:30:25 +0000

Toby Bloomberg teaches about social media and networking for businesses at Solo Practice University® in a series of Guest Lectures. This lecture was recorded February, 2011.

You can listen to her previous guest lectures here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

Toby Bloomberg is passionate about helping people (not companies) create initiatives that leverage the power of social media communications to build and nurture “digital corner grocery store relationships.” From 2004, when she chaired AMA’s first Hot Topic on social media/blogs, Toby has been speaking, teaching and consulting on the topic at conferences for organizations such as BlogHer, PRSA, BlogWorldExpo, M/A/R/C, Chick-Fil-A, CDC, Cox Communications, American Marketing Association and Purina .. and now Solo Practice University.

Her blog Diva Marketing was acknowledged by Forbes as one of the 20 Best Marketing and Social Media Blogs By Women and recently voted one of the 10 Best Social Media Blogs by the Social Media Examiner.

Toby is an acknowledged leader in the social media marketing industry and has been profiled in several books on the subject including Naked Conversations, Now Is Gone, Twitterville and The Digital Handshake. She has been quoted in BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, MSNBC, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Her media credits include articles about marketing and social media published in Marketing News, Portland Business Journal, Impact (India publication), L’actualite Alimentaire (Canada publication), WEMagazine, RevenueToday and Atlanta Business-to-Business. She has been quoted about social media marketing in various publications including INC magazine, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Entrepreneur.com, MSNBC and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

She serves on the boards of the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association, the social media communities Savvy Auntie, Field Trips With Sue and Divine Caroline; as well as the non-profit organization Children's Advocacy Centers of Georgia.

She was an adjunct professor at Goizueta School of Business at Emory University where she taught an innovative course on management consulting.. She holds a degree from Emerson College and has performed post-baccalaureate studies in marketing and management at Emory University.

She is a Yankee from Boston living in the South with her YouTube “rock star” Westie pup Max, who occasionally finds his way into Diva Marketing.

The audio is approximately 60 minutes. Listen directly below.

Toby & Susan discuss Social Media Today

[NOTE] You can listen to her previous guest lectures here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

How I Am Looking For A Professional Service Provider in 2011

Susan Cartier Liebel — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:00:50 +0000

There has a been a lot of discussion recently about a seemingly flawed ABA survey discussing the value of blogging versus other ways of generating business. I didn't even enter the fracas because many had done so already. Quite frankly, without being disrespectful to my colleagues who took the time to share their opinions, I thought it was silly. Anyone who does blog knows the value of blogging in conjunction with other efforts.

Then a funny thing happened on my way to finding a professional service provider this past week. (If you're wondering why I haven't said the type of service provider I'm looking for, I don't feel like getting hit by hundreds of solicitations because they've set a google alert for these keywords and my post pops up!)

It's only upon further reflection that I realize my experience is a great example to showcase the importance of having a social media presence and why the inability to measure concrete point A to point B ROI should not be a deterrent to putting in the effort to make your 'presence' known in a variety of ways online.

I currently need a professional service provider unrelated to legal. Automatically, the very first thing I did was ask some people I know and trust who they might know. A few said they'd get back to me; others flat out didn't know anyone. So, the search began.

First, I went online but came up with nothing. Seriously. It just seemed frustrating because I couldn't find a direction, not even with what I thought were the appropriate key words. I found a few directories. But I'm not a fan of online directories. I wasn't interested in finding someone this way so I put it out of my mind for a day or two.

We still get the Sunday paper and over pancakes I happened to read a column written by a professional in the field I was searching. I liked his style, they way he addressed certain questions and his physical look. Silly? Maybe. But maybe not. The picture was part of his overall presentation. I clipped out the column with his contact information and called him on Monday.

When I called I got another representative on the phone. He screened for how I found this person. This same persom offered to assist me with whatever I needed. I said I preferred to deal with the 'columnist' myself. After all, the 'columnist' was the person who intrigued me, not any cog in the company wheel.

After talking with me for a while, the 'columnist' decided I wasn't HIS ideal client. It was interesting to see him very courteously and professionally filter me out as a possible client because I didn't fit certain criteria new clientele must satisfy. They know precisely who they want to invest their time and energy serving. I was eliminated for two valid reasons. First, he had gotten away from the type of service I was requesting because on the food chain it was more low-value. Second, he sensed our personalities would clash. He flat out said his ego was a little 'too delicate' and would get in the way if I didn't accept his advice even though he stated the relationship would be a partnership (He said it humorously but it was nevertheless very honest and I understood where he was coming from as the key to a successful professional business is identifying and then working with your ideal client!)

So the call wouldn't be a complete waste, I asked him for a couple of referrals. He referred me to a different type of service provider who would have connections to the type of service provider I needed. It wasn't a direct referral to the actual service provider I wanted. Therefore it became a diluted and pretty worthless referral as I didn't even really know this 'columnist'. If I wanted a referral from someone in another profession like he was offering, I'd go to someone I knew in that profession and get the referral directly from someone who's opinion I could trust.

Sometimes it's just not that easy to get a word-of-mouth referral.

That evening, when I had more time to look online, I searched the official directory of service providers the 'columnist' recommended. Maybe there I could find someone who might fit my needs. I found two providers solely based upon geographical location. Geography was the only way to sort through the list. With a strong referral I wouldn't care about geography. But without one, what was my option?

I wasn't sure I wanted to contact either of them because I just didn't like how I found them. I did, however, get on their e-mail list supplying an 'alternate' e-mail address I use to avoid solicitations. I wanted to learn more about them. I thought their newsletter would give me more information to determine if I wanted to make a phone call.

However, I am on a mission and didn't want to wait for a newsletter (which hasn't come yet as of this writing).

Then I had an epiphany. I remembered the name of a service provider I had used several years ago when he was just starting out. Back then he did home visits and he actually traveled quite a distance to meet with me. I remembered that and how talented he was. We did hire him at the time on a more limited basis. I would require more now.

Problem is he never kept in contact with me to stay 'front of mind' and this type of service is one where he should have because this can be a lifetime professional relationship. Call it a rookie mistake. I also remembered how candid he was about just starting out as a 'solo' in his field although he had a long history in the profession working for others. I went online to find him. Too bad I didn't remember his name before I went through this whole exercise.

Since he is a professional, I went to LinkedIn first before even googling his name. There he was! This led me to his website. Yes, a website, not a traditional blog. And visually it was not a very attractive website.

He did, however, have all kinds of legitimate accolades, video interviews where I could see him sharing his expertise which helped me to remember why I liked him, as well as teaching experiences showcasing how he'd grown over the past eight years. I did two things: signed up for his newsletter and then e-mailed him directly that I wanted to meet with him, again. This was late at night but I was able to make contact on my schedule.

I Realized How I Look For A Professional Service Provider in 2011:

1. Referral – I will automatically go for a referral first. Once referred, I will go online to do my own 'homework'. But unless someone gives me a specific referral, I have no choice but to go online to find a professional.

2. Credentialing – By accident, I found a professional through a 'credentialing activity', one which I noticed in our city newspaper. I liked the presentation and content. Credentialing can be a myriad of activities which are not salesly in nature – newspaper columns, CLE or other teaching, seminars, interviews showcasing expertise, blogging your area of expertise and providing commentary.

3. Credentialing Activities Prompt Contact - In my case the newspaper article prompted a direct phone call. The screening phone call helped each of us recognize it would not be a good fit but it did garner additional referrals. I did not use these referrals because it wasn't directly to someone I would work with. It was just to get yet another referral. Plus, too much distance between the originating referrer and the potential service provider I would hire. It watered down the value too much for me.

4. With No Direct Referral A Good Online Presence is Critical - Going back online I did use a directory but there was no way to separate the wheat from the chaff other than the arbitrariness of geography. Once I honed in on geography that worked, I went to these providers' websites/blogs to see if they were interesting to me. Again, this is the equivalent of an online 'cold call'.

With no other option, their business web presence would determine my next actions.

5. Newsletters Are Good – I didn't like it but I opted to sign up for the newsletters which were easily available for me to do. Of course, I used an alternate e-mail address but I hoped to learn more about the individual service provider to eliminate or initiate a consultation.

6. Service Providers Should NEVER Be Out of Mind of Their Clients – I then reached back through my memory banks and remembered an earlier provider of services I had used.

Had he been in front of me periodically reminding me of our successful relationship I would never have had to stress when it came time to need services again.

7. Be on LinkedIN at the very least - I went to the most populated professional social network to see if he was listed for contact information. He was. I reached out appropriately for the time of day I was searching – late at night.

See all the marketing dots connecting?

I ultimately reached back to someone I had worked with before even though he failed to keep in front of me through the years. Fortunately, he was on a popular professional site and I could contact at my convenience – late at night. I used e-mail to reach him, his website to learn more about how he's progressed these last eight years and to refresh myself on his credentials.

The Story Continues:

Within 24 hours I received a lovely e-mail telling me he did remember me and confirmed it with several specific details of our last encounter. He believes the direction he has grown his business over these past eight years may preclude him from addressing my needs. However, he would love to talk with me and see how he may help. Of course, if he no longer can help me, the cycle will start all over, again. The difference, I will trust whomever he refers and will have a better starting point to do it all over, again.

THE LESSON

Social media often can't give you 'direct ROI' because the average person when asked will say, 'I remembered your name and looked you up online'. He'll never know the treacherous and perilous journey I took to almost not finding him, again. Those I didn't contact won't know it's because they weren't hard referrals or their website didn't help me or they didn't send me a newsletter quickly or their blog's most recent post was from two years ago because they thought it wasn't worth their time to continue writing fresh content.

However, when I do tell him (which I will) how I found him again, he'll see how his social media presence helped me to reconnect. But I'll also tell him how he almost didn't get me back. He didn't understand how potentially valuable I was when we first met eight years ago. He didn't take the time to keep in contact and stay in front of my ongoing needs which translates into money his pocket.

What do you think?

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

How ‘Facebook’ In Our Daily Living Will Impact Solos

Susan Cartier Liebel — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:30:45 +0000

UPDATE: While not specifically geared towards law firms, this is a very powerful article from Entrepreneur magazine about social media and business. I strongly encourage you to read 'Tearing Down the Walls: How Social Media Is Changing Everything About The Way We Do Business." One notable highlight:

"…..Charlene Li, one of the world's leading thinkers on social media and co-founder of the Altimeter Group, a research-based advisory firm in San Mateo, Calif., predicts that companies that do not get on the social media bandwagon soon–within three to five years–will not survive. It's not an overstatement to say social media is transforming every aspect of business."

*********************************

Last week I made the following observation in 'How Major Changes In Our Daily Living Will Impact Solos (Part II)' :

What About Social Media:

Social Media is no longer about what you choose to do or choose not to do. It's about where the potential client expects to find a service provider when they look for a service provider.

Years ago, before the internet and cell phones, if you were in a reputable business customers expected to find you listed in the Yellow Pages. It gave your business the perception of legitimacy. Every home had their local yellow pages. So, Yellow Pages sales representatives offered you one line in the phone book for free when you secured your business phone number and this helped their cause which was to promote they had everyone and every business listed which in turn generated more paid advertising.

Today, the internet is the Yellow Pages. Your web presence is your Yellow Pages listing, a must have which gives your business the perception of legitimacy. But that's not all. Potential clients expect to find you listed on all reputable sites, including Facebook. Do you remember years ago progressive companies listed their website URL along with their regular contact information? I remember thinking, 'what is this?'. Now those same progressive companies no longer feature their website url prominently but feature their Facebook page url prominently. The goal is to drive customers to their highly interactive site within a community where their prospects congregate. There they can learn more about people who have expressed interest in their product/service and interact in real time. And it's a great advertising tool (which is for a separate post). It is all about engagement. Facebook is still young but even in its relative youth it has managed to change how we are conducting business and engaging our potential clients . It offers a different type of legitimacy in this 'connected' world. It would be wise for you to have a Facebook page for your business and to learn how to use it correctly.

I wasn't going to continue the Facebook discussion just yet. However, two days later I saw this piece in the Wall Street Journal called: 'How Much Does A Facebook Fan Cost? $1.07.

I wasn't really interested in how much a facebook fan cost but wanted to read the article. Embedded in the article was the following video:

And relevant to my discussion on Facebook I learned the following mindblowing statistics from the video:

Today there are 650,000,000 Facebook users worldwide (I thought it was 550 million)
Half of all users log into Facebook for at least one half hour each day
Half of all time spent on the internet is spent on Facebook

You don't have to be a marketing genius to understand now is the time to develop your presence on Facebook and to do so in a manner which engages your potential clients and referrers of clients. As the title of the WSJ article implies, the cost of gathering 'fans' is going to go up while the interest in your 'ads' to attract Facebook users to your page is going to go down. Therefore, those who gather their fans earlier will gather more and do so at a lower cost.

Creating a compelling business page on Facebook won't be easy. You really have to offer quality content and engagement. However, the ability to interact in real time in a location where your potential clients and referrers of clients are located daily and for an extended period of time can be priceless when building and sustaining your practice. If the goal of your online presence is to provide educational information and to encourage contact, being where your clients are is never wrong.

And, of course, if you'd like to 'like' Solo Practice University, we'd welcome you. At the very least check out what we're doing on our Facebook Page! Would love to talk with you there, too. It's a whole other style of conversation

Have you created your business fan page? If so, what are you doing to engage those who show support of your business?

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

How Major Changes In Our Daily Living Will Impact Solo Practices (Part II)

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:30:19 +0000

We are continuing to discuss the major societal and cultural changes coming to a head in 2011 and how your clients are going to be impacted by them. You can read the first two discussions here and here to catch up.

This third post is going to discuss changes in housing, $5.00 & $6.00 gas, newspapers, communications and social media.

How Is The Housing Market Going To Impact Your Practice Even If You Are Not in Real Estate?

By now most of you know the real estate market took a HUGE hit in 2008 – 2010. It is still in serious distress even though the talking heads think we have bottomed out. We haven't. There is what is called the 'shadow inventory' in the real estate market, inventory comprised of all the foreclosed properties still being held by the banks and not yet released into the market for sale.

A good friend of mine who personally knows V.P.'s and Presidents of banks because he has an extensive real estate practice was told by two bankers independently, 'if we put all our foreclosures on the market today we could financially take down New York's economy.' And that's just one bank's foreclosed properties. Is this true? My friend heard the same from bankers in southern Connecticut. Again, exaggeration? Just a turn of phrase? Time will tell. What does matter, however, whether they are bankruptcy driven foreclosures or non-bankruptcy foreclosures, people are walking away from their homes in record numbers.

We have at least three takeaways from this:

Your clients still have to live somewhere.
This is a real boon for the rental market and landlord/tenant practices.
This will force very interesting migration patterns throughout each state, regions and the country.

How will you have to adapt your business? As people go to rental living, the transient nature of this lifestyle clearly will impact how people engage service providers as well as their long term relationships with these providers.

A transient and mobile lifestyle changes your client's center of influence and stability. People go from choosing legal service providers based primarily upon their own geographical location to choosing their service providers in spite of their own geographical location.

Let me give you an example:

Nancy Nomad and her husband, Gideon Globetrotter, need a trusts and estates lawyer. They currently reside in Houston, Texas. Their home is foreclosed and Gideon's new job takes them to Austin where they become renters.

Gideon is by no means secure in this new position. He has a one year contract for work but no guarantee of renewal. Nor does he and Nancy have a home they own. He is eying a job in Dallas which may provide him more pay and better security and will open up within the next year. They both had a previous relationship with an attorney in Houston and they really liked her. They don't want to lose this relationship because of their move.

Providing the lawyer utilizes technology to keep the relationship, such as a Virtual (online) Law Office, they don't have to. If the provider doesn't have the means to address his clients' new migratory patterns and transient living, he loses them. Chances are Gideon and Nancy will choose a lawyer who provides this connection and stability in their unstable world, a lawyer who can work with them wherever they locate.

If their Houston lawyer can service their legal needs in Austin or Dallas, neither the lawyer nor Gideon and Nancy have to lose the relationship with the other. A transient client wants the stability of the same service providers just like their phone, cable, and electric. The want portability. Legal service providers are no exception. Stability and long standing relationships will come to mean much more in their unstable world.

Let's add another statistic into the mix: 27 % of people in the United States have no landlines in their home and are strictly cell phone/smart phone users. How many of you have already made the switch from landline to cell phone for both home and office? (and look at the ethnic breakdown possibly further supporting transient behavior and maybe a socio-economic reality.) My husband insists we keep a land line and I don't object because it's part of my cable/internet bundle. However, my business is strictly computer and smart phone and I know many others are switching to smart phones.

So, let's go back to Gideon Globetrotter and Nancy Nomad. He's transient with his job and residence. What are the odds they are going to hook up a landline and spend this extra money with every single move… unless it's part of their cable/internet bundle? And even if this were the case, they don't really want a new number with every move. It showcases their lack of stability with the job search, too. The only consistent number is their cell phone.

This switch to strictly cell phone/smartphone is going to increase. Why is this statistic important to you? Because without landlines, people are not part of any phone book. If they are constantly moving, they are certainly not part of any geographical based phone book. They don't need the phone books or any type of paper directory, either. If they have smart phones they are quite capable of accessing any information they require through their data packages available through their smart phones. It is reliable, updated and a constant in their unstable lives.

Where Will Potential Clients Find You?

Less and less in any paper directory or publication.

If they are going to learn about something or someone they are going on the internet, asking family and friends, going to their connections on Facebook or Twitter for referrals to help them get started with their search. They will read your blog, websites, online reviews about your service. You should also note: while they're looking through these reviews they are getting hit with targeted advertisements for other similar products or services such as yours. The internet has become one constant in their ever-changing world.

What About Print Newspapers?

The majority of young people don't get a delivered print newspaper. Will they read the print edition online? Yes. Right now it's free but may not be for much longer. Will they pay for a print edition? Quite possibly.

I'm not going to jump on board with 'all electronic news will be by paid subscription.' That's not a sure thing by a long stretch and if the majority were to go paid, the breakouts that stayed free would grab a lion's share of readership while supported by advertisers. There will always be checks and balances in delivery of information.

There is, however, something much more telling in this demise of physical newspaper readership. If the physical newspaper is gone, where will lawyers place their traditional print advertising dollars? On line, of course. But how?

Answer: There will be regional or national news delivery agencies which will create hyperlocalized editions of their internet publications. Their advertising will be targeted to a specific demographic community and the advertisers will benefit from this more defined audience. Even if it's not lower in cost for the advertiser (which it really should be given the reduction in costs to produce) it can still be worth it because the advertiser pays only for the audience they specifically want. (And in doing so, they hasten the demise of the print publication.)

I experienced this recently when I responded to an online contest for my son. I was asked for my zip code. I was then brought to my state senate seat's voting district's online news edition created by a national news agency. (How interesting they divided the editions by voting district.) The vendors supplying the prizes for the contest were local to the voting district. Every district edition had the same contest for their local vendors. It was hyperlocalized targeted online content.

Hyperlocalization of online newspapers will be very big. While I'll miss my Sunday paper, I have already transitioned 95% to online news anyway. The rest of the country will simply be forced to whether they like it or not. So, I ask you rhetorically, where are you going to spend your advertising dollars if the physical newspaper no longer exists? If Nancy Nomad and Gideon Globetrotter are your potential clients and they are transient within your jurisdictions(s), they'll be accessing hyperlocalized online newspapers and content to learn what is available in their 'new' (albeit, temporary) home. They will not be subscribing to print newspapers and canceling and resubscribing with every move. Their trusted companion is their smartphone supplying the information they need when they need it and traveling with them wherever they may reside.

Gideon and Nancy will also be accessing Google Places – the internet equivalent of the yellow pages. Google Places works off of the key word search and is analogous to you looking for 'plumber' in the yellow pages then scrolling down to find a plumber based upon the plumber's proximity to your location. As a solo, you should seriously investigate Google Places and do so soon.

More food for thought: if your potential clients are increasingly giving up their landlines and going with smart phones which allow them to access the internet for contact information, to receive and send email and texts while avoiding voice mail (the average voice mail sits for more than three days before being heard), how do YOU plan to reliably communicate with your potential clients going forward? I don't have the answer for this right now because there are many confidentiality issues to be worked out. Obviously, one serious choice is through a client portal within a virtual (online) law office.

What you must consider is this: what we're professionally comfortable doing may be trumped by our clients' needs and technological capabilities. They may prefer texts over phone calls and e-mail over regular mail simply because they don't have a landline or a permanent mailing address or the post office has switched to alternate day delivery thereby rendering it untimely. (Note: our post office is not delivering our mail due to massive snow piles blocking our mail boxes. The physical post office is overwhelmed with everyone in town trying to get their mail. Do you want your critical legal documents and invoices to be part of this weather-driven fiasco? Neither do your clients.)

Bottom line: If you don't have a smart phone which has all these communicating abilities, I suggest you start shopping for one. Also be prepared to create policies regarding confidentiality and texting with your clients. Remember, it's not just about you saying, 'I have an office line and I'm not giving out my cell phone number.' It's about what the client uses to communicate and how they expect to communicate with their attorney! Younger lawyers may be very comfortable with this development. However, other lawyers need to give serious thought to this, too. You may have to consider getting a separate smart phone just for work so you can give out the phone number while preserving your personal phone! Sounds far-fetched or not feasible? The tail wagging the dog? We'll see.

What About $5 and $6 per gallon gasoline?

Forget that it adds to an already over-burdened household budget, but your clients are going to be less inclined to come to your office unless it is absolutely imperative. They are going to be budgeting their travel because of the cost of gasoline and parking as well as the cost in time they can ill-afford to spend on non-income producing activities. If they can handle a matter over the internet with a lawyer who provides this option, they are going to be much more inclined to do so. The price of gasoline must be factored in to your decisions as a legal service provider because this problem is not only not going to go away, it's going to get worse. Of course price due in part to market manipulation. However, there is also a much bigger factor at play – other emerging markets are demanding oil and and they are going to get it. We'll be paying a premium for a more limited supply and there's no getting around this. Then add on increased state taxes on gasoline to cover budget shortfalls and you have a serious problem. Your clients are going to demand you make working with you much easier or they will find someone who will.

What About Social Media:

Social Media is no longer about what you choose to do or choose not to do. It's about where the potential client expects to find a service provider when they look for a service provider.

Years ago, before the internet and cell phones, if you were in a reputable business customers expected to find you listed in the Yellow Pages. It gave your business the perception of legitimacy. Every home had their local yellow pages. So, Yellow Pages sales representatives offered you one line in the phone book for free when you secured your business phone number and this helped their cause which was to promote they had everyone and every business listed which in turn generated more paid advertising.

Today, the internet is the Yellow Pages. Your web presence is your Yellow Pages listing, a must have which gives your business the perception of legitimacy. But that's not all. Potential clients expect to find you listed on all reputable sites, including Facebook. Do you remember years ago progressive companies listed their website URL along with their regular contact information? I remember thinking, 'what is this?'. Now those same progressive companies no longer feature their website url prominently but feature their Facebook page url prominently. The goal is to drive customers to their highly interactive site within a community where their prospects congregate. There they can learn more about people who have expressed interest in their product/service and interact in real time. And it's a great advertising tool (which is for a separate post). It is all about engagement. Facebook is still young but even in its relative youth it has managed to change how we are conducting business and engaging our potential clients . It offers a different type of legitimacy in this 'connected' world. It would be wise for you to have a facebook page for your business and to learn how to use it correctly.

One Final Thought:

It's a sweat equity marketing world we now live in. Get ready to sweat if you want to grow your business.

Two hundred and sixty years ago we were a new country. Ninety percent of all businesses were sole proprietorships. There were no large employers. Entrepreneurs flourished as they created their own prosperity by innovating, filling a void in the community, solving problems with hard work – sweat equity. No one could write a check to have someone else create a persona for them. People had to market themselves to their neighbors by being honorable, doing good work, delivering promptly on a contract, having reliable products and services and when they handled their business well, it often led to prominence and respect in the community. There was no outsourcing of one's reputation. Today our world is demanding we sweat again, as we can no longer avoid engaging personally when building our practices. We must use the tools available to us and we must engage the way our potential clients want and need us to engage.

We are also going through a major societal change: millions employed to unemployed and then a large percentage to self-employed. And when someone becomes self-employed they rarely return to working for another. This is a radical change. It will forever impact how business is conducted.

While change is nothing new, the speed with which change is happening today is new. What is changing and the scale of the change is new. There is no running from the change taking place. There is no hiding, either. All we can do is anticipate it, embrace it, and run with it. Maybe some think they can stand still and continue to grow. I beg to differ. Welcome to 2011.

What do you think? How are you adapting your practice? Have you considered working with clients online, even just a small percentage of your client base, to get ahead of the curve?

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Getting Your Networking Game On In Law School

Jack Whittington — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:30:14 +0000

Coming of Age In A New Economy

Much has been made about the dire employment conditions in the legal field today. Big Law doesn’t seem to be an option for the class of 2011 as we are firmly entrenched in what some legal commentators are calling the “Lost Generation”. With hiring down and pink slips up it paints a very bleak picture of things to come post-graduation. It is no longer enough for law school students to sit in class and expect job offers to come pouring in upon graduation regardless your tier. In light of the changing paradigm in the legal world law school students now have to be salespersons as well as attorneys.

In order to beat the odds, law school graduates need a targeted and detailed plan to proceed in going about their career searches. This begins with three simple questions, what, where, and how. First, ask yourself what you want for yourself in a job. It’s important to ask yourself, what type of law you want to practice and what type of firm you see yourself working in. This will allow you to zone in on the firms that you target for employment. You could run down the list of a legal job posting site and haphazardly apply for jobs that might interest you, and you might end up with a job you enjoy, but odds are it’s a recipe for burnout if you’re working in a field that you have to talk yourself into.

Next, it’s vital to consider where you want to work as well. Living in a city and region that you like is critical. The legal field will be stressful enough; you don’t want to live somewhere where you’re going to be miserable on top of working in a stressful environment. Maybe you’re suited to small town living. If so, then it’s probably not a great idea to work in New York City. Alternatively, maybe you need a city that has a lot of entertainment options and has a vibrant nightlife; Muncie, Indiana probably isn't going to quite hit the spot. It may seem small but it will make a huge difference as to your personal quality of life.

Additionally, make sure that the area of law that you want to practice in matches up to your geographic preferences. For example: personally I'm more suited to small town living but I know job opportunities for sports law will be few and far between. I know I want to live in Texas and I know the majority of professional sports teams in the state are located in Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth. So I'll be interviewing in those cities because it gives me the best chance of doing what I want where I want to live.

The what and where part of the equation is simple, the how of it is much more complicated. How do you land the job practicing in the field of law that you want in the city/region that you want to live in? First you want to give yourself a fair amount of options for job opportunities, so it’s important to be somewhat flexible. If you want to practice in Miami for example, be willing to branch out and interview in Tampa and Orlando as well. Further, zone in on the firms that you know will be suited to your preferences. If you want to practice in an area of law that requires a high level of specialization, landing jobs that solely focus on that area law may be difficult to come by.

In those cases, target firms that have a tie-in to the field of law that you want to practice in. For example, some firms may have a majority of their practice dedicated to specific field but have a small section of the firm dedicated to your particular field of law. Just because a firm only allocates twenty percent of its resources to your preferential field of practice doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply. Everyone has to start somewhere; the important thing is to position yourself where you can get hands on experience at an early stage in your career even if it is just picking up a few cases. I know there are only going to be a handful of openings for sports law jobs. But there could also be jobs with firms that have smaller sports law divisions or some tie in to the field. By exploring every possibility I'll provide myself with more opportunities. Once you've got your foot in the door in a smaller firm the potential for expanding the firm's presence in that field is something that you (and the firm) could really benefit from. It's also a great way to market yourself as an asset to the firm.

Up until now everything that’s been offered here has been somewhat traditional in structure. Although law school graduates ten years ago may not have had to necessarily work as hard to find jobs as one does today, not only does our generation of law school grads have to go to the jobs, we also have to distinguish ourselves from our peers in order to succeed in our search. Traditionally, grades were the end-all-be-all for potential employers in the legal field. The guys that graduated at the top of their classes went to work for Big Law and the ones at the bottom of the class went to work in small general practice firms (It’s a gross over-exaggeration to be sure but you get the picture). Today that is no longer the case. Law school students have to not only maintain decent grades, but they also have to heavily network while they're still learning constitutional law!

Getting your name in front of people that can potentially help you find gainful employment is crucial. This is one of the places that we have an inherent advantage. Thanks in large part to social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn it is now easier than ever to build meaningful relationships with people in your targeted field of law.

You have to go to them, though. For the most part, potential hiring attorneys that utilize social networking sites do so for a reason – they want to network too! Give them a reason to take interest in you. If they have blogs about their practice areas follow the blog and ask questions. Show them that you are genuinely interested, and they will take an interest in you more often than not. Such connections could prove valuable for generating leads for potential job openings when the time comes. Additionally, if the economy or where you want to locate makes the job opportunities nearly impossible for you, you will have laid the networking foundation for starting a solo practice – one of the most important and valuable tools for kickstarting and growing your firm.

Networking isn't a one way street. It must be reciprocal to keep the other person interested. In my own experience networking through social media sites have lead to collaborations with people in the legal field on writing articles and conducting research for them.

Law school students should also consider the use of blogs. Blogging isn’t for everyone, but it can be a very useful tool in distinguishing yourself from competitors in the job market. If you do blog, then your postings needs to show potential employers who you are as a person, more importantly it needs to reflect that you are someone who can add something positive to their practice. Recently, in my own blog I have had 1L’s turn to me for help with preparing for exams. In response I wrote a post geared towards exam tips for 1Ls and have received a fair amount of positive feedback. Show your potential employer’s that you’re not talking just to talk; show them that you are someone who gives valued advice and people feel comfortable turning to for advice. Your posts do not have to be entirely professional in nature; you can mix it up with personal postings too. But be careful with what you’re posting. I’ve noticed a disturbing trend of law school students playing fast and loose with their social media accounts. I think an important rule of thumb here is to ask, “Is this something I would feel comfortable talking about with a potential employer in an interview?” If the answer is 'no', then you probably shouldn’t post.

It is important to be creative and ambitious in developing your social media presence, but also be smart about it. As cliché as it may sound, law school students are now charged with building a “brand” for themselves to market to potential employers. In some ways it’s a lot like basic economics, the better the “product” the higher the demand. If we take time to craft our presentation to potential employers we add to the list of “why” they should hire us above the others in the applicant pool. We do not have to settle for the first job that comes along, we can land the job we want in the area we want, practicing the law that we want. BUT it is going to take a lot of work to get that point. You have already come this far, don’t sell yourself short in the end game. Put in the work necessary to find the job you want. Don’t put yourself in a position like so many others where in ten years you wake up wondering why you ever entered the legal field.

How have you started laying the groundwork for your job search?

Written by Jack Whittington

Can We Trust Anyone Anymore? Can You Be Trusted?

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:30:45 +0000

I've been thinking about writing this post for some time. While it may appear a little off-topic from solo practice it really isn't. Please bear with me.

The past decade has showcased through both our pocketbooks and heartbreaking imagery just how deeply and permanently wounded we are by the deception, corruption and greed which have gone unchecked in corporate America (and around the world) for so long. No one remains unaffected. No one can really hide from it. No one can responsibly deny it although they will try. The Gulf oil spill (this is a must read) epitomizes all that is so terribly wrong with corporate behavior, corporate agendas and those government agencies who are responsible for oversight. And yet people still confuse supporting capitalism with supporting killer corporations and corrupt agencies. But that's not for this blog or this blog post.

With the as-yet-to-be-truly-felt impact of the mortgage debacle, the far-reaching economical and environmental effects of the Enrons and BPs of this world, Big Pharma destroying our bodies under the highly profitable guise of helping us, the USDA okaying the use of beef cattle with bovine leukeumia (even organic beef cattle) possibly linked to various cancers, cover ups from trusted advisors which can destroy you physically, and the rocking of our world from every quarter creating instability in every aspect of our lives, how can one not have an unhealthy distrust of everything and everyone. When you are backed into a corner fighting for your basic survival needs and feel helpless when you believe you are doing everything right what do you do? Who do you trust?

The legal industry (including law schools) has not been spared its share of failings and has accumulated countless detractors. This profession has long been under a black cloud for its opaque billing practices, Big Law sweat shops, corporate agendas similar to those of big corporations. And it has been knocked down quite a few pegs this past decade by being outed for their deceptive practices.

It is human nature to trust, to want to trust, to be hopeful, to be part of change. A society can't survive without trust. And to violate another's trust in you is the worst imaginable…at least for me.

There is actually a silver lining, however, in this ever-growing world of distrust. Due to social media, the viral nature of information today, those who would look to deceive, suppress, deny accountability through carefully crafted public relations nonsense can't stem the leaks. Everything is being exposed. Everything is being digitally memorialized. And everything can be digitally altered out of context. Everyone truly does live and work in the proverbial glass house today.

You can only control yourself and your own actions.

How does this tie into building a solo practice? Solo by solo, client by client, we have a unique opportunity to change perceptions and cultivate trust.

Lessons learned and how to build trust:

1. If you can't handle a situation get and accept help.

Your first and only consideration should be the client.

As a solo you may be very tempted to take on matters you may not be able to handle because you need the money or you actually believe you are capable of handling the work even though a case of this type has never crossed your desk before. Money and a false sense of capability can have catastrophic effects. Seek out the help of others more experienced then yourself. This doesn't mean turning the case over, necessarily. It means creating a responsible professional relationship with someone who has more experience. It means first and foremost always putting the client first. Had BP and the US Government quickly acknowledged their inability to handle the oil spill, put the unique and challenging demands of the catastrophe ahead of their pride and put the clean up in the hands of those more experienced, the disaster could have been averted at best or at least greatly minimized. The government could have earned our trust and our support for future catastrophes which impact all of our lives so profoundly.

2. If you make a mistake which can adversely impact your client, own it quickly before you create irreparable harm. With the fear of malpractice suits, grievances and being broadcasted as incompetent on the internet from your hometown to Beijing, sometimes it is tempting to cover up mistakes rather than own them and look to make the client whole. As a solo practitioner, there is sometimes a disproportionate fear because you have no one to share the load, no Big Law firm to dilute the responsibility and finance the defense if a mistake is made. This is an undeniable part of going solo. However, there is something very powerful in these two words, 'I'm sorry.'

In the DiLieto malpractice suit, had the doctors acknowledged their errors early on instead of engaging in a massive cover up, the end result would have been quite different. DiLieto might not have suffered such physical and emotional distress, the lawsuit might not have generated such a punitive monetary award, the reputation of all those involved even by association would not have been tarnished. Trust could have been reestablished by doing the absolute correct thing professionally and morally.

Acknowledge. Apologize. Accept the consequences of your mistakes.

3. Never do anything you can't defend with the truth. We live in a very naked world. Even if you opt not to actively and enthusiastically engage on the web or through social media platforms, it doesn't mean others won't talk about you professionally or personally. You can never really control what people will do with what you say if they choose to take it out of context for their own purposes. That is why it is imperative you never do anything you can't defend with the truth.

Free and protected speech, especially on the internet, forces all of us who live and die by our reputations to be completely transparent. Those who understand the value of this transparency understand it earns trust. And this brings us full circle. People inherently want to trust. Your clients want to trust you. They truly want to believe you have their best interests at heart and will follow your advice accordingly if you've earned their trust. And as solos who are totally responsible for our professional decisions, by doing the right thing even when we risk professional rebuke or financial penalty, we honor our clients, we live up to our professional responsibilities, create greater trust, and change the image of the legal profession one lawyer at a time.

What do you think?

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel