The National Creditors Bar Association Law Practice Management Blog

All lawyers have marketed their law firms in the same fashion since time  in memoriam .  The idea was always to build a personal referral base via business networking, and that the rest would take care of itself.  Even as the world around law firms has changed over time, that  one  constant has not changed.   But now , if a new report is to be believed, other modes of client acquisition may be outstripping this tried and true option.   The 2019 Clio Legal Trends Reports indicates that fewer potential law firm clients are seeking referrals from other attorneys or affiliated professional service providers .   In fact, the study indicates that legal consumers are more likely to ask family members for a referral .  And, more than half the time, a legal consumer performs independent research to locate the right attorney.   Of course , most of those preferred mechanisms do not align with how attorneys work to acqu...

In a recent episode of pop culture phenomenon ‘ Game of Thrones ’,  a stray Starbucks cup showed up on a table in a medieval castle .   This, among other things, has negatively affected Game of Thrones’  critical reception for its  last season .   But, that’s nothing compared to the personal hit that your reputation could take if you rely on Starbucks wifi to access confidential  client  materials online.   At this point ,  every state has a data security law of some type on the books, and law firm ethics continue to  move toward a national consensus  of  data competency, including with respect to data security management.   Lawyers  who  have a minimum level of competency respecting technology and its uses in the practice of law  are not using free, open wifi networks to access client data.   And, that’s  because it’s staggeringly easy for even mildly motivated hackers t...