Building the 21st-Century Law Firm

Building the 21st Century Law Firm envisions how to start and manage a legal practice using the latest technology and tactics. Ask lawyer Daliah Saper your questions at [email protected].

28 ABA Journal Building the 21st-Century Law Firm articles.

Law firm marketing goes hand in hand with technology, consultant says

Ari Kaplan spoke with Deborah Farone, a law firm marketing adviser who served as the chief marketing officer for Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Debevoise & Plimpton. She is the author of the new book Best Practices in Law Firm Business Development and Marketing
(Practising Law Institute), which is based on more than 60 interviews with law firm leaders and marketers, general counsels and innovators in the profession.

Mar 22, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: 5 reasons why I love being a lawyer

This morning, I woke up extra early to prepare for a complicated hearing in federal court. After court, I returned to my desk to deal with a barrage of emails and voicemail from hostile opposing counsel. By 2 p.m., I felt especially tired, frustrated, and depleted. As I was laying my head down on my desk, I received an unexpected visit from a client who was "in the neighborhood." He brought me two bottles of wine and personally thanked me for everything we have done for him this past year. Shortly after he left, the mail came in. I opened two handwritten thank-you notes from other clients.

Dec 21, 2017 9:00 AM CST

Ethics opinions have to reflect the present and future—not the past

One of the most enduring purposes behind the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and corresponding state ethics standards is to protect clients and the public from “overreaching, overcharging, underrepresentation and misrepresentation.” (See Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar, 1978.) More than a century after the 1908 adoption of the association’s…

Dec 1, 2017 1:00 AM CST

Ask Daliah: 5 ways to wish clients happy holidays (without the clutter of cards)

Dear Daliah: What is your opinion on mailing out greeting cards to clients for the holidays?

Nov 16, 2017 7:30 AM CST

Start financial protection before opening your law firm

Here are a handful of insurance tools you should consider heavily when starting your firm. Some are necessary at your firm’s inception, while others should simply remain on your mind and be explored further as your firm evolves.

Nov 1, 2017 1:00 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: Stand tall in your use of body language

Dear Daliah: You’re only 5-foot-2? You seem … taller.

Dear Reader: It’s a question I get quite often and one that I thought would be a great segue for this month's article.

Oct 19, 2017 8:30 AM CDT

Practical cybersecurity for law firms: How to batten down the hatches

How do you protect your law firm from ransomware, malware and other cyberthreats? The costs of ransoms have significantly gone up from a few hundred dollars to the $1,000-plus range for the decryption key to unlock the affected files.

Oct 1, 2017 2:20 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: Opening your law office to open spaces

Dear Daliah: What is the best way to set up a 21st century office?

Sep 21, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: Ways to record, bill and save those minutes at work

Attorney Daliah Saper has been answering readers’ questions online about building a 21st-century law firm. This augmented version of her column looks at time—timekeeping and time-saving. Dear Daliah: Any tips for tracking time better? Dear Readers: We have all faced the black-hole time warp. You worked 10 hours, but your…

Sep 1, 2017 1:30 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: Want media attention? Take these four steps toward making the news

Dear Daliah: You've been in newspapers and on TV. How do you attract media attention?

Aug 17, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Be relevant and grow clientele by really using social media

Eighty-one percent of people use social media to connect with one another, engage with news, share information and entertain themselves. This number is up from just 5 percent in 2005, and it includes the more educated and affluent at all age levels. Not using social media is akin to being…

Aug 1, 2017 1:00 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: Here’s help on tracking your time

Dear Daliah: Any tips for tracking time better?

Dear Readers: We have all faced the black-hole time warp. You worked 10 hours, but your billable hours only record 4.5. Where did all the time go? You were so busy that you had a granola bar for lunch at 4 p.m. just to soak up all the coffee from the morning client marathon.

Jul 20, 2017 8:30 AM CDT

How to build a clientele through contacts, communication and confidence

Toya Gavin started her solo law practice really lean—like “no clients to speak of” lean. That was in January 2015. She now has a thriving practice in South Orange, New Jersey, with referrals that come in regularly from current clients, former clients and other attorneys. Gavin, a prosecutor in Newark…

Jul 1, 2017 1:15 AM CDT

Ask Daliah: Four steps to making social media work for you

Dear Daliah: How do you use social media to market your law firm?

Dear Readers: I use social media on a daily basis to learn about recent legal trends, build my network, stay connected with existing clients and attract new ones. If you haven’t already leveraged the power of social media, you should start today.

Jun 15, 2017 8:15 AM CDT

On-demand lawyering is our future: What will it look like?

Recently, I saw a TV ad recruiting Uber drivers. It showed a young guy, apparently a family man, seamlessly moving back and forth from earning money driving to “chilling.” Whatever you think about ride-booking services in general, or Uber in specific, it certainly made driving for Uber seem like an…

Jun 1, 2017 2:00 AM CDT

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