business development

Getting Real: Putting Yourself under Oath

February 3, 2010

Even though we are usually ready and willing to dig into the dirty, ugly, underside of our clients’ circumstances, we often shy away from putting our own practice and own behaviors under the microscope.
We encourage our clients to fully disclose details to us, to bare their souls, and to tell us things that they would [...]

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Should You Make Resolutions for Next Year?

December 28, 2009

The new year is just around the corner. Are you going to make any resolutions for your practice? The good; they can keep you focused. The bad; they may discourage you if you cannot keep them. When I coach attorneys, I take a middle-of-the-road approach. I ask clients to think about two to four goals [...]

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Changes in the Works for Big Firms?

December 3, 2009

The majority of big firms are not changing their business models, despite the economic downswing.
142 of the Am Law firms responded to a recent survey—56% saying the economic downturn has caused a change in the legal marketplace, but 70% also saying the downturn has not produced a shift in their firm’s business model. Over 66% [...]

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Lawyerist Contributor: Allison Shields

October 8, 2009

I am excited about joining Lawyerist! I was a full time litigator for over 12 years before starting Legal Ease Consulting, Inc. in 2005 to help lawyers and law firms improve their practices. As a partner and manager in a growing Long Island law firm, I became interested in management, marketing and business development for [...]

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Legal Marketing Is Better When You Say “Thank You”

July 13, 2009

When networking for business development or finding a job, you must know your value proposition. In other words, if you want to be hired as someone’s lawyer or employee, be prepared to convincingly state why you are different and better from the others being considered. For some, this is easier said than done. Eventually though, [...]

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Book review: The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber

March 26, 2008

My good friend and financial advisor, David Benning, recently loaned me The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to do About It, by Michael E. Gerber. David is a small business owner, like me, and he said The E-Myth Revisited had changed the way he approached developing his business.

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