To help with my bar association’s History Project I recently read Before the Colors Fade: Some Reminiscences by William C. Porter, Esq. Beyond an interesting history of the Washington County Bar Association, the booklet paints an interesting picture of the practice of law from 1940 to 1980. Most interesting, Mr. Porter ends the thirty-five page booklet with advice that was as true then as it is now.
Your brand involves more than just creating a logo and it is commonly defined as your customer’s experience. A brand is what your customers think of you and a reflection of everything you do: the way you send emails, your website, your Tweets, how you describe your business, and the logo on your business cards. It’s a complex mixture of feelings and personalities that make your customers love your work.
Rural practitioners aren’t necessarily known to be specialists*. In many ways, rural attorneys serve clients and their universe of legal needs. Additionally, there may not be a large enough need in your comminuty to sustain a practice in a niche area of the law. However, it’s almost impossible to have compentency in every area and you may not enjoy practicing in every area. So, how can a rural practitioner limit their practice and still keep the lights on?
We continue our interview with entertainment lawyer, Jeffrey Fuhrman:
You obviously ran a tight ship. So let’s fast forward a little, now you’re at E!, how did that happen?
After two seasons of Millionaire, I was hired into business and legal affairs at the Walt Disney Company (the owner of the production company producing Millionaire) and spent 3 more years working directly with the boss who had hired me from Millionaire.
So now you’ve added “business” to the title. How did that happen and what does that mean? Many lawyers I have talked to want to make the transition from BigLaw to in-house, but their lack of “business” background makes them especially scared to take on a job that has that word in the title.
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I’ve been thinking a lot about expanding my practice to include mediation services. You might say I’ve been meditating on mediating. I’m trying to follow my own advice about working in one’s “authentic niche.”
Is Law School a Losing Game? At this point, almost everyone has read the now infamous New York Times article by David Segal which focuses on the grim job prospects that await recent law school graduates. Now that one of the most respected newspapers in the country has given credence to the impending burst of the law school bubble, recent law school graduates are left wondering what to do.
In an industry that seems to be bleeding jobs, how can recent law school graduates remain positive about their futures? In a time when law school graduates are trying to sell their degrees on eBay, how can recent law school graduates rise above the ever-faltering legal job market? Is there a way to win this so-called “losing game?” The answer to this question is a resounding “yes,” and it may inspire hope for some recent law school graduates.
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Law students can improve job prospects and build confidence by creating a niche area of expertise.
Two short years ago, my 1L school career counselor inspired me to find and focus on a narrow field of law. He went so far as to challenge me to strive to become an expert in something. For me, that thing has been social media. Social media and legal ethics, social media for law schools, social media marketing for lawyers, etc.
Creating a niche doesn’t have to be hard. Law students can take work they’re already doing in school and direct it along a common path. For instance, law students can coordinate the topics of:
When seeking to improve performance, results or overall satisfaction in themselves, their business or their employees , too many follow conventional wisdom and focus on fixing weaknesses. Find what’s wrong and try to correct it. Unfortunately, that “wisdom” leaves them struggling on the path to mediocrity. Three sources that I have been reading lately converge on methods to surpass the mediocre, whether it is within your small business or within the confies of a large, bureaucratic organization. Find your motivation, find your strength, then develop your niche.
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