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The Art of Great Lawyering

“Great lawyers are not made in law school or in the courtroom. Great lawyers develop their knowledge and skills over time in all they do. They are shaped by experience, guided by principle, and know that learning never stops. Great lawyers strive for excellence in their practices, which goes beyond knowledge of the law. Great lawyering includes delivering effective and exceptional client service, as well as managing the professional risks that can harm clients and a law practice.”

The Art of Great Lawyering is the theme of the 17th Annual Jerry Mirza Memorial Risk Management Conference, offered by the ISBA Mutual Insurance Company in October. I am honored to be the sole presenter for this half-day conference tradition.

We’ll first highlight the most pressing issues at the intersection of technology management and legal ethics in TechnoEthics. Technology is important to every lawyer today, but we must be sure client confidences are protected wherever we are and whatever computing devices we are using in our practice.

We’ll next look at the areas of greatest malpractice risks and share common-sense solutions in What Keeps You Up at Night: Practical Solutions to Common Lawyer Nightmares. From employee conduct to trust accounts, from calendaring mistakes to The Avoidance Syndrome, this session will help you sleep better at night.

The third session of the day is the shortest but may be the most important. When You Go to Heaven, Will Your Practice Go to Hell? is a primer on planning to protect your clients, firm and reputation in the event of sudden death or disability. Never an easy subject, we’ll tackle it head-on and make it "doable".

Finally, we’ll explore how better communications can make you a better lawyer in Mastering Client Communications. As lawyers, we rarely blame communications when a case or client relationship goes bad, but there is more to this issue than meets the eye--or ear. Just understanding the three components of interpersonal communication will immediately help improve these skills.

The conference will be held in four locations the second week of October, beginning in Collinsville, IL on October 8. We'll next head to Bloomington October 9, then to Oakbrook Terrace in suburban Chicago on October 10, and finally to Chicago at the Harris Bank Auditorium on Friday, October 11.

I look forward to helping all those who attend in their journey to great lawyering.

For further information, check out the ISBA Mutual website.

Posts of Distinction with Tom Goldstein and Carolyn Elefant

I am pleased to be participating in Professor Walter Effross' symposium on blogging in the legal profession this week at American University Washington College of Law. Posts of Distinction: Starting, Sustaining and Showcasing a Blog on Legal/Policy Issues is aimed at law students and lawyers who want to start a blog to help establish their expertise and authority in an area of law and public policy.

My co-panelists are Carolyn Elefant of MyShingle, Harold Feld of Tales of the Sausage Factory, and Matthew Kaiser of Federal Criminal Appeals Blog. Immediately following our panel will be keynote speaker Tom Goldstein of SCOTUSblog. It should be an educational morning for us all.

Registration is open to all, and law students are free. 

ABA TECHSHOW: Defining Your Future in the Practice of Law

As Chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2012, I am encourging lawyers and law firm staff to attend this year's conference. I wrote about ABA TECHSHOW here in my blog several weeks ago, and yesterday I wrote a guest post for the ABA TECHSHOW blog that explains more of my thinking that lawyers must pay attention to changing technology. No, not just about the latest laptop or SmartPhone, but the use of technology to redefine the delivery of legal services. Important changes that are currently taking place in the legal marketplace.

But don't just believe me. Read those who continue to influence my thinking: Jim Calloway's recent article on the future of law practice, market forces as reported by Richard Granat, and the writings of Richard Susskind, among others.

The legal profession is changing. And the best place to learn about those changes is ABA TECHSHOW 2012.

Join me in Chicago on March 29-31 to learn more and take action. It will be an investment of your time and money that I am positive you will not regret.

What is ABA TECHSHOW?

    For more than 25 years, ABA TECHSHOW has been the premier national conference for lawyers to share and learn about current and emerging technology for the legal profession.

    ABA TECHSHOW 2012 (March 29-31 in Chicago) comes at an important juncture in time where the confluence of societal, economic and technology trends are changing how we practice law and deliver legal services. Now, more than ever, ABA TECHSHOW 2012 is about your future in the legal profession.

    Although computer technology has been in law offices for over 30 years, it has finally achieved a tipping point. Lawyers now have more technology tools at their disposal than ever before: Affordable, reliable, and simple tools that can change the way you communicate with clients or transform your entire way of doing business.

    Lawyers can practice wherever it is most convenient, meet with clients via video from almost anywhere, remotely collaborate and draft documents in real-time, and market legal services any time, day or night. Lawyers can now deliver the services their clients want, yet in a manner that gives them the freedom to have the lifestyle they want.

    Does your firm have the right technology and do your lawyers and staff members have the necessary technology skills to compete in this new future?

    To help you, ABA TECHSHOW 2012 will offer more than 50 educational sessions across three days on the most important technology topics in our profession today: cloud computing, paperless offices, digital advertising, and iPads in the courtroom, to name just a few. All educational sessions are specifically developed for the legal profession by legal professionals. And, if you want to test-drive the latest legal products and services, ABA TECHSHOW hosts a huge exposition hall. You will be able to talk, touch, and learn how these technologies can benefit your firm.

    Don’t be nervous if this is your first ABA TECHSHOW. The Conference is designed for every lawyer and legal professional–from beginner to power user. No question is too basic. No question is too difficult to answer. There are several social events including the Taste of TECHSHOW dinners especially designed to extend the learning, sharing, and fun beyond the CLE sessions and expo hall. 

    And if that isn’t enough, ABA TECHSHOW 2012 is pleased to welcome lawyer, actor, economist, and political commentator, Ben Stein as our keynote speaker.

    Create your future by attending ABA TECHSHOW 2012 at the Hilton Chicago, March 29-31, 2012.

 

Confessions of a TECHSHOW Chair

I am excited to be leading a wonderful group of nine people who are planning the 2012 ABA TECHSHOW next March. It is a small collection of volunteer lawyers and legal professionals who plan all facets of this premier technology conference for the legal profession. We held our second 2-day planning meeting last weekend (the first being in May) to develop the "grid" of over 70 educational sessions over 3 days, review the expo hall for over 100 vendors, select and engage a keynote speaker, and dozens of other details. Despite the work, it is really a terrific professional experience to build the next edition of this twenty-five year tradition.

But it does cut into my freetime, and as you can see from the lack of blog posts in the last few months, it really cuts into my blogging time.

Yet I wouldn't trade the experience. Besides working with my colleagues on the TECHSHOW Planning Board, I am being introduced to many new people who contact me to be a part of the ABA TECHSHOW 2012, mostly as a speaker. It's time consuming, but worth it.  I am corresponding with lawyers from acroos the U.S. and Canada. The planning board works to incorporate up to 30% new speakers each year, so I welcome these inquiries. 

The Board also has its ear to the ground for new ideas, topics, and the Next Big Thing. We continue to keep offering popular topics such as the Paperless Track that are well-attended each year, as well as new tracks and sessions--yep, iPads in the law office (and at trial) will be an expanded topic this year.

We are well into our planning, but always have time for few more good suggestions--in addition to the ones we get from past conference attendees and others. So feel free to email me with your suggestions. And while I can't promise positive results, if you would like to be a speaker, include a brief synopsis of your past technology and speaking experience. We always have the top legal speakers at this conference, so the competition is tough.

Anyway, I'll blog when I can, but be sure to check out the ABA TECHSHOW blog too, for updates throughout the coming months leading to the conference on March 29-31, 2012 in Chicago. 

Take a Taste of ABA TECHSHOW

If you have not had a chance to attend ABA TECHSHOW, now is your opportunity to sample the quality of the educational sessions. The ABA Law Practice Management Section, producer of the annual technology conference has, for the first time, released most of the slide presentations that accompany the sessions. Take a look at the range of sessions that each year attracts over a 1,700 lawyers, IT staff, paralegals, legal assistants, and product vendors to attend the 3-day conference in Chicago.

The educational sessions are just one part of TECHSHOW; the networking, vendor expo, and one-on-one interaction with many of the top law practice technology experts in the country make it a truly valuable experience.

Take a taste now, but be sure to attend the entire conference March 29-31, 2012 in Chicago!

Why should you attend ABA TECHSHOW 2011?

The countdown to ABA TECHSHOW 2011 is on! 

If you are unsure if ABA TECHSHOW is for you, download the conference brochure to see everything that is taking place or watch a video explaining why you can't afford to miss ABA TECHSHOW. It has something for attorneys in all practice settings and all level of technical skills. Most of all, it is presented by attorneys for attorneys (and their staff) to become more effective, efficient, and profitable.

ABA TECHSHOW is excited to welcome keynote speaker: Professor Larry Lessig. Professor Lessig is the Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, and a Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Don't miss his highly-anticipated presentation titled, Code Is Law.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES:

• Registration — the early bird deadline is February 25, 2011 and is the best deal going. Click here to see the rates and register!

• Housing — the hotel reservation deadline is March 10, 2011. Make your reservation before all the rooms at the landmark Chicago Hilton are gone!

• Airfare — Book early for best pricing. I like Kayak.com to find and track the best prices. Don't forget Southwest Airlines for low prices. SWA doesn't participate on airfare aggragation sites, but often has great on-line deals.

Technology changes fast — it's important for attorneys to know the best technology applications and trends that will help them practice better — and that's why ABA TECHSHOW exists!

Make Plans for ABA TECHSHOW 2010 in Chicago

The 24th edition of ABA TECHSHOW promises to be the best yet when it opens at the Chicago Hilton on March 25, 2010.  The world of legal technology is changing rapidly, and all lawyers need to understand the changes to help them more effectively and efficiently help their clients.

ABA TECHSHOW is never the same twice, mainly because technology is always changing. This year is no exception. The rise of social media as a marketing and information tool for lawyers will be front and center at the 3-day conference, including the keynote address by noted lawyer and marketing strategist, Ari Kaplan. 

In addition, one day-long track will be devoted to "cloud" computing which is taking the world--and the legal community--by storm.  Lawyers need to know and understand cloud computing because it covers a wide spectrum of possibilities for law firms from new desktop tools to new ways to offer (and deliver) legal services over the Internet. And, unlike any other generic technology conference, ABA TECHSHOW focuses the program on what lawyers need to know about the topics, including the ethical ramifications.

ABA TECHSHOW is a multi-track conference over 2 1/2 days produced by the ABA Law Practice Management Section. (In the interest of full disclosure, I am one of the nine volunteer members of the ABA TECHSHOW Planning Board.) Make your plans now to attend this conference: Block out the days on your calendar before they get filled and then register ASAP to get the best conference rate. Finally, use your favorite travel site, but I like Kayak to find the best deals to get to Chicago for this fun and educational event.

You Can't Afford Not to Attend the 2009 ABA TECHSHOW

Times are tough, even for many attorneys, but that doesn't mean we can stop investing in ourselves and our practices. One of the best investments lawyers can make is to participate in the annual ABA TECHSHOW. There, lawyers and staff can learn how to improve the efficiency of their services, expand their client base, and deliver higher-quality services through the more effective use of technology.

Whether you are a big firm lawyer going solo, a solo expanding your firm, a corporate lawyer needing to keep up with e-discovery, an immigration lawyer wanting to improve your website, a family law lawyer seeking to streamline your work flow process, or a large firm Chief Technology Officer, there is something at TECHSHOW for everyone.

I have attended and/or presented at TECHSHOW for the past 11 years, and it is always one of the best events each year. (In fact, I liked it so much, they invited me to be on the planning board this year!) In addition to the high-quality learning sessions, there are activities and events to network with other lawyers, visit one-on-one with technology vendors, and toss around ideas with some of the best minds in our profession.

The conference runs April 2 through April 4, 2009 at the Chicago Hilton. Save the date now, but be sure to register before the early-bird deadline on February 28, 2009. And if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.

Going Solo Just Got Easier

I am pleased to be presenting my annual starting a law practice seminar in conjunction with the DC Bar on Friday, January 23, 2009. This all-day seminar is highly interactive and full of practical information for lawyers just starting a new practice or who have been in practice a few years, but want to upgrade their marketing efforts, improve their efficiency and profitability, deliver "knock-your-socks-off" client service, and avoid the ethical problems that can trap the unwary sole practitioner.

Joining me this year (my 10th year) on the faculty are Dan Mills, who heads the DC Bar Practice Management Advisory Service, and Heather Bupp-Habuda, adjunct professor of ethics and former Ethics Counsel at the DC Bar.

If you live and work in the DC area (or by chance plan to stay a few days after the Presidential Inauguration), then join us for an informative and enjoyable day of learning and innovation.