This past Tuesday, The New York Enterprise Report proudly presented The Best Accountants and Attorneys for Growing Businesses.  This awards event celebrated the top business advisors in New York. 

Joel Greenwald and Joe Bambara, two featured Lawline.com faculty members, were recognized as outstanding attorneys in their respective fields. 

Greenwald was awarded Attorney of the Year (a tie with Charles Torres of Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt) and best attorney in the area of Employment Law.  Currently, he is the managing partner at Greenwald Doherty LLP, a law firm dedicated to representing management in the many legal issues that arise from the employee/employer relationship.  As a jack of all trades, Greenwald has extensive experience not only as a trial lawyer, but as a counselor, a trainer, and a keynote speaker.  He is a highly-valued advisor and is delivering guidance to many management teams in a vast range of industries.

Greenwald recently filmed the CLE course “Top Ten Things Every Employer Should Know Before Firing an Employee” with Lawline.com. 

Click here to preview this course and to learn more about Joel Greenwald and his accomplishments.

Bambara was awarded top attorney in the area of Technology.  He is currently the VP of technology architecture at UCNY, Inc.  In addition, he has been counseling small to mid-size technology firms, has participated in many outsourcing contracts, taught computer courses for CCNY’s School of engineering and has authored several books pertaining to technological applications.  He has given many presentations on all aspect of law and mobile development, and has also presented several CLE courses for Lawline.com. His most recently filmed course is “Possible Thunderstorm: The Legal Ramification of Cloud Computing”. 

Click here to obtain an in-depth look into cloud computing and to learn more about Joe Bambara.
 

Lawline.com and Solo Practice University have established a partnership rooted in the belief that learning is a never-ending process.  Solo Practice is an online destination that provides students and attorneys with the resources they need to enhance their practice. And through this new partnership, they can also fulfill their CLE requirements by accessing hundreds of Lawline.com’s continuing legal education courses.  The overall aim of the collaboration is to create an online community where small firms and solo practitioners can interact and enhance their educational and professional experiences.  

Recently, Solo Practice University was featured in The Rinn Law Library Blog of DePaul University College of Law, and sharing the spotlight was its new partner, Lawline.com.

Follow this link to read the article

Marketing Lessons Learned continued...

3. Owning a law firm is really having three businesses: finding, minding and grinding the business. Where in your experience have you seen significant strides made?

TD: Our focus at Small Firm Business was really on the finding and minding stages. Finding relates to all of the points mentioned above. Regarding minding, I think the key issue there is the application of technology. Lawyers have to determine which applications might actually benefit their practices and improve client service. There are a tremendous number of tech “bells and whistles” being sold, but not all of them are of universal appeal. Also weighing on a firm’s tech decisions are pressures from both the clients and peer firms.

Clients will expect firms to have certain tech capabilities, particularly corporate clients. Firms also need to be mindful of what competing firms are doing on the tech front, lest they appear to be outmoded and somehow unable to serve clients as effectively.

4. Do you see any generational differences towards marketing? (For
example, younger crowds are a lot more open to marketing than those who are 60-plus and set in their ways.)

TD: There may be some older attorneys who still object to marketing as somehow being inappropriate for a lawyer, but I think most have come around and at the very least understand that things have changed. Though this doesn’t mean that they’re becoming bloggers, instead they’re pursuing more traditional marketing. I tend to see marketing as more of a personality issue rather than a generational one. We all know some people who appear to be “born marketers.” And that’s in no way pejorative. What I think it means is that there’s a certain comfort level and confidence that comes across when speaking to these people.

At the same time, some people are uncomfortable talking about themselves if it seems like it could be self-interested. So I think lawyers have to assess what their strengths are and what their comfort zones are. Partners in a small firm could play off of one another’s strengths to see that their firm gets the most exposure in a way that everyone supports and no one dreads.

A heartfelt thank you to Trevor Delaney for doing this interview. Currently he is the Personal Finance Editor at Black Enterprise.

Paramjit L. Mahli is with award winning SCG Legal PR Network. She is a former journalist who has worked with CNN Business News, Canadian Broadcast Corporation and Journal of Commerce. Comprised of small and large firms, SCG Legal PR Network connects legal experts with reporters nationally and internationally. Ms. Mahli is a contributor to Legal Broadcast Network and writes frequently for Technolawyer. She also trains and gives CLEs  regularly on media relations.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Trevor Delaney, former editor of Small Firm, Inc., an ALM publication about law firm marketing, specifically what problems and issues firms have concerning marketing. Here is an excerpt from that Q&A:

1. What are some of the biggest issues facing small law firms?

TD: A key issue for many small firm lawyers is — and I imagine always will be — how they can most effectively market their firms. Not surprisingly, the struggle largely stems from time-management issues. Attorneys want to know how they can most effectively utilize their marketing time and dollars, because there is no magic formula whereby attorneys would be guaranteed results; it just makes the decision making that much harder.

Add to the mix, blogging, podcasting and other ways that the Internet can be used to develop new business, and it becomes abundantly clear that marketing can be a complex decision. Ultimately, it’s a matter of weighing the nature of the practice, the expense, and what marketing efforts the attorney can be enthusiastic about, e.g., sending out a firm newsletter is only effective if there’s someone committed to making it work, each and every time.

2. As far as resistance towards marketing and business development, what changes have you seen during the life of Small Firm Inc.?

TD: While working on Small Firm Business, my sense was the more lawyers were trying to figure out ways to make marketing a more planned aspect of their business plans. Initially as I began to talk with lawyers, many seemed to take an ad hoc approach to marketing, e.g., an attorney might give a speech or make a presentation if the opportunity crossed her desk.

Increasingly I’m hearing about lawyers taking a more proactive approach, and taking the time to fill in some of the obvious gaps in their approaches to marketing. For instance, I think over time you’ll see more small firms setting up Web pages. I’m still surprised by the number of firms that don’t, because the Net has become the starting point for so many of us in any kind of purchase we might consider making.

Check back tomorrow for more marketing tips from Trevor Delaney.

If you were to type “Google WiFi Snooping” into Google’s search bar, in 0.16 seconds you would receive 1,630,000 results regarding the investigation of Google and its questionable violation of privacy law.

So how did Google, a search engine so popular that its name has become a common verb, fall under such scrutiny?

In May, Google admitted that it had unintentionally recorded and saved Web traffic data from unsecured wireless hotspots.  The data was obtained through its street cars, used to take pictures for services like Google Maps.  This “accidentally” retrieved data likely includes fragments of browsers’ e-mail, web surfing, documents, and other private data.
All of the internet surfers’ data has been locked up on a hard drive in a Portland, Oregon federal courthouse.

Google has requested that all of the cases regarding these incidents be consolidated into one, and then having that single case heard by a court near its headquarters.  It is thought that the grant of this request would favor Google because the Judges of Northern California are “comfortable with technology matters and familiar with the company and the importance of its services,” states Eric Goldman, a professor of law at Santa Clara University’s School of Law.

So what’s your take on the matter? Did Google breach our civil liberties or is this just a small price we must pay to reap the benefits of its services?

Knewton is an online LSAT prep course provider that is anything but traditional.  Its test experts have developed the industry’s first adaptive learning engine, allowing students to receive customized prep courses that meet their every need. 

How do they do it?  Knewton has assigned tags to each piece of content learned in its courses.  These tags categorize every concept to an atomic level.  By doing this, Knewton can track a student’s interaction with each concept and assess which videos, lessons, and practice problems are most effective.

For example, if Knewton detects that a student learns certain concepts better by watching videos, then related concepts will also be taught through videos.

Knewton’s unique and innovative services have enticed the brightest, most experienced LSAT teachers to join its team.  And through live and on-demand video classrooms, their guidance can be provided to students, wherever and whenever they wish to seek it.

Former CEO of Kaplan, Greg Rorke commented that “Knewton has rendered every other test prep company totally obsolete.”  This comment, along with admiring testimonials are proving Knewton’s bold statement, “learning will never be the same” to be spot-on.

For more information on Knewton, visit www.knewton.com/lsat
 

Federally-mandated negotiations began recently to resolve an on-going labor dispute between Boeing and striking aircraft workers in Long Beach, California.  Federal mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service convened the negotiations and previously provided negotiation training to both sides.

Why consider a mediator?  It is often beneficial, when an impasse has been reached, for the parties to first agree on a process they believe will lead to a better result.  Both lawyers and business people often resolve lawsuits and other disputes by bringing in an independent third party to either decide the issue (arbitration) or help them negotiate with each other in a more effective way (mediation).

Mediation is particularly effective in disputes involving high emotions and potential future relationships between the parties, both of which are present in the Boeing labor dispute.  Skilled mediators can help parties successfully engage in almost all aspects of the negotiation process.  Two factors should be evaluated before agreeing to use a mediator.  Do both parties agree using a mediator will:

1. Increase the likelihood of achieving a “fair and reasonable” result and
2. Ensure a better result than their respective best alternatives? 

If affirmative, mediation should be considered.

Marty Latz is the founder of Latz Negotiation Institute, a national negotiation training and consulting company, and ExpertNegotiator, a Web-based software company that helps managers and negotiators more effectively negotiate and implement best practices based on the experts' proven research.  He is also the author of Gain the Edge! Negotiating to Get What You Want (St. Martin’s Press 2004). He can be reached at 480-951-3222 or Latz@ExpertNegotiator.com.

The iPad's early success indicates that it is the next revolutionary step in both personal and business life. As a result, forward looking business are initiating compatible applications to meet the predicted demands of consumers. The following is a recent press release regarding title insurance agency Titlevest's new iPad technology in which attorneys can review documents electronically in their iPad in a near identical manner as a printed document. 

Titlevest's New Interactive Online Report™, in Tandem with Apple's IPAD, is a Watershed for the Legal Industry

New York, NY – June 2, 2010 – TitleVest’s newly-launched Interactive Online Report™, a web-based application which streamlines the title insurance review and closing process making it swifter, more comprehensive and thorough than the traditional method of reviewing reams of printed documents, is revolutionary in its own right.

But when TitleVest President and CEO Bill Baron had a hunch that the Online Interactive Report’s™ functionality might be enhanced by running it on the iPad introduced in early April, Baron’s concept instantly became a watershed for the legal industry.  Initially intended for use on a desktop or laptop prior to the introduction of the iPad, it turns out that the application is a perfect match for the size and scope of Apple’s hot new product.

“It’s as if they were made for each other,” said Mr. Baron.  “What makes the Interactive Online Report™ so ideal for the iPad is that it enables attorneys to review reports electronically in virtually the same manner as if they were working with a printed document—by holding it wirelessly and almost weightlessly in their hands, being able to share it as a ‘living’ tablet with colleagues, being able to slip it into a briefcase, and being able to magnify small print as well as to view documents from both a vertical and horizontal perspective.  Virtually every one of our attorney clients who has experienced our Interactive Online Report™ on an iPad has totally embraced the paired technologies.”

Interactive Online Report™ enables all parties involved in a real estate conveyance to view documentation 24/7.  If any party updates the information, changes are updated online and an email notification is sent so that everyone may view the revised report.   The portal offers users the ability to schedule closings and order transfer tax forms and/or IRS Form 1099, complimentary to all parties involved on the transaction.  And post closing, the site provides recording confirmation of all closing documents and archival copies of all title insurance policies.

The Interactive Online Report™ is particularly user friendly and intuitive and it’s Web-based, so it can run on any computer. TitleVest clients were just beginning to use the program prior to Apple’s release of the iPad.  It is equally powerful whether viewed on the iPad or on a computer, but the iPad offers a very distinct ‘comfort’ advantage.

“The product is hot off the press, we are just now encouraging our clients to use it,’ said Mr. Baron, “and based on the feedback, it’s evident that users will be hard-pressed to go back to the traditional method of reviewing paper reports once they’ve experienced the virtues of our interactive version.”

About TitleVest

Founded in 2000, TitleVest (www.titlevest.com) is a leading privately held New York City-based title insurance agency offering a full range of title insurance and related services throughout the United States, from large complex commercial transactions to residential purchase and mortgage refinances. TitleVest is a policy issuing agent for six of the nation’s largest and highest rated title insurance underwriters, namely First American Title Insurance Company of New York and Chicago Title Insurance Company, Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, Stewart Title Insurance Company, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company and Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company.  TitleVest is also an industry leader in developing proprietary web-based solutions for its real estate professional.  Two of its most popular offerings are ACRISasap™, which streamlines the creation of  NYC/NYS transfer tax documents, (for which TitleVest has been issued a U.S. Patent and has another Patent Pending).

Solo Practice University (™), has been making many headlines the past few weeks. The online university is the leading web-based educational and professional networking community for solo lawyers and law students. Yesterday, the company and Lawline.com announced their new partnerships in which newly enrolled students can gain access to one-year of unlimited CLE with Lawline.com

The buzz continues to grow regarding Solo Practice University's(™) stand-out program. The following is an article published today from Law.com entitled "Spinning Solo":

"If there is anything on which lawyers agree, it is that law schools fall short in one critical regard. They teach the  process  of law, but not the  practice  of law. This is a particular handicap for the solo lawyer, who has to be not only lawyer, but also chief cook and bottle washer, all without a colleague or mentor to turn to for advice.

Enter Solo Practice University"... click here continue reading.

For more information regarding Solo Practice University (™), please visit www.solopracticeuniversity.com

Lawline.com and Solo Practice University(™) have launched a partnership to create a one-stop online educational and professional networking community for small firms and solo practitioners. Through the partnership, attorneys and students enrolled in Solo Practice University will be able to access hundreds of Lawline.com’s exclusive continuing legal education courses to further enhance their practice while fulfilling their state bar CLE requirements.

Solo Practice University(™)  was formed with the vision of supporting attorneys with the dream of opening a solo practice by replacing the apprentice experience. Susan Cartier Liebel, founder of Solo Practice University, says the company accomplishes this through a single online destination where lawyers and law students learn the basics of running a solo practice, take classes, and get expert feedback from professionals in specialized fields while networking with like-minded entrepreneurs. Lawline.com is the leading provider of online continuing legal education (CLE). The company’s core value is based on the notion that learning is a life-long journey. Through its online learning center attorneys can complete their CLE credits and simultaneously enhance their practice through a variety of video and audio based courses from experts across the profession.

“There is a common preconception that when law school is over, so is learning,” says Lawline.com president David Schnurman. “However, what makes this partnership so engaging is that Lawline.com and Solo Practice University are both founded upon the ideal that learning is a never-ending process."

Both companies are thrilled that the merger of Lawline.com and Solo Practice University's technological and educational resources will make the process of becoming a solo practitioner much more accessible to all attorneys who want to do it.

For additional information on this opportunity, contact Jeff Reekers at jeff@lawline.com or Susan Cartier Liebel at susan@solopracticeuniversity.com.

About Lawline.com

Founded in 1999, Lawline.com is the leading provider of Online Continuing Legal Education, currently offering hundreds of Online CLE Courses in 40 states. The company has also been recognized as one of the “40 Best Companies to Work for in New York State” by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management and as a “Best Customer Service” finalist by the New York Enterprise Report.  In addition to producing its own high quality programming, Lawline.com has partnered with bar associations, law schools, and CLE providers across the country to bring the best possible course catalog to its diverse customer base of attorneys. To learn more about Lawline.com’s goals and philosophy please visit www.lawline.com/information/about.html. 

About Solo Practice University 

Solo Practice University(™) was founded in March 2009 and currently boasts over 40 faculty mentors and 400 individual lessons. Through its focus on availability, breadth of knowledge, affordability, and convenience, Solo Practice University has become the leading educational and professional networking community for lawyers and law students, designed by lawyers for lawyers, and dedicated to helping professionals in the field build their own solo practice. To learn more about Solo Practice University, please visit www.solopracticeuniversity.com/about.