Hoosier Lawyer

WOW ! Solos are TRULY AMAZING! ! !

As many of you know, I've been opening my own law office.  It's located on the southwest side of Indianapolis in Decatur Township.  The office is open -- sort of.  Still unpacking boxes, and need to hire a receptionist.  Obviously, this explains why I have not posted much lately.

I'll go through some of the details later, but for now let me just say that I have a whole new level of respect for solos.  I've always respected those who go it alone.  But now, that respect has risen to an entirely higher level. 

More details to come.

Marketing Your Practice -- Website Offers Extensive FREE Resources

Not every marketing idea is a great one.  For example, the 1-800- P-I-T-B-U-L-L campaign of a Florida law firm that landed the lawyers in ethical trouble (click on photo for larger view).

But  if you ever think about marketing your practice (that would be everyone), and you want to do it the right way, there is a great website for you -- and it is all FREE!

Lawyer Marketing Advisor is the website of legal marketing expert Trey Ryder.  His site is a tremendous resource for marketing tips for lawyers.  Just a sampling of the articles on his website includes:  How to Build Your Law Practice With Dignity, Design Your Client Agreement as a Legal and Marketing Document; 11 Bad Business Practices That Undermine Your Marketing Program; and 17 Fatal Marketing Mistakes That Lawyers Make.

Take a look.

Website Offers Universe of WordPerfect Tips

Those out there (like me) who remain convinced that WordPerfect is hands-down superior to Word -- and every other word processing program on the planet -- the good news keeps on coming.

Last spring the news was WordPerfect was back.  It's new WordPerfect Office 12 was released -- along with the news that the U.S. Department of Justice and the entire Canadian government had chosen WordPerfect as its word processing software.  The result was that WordPerfect was once again a "player" in the legal software business.

The latest news (at least to me) is WordPerfect Universe.  It is a website devoted to users of WordPerfect.  It has resources, links and forums which provide information on macros, merge, troubleshooting, networking, and a host of other issues.  It also contains information on use of Corel's other WP Office programs.

As an added plus -- it also has a healthy disrespect for Microsoft. 

Check it out.

TIME MANAGEMENT - SOME USEFUL TIPS

Oklahoma's Jim Calloway has written an OUTSTANDING useful article on time management.  It is short, to the point, and has some great practical suggestions.  if you have ever wished you had more time in your day, I strongly suggest you take a look.

The article is titled "Do You Have The Time:  A Few Thoughts About Time Management for Attorneys" and appears on the Oklahoma Bar Association's website.  To view the article, just CLICK HERE. 

Jim is lawyer, ABA author, speaker, chair of the 2005 ABA TechShow, and Director of the Oklahoma Bar Associations Management Assistance Program.  He also writes one of the most useful blogs for lawyers on the web  -- Jim Calloway's Law Practice Management Blog.

Help for the Home Office Lawyer

Small town Kansas lawyer Grant Griffiths has started a blog devoted specifically to the issues facing lawyers who practice from a home office -- aptly titled Home Office Lawyer. 

The blog offers tips, resources and encouragement for those practicing law from a home office. In today's world of electronic filing, e-mail and electronic research, more and more lawyers are opting for a home office setting.  Even those of us with downtown offices find ourselves practicing more and more from home. 

This site could be very useful.  Take a look.   

Whatever You're Looking For, You Can Probably Find It Here

No matter what type of legal research you are doing, chances are you can find something about it on Law Library Blogs.  This is not a source itself, but rather is a listing of blogs maintained by law libraries and law librarians.  Interesting resource.

Keep Track of US Supreme Court Happenings on SCOTUS Blog

Whether it is from need, just keeping informed, or idle curiosity, keeping up on whats happening before the United States Supreme Court is now amazingly simple.  SCOTUS Blog (standing for "Supreme Court Of The United States) keeps track of opinions, arguments and general matters of interest involving the United State Supreme Court. 

It is operated by Goldstein and Howe, a Washington D.C. boutique firm emphasizing practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.  The postings are concise, clear and informative.  Worth a look if you have an interest in that area.

Indiana Family Law Blog Providing Valuable Resource for Hoosier Lawyers and Families

If you haven't done so already, check out Indiana Family Law blog.  The site is the work of South Bend lawyer William Wilson.  Bill is posting some really nice articles that include updates on recent family law cases, important resources for family lawyers, and astute observations and commentary.

Bill practices in South Bend with the firm of Anderson, Agostino & Keller. PC

If you practice family law, you should consider adding Bill's site to your newsreader, or check it frequently for new postings and updates.

Hoosier Lawyer Gets Recognition

Ta - dah!   

Hoosier Lawyer blog just got it's first award!

Dallas lawyer and legal technology guru Tom Mighell recently recognized Hoosier Lawyer as his Blawg of the Day!  Okay -- it's not like an Academy Award or an Olympic Gold Medal -- but it beats a sharp stick in the eye.

Recognition came on Tom's well established site Inter-Alia, which focuses on "internet research, among other things."  If you have not seen his site, take a look.  It is a great resource.  Just click on the link above. 

Those who have attended the past two Indiana Solo & Small Firm Conferences will recognize Tom's name.  He gave outstanding presentations on law and technology both in Columbus and Lafayette, as well as being a regular speaker at ABA TechShow in Chicago.

Tom may be from Texas, but his family has ties to Indiana.  So he can claim being a  Hoosier Lawyer, too.