Exclusive: First Look At New Survey Of Solo And Small Firms

From Above the Law authored by Robert Ambrogi:

“Acquiring and keeping clients is the most significant challenge facing solo and small law firms, and increasing numbers of those firms see do-it-yourself legal websites as their competitors for those clients. Despite acknowledging this challenge, however, nearly three quarters of firms are doing nothing to address it.

These are among the findings of the 2017 State of U.S. Small Law Firms, a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters of more than 300 law firms ranging in size from solo to 29 attorneys. I have been given an exclusive preview of the survey, which will be available for download later this month. (You can sign up now to receive a copy when it is available.)

This is the second year Thomson Reuters conducted the survey. I reported on last year’s survey in a series of posts here and at my blog Lawsitesblog.com. In last year’s posts, I gave an overview of the survey and then covered what the survey found about small firms’ greatest challenges and what they’re doing to address them, how small firms measure success, and the kinds of technology small firms are using. My final post last year looked at how solos differ from other small firm lawyers.

Again this year, I will report on the survey in a series of posts both here and at my own blog.”

 

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

What Guys Don’t Get About Bras

From MEL authored by Tracy Moore:

“First, let us define our terms: When women talk about our bras, we are really talking about our boobs, and about enduring the fraught experience that is having to have a Boob Management System. Every woman has one, and it’s carefully honed over a lifetime. And let me tell you: Having boobs is as wonderful as you’d think, but lugging them around 24/7 is horrible to a degree you can’t comprehend.

You see, we can’t just walk around with our boobs exactly as they were issued to us; we gotta hoist those motherfuckers into something society deems respectable. It’s a delicate balance between aesthetics and propriety, and it’s not only a problem for women with big boobs versus women with small ones. Hoisting them up too much is a problem (cleavage!); not hoisting them enough or at all is a problem (flopping! nipples!). It’s “damned if we do, damned if we don’t” when it comes to owning boobs.”

 

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

Striking A Sober Balance In Your Holiday Party

From Above The Law authored by Brian Cuban:

“I know what you’re thinking. It’s early November. We just started daylight saving time. Thanksgiving is still weeks away. Why in the world is Brian talking about holiday parties? The answer is simple.  As a law firm HR professional, managing partner, bar association executive director, or simply the designated party planner, now is the time to start thinking about throwing a holiday event that strikes a balance between providing a tasty rum and eggnog or glass of wine for those who do not have issues limiting intake and providing more than a half liter of flat regular or diet soda and warm bottled water for those who may live a sober lifestyle for whatever reason.  To encourage an environment at that event that does not resemble an inquisition with regard to those who choose not to partake. It’s not a difficult balance.  It’s no longer just about talking about changing the culture. This is the perfect opportunity to put it into practice.

Finding balance is not about going to extremes. I am not advocating that. While statistics tells us that as a profession, we are in crisis with regard to problem drinking as compared to societal drinking norms (which are also problematic), they also tell us that the majority of lawyers do not having a drinking problem. The bottom line is, however, that at any such event, there will probably be those attending who are either in recovery or are dealing with a drinking problem and have not yet found recovery.”

 

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

Where do kids learn to undervalue women? From their parents.

From The Washington Post authored by Darcy Lockman:

“With good reason, much of the concern about misogyny is currently focused on the workplace. As the #MeToo testimonials have shown, the professional world all too frequently tasks women with silent endurance of morally unacceptable (or downright criminal) behavior. But even those of us who have avoided the most abusive workplaces live with malignant gender dynamics in our homes — and risk passing them on to our children.

Study after study shows that, among heterosexual parents, fathers — even the youngest and most theoretically progressive among them — do not partake generously of the workload at home. Employed women partnered with employed men carry 65 percent of the family’s child-care responsibilities, a figure that has held steady since the turn of the century. Women with babies enjoy half as much leisure time on weekends as their husbands. Working mothers with preschool-age children are 2 1/2 times as likely to performmiddle-of-the-night care as their husbands. And in hours not so easily tallied, mothers remain almost solely in charge of the endless managerial care that comes with raising children: securing babysitters, filling out school forms, sorting through hand-me-downs.”

 

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

Female lawmakers come forward with experiences of sexual harassment by peers in Congress

From The Christian Science Monitor authored by Erica Werner and Juilet Linderman:

“For years, Rep. Mary Bono (R) of California endured the increasingly suggestive comments from a fellow lawmaker in the House. But when the congressman approached her on the House floor and told her he’d been thinking about her in the shower, she’d had enough.

She confronted the man, who she said still serves in Congress, telling him his comments were demeaning and wrong. And he backed off.

Representative Bono, who served 15 years before being defeated in 2012, is not alone.

As reports flow almost daily of harassment or worse by men in entertainment, business and the media, one current and three former female lawmakers tell The Associated Press that they, too, have been harassed or subjected to hostile sexual comments – by fellow members of Congress.

The incidents occurred years or even decades ago, usually when the women were young newcomers to Congress. They range from isolated comments at one hearing, to repeated unwanted come-ons, to lewd remarks, and even groping on the House floor. Coming amid an intensifying national focus on sexual harassment and gender hostility in the workplace, the revelations underscore that no woman is immune, even at the highest reaches of government.”

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

The First Female Lawyer in America Took the Bar Illegally. A True Lady in Defiance.

From Ladies in Defiance authored by Heather Frey Blanton:

 

“Arabella Mansfield. You’ve probably never heard of her unless you’re from Iowa, but Arabella was the first woman in America to become a lawyer. She passed the Iowa bar in 1869, illegally. Still, Arabella’s milestone proves that behind many a good woman there often stands a supportive man.

Arabella was actually born Belle Aurelia Babb in in 1846 in Burlington, IA. Only three years later her father left to hunt gold in the west, leaving Mrs. Babb to raise Arabella and her brother Washington on her own. Her father was kind enough, however, to send home some money, enabling both children to attend college. Perhaps since her mother was such a stalwart example of what a woman could do, Arabella never saw a barrier she couldn’t conquer. John Mansfield, her high school sweetheart, was smart enough to realize that and, instead of trying to hold her back, encouraged her to reach for the stars.”

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

From Above the Law authored by Olga V. Mack and  Katia Bloom:

“In our previous article on the five stages of transformation: frustration, trial and error, the “Aha!” moment, discovery and synchronization, we went over the process we all go through in order to transform and grow.

Struggling Through Frustration & Trial & Error

While we all love the part where things start to click and you feel like the painful growth period is behind you, the reality is that you’ll often-times feel like you’re just “stuck” while you’re in the first two stages: frustration and trial and error. Though an incredibly valuable emotion, the initial stage of transformation occurs when we encounter conflicting feelings about the challenge in front of us. Subsequently, as we work through the conflicting emotions that naturally occur as we become frustrated, we progress on to the next stage where we try to embrace uncharted territory. During trial and error, we frequently don’t feel fully rooted and like we have our feed under us in this new landscape.”

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

Reminder: She Doesn’t Owe Anyone a Hug. Not Even at the Holidays.

From Girl Scouts:

“Holidays and family get-togethers are a time for yummy food, sweet traditions, funny stories, and lots and lots of love. But they could, without you even realizing it, also be a time when your daughter gets the wrong idea about consent and physical affection.

Have you ever insisted, “Uncle just got here—go give him a big hug!” or “Auntie gave you that nice toy, go give her a kiss,” when you were worried your child might not offer affection on her own? If yes, you might want to reconsider the urge to do that in the future.

Think of it this way, telling your child that she owes someone a hug either just because she hasn’t seen this person in a while or because they gave her a gift can set the stage for her questioning whether she “owes” another person any type of physical affection when they’ve bought her dinner or done something else seemingly nice for her later in life.

“The notion of consent may seem very grown-up and like something that doesn’t pertain to children,” says Girl Scouts’ developmental psychologist Dr. Andrea Bastiani Archibald, “’but the lessons girls learn when they’re young about setting physical boundaries and expecting them to be respected last a lifetime, and can influence how she feels about herself and her body as she gets older. Plus, sadly, we know that some adults prey on children, and teaching your daughter about consent early on can help her understand her rights, know when lines are being crossed, and when to go to you for help.’”

 

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

What Lawyers Can Learn from Apple When Setting Billing Rates

From Attorney at Work authored by Roy S. Ginsburg:

“Last month, Apple unveiled its new iPhone X to much fanfare. Perhaps what created the most fanfare was its price. It starts at $999 — hundreds more than the older iPhone 7 and the brand-new iPhone 8.

You don’t need a Ph.D. in Economics to understand the logic behind Apple’s pricing strategy. It’s simple. Apple hopes that for many, owning a high-priced phone will become a status symbol, much like owning a luxury car. In short, having an iPhone X broadcasts prestige, prominence and stature.

Billable Rates and Quality

Can a lawyer’s hourly rate broadcast prestige, prominence and stature? As the residents of my home state of Minnesota like to say, “’Yah, you betcha!’”

 

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

Can Lawyers and Judges Be Social Media Friends?

From Attorney At Work authored by Mark C. Palmer:

“QUESTION: I’ve been practicing in my medium-size legal community for going on 20 years. During that time, I’ve watched technology advance my private practice by leaps and bounds, including client development via social media outlets. I embraced Facebook, Twitter and Instagram early on — and it’s paid off in my case.

As I’ve made new friends, in person and online, I’ve watched my social media presence grow. But now I find myself in a potential conundrum. One of my longtime social and professional friends was appointed this year as our newest local judge. We have been social media friends for years.

I haven’t appeared before her yet, but expect I will at some point. Are we obligated to “un-friend” and “unfollow” each other? Our children are friends, too, and participate in many activities together. We share photos online. It appears harmless. Yet I’m thinking it’s not worth the risk.

And, if we do remain online friends, would disclosure of the online connections prevent any perceptions of impropriety?”

Read the full story by FOLLOWING THIS LINK.

Share this:

Are you a Girl Attorney?


Join the Directory!
SIGN UP