Chuck Newton

Letters To The Editor

Good grief, it has been a long time since I have done this, but many years ago I use to do it.  I was in a small town at the time.  But, Susan Cartier Liebel over at Build A Solo Practice has reminded me that letters to the editor of your local papers (weekly and daily) have good PR value.

I am not really sure they are effective in my line of work because my practice is limited to a very define area the terminology of which is mostly understood only be other attorneys.  But, you should not neglect letters to the editor if you practice in other areas, and especially if you represent consumers, such as in family law cases, probate, bankruptcy, personal injury and the like.

Get in on the debate.  Susan's post better defines the technical aspects of preparing such letters, and I will not review these here.  What I can add, however, is that some newspapers will allow you to identify yourself as a lawyer and some will not.  Whether the paper (or magazine or blog for that matter) does or does not allow you to promote yourself, the letter can still be a very effective tool if you follow the network marketing solutions that Susan and I and others propose.

This is true because you can use the letters printed, and the fact that your opinions were included in the paper on your blog.  You can promote this via email and fax broadcast to your referral sources.  You can promote this fact in a newsletter.  You can make copies of the editorial with the Newspaper's masthead and distribute them and make them available to clients.

So Susan is write (I like that play on words), letters to the editor represent a valuable tool both directly and indirectly if promoted correctly and to their maximum benefit.

The Republican Candidates

Oklahoma City University School Of Law

Law schools many times just focus on the wrong selling points when trying to appeal to those interested in law schools.  They like to describe their facilities (most often without pictures or videos).  They concentrate on a few little tidbits.  They concern themselves too much with rankings, while ignoring their web presence, including vital things like YouTube and Wikipedia.  It is hard to find out enough of the right things if you are trying to make a choice in law schools.

This is all true about Oklahoma City University School of Law.  Just look at its website.  the Visit the Campus section does not have any pictures or videos.  It does prominently display its tuition and fees, which a lot of law schools like to bury.  Where are the blogs?  The videos?  The pros that appeals to real students looking to make a choice?

But, OCU Law does have some things to recommend it.  It is a private law school but because of its geographic location in about the middle of the Country it is a national law school.  Its current 700 students come from 39 states and several foreign countries, and graduated from 215 different universities and colleges.  Its student population is a bit older, which means they come to the law school looking for a new career, or a second career, or simple to expand their credentials.  Their student body includes physicians, professors, engineers, military officers, business people, and professionals from many other fields.

Because of its location it is a major resource of American Indian law.  It is also well known for its Alterntive Dispute Resolution Center.  Given the trend toward private courts, mediation and arbitration in this Country, this would seem to be a must.

As a private law school, OCU does not come cheap.  Its current tuition for full time students is $29,050 a year.  But, Oklahoma is a lot cheaper place to live than most states.  Also, the tuition is cheaper than most private schools on the west and east coasts.

The point is that if you are considering law school, OCU Law might be a viable option for you.

The Magic Law Box?

The whole green movement is very interesting for the work at home lawyer or solo lawyer.  Several countries are relying heavily on prefabricated construction, which is good for the Third Wave attorney who needs some independent space.  It is a trend headed quickly to the USA.  And example is the Magic Box.  It not only represents the future, but the fact that it is cubic, versatile, small and green it means the Third Wave attorney can easily buy and adapt the space he or she needs for an office.  You can place this on the roof of an existing building or in a small back yard, or just about anyplace.

 

                                                                  

                                                                                                                     
   

I Am No Miracle Worker. I Am A Janitor.

I guess we are not suppose to care for lawyer movies, and especially those that portray lawyers in a seedy sort of light.  But, it is really all a matter of perspective.  Such movies can also define things in ways we have failed.

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York.

Maybe it is just my mood today, but I like the description that Clooney gives as his role as a lawyer:

There is no play here.  No. Angle.  No Champagne room.  I am no miracle worker.  I am a janitor.  The math on this is simple.  The smaller the mess the  easier it is for me to clean up.

Our clients might very much be hoping for, or praying for, a miracle worker, but ultimately we cannot pull rabbits out of our hats.  All we can really do is clean up the mess they have created in the best way possible.

Give Me A Dollar And I Will Give You Change

I saw this first on Luke Gilman's High on the Hog Blog.

The Good And The Bad Of The "Work From Home Generation"

I like this post by Alex Iskold at Read Write Web about the "work from home generation".  I think many or most of us lawyers forget that this revolution is taking place outside of the practice of law and it is not antithetical to the practice of law.  But the post defines the good things and bad things about working from home.

The Good Things:

1.  No commute.
2.  Flexibility.
3.  Saving money and the environment.
4.  Increased productivity.

The Bad Things:

1.  Brainstorming is difficult.
2.  You never leave work.
3.  Entropy is after you.

University Of Hawai'i At Manoa - William S. Richardson School Of Law

Man, it is a mouth full to say.  You might might not be that well received at a dinner party when you are asked where you go to law school and you say the University of Hawai'i at Manoa - Williams S. Richardson School of Law.  Or, maybe you can just make everybody jealous by saying you go to law school in Hawai'i.

All joking aside, the law school is well regarded.  Located at the foot of beautiful Manoa valley in Honolulu, it is a public law school, and it is the only law school in the state.

My daughter had considered this law school maybe because it was in Hawai'i, but mainly because her interest in the Asian legal system.  The law school is set geographically to teach and deal with these issues.  In fact, the second language most taught in Hawai'i public schools is Japanese.

Now, Hawai'i as we know is not the cheapest place to live.  Nonetheless, the law school was ranked as one of the best values by PreLaw Magazine.  Its tuition is only $13,032, which is a bargain for this state and its location.  On average 87% of its graduates pass the bar on the first try, compared to the state average of only 79%.  And, 88.5% of their graduates find jobs soon after graduation.  These are all admirable achievements.

The law school also offers an LL.M. program in International Law.  My daughter is casually looking at LL.M. programs that build on her language skills and interest in Japan and Asia.  So, this might still be a possibility for her.

And, we here do not like to much mention U.S. News law school rankings, but the law school is ranked in the top tier.

I did wish it had a more dynamic website.

Did I mention the law school was in Hawai'i?

You Are Not Alone

I would like you to meet Michael McBride, an attorney from Ohio that does what you want to do.  He is a dedicated Third Wave lawyer and a practitioner of the art.

Too often, I think, I talk to people, or get emails from attorneys, that simply say that my case is unusual, but that you cannot work without office space and staff and the trappings of the Second Wave or traditional practice of law.  But you can, and the resistance is between your two ears.

I think what Michael McBride says is very compelling.  In regard to a recent post, this is what he wrote:

I have been in private practice over 20 years; 18 of them in an office setting. The last 2 years, I shed the brick and mortar and its overhead...and I say, "Why did I not do this before!" I meet and greet clients at places with Wi-Fi with my laptop and most if not all have e-communications set up for transfer of .pdf's. It has worked well so far. If you need to meet, I do what you do: Panera or Starbucks; local bar associations usually have places for free. No one has ever complained as I meet at the convenience of my clients which they really appreciate. There is always a work around to any obstacle.

Forget About The Jones

"I just couldn't give up my office.  My clients expect me to maintain a certain image".

Really?

What image is that?  Greed?

"I am not like you.  I represent regular people and I have to have an office to meet with my client".

Who says?

What I have discovered over the years is that it does not matter if your client is Dow Jones or Doug Jones, Wall Street or Main Street, most clients could care less about your fancy office, or the fact that you have one.  The barrier to moving out is all in your head.  In fact, especially in hard times, I think the opposite is true.

Not long ago I had to visit one of the Big Law offices, and I can tell you that I was personally offended by the opulence of the place.  And, the thing is that the lawyers in the firm, representing insurance companies, large corporations, media and big financial institutions rarely have clients that visit the office.  The space was for my benefit.  it was to try and intimidate me.  It is also an ego trip and and a recruiting tool.  They want to use the space to reel in the high scoring law student who want the same ego trip they are riding.

But, can you imagine an actual client who is responsible for paying for this type of setting sitting in the waiting room?  That client has to know that it is  are paying for this overstatement, and that maybe for a $100 less an hour it might be able to find a competent lawyer who has a nice clean but cozy space.

And then there is the Doug Jones aspect of the argument.  I tend to think that an office and a desk gives an attorney a since of power, but it ignores the realities that we sell an intangible asset.  Doug Jones no more wants to come to your office than you need the space.  He is there mainly because you require it and he needs an attorney.

There are so many alternatives for meeting arrangements.  The courthouse is one.  The library.  Starbucks.  Some other attorneys' conference room.  Executive suites.

Well, what if my client needs to drop something off?

I run into this every day.  I simply tell them I work out of my home and ask if they can fax it or email it to me.  It is truly amazing these days the number of consumers that have access to a fax machine or a scanner.  Alternatively, ask them to mail it.

But, what if they are wanting to drop off money?

Offer to meet them somewhere.  Why trust that task to anybody else?  You are more likely to collect the money if you set an appointment anyway.  Get a merchant's account, take debit and credit cards, set up a paypal account, accept ACH checks.  There are a lot of alternative here as well.

So, forget about the Jones.  Neither Dow Jones or Doug Jones are demanding that you maintain a traditional office.  If you think so, you are putting words in their mouths.  It is you that has delusions of grandeur.  And, even if the client does have delusions of grandeur, it is not your grandeur they are concerned about.  What both want is good legal representation at a reasonable price.

What you need is a little more humility and a lot less overhead.