Jay Shepherd
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Billable Hours, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Pricing Legal Services in Eight Easy(ish) Steps
So Lat calls me up all excited about some Biglaw Midsummer Bonus or something, which I totally ignore, and also about some hysterical dicta that Judge Kozinski wrote, which I also ignore (although it probably was pretty funny), and then he starts asking me about my law career. Which, you know, ended. And he points […] -
Associate Advice, In-House Counsel, Small Law Firms, Sports
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Tell Them Why the Trains Are Late
As you probably know, the Boston Bruins won their first Stanley Cup since the Nixon Administration. I’m no kind of hockey fan, but as a Boston sports fan, I took a passing interest in it. Which is to say that I watched Game 7 on Wednesday. Mine was a short ride on the bandwagon. (I […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Billable Hours, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: The Real Reason for Timesheets
What did you do yesterday? I’m assuming you went to work. Did you put in a full day? Great. Let’s assume you got started around 9:00, took about an hour for lunch, and signed off at 7:00. Maybe for you that’s a light day, or maybe that’s a long day. Doesn’t matter. So that means […]
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Associate Advice, Job Searches, Labor / Employment, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: You Know What Kind of Law You Want to Practice. Now What?
I’m under the impression that many of our readers are looking for a new job, or at least thinking about it. Some of you are still in law school and haven’t lined something up yet. Others have been laid off by a firm and are trying to find a replacement gig. Still others are unhappy […] -
Small Law Firms, Social Networking Websites, Twittering
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Five People Who Should Never Tweet
There’s not much I can add to this Weinergate thing that hasn’t already been covered on these pages and everywhere else. Congressman Anthony Weiner has said that he’s not going to resign over the scandal that he tweeted various body parts to women other than his wife. I believe that he will have to resign, […] -
Associate Advice, Screw-Ups, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Sorry About This Post
Have you ever messed something up for a client? Ever make a mistake that was yours and yours alone, that caused your client a problem and you and your firm some embarrassment? If you haven’t, then you haven’t been practicing very long. Because you can’t practice for a long time without making some mistakes. It’s […] -
Shameless Plugs, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Reflections on Thirteen Years
I hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend. I hope you were able to leave work behind for the long weekend and spend time with your friends and family. I hope you enjoyed good weather, maybe threw a ball around, grilled some steaks, and so forth. It was, after all, the Unofficial Beginning of […] -
Associate Advice, Job Searches, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: 10 Traits That Will Get You Hired
It’s very difficult to get a job as an associate in a small law firm. First of all, there is a lot of competition. Many of you are between jobs. Many are at Biglaw jobs looking to get out. Many of you are finishing up law school and are still looking. Don’t get me wrong: […] - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Baseball, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Shameless Plugs, Small Law Firms, Sports
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Small-Firm Wins
I’m a huge Red Sox fan. (That noise you just heard were all the Yankees fans skipping ahead to the comment section. Don’t wait, guys. I’ll be right there.) This season began with the highest expectations, after the Sox won the offseason by acquiring superstars Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford and by rebuilding their bullpen. […] -
Perks / Fringe Benefits, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Get Rid of Sick Days
Every so often a lawyer with a small firm will ask me what to do about providing employees with paid sick days. The practice is much more common in large firms, but many lawyers have come to expect it as a perk no matter how big their firms are. (To be clear, I’m talking about […] -
Associate Advice, Rudeness, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: The Problem with Lawyer Letters
Have you ever noticed that some lawyers become different people when they get in front of a keyboard? It’s like a Jekyll-and-Hyde kind of thing. They might be perfectly pleasant individuals in real life, capable of warmth or at least civility to their fellow human beings. But get them in front of a computer with […] -
Boutique Law Firms, Law Firm Names, Lawyer Advertising, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: What’s In A Name?
Before this column launched, I spent several moments stewing over possible pseudonyms. After all, branding is everything. So, I wanted to come up with a name that said to my audience that I was a small-firm expert and a super-cool chick. Naturally, I picked the name that is synonymous with post-menopausal Jewish bubbies. Perhaps I […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 05.11.11
* Self-driving cars in Vegas? Yes please, I want to play destination roulette. [ABA Journal] * Wow, I guess law schools are still afraid of being exposed by the New York Times. Here’s some Case Western news, from Professor Jonathan Adler. [Volokh Conspiracy] * A follow-up on Tim Wu’s recent Quote of the Day about […]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
Sponsored
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
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Labor / Employment, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: The Customer Is Always Right. Not.
You always hear this business axiom: “The customer is always right.” Whether true or not, you’re supposed to at least let the customer believe that he or she is correct. But in my experience, that doesn’t always work. Before I went to law school, I was a banker. (That sentence makes me sound old, since […] -
English Grammar and Usage, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: The 'Lost' Art of Hyphens
Did you watch Lost? I was a big fan of the show, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2010. The series required quite a commitment from its viewers, since it had a large ensemble cast and was a true serial — you really couldn’t miss any episodes. After the third season, the producers made […] -
Associate Advice, Labor / Employment, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: When Should You Start Your Own Firm?
There comes a time in the career of every law-firm lawyer when she realizes that her bosses are acting like idiots, that “they’re doing it wrong,” and that she could do a better job if she were running her own law firm. Most of the time, that idea goes no further: the lawyer rattles off […] -
Alan Dershowitz, Associate Advice, Rudeness, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Five Tips for Dealing With Obnoxious Opponents
I have a temper. That might surprise people who know me casually, like my professional acquaintances. I work hard to keep it in check. Over the past 17 years as an employment litigator (representing companies), I’ve gotten better at controlling my anger. But it hasn’t always been easy. Because lawyers can be pretty adept at […] -
Associate Advice, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: How to Handle Senior Associates
My first job out of law school was at a five-lawyer employment-law boutique: two partners, two other associates, and me. (OK, it was my only job out of law school; I started my firm after four years at this boutique.) The other two associates were third-years when I started. To be sure, they were both […] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Small Law Firms, Technology
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Blade Runner and the Future of Law
I’ve got news for you: The future of practicing law will not be about cloud computing. It won’t be about tablets or offshoring or client self-help or virtual law offices. It won’t be about e-discovery, or practice management, or paperless offices. Yes, these things will certainly all happen; many are happening now, and a number […] -
Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Why Lawyers Suck at Sales
Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Small Firms, Big Lawyers, one of Above the Law’s new columns for small-firm lawyers. Funny story: One day during my third year of law school, I overslept and missed an important session of my Sales class. The problem is, when I tried to get the notes for […]