Beach Reads: Books To Help You Run A Successful 21st Century Law Firm
Invest in a few of these books and get started on the path to updating your law practice.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated a rather sizable library of law practice management and legal technology books, the vast majority of which were complimentary copies that arrived on my doorstep so that I could review them. They cover a wide range of topics of interest to lawyers, from firms both big and small, who are tasked with the business side of running a law firm.
I figured a roundup of some of my favorites might be a worthwhile endeavor. After all, the practice of law is changing rapidly, shaped by technological advances, globalization, and increased competition. And now that 31 states require lawyers to maintain technology competence, why not brush up on the latest legal tech advancements and law practice management advice by reading a book or two?
The nuts and bolts of law practice
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Here are three books that will get you up to speed on starting and running a law practice, while also laying the groundwork for a successful legal career:
- Solo By Choice: How to be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be and the Solo By Choice, the Companion Guide. Both are written by solo guru Carolyn Elefant. These books walk you through the ins and outs of starting your own law firm and cover everything you need to know about starting and managing a successful solo law practice.
- Effectively Staffing Your Law Firm, 2nd Edition. This book is edited by jennifer j. rose and each chapter is written by experts, many of whom are lawyers, and covers everything you need to know about hiring and firing staff — and everything in between.
- The Marble and the Sculptor: From Law School to Law Practice. This book, written by Keith Lee, provides advice for recent law graduates and those considering a legal career, and covers topics ranging from choosing the right classes in law school to charting a path to a successful legal career.
The Ins and Outs of Legal Technology
Technology changes so quickly that it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Get your head out of the sand and get up to speed on the latest legal technology advancements with these three books:
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- Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide: Critical Decisions Made Simple. Written by Attorney Sharon Nelson, Certified Information Systems Security Professional John Simek, and Digital Forensics Examiner Michael Maschke, this book covers a vast range of hardware and software, provides a wealth of information and tips on choosing the right tools for your firm, and offers their perspective on the impact of emerging technologies on the practice of law
- The Lawyer’s Guide To Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, Second Edition. Tom Mighell and Dennis Kennedy co-author this guide designed to help lawyers use today’s legal technology to collaborate on and manage cases with clients, co-counsel and more. I’ll be reviewing the Second Edition and sharing tips from it in my next column, so stay tuned for that.
- Cybersleuth’s Guide to the Internet: Conducting Effective, Free, Investigative and Legal Research on the Web. Co-authored by Carole Levitt and Mark E. Rosch, this book offers tons of information and guidance for lawyers seeking to use the Internet to conduct investigative and legal research.
Finding and Keeping Clients
Successful marketing leads the way to a successful law practice. After all, without clients, you won’t have much of a practice. In these three books you’ll find lots of great advice for lawyers seeking to stand out in the competitive 21st century legal landscape:
- How to Capture and Keep Clients: Marketing Strategies for Lawyers, Second Edition. This book is edited by jennifer j. rose and includes chapters from more than 27 lawyers and legal marketing experts. With so many distinct viewpoints, you’ll be sure find lots of great ideas to put into action.
- The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development. In this book, Ari Kaplan demystifies the process of marketing your law practice in the digital age. He covers networking, marketing and business development tips to designed to help your your firm’s rainmaking activities succeed, both online and off.
- Marketing Success: How Did She Do That? Women Lawyers Show You How to Move Beyond Tips to Implementation. Authored by Dee A. Schiavelli and Afi S. Johnson-Parris, this book provides women lawyers with business development ideas straight from the mouths of women lawyers who have successfully advanced their legal careers by adeptly navigating the legal marketing maze.
The Big Picture
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Two authors stand out in this category. First, there’s Richard Susskind, the acclaimed legal futurist who has an uncanny knack for predicting where the legal profession is headed and how technology will shape it. In each of these books, he shares his wisdom and insight:
- The End of Lawyers? ReThinking the Nature of Legal Services
- Tomorrow’s Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future, Second Edition
Then there’s Mitch Kowalski, who always provides a visionary and thought-provoking take on how lawyers will work in the future. You’ll find lots of forward-thinking ideas and predictions in these two books:
- Avoiding Extinction: Reimagining Legal Services for the 21st Century
- The Great Legal Reformation: Notes From the Field
So those are my recommendations. Invest in a few of these books and get started on the path to updating your law practice. Read a book or two this summer and get on the path to becoming the best 21st century lawyer you can be!
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter @nikiblack and she can be reached at [email protected].