TechnoLawyer: Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites

Some of you have expressed concern about all the mergers and acquisition activity of late. I personally view such consolidation as the natural order of things, but I don't think you have anything to worry about.

We've received many inquiries lately from startup companies as well as from established companies making their first foray into the legal market (e.g., look for a cool new PDF tool making its debut on February 5th in our TechnoRelease newsletter).

Plus it looks like ALM's LegalTech trade show will feature hundreds of exhibitors next week.

Perhaps most telling, many independent legal vendors seem to be holding their own. For example, in its TechnoRelease last week, inData Corporation reported record 2006 revenue. As Timbuk 3 once sang, "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades."

What do you think of the current state of the legal technology industry?

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming January 26, 2007 to Fat Friday: Andrea Cannavina reviews Treo smartphones and its competitors, Kurt Schoettler discusses the importance of password strength (especially for lawyers), David Caracappa explains why winning the lottery would prompt a career change, Daniel Schultz explains how he makes use of a dual monitor setup, and Craig Humphrey takes a stab at defining Web 2.0. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Leap Legal, an Australian software company that sells LEAP (an integrated accounting and case management suite), recently released a video on YouTube about a lawyer who cannot find a file while an client impatiently waits on hold. The video is well acted — the guy playing the lawyer truly looks frazzled. Strangely, however, the video does not mention the product at all. Take a look (click here if you don't see the video below).

Perhaps the company felt that not mentioning the product would enhance the video's chances of becoming viral. But what good would that do? In my experience, mentioning a product has nothing to do with an online video's popularity. What does matter is creativity and talent. Advertising can entertain and sell at the same time. Case in point — Smirnoff's "Tea Partay" video, which despite mentioning the product several times during the video has nonetheless garnered more than 1.7 million views. Check it out (click here if you don't see the video below).

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Janine D. Geraigery, an enterprising young (25 years old) intellectual property lawyer with a solo practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently produced a cute promotional video and uploaded it to YouTube (it may have also aired on local TV). Take a look (click here if you don't see the video below).

Meanwhile, down in North Carolina, Lee Rosen and his colleagues at the Rosen Law Firm have embraced online video in a big way. The firm is also a leading advocate of virtual visitation rights using online videoconferencing. We managed to dig up a report by video production company Network News Crews that discusses its work for the Rosen Law Firm. Read and download it for discussion at your firm.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Every year we put together a "media kit," which discusses the marketing opportunities we sell. We will release our new 2007 media kit on November 29th. An important component of the media kit is the section that lays out our demographics.

While I doubt you have much interest in our marketing opportunities, I suspect you do have an interest in TechnoLawyer's demographics. Therefore, over the next few weeks, I'll share these statistics with you in TechnoGuide and here on our blog.

First up is a snapshot of TechnoLawyer members:

• 92.8% Work in the Legal Industry.

• 86.6% Work in the United States; 5.5% Work in Canada; 3.7% Work in Other Commonwealth Countries; 4.2% Work Elsewhere.

• 82% Work in Law Firms or Legal Departments.

• 83.9% Recommend, Make, or Approve Purchases for Their Firm.

• 62% Serve on Their Firm's Technology Committee.

How do these statistics square with your particular circumstances?

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming November 10, 2006 to Fat Friday:  John Starkweather explains how he has embraced branding and technology at his small firm, James Zuffoletto discusses the "unhappy lawyer" phenomenon, Diane Hopkins shares a real-life client story involving Tabs3 that teaches an important technology lesson, Arshia Javaherian reviews Sonnet's PodFreq FM Transmitter for the iPod, and Aaron Morris discusses his unique multiple monitor setup. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming October 24, 2006 to TechnoFeature: Does it seem like sponsorships waste your firm's time and money? While sponsorships can drain your marketing dollars, they can also provide a terrific opportunity to increase your firm's business. In this article, marketing expert Anne Parys offers insight into one of the most misunderstood and misused marketing vehicles for the modern law practice. Whether you've never sponsored an event or have done so a zillion times, Anne will show you how a little structure and creative thinking can boost your return on investment.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming October 17, 2006 to TechnoFeature: The once genteel practice of law has declined with breathtaking speed. So says lawyer and technology enthusiast Mazyar M. Hedayat. In this article, Mazyar presents a field guide to survival in the modern legal jungle. Among his conclusions — the law isn't everything it's cracked up to be, history is not on the side of the lawyer who tries to do well while doing good, and client loyalty is dead (RIP). But fear not — while Mazyar paints a bleak portrait, he also suggests a way to eliminate these problems and move the practice of law into a golden age. So sit back and let Mazyar show you the way to greater success and well-being. You can thank him later.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Every law firm that relies on the Web to attract clients relies on Google and Yahoo. Combined, these two companies account for approximately 75% of all Web searches. Therefore, it's important to stay on top of these two companies and the news they generate.

But how? By reading the hundreds of articles published every day about them? That's what I used to do until I stumbled across the DailySearchCast. Hosted by search engine expert Danny Sullivan and his sidekick du jour, this 20-30 minute daily podcast (well, Monday-Thursday) covers the most notable developments in the search engine industry. Most of the coverage is devoted to Google and Yahoo — as it should be given their collective market share. Check it out.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming September 26, 2006 to TechnoFeature: To many firms, a client is a client is a client — they treat each client like royalty and follow the old adage "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." But not all clients equal good business. In this article, legal coach and consultant Edward Poll discusses two instances when turning down a client can prove more beneficial in the long run. Find out how a more discerning eye when accepting work can result in better productivity, profitability, and peace of mind.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.