About Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC. has created 193 blog entries.
3 12, 2013

Why GP Solos Need to Worry About a Modern British Invasion

2019-02-21T23:25:25+00:00By |Comments Off on Why GP Solos Need to Worry About a Modern British Invasion

20131113 British Invasion2In May 2007 Slater & Gordon, an Australian personal injury firm, became the first law firm to go public.  At the time, I discussed some of the implications of publicly held law firms, including the commoditization of legal services. I also gave some tips on how you can reduce the risk that your law practice will become a mere commodity.

Revolution in the U.K.

In October 2007 the United Kingdom passed the Legal Services Act (“LSA”), which authorized alternative business structures (“ABS”) with non-lawyers in professional, management or ownership roles in law firms. One of the regulatory objectives of the legislation was to promote competition in the provision of legal services. The LSA became effective in 2011, and in 2012 the Solicitors Regulation Authority approved the first four ABS firms. One of them, Co-operative Legal Services, launched a fixed fee family law service, with the intent of bringing “a refreshingly different approach to family law” with an “easily accessible and affordable” range of services. It is a division of The Co-Operative Group, a retail giant in the UK with 4800 retail outlets and 7 million members. So I guess you could say it is now the Costco of legal services. […]

19 11, 2013

Security in the Cloud: How to Protect Your Law Practice Business Data

2019-02-20T00:07:22+00:00By |Comments Off on Security in the Cloud: How to Protect Your Law Practice Business Data

Security in the Cloud: How to Protect Your Law Practice Business Data

Cloud this, cloud that—no doubt you’ve been inundated with the tech industry’s message that the cloud is where it’s at these days. Just under 90 percent of small businesses use cloud-based services to store, share and back up data, according to a recent survey by Rackspace Hosting, Manchester Business School and Vanson Bourne. Cloud everything has become increasingly popular with any business, especially for Law firms that can’t afford a basement full of servers or finds an IT department impractical for other reasons.Security in the Cloud

But how secure is the cloud? Security levels vary from one provider to the next, but one thing most decision-makers may not know is how much control they do have over their own cloud security. […]

5 11, 2013

Unexpected Resource for Client Effectiveness Tips

2019-02-21T23:25:26+00:00By |Comments Off on Unexpected Resource for Client Effectiveness Tips

I seem to know a lot of attorneys with special needs children. One of them described to me how he manages himself and his special needs child in situations that might increase her stress. As he described his process, it reminded me of how effective lawyers steer their clients through the twists and turns of the legal process.

In this time of economic turmoil and uncertain futures, today all lawyers have stressed out clients to deal with. See if this parent’s process for a special needs child might help you be more effective in managing both yourself, and those you advise, in stressful situations. […]

8 10, 2013

Build Your Law Practice: Become a Network Resource Hub

2019-02-21T23:25:26+00:00By |Comments Off on Build Your Law Practice: Become a Network Resource Hub

13829474 - a human brain with multi-colored usb cable extending and reaching out from its center

Suzanne Meehle wrote a nice post called With a Little Help from My Friends about the value to a lawyer of network development, whether inside or outside your organization.  A network of co-workers, friends and acquaintances can help you build your law practice and be the best lawyer you can be. Here are some things a good network can do for you:

1. Refer business to you;
2. Answer legal questions outside your area of expertise;
3. Act as a sounding board as you puzzle out a tough legal issue;
4. Share tips and methods for effectively running your law practice;
5. Save you from reinventing the wheel by sharing a starting form for a document you need to draft;
6. Take care of your good clients on matters you don’t usually handle;
7. Cover for you when a vacation or emergency takes you away from the office;
8. Make recommendations about vendors, software or technology they have found reliable; and
9. Introduce you to speaking, writing or leadership opportunities that will get your name out there. […]

17 09, 2013

Why Can’t We Listen?

2019-02-22T23:23:18+00:00By |Comments Off on Why Can’t We Listen?

20130916 Stephen SchollIntroducing guest blogger – Stephen Scholl

Stephen G. Scholl is a 40-year veteran civil trial attorney who today helps people resolve business and interpersonal conflict without litigation.  As a Peacemaker, he employs innovative approaches that promote healing and restoration of relationships that have been compromised in legal disputes. To learn more about Peacemaking visit www.solveconflict.com or contact steve@solveconflict.com.

When I’m in conflict with another person, listening is tough.  Voices and tensions escalate as the dispute heats up.  Each of us concludes that the other is tuning out.  What happens?  We keep repeating our positions, hoping that the other side will finally “get it.”  In this pattern, either the conflict will intensify further or issues will get stuffed into inventory.  Inability to listen is a major contributor to the deepening of conflict. […]

11 09, 2013

Finding Work: 8 Reasons for and 4 Warnings about using LinkedIn

2019-03-20T21:40:19+00:00By |Comments Off on Finding Work: 8 Reasons for and 4 Warnings about using LinkedIn

LinkedIn logo“Why would I want a LinkedIn profile? I keep up with my friends and connections on Facebook.” That’s what young lawyers looking for work often say when I ask them about networking and how they use LinkedIn. Older lawyers often view any kind of social media as a waste of time. Whether “looking for work” means job-hunting or client development, LinkedIn can be a useful tool. Here are 8 reasons why.

1. Professional Focus

LinkedIn focuses primarily on business connections by highlighting companies and their employees and former employees. Although LinkedIn has a collaborative culture like most other social media, it provides a forum to strut your stuff tastefully, because participants tacitly acknowledge its self-promotional and business networking purpose. Clients, recruiters, and employers come to LinkedIn looking for what you have to offer. Journalists also peruse LinkedIn for knowledgeable people to interview about newsworthy topics. […]

29 08, 2013

How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 4

2019-03-20T21:43:51+00:00By |Comments Off on How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 4

The 4 part series, How Do I Decide where to Locate My Law Office, winds up today. We’ve pursued the different types of law office arrangements and have been looking at the relative geographics. I hope that these articles help move you forward in the decision process. 

Small Town or Big CitySmall Town or Big City

With emerging technologies, lawyers do have a lot more flexibility in office placement. If you have a good internet connection and adequate broadband capacity, you might be able to practice almost as easily in the suburbs or in a small town as in a big city. Here are a few reasons you might choose to practice in a small town.

Usually the number of attorneys per capita will be significantly lower there, and the cost of living is lower, too. Lawyers I know in smaller towns describe a collegiality in the legal community that, sadly, seems to have largely vanished from the bigger cities. Many also report that experienced lawyers and judges took them under their wing to mentor them as they got started. With most law schools failing so miserably at actually teaching lawyers how to practice law, the opportunity to develop such relationships can be a significant benefit to someone setting up a practice straight out of school.

On the other hand, sometimes less populated communities can be rather closed to strangers. It may be important to have some family connections or a well-established sponsor there to open doors for you. […]

28 08, 2013

How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 3

2019-03-20T21:45:11+00:00By |Comments Off on How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 3

Attorney DemographicsToday’s post, Part 3 of Debra L. Bruce’s 4 Part series on deciding where to locate your law practice, takes a look at the demographics of your peers/competition.

Attorney Demographics

Give some thought to where your competition is located, too. The SBDC (Small Business Development Center) can usually tell you how many other lawyers are located within a certain range of your proposed office.Does your state bar association have demographic information about lawyers in your state? You can probably guess that you will find more lawyers near a law school or a seat of government, but what are the practice area distributions?

The State Bar of Texas, where I’m licensed, publishes reports on demographic and economic trends for attorneys in the state. You can see the number of attorneys per capita in various counties, the median income of attorneys in different practice areas and regions of the state, and the median hourly rates there. A lot of other information is available. When combined with census data and other information that you can obtain on the internet or from the SBDC, you may be able to identify a trending growth region in your state that has not yet been completely inundated by lawyers in your preferred practice concentration. That can give you a chance to grab a foothold in advance of the tide. […]

27 08, 2013

How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 2

2019-03-20T21:46:45+00:00By |Comments Off on How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 2

Client DemographicsThis is Part 2 of a 4 part series, How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office?  We’ve looked at types of offices and practice areas in previous posts; now it’s time for you to do some detective work to determine where your potential clients are.  

Client Demographic Data

Sometimes it isn’t obvious where to find your target clients. You can get some assistance from your government in locating them, however.  Small Business Development Centers funded by your tax dollars provide free counseling to small businesses, including a law practice. The SBDC provides services relating to financial and business planning, marketing, and feasibility studies, among other matters. The SBDC will do marketing and demographic research for you based on the parameters you establish, for free. By way of example, the SBDC can help a wills, trusts and estates lawyer identify an office building close to the neighborhoods that have the highest number of married couples with small children and an annual family income in excess of $150,000. […]

26 08, 2013

How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 1

2019-03-20T21:48:08+00:00By |Comments Off on How Do I Decide Where to Locate My Law Office? Part 1

Practice FocusDebra L. Bruce’s previous 5 part series, What Kind of Law Office Space Should I Have?, addressed the different kinds of available law office arrangements you might pursue. Today Debra starts a new series that discusses how to determine the actual geographic location of your office.  Of course, if you have decided on a home office, perhaps that settles the question.  If you have the option of relocating your home base, or you won’t have a home office, here are some thoughts to factor into your location decision.  

Practice Focus

Your primary practice area may significantly influence your choice of location. If you have a practice that requires you to appear in court several times a week, often on short notice, a location near the courthouse can save a lot of time.

If you have a business practice, think about where your clients congregate. Are certain industries zoned to the same part of town? Is there a high-tech or manufacturing corridor? Can you open your office in the same building as an important industry association or near a popular meeting venue for the industry? […]

 

Make an Appointment

 

Setting goals for
your life and career?


Click here for an Evaluation & Goal Setting questionnaire to help you hit your targets.

Go to Top