Monthly Archives: March 2014

Using social media, lawyers innovative means

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lawbloggingAll good lawyers, Friedmen, Pettis, and Coleman, I’m sure, but is this the message we need to send to lawyers — and the public as to lawyers’ use of social media.

I understand the one-click LinkedIn endorsement issue. Are lawyers touching the third rail of calling themselves an expert? But don’t the advantages of a lawyer’s use of LinkedIn far out way the the hazards?

How do lawyers, as a profession, look to business people when we’re all wigged out as to LinkedIn? Heck, law firms ought to be running to LinkedIn to see how they can use LinkedIn’s lawyer and company profiles as part of their firm’s websites. Business professionals are apt to trust LinkedIn far greater than a law firm website.

I asked a 73 year old lawyer how he would describe law blogging to another friend. His response, “The most innovative means of lawyers engaging clients and prospective clients that he had ever seen. A means of establishing trust.”

Shouldn’t lawyers and bar association leaders when called to address social media point out its value to lawyers and the public? Shouldn’t they be championing those things such as social media which establish public trust in lawyers? Shouldn’t they be encouraging lawyers who are struggling to bring in work to use social media to bring in work the old fashioned way? Via relationships and a word of mouth reputation.

 

 

How to Find an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer

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Being a victim of an accident can be an emotionally devastating time, especially if you Personal-Injury-Attorneysreceive serious injuries. If you are in an accident and receive injuries that are the result of the negligence of another, you have to decide if you should take legal action. When in such a situation, it is essential that you consult to newyorkfamilyattorney.net.

1. Don’t choose an attorney because you like his commercial. Today when we flip through the television channels, it does not take long before we come across an advertisement for a personal injury law firm. It is important not to choose an attorney based of a 30 second television ad. They may make a lot of promises and claims with a well-crafted ad, but that does not mean they are the best lawyers for your case.

2. Find the right kind of attorney. When searching for an attorney, you will find that there are an overwhelming number of different types of lawyers looking for your business. You can narrow down your search by searching for lawyers that specialize in personal injury litigation. Once you have collected information on these lawyers, you can narrow your search down further by focusing on lawyers that have experience with cases that are similar to your own case, For instance, if you have a brain injury resulting from a slip and fall, look for a lawyer that has experience in this area or similar area.

3. Get recommendations. You can also ask around for personal injury lawyer recommendations. Your family attorney may know of a good personal injury lawyer. As well, check with your local bar association for a list of personal injury lawyers. Your insurance company may also keep a list of experienced personal injury lawyers. It is always beneficial to hire a lawyer who has trial experience, particularly a lawyer who has won personal injury law suits.

4. Interview several attorneys. It is always a good idea to interview several attorneys. You will learn about their qualifications and experience. Also, check to see if they offer free consultations. As well, some attorneys will work on a contingency basis which can helpful if you have limited financial resources. You should also inquire about the litigation procedure and if the lawyer will keep you updated as the case proceeds.

5. Check into their background. If you receive an unsolicited request from an attorney seeking to represent you, you should be wary about their background. They may not have enough experience to handle your case or they may just be looking to build a reputation. A qualified and well-established attorney will not have to solicit your business.

6. Make sure the personal injury lawyer knows your state’s laws. Personal injury laws vary greatly by state as well as the kind of injuries sustained as well as the particular legal situation. In many states, there are now large state budgets to make people more aware about road and driving safeties. Furthermore, these states have passed strict laws to protect the rights of victims of road accidents and auto crashes.

7. Don’t just look for the attorney with the most education, go for track record instead. When looking for a good personal injury attorney, many people only concern themselves with education. Looking at an attorney’s level of education alone can be very misleading, primarily because every Woonsocket attorney is required to meet certain minimum standards anyway in order to practice law. The best way to go about doing your research is to inquire about your personal injury attorneys’ experience and track record of fair settlements for their clients.

Hiring of Law Grads Improves

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Gavel-SampleHere’s some good news for law students set to graduate this year: The job-offer rate for those lucky enough to have landed a summer job at a law firm in 2013 is nearly as high as it was before the financial crisis.

Summer-associate programs are the traditional path to employment at big law firms. Students interview with dozens of firms in the late summer and early fall of their second year. Those who are selected spend the following summer working at a law firm in hopes of being offered a permanent position after they graduate.

The recession put a crimp in that pipeline. Many firms, facing a collapse in demand for their services, scaled back hiring programs, and summer associates faced greater competition for permanent slots.

But things are looking up for the class of 2014, at least by some measures, according to figures released last week by the National Association for Law Placement, a nonprofit group that tracks legal employment figures.

About 92% of law students who worked as summer associates last year received job offers. In 2007, before the financial crisis upended the legal profession, the offer rate was about 93%.

The hitch, of course, is that summer class sizes remain smaller than they were back in the boom years, so the overall number of job offers hasn’t returned to prerecession heights.

Aarti Iyer, a 24-year-old student at the University of Chicago Law School, is one of the lucky ones. She spent last summer at New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where she worked with a team of litigators doing legal research and other tasks. At the end of the program she was offered a position as a first-year associate, and she expects to start in the fall, after taking the bar exam.

“It’s really gratifying to get that, after all the work over the summer,” Ms. Iyer said.

The most recent NALP employment data shows a bump up from 2012, when 90% of summer associates got offers. And it is a significant improvement from 2009, when many firms slashed jobs and the summer offer rate hit a 20-year low. “This is a huge change from the stark offer rate of only 69% measured in 2009,” says a 23-page report by the group, which polled 123 law schools and 389 law firms.

Finding full-time work as a lawyer remains a challenge for new graduates, who are often saddled with hefty student loans.

According to tampa-attorneys.com survey, only 64.4% of the 2012 law graduates for whom employment status is known got a job that required bar passage, the lowest percentage the group has ever measured. Just over half of 2012 graduates found work in private practice; typically such jobs account for 55% to 58% of postgraduate employment.