So, legal aid: where are we now? Verbal rumblings have been going on for months. The Ministry of Justice public consultation, 'Transforming Legal Aid' closed on June…

The well known US and Slate Magazine blogger Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias) recently drew my attention to an essay on blogging on Twitter (giving meaning to my philosophy that Twitter is a wonderful "serendipity machine"):

This is a blog post, not a blog:…

Should lawyers and law firms be online?

Should lawyers have a presence on the social web?

Should a lawyer tweet?

What about Facebook?

For the modern lawyer, these are the big questions.

Why social?

Because the economy has changed; digital is up; Whitehall is preaching a form of Anglican self-denying fiscal austerity; the legal economy is coupled to a depressed economy; and because lawyers are starting to get it: they get it that they need to…

Northern Ireland's largest independent law firm, Carson McDowell has been cooking up something special: their marketing and branding campaign really is something different.

While out and about in Northern Ireland I've come across a number of exciting and eye catching Carson McDowell advertising boards. This is new territory for lawyers in Northern Ireland. Such ostentatious acts were long beyond the legal establishment; the reserve rather of car dealers, global merchandisers, drinks…

The law’s fastest interview is back and this time Matt Baldwin, editor of Professional Services Marketing Group (PSMG) magazine, is in the spotlight.

Matt has worked with the legal profession for over 18 years including his roles as Head of PR and…

Over the last few weeks we’ve tended to focus on the larger law firms… dare we say it, those with the marketing budgets to make sure that they’re really amazing at everything they do.  Last week’s winners, Thrings Solicitors (@ThringsLaw), scored a very respectable 32/40 with their unique content-collation approach to Twitter.  But this week, we’re taking a different approach.  A niche practice, based in Boston, that we discovered whilst working away over there.  This week, it’s …

This is the law’s fastest cross-examination where the interviewee has to respond in fewer than 140 characters.

The latest interviewee to face our high-speed questioning is Deborah Scaringi, an Independent Marketing Consultant at Scaringi…

Although 74% of small and medium sized law firms in England and Wales have a website, the reality on the ground isn't just so positive.

The reality is that most law firm websites can sensibly be described as…

We lawyers are an important lot. We are the grease that lubricates the wheels of commerce. We make the world go round. 

However with our status as the world’s lubricator there comes a problem: when the wheels of the real economy slow, the legal economy slows. This is the unfortunate reality for lawyers; that the real and legal economies are pretty much inseparable.

“Historically, the legal…

Last week I went into complete melt down (not like me, I hear people say…)  But seriously, I saw the full enormity of the changes being forced on law firms and I just lost my temper completely.  I’ve said it before, but there’s no harm in saying it again – I have worked in law for 24 years and apart from perhaps one firm who shall remain nameless, I’ve really enjoyed my time in this profession.

Sadly, I now ask myself if my 24 years are almost at an end.  We have seen many…

In partnership with the marketing agency Elephant Creative I've been nurturing an exciting interview series called, ‘Zero to 140: the Law’s Fastest Interview’.

Still in its infancy the idea of the project is simple: hunt out the law’s leading minds and interview them. Easy as that.

The only catch is that the interviewee has to respond in 140 characters or less - as per the title. It’s pretty much an interview over Twitter. And why…

Throughout my 5 years at law school I continually asked myself one question: why can’t these guys just write in plain English? In case you’re wondering, I’m referring to legal academics and other legal writers.

Back then while at law school, these writers of legal academia were high up, high away minds who I thought were furthering man’s inquiry and the development of the law.

But nowadays I see these high away people as something different. I see them as a community who use…

Suzanne Moore and Julie Burchill - social media trolling - who is the bully?

Who holds the moral high ground in the Suzanne Moore and Julie Burchill saga?

Suzanne Moore and Julie Burchill have this week joined a rapidly growing club of people, mainly women, who become victims of social media trolling. It’s a club no one wants to join, but cyber posters with an axe to grind run the membership committee, and there’s no opting out.

The saga began when Ms. Moore wrote an…

The legal industry is in an age of change. A bleak economic backdrop and continuing headwinds are forcing law firms to refocus and reshape the way they practice law. No longer can law firms afford to do business by the rigid billable hour. No longer will clients put up with stiff legal technocrats; clients want client-centered and commercially minded legal advisors who give more for less.  

But if the legal industry is in…

To be a Digital Law Student you need to exercise each of the digital resources in equal measure.

The globally renowned Irish picture book artist Oliver Jeffers has always made a point of…

For a long time there has been a lot of discussion about the personal injury limit for the small claims track, currently set at £1,000, being increased to £5,000. This is a point of great importance to many personal injury claimant lawyers as the majority of claims, particularly RTAs, involve general damages of less than £5,000. Indeed in RTAs figures are sometimes quoted of 85% of all claims falling into this bracket.

If the small claims limit for general damages were raised to…

                                      Are you going to be an old-school law student, or are you going to be a Digital Law Student?

Have you ever thought about building an online brand? If not, you should. Whether you’re still in high school or…

Just. Need. To. Record. One. More. Hour.

You know the score, right? You work as hard as you can for 7, 8, 9 hours a day to record 6, 7, 8 hours of billable time. Don't you? Maybe you're always ahead of the clock, maybe you're always behind, maybe you're just right, and your billable hours, and actual hours are the same. I doubt it, but I suppose it could happen.

So, what does this system mean? It means hard, long hours for lawyers, especially the junior ones with a lot to…

By developing a relationship with your potential clients over a period of time you stand the best chance possible of securing their business. Targeting these clients with relevant, useful email messages is one of the best ways of keeping your law firm at the top of their minds until they need your services.

Creating an opt-in email form for your website is one way to start building a list of potential clients that want to be kept aware of news and…

ABS’s entrants may wish to procure an established online presence immediately.

This is where www.icomparesolicitors.co.uk can give you the edge over competition. Established back in early 2010 the site has gained an enviable reputation from some of its closest rivals. The legal arena is changing rapidly everyday and this opportunity will provide you with an established presence on all major search engines instantly.

Take…