Respecting the Rule of Law Even When It Hurts

It seems as if the entire Internet went wild when Casey Anthony was acquitted of the charge of killing her daughter, Caylee.  Anthony was found guilty of lying to police during the investigation but isn't expected to serve additional time beyond the period of incarceration prior to her trial.  There was, and continues to be, great hue and cry over the outcome of the case, with nearly all pundits decrying the outcome as unjust, a miscarriage of justice, a travesty. The defense lawyers are accused of introducing junk science and the jurors are deemed to be idiots.  After all, the evidence as presented in the press and trial broadcasts overwhelmingly portrayed Casey Anthony as white trash whose social life was hampered by her child, and once the child was gone she obstructed the police investigation while continuing her partying ways.  Clearly the judicial system broke down and justice was not served by letting her go free.

Or was it?

I have no particular insight into this case, and I watched and read substantially less about the case than the pundits and television lawyers who can readily rattle off evidence and timelines and motives.  Nevertheless, from my standpoint, the judicial system worked.  Whether the verdict was the right one I'm not qualified to say.  Was Casey Anthony an unfit mother?  Quite possibly.  Did Casey Anthony kill her own daughter and get away with it?  We may never know.  Should she go to jail because it sure seems like she's guilty?

Our criminal justice system is based on the premise that the accused is innocent until proven guilty.  And our system requires that the government convince an impartial jury, based on lawfully obtained evidence, that the accused is guilty of the alleged crime beyond a reasonable doubt.  Failing to do so requires an acquittal.

This means that sometimes bad guys go free, possibly because the prosecution performed poorly, or the police obtained unlawful evidence that could not be introduced into trial.  We've all read accounts where defendants confessed to a crime, yet the confession was not admissible in court and therefore the guilty party walks away.  Surely an exception can be made in these cases?

What about the many cases from yesteryear that have been re-opened once new evidence or new investigatory techniques are introduced?  How many residents of death row have been fully acquitted of the crime for which they have been imprisoned and scheduled to be executed -- not just had doubt cast on their guilt, but absolutely ruled out as a possible suspect knowing today what we didn't know at the time of trial?  In some of these cases there was also a confession, though as it turns out it was inaccurate.

Of course defense lawyers will seek every advantage, including venue shopping to find sympathetic  judges and retaining jury consultants to learn what techniques are more likely to nudge a jury toward an acquittal.  Defense lawyers will hone in on every mistake made in the investigation, cast doubt on the credibility and motives of honest civil servants, introduce theories that distract from damning evidence and foment doubt.  But this is what a fierce advocate is supposed to do.  If the system works, then by and large the government will prevail over these tactics and the accused will be found guilty if he or she is indeed guilty.

Sometimes these tactics lead to a guilty party walking away, but each instance serves as a learning opportunity for the police and prosecution and presumably they will improve their approach next time.  It breaks your heart to hear of a guilty criminal who escaped punishment only to commit another crime.  But it doesn't mean the overall system is flawed.

On a macro level, this is how the judicial system is supposed to work.  Contrast that with the mob mentality exhibited recently in countless blogs, tweets, news articles, editorials and Facebook posts, in which so many people who are so certain of Anthony's guilt believe that anything short of a guilty verdict means the system is broken.  Some have even hinted at taking matters into their own hands to deliver swift justice.  How can this possibly be deemed a better system than due process under the law?

Imagine someone accused of a heinous crime.  Imagine that through mere sloppiness or outright malfeasance the arresting and/or investigating officers took some shortcuts that helped cement the case.  Imagine that the prosecutor operates under the understandable assumption that anyone caught so deeply into the system must be guilty and therefore no leniency or plea deal is offered.  Imagine the defense lawyer who ponders the overwhelming evidence and decides that it's not worth a robust defense since a finding of guilt is inevitable.  Imagine the jury and the judge are eager to get on with their busy lives so the proceedings aren't given the proper respect but rushed through.  Any one of these could be enough to send an innocent person to prison.  Is it so hard to believe that on occasion, one or more could occur?

Who did you have in mind as you pondered this?  How does it change things if you consider it's your mother, or sister, or nephew caught up in this farce and you know -- not hope, not suspect, not desire, but really know -- that she or he is innocent of the crime?  Do you see how a system rigged to presume guilt could steamroll an innocent party?

Now replace your kindly mother, beloved sister, or rascally nephew with a low-income, poorly-educated, inarticulate, slovenly stranger, the likes of which you've seen only from afar working at minimum wage jobs.  Given the same facts, why does this person deserve any less protection under the law?

I'm not nearly as eloquent on this topic as I'd like to be. There are many other opinions out there, some of which I agree with, some not so much, even when the conclusion is the same.  For me it boils down to cherishing a judicial system that makes it harder rather than easier to find someone guilty, else we become a society that allows mob rule or conventional wisdom or religious tradition or our leaders, elected or otherwise, to decide our fates.  And I'm just not ready to accept that.

Personal Branding and You, er, Me

A short time ago, the whip-smart and impeccably-dressed law firm marketing director Jonathan Fitzgarrald launched a new blog, Bad for the Brand, in which he explores the nature of brands both corporate and personal.  This isn't a tour of logos and taglines, but rather a discussion of reputation management.  What makes a good brand?  What actions can harm a brand?  How are sustainable brands built?  How do they wither?  And so on. I'm humbled to report that Jonathan recently interviewed me for one of his Best of the Brands profiles and found my comments lucid enough to publish!  Our discussion centered on personal branding and what I have done in my career to build and maintain my own brand, such as it is.  Click here for the full interview.  Jonathan does a good job of capturing my personal branding philosophy as follows:

• Be authentic; what you see is what you get
• Be passionate about what you do
• Have a long-term perspective on relationship building
• Don't “sell out” or give up in the face of adversity, such as during an economic downturn
• Strive to live a well-balanced life

As I have relayed many times through anecdotes on this blog, I have learned so much from others, and I've made many mistakes while learning my craft.  Like anyone, who I have become is some alchemic blend of upbringing, experience, mistakes made and observed, aspirations and pure luck.  Knowing that others place some value on this combination is both surprising and humbling, though I haven't ever really considered it a brand.  But knowing that Jonathan and others have certain expectations of my "brand promise" is a good motivator!

Many thanks to Jonathan for the kind gesture.  I hope his law firm employers recognize how well his efforts support their own brand message of excellence.

Insights from the Marketing Partner Forum 2011

I recently attended the Marketing Partner Forum in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I've attended and spoken at this event multiple times in the past, though I hadn't been in a couple years.  I was pleasantly surprised to see full rooms, which is a positive sign for the economy.  After all, when law firm profits are down, attendance at conferences plummets -- even at those conferences showcasing techniques to increase law firm profits! There are several good recaps of the conference content:  here and here and here and here and here and here.  You can even see a video recap of one of my sessions here.

You can also view the entire Twitter feed from the conference here (note that the most recent posts are displayed first).

Here are a few brief takeaways from the sessions I attended and from my own two presentations:

• Although the economy is reviving, General Counsel are not content to go back to the "old ways."  They will continue to exert downward price pressure on law firms, seek alternative methods of accomplishing routine legal work and cast a wider net for law firm providers that "get it."
• Sales is no longer a dirty word in many law firms.  It's no longer sufficient to characterize a law practice as a profession that rises above such mundane tasks as generating business, as evidenced by the numerous lawyers who've had a rough go of it the last few years.  If you don't know how to generate new business individually or collectively, you won't thrive.  Lawyers are embracing business development more than ever -- and without exploring the nuances too deeply, let's just say that Marketing can be delegated, but Business Development is the lawyers' responsibility.  Law firm marketers are employing more sophisticated tools to identify target markets so the firm can more efficiently direct its resources.
• There is a blurring of the lines between the traditional roles of Marketing, Business Development, Knowledge Management, Finance and Operations.  Slowly but surely law firm leaders are realizing that profits can be generated by allocating resources efficiently, and this means not chasing every dollar, not endorsing every partner's whim, targeting prospects that fit the firm's skill set, retaining clients that are profitable, exploring new ways to deliver legal services at lower rates, and so on.
• There is a clear role for both business process improvement and Legal Project Management, some of which is simply doing things differently, some of which requires technology to be effective.  There are a number of firms effectively embracing these concepts, and they are taking work away from competitors one and two tiers above them because they can demonstrate high quality and competency at lower rates, not just talk about it.

Social Media: the Ultimate Business Development Tool or Huge Waste of Time?

I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at the recent Futures Conference hosted by the College of Law Practice Management, of which I'm proud to be an elected Fellow, and American University Washington College of Law.  I was joined by Steve Matthews, founder and principal of Canadian-based web marketing company Stem Legal, and our session was moderated by Dan Pinnington, Director at PracticePro, the Canadian-based Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company and editor-in-chief of the ABA's Law Practice Management magazine.  Presumably I was invited to participate because I grew up on the shores of Lake Ontario, just south of Ontario, so I'm an honorary Canadian! We were challenged to provide practical feedback on the use of social media in a law practice.  What are lawyers doing well?  What can they do better?  Is the whole Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter/blogging game a huge waste of valuable time, or can it actually aid in the development of new business?  We covered quite a bit of ground, but I'll provide just a couple insights here from my remarks.

Is Social Media overhyped? Of course it is.  Many pundits speak of social media as the panacea, the solution to generating new business when all other efforts have failed, or in lieu of any other efforts.  It should come as no surprise that those touting social media as the best answer to all problems are those who tend to profit from social media.  Consultants and vendors who offer services in this space tend to over-promote.  Needless to say, as a former legal management consultant and now a vendor whose organization offers social media tools, I have some standing to make this claim.

But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, as it were.  One reason why social media is so compelling to so many is that is indeed effective in many ways.  Can social media be both overhyped and under-utilized?  Sadly, yes.  At its core, social media are merely tactics, tools to be used to further one's strategy.  Any business, law practice or other, should have a clear and rational view of which clients to target, which services to offer and how to reach these potential clients.  Much of professional services marketing involves creating awareness of your offering and demonstrating expertise in the subject matter, and social media can be a multiplier in these efforts.  A good analysis of social media will measure whether tools such as Twitter, blogging, Facebook fan pages, a robust LinkedIn profile and the like will have the potential to reach more of the target audience.  And if so, will it provide a conduit for the lawyer to demonstrate credibility.  If we can establish which social media tools can be helpful in this regard, then it's a question of cost -- can these tools generate a greater return as compared to alternative investments, say, sponsoring and speaking at client industry conferences, or authoring articles in traditional media, and so on.

So many lawyers haven't embraced social media because they're dazzled by the technology, or jaded by the noise -- silly games on Facebook or celebrity bloviating on Twitter, for example -- so they fail to properly assess whether these tools can be helpful.

Should a lawyer keep his or her business and personal social networking separate? Without question, lawyers should recognize that their political rants among like-minded friends on Facebook, if made public, may turn off potential clients with different political views.  Similarly, potential clients or employers may find the Spring Break pics from five years ago an exercise in poor judgment.  Unfair?  Of course.  The plain truth is that there's a blurring of the lines between our professional and personal personas.  When I opened a Facebook account it was intended for close friends and family only.  But like you I have a number of close friends in my professional life and they were natural additions to my community.  As time goes on, acquaintances slip in until suddenly one's network is full of distant acquaintances or, in many cases, particularly with the younger crowd, complete unknowns.  Today's youth tend to make connections as flippantly as my generation used to trade phone numbers.  You may call, you may not, but there's no harm in passing out your number.  All of which is to say, you can try really hard to separate your business and personal personas but through your own actions or through the actions of your connections who have less rigor, you will very likely expose more of your personal life than you probably intend.

So be sensible.  Mom's rule about keeping mum if you have nothing good to say applies here.  That doesn't mean you can't engage in harmless tomfoolery, bantering with pals or posting pictures of your kids, but treat such actions as you would a business trip at a sunny location where you stayed a few extra days and brought the family, knowing that some clients would be doing the same.  Act is if a client or potential client is watching, even inadvertently.

But don't overlook the simple truth that buyers buy from people they know, like and trust.  Buyers, like potential friends, size you up pretty quickly and make decisions on whether they'll like you based on a number of factors, only some of which are your subject matter expertise and accomplishments.  This is a tough lesson for lawyers trained in logic:  I went to the right schools, I've earned numerous professional honors, I have domain expertise in the legal issues you're facing, so naturally you should hire me... and so what if I contribute to a political party that rejects all of your political beliefs.  On the other hand, all other professional credentials being equal, a buyer might hire the lawyer who seems family-oriented, is clearly proud of his hobbies and who has an opinion or two about whether his team should have gone for it on fourth down or kicked it away.

For more insights on my social media involvement, see my discussion of what social networks and resources I find valuable.  Also, one of my favorite legal peeps, Ron Friedman, is also a Fellow of COLPM and live blogged our panel discussion, so check out his thoughtful insights here.

Also, for an excellent practical guide to incorporating social media into a law practice, run, don't walk, to buy Jayne Navarre's social.lawyers: Transforming Business Development (West Publishing, 2010).  Jayne is a veteran legal marketer, former Board member of the Legal Marketing Association and a consultant I've turned to for advice time and again.

Social Media Update

One of the most popular and heavily visited blog posts I've published is the summary of what social media I read, visit and engage on a daily basis. Those who know me are quite aware that I incorporate social networking in my professional and personal life, and the most common question I'm asked is, "How do you possibly find the time?" Well, simply put, I make the time. I've always felt that weaving together disparate points of information, connecting dots that others don't see, has given me a strategic advantage in my professional life because occasionally I see trends and opportunities before others. I also find value in connecting people when such a connection benefits both parties. And so I read a lot, from many sources. I'm not as consistent as I once was, but I try to spend a little time every day, usually in small doses throughout the day, staying on top of news and developments in my field, updating and sharing some of these tidbits with my networks, and skimming what others in my network have shared. When viewed in the aggregate, it can be a daunting and exhausting effort to stay on top of it -- it's not uncommon, for example, to open my Google Reader on a weekend after a busy week and find over 1,000 unread items.

But I learned a lesson long ago that has helped me immensely. I have always been reluctant to start a book or magazine unless I'm prepared to finish all of it, which means I need both the time and the inclination to dive in fully committed. But I eventually learned that this is a dumb rule. So now I happily pick up a magazine and read the one or two or ten articles that interest me rather than read it cover to cover. If I'm three chapters into a book and I simply can't muster the energy or interest to continue, it goes on the shelf. I no longer feel any guilt putting something down and moving on. This has freed me to skim a large volume of sources, selecting those which interest me for further investigation, and literally scrolling past the rest.

But an unexpected downside of incorporating a high volume of reading materials into my daily life is that I'm more desensitized to what others may find unusual or interesting because when I've seen twenty references to some tidbit in fifteen different sources over the course of two weeks, it may appear commonplace to me when in fact it's still on the fringe and weeks (or months or years!) away from common knowledge. For example, I vividly recall conducting a Legal Project Management workshop for a group of law firm partners a couple years ago, and not only were they unaware of this growing trend, they didn't even know what the terms meant. I had forgotten that many lawyers look to precedent to learn, rather than look outside their own experience.

Nevertheless, I'd rather read too much than too little. But choices must be made. And so I divide my time across a variety of social networks, reading multiple news sources and blogs, never knowing which might be valuable to me today. Following is a list of the social networks and reading sources I visit daily, or as close as I can get.

LinkedIn - I maintain a robust profile here, having achieved 100% on the completeness meter, for whatever that's worth. I tend to research my business connections, such as clients, prospective clients or people who send me resumes. The fact of the matter is everyone will research you and me sooner or later, so I feel we might as well put our credentials out there for review. As for contacts, I now have over 700 connections, of which I have instant recall of probably no more than 70%. I tend to invite attendees at my workshops and speeches to connect with me, which means my network is full of people I don't really know. But LinkedIn provides a handy notes tool which allows me to capture a few thoughts about each contact. Lastly, I will readily offer my network to those interested in finding a job or making a connection, as in "Review my connections and if there's someone you'd like to meet let me know." Few do, suggesting that networking is still a scary proposition whether online or virtual.

Facebook - I spend a few moments on here each day, typically posting some inane comment about what I'm doing, skimming what my friends and family are doing, and occasionally offering comments. I never ever play Facebook games. I can't imagine why anyone would care that last Saturday I played two hours of basketball at the gym, folded four loads of laundry and watched a soccer game on TV. But it amuses me endlessly that others find this interesting and so I continue to share. Facebook has turned into a proxy for class and family reunions and annual birthday phone calls, because now I know what my friends and family are up to, even the distant connections I haven't seen in twenty years, so we don't need to catch up. Being more aware isn't the same as being closer, however.

Twitter - I have over 800 followers on Twitter, and I'm listed as a "must read" on several lists of legal industry pundits, but I don't actively attend to this network like I used to. I don't believe in the "If you follow me I'll follow you" trend, so I follow only 350 or so, and of these I really only keep track of a few dozen. I like Twitter, and it's a very handy search tool as well as an invaluable tool when attending (or not attending) a conference, but it takes time to navigate through the noise and at the moment it's not capturing my attention as in the past.

Legal OnRamp - I'm a big fan of this network and I've spent time with its founder, Paul Lippe. I had the good fortune of being part of the Counsel Connect team, which was a social network for lawyers in the early '90s, well before its time, so I'm a fan of the format and LOR improves upon the model in many ways. This network is fantastic with robust content, good debates and a number of compelling private offerings for member firms. I don't participate so much lately as lurk, but I do enjoy the spirited discussions.

Martindale Connected - I like this network too, though it was late to the party and therefore it hasn't really ever entered my daily regimen. I've participated in a few discussions, and I was invited to offer feedback on the last redesign, but -- and I could be totally wrong here -- it seems to skew more toward the small firm audience, whereas I spend most of my time with big firms. Martindale-Hubbell has always offered excellent networking tools, and its shift from directory to social network has been somewhat lengthy and painful, but I have every reason to believe this network will become ever more robust and engaging over time.

LMA Connect - This is the official online community of the Legal Marketing Association. Several years ago this particular configuration replaced an easy-to-use email listserve with a somewhat clunkier online interface, which seemed to inhibit usage. I believe at the time the organization also chose not to automatically enroll all members in the online community, preferring to allow members to self-select which forums to join. The net effect is that traffic is much lower than it once was, but it really is a must-read forum for all topics related to legal marketing and business development.

Lawmarketing Listserve - This is one facet of the robust online community created by legal marketer turned entrepreneur Larry Bodine. I've been a member of this listserve since 1996 and with few exceptions I've skimmed every posted comment by every legal marketer on every topic for the last fourteen years. I can think of few better ways to stay on top of the pulse of legal marketing than to listen to legal marketers.

Google Reader - I use this as my RSS reader, and it works equally well on my PC, my Blackberry and my Android PDA. I love the simplicity, which allows me to quickly skim hundreds of news articles or blog posts in a very short period of time, marking some for future reading, sharing or saving.

Here are the feeds that I monitor daily, with explanations where the content is not self-evident:

News Wall Street Journal Financial Times ESPN CNN MSNBC New York Times Rochester Democrat & Chronicle - My hometown newspaper

I also read two local print newspapers each day, the Trenton Times and the Trentonian. (I also do both crossword puzzles, typically within 20 minutes, except for the syndicated and much harder weekend editions!)

Legal News Law.com - Legal Technology Law.com - Newswire Wall Street Journal Law Blog Above the Law - a fascinating and unashamedly narcissistic legal tabloid that essentially lampoons Biglaw from the perspective of lawyers-turned-journalists

Economics Freakonomics - From the authors of the popular books, here one finds anecdotes of economic theories in use in daily life The Becker-Posner blog - One a noted University of Chicago economist, the other a noted Federal Judge, these two debate topics of the day from an economics perspective. Pour a cup of coffee and don your thinking cap before reading these articles MacroBuddies - A blog authored by my favorite macroeconomics professor, Farrokh Langdana of Rutgers University, and his MBA students and alumni

Law Departments In House Rants - written by an anonymous corporate lawyer, he or she shares frustrations with outside lawyers and their reportedly poor service and business skills. I very nearly deleted this because the author is sporadic and at times not very constructive... but then the title should have been a clue! InHouse ACCess - authored by The Association of Corporate Counsel leaders and member contributors. An excellent, constructive, rich source of information about the challenges of in-house counsel with practical guidance to outside lawyers on how to better serve their clients InHouse Blog - Law.com's collection of news and information for the in-house counsel community Law Department Management Blog - the gold standard in providing information to the in-house community, Rees Morrison offers a tremendous volume of insight from book reviews, to critical analysis of surveys and products, to thoughtful discussion of metrics and other operational issues for General Counsel

Management Financial Times Management Columnists - a roundup of the FT's management experts. I'm particularly fond of Stefan Stern

I've added and deleted quite a few sources from this Management list. There should be plenty of rich sources that fall between the Harvard Business Review and some anonymous rant, but I have difficulty finding good ones that help me grow as a manager and a leader. All suggestions welcome.

Legal Blogs - This is the real heart of my online reading, and I've added and deleted quite a few over the years. Again, all suggestions for good sources are welcome. 3 Geeks and a Law Blog - an enjoyable tour of topics from three legal professionals, one a Knowledge Management professional, one a Law Librarian and the other a lawyer/marketer Above and Beyond KM - written by V. Mary Abraham, a Biglaw Knowledge Management professional and lawyer, a great source of practical information about legal technology and its potential for improving the practice of law Adam Smith, Esq. - hands down one of the top blogs for anyone interested in law firm management. If you aren't reading author Bruce MacEwen's excellent insights, then you can't possibly be serious about improving your management skills and insights Bill's Blog - This blog is authored by American Lawyer Media CEO Bill Pollak and though it was originally intended for his employees only, he's developed quite a following of industry insiders who are as interested in his management style and use of social media from the board room as they are in his company Brand Thinking - interesting insights on law firm marketing from well-known law firm branding and advertising guru Burkey Belser College of Law Practice Management blog - this blog published by this prestigious group of legal industry thought leaders should be more robust, but alas many of the vocal Fellows (of which I'm one) publish their own blogs, so I keep this handy more for its potential than for its practical use at the moment Cotterman on Compensation - I've long been a fan of Altman Weil consultant Jim Cotterman's insights into law firm economics and finance, and as the world of associate and partner compensation is changing his insights are invaluable Decent Shred - a helpful smorgasbord of topics on legal technology, knowledge management and marketing by consultant Shy Alter Enlightened Tradition - a collection of UK legal KM manager Mark Gould's posts about knowledge management Get Creative - Merrilyn Astin Tarlton's musings on creativity, innovation and leadership Global Growth Guru - Consultant Doug Johnson's thoughtful insights on legal marketing and legal business management Hildebrandt Blog - Consultants from Hildebrandt Baker Robbins offer insights into a variety of legal industry topics Hubbard Perspective - commentary, insights and links from legal marketing technology leader Hubbard One ILTA blog - the feed from the leading association of legal technologists In Search of Perfect Client Service - Biglaw refugee Patrick Lamb launched his own small law firm focused on offering value in innovative ways to clients. His commentary here lampoons the traditional mindset of Biglaw lawyers and offers helpful tips for adding value in your own firm Inside Legal - Legal PR experts at Envision Agency offer news and commentary primarily about legal service providers Larry Bodine LawMarketing Blog - the aforementioned legal marketing veteran offers commentary gleaned from his consulting practice Law Consulting Blog - Veteran lawyer turned management consultant Cordell Parvin offers insights and commentary on the changing legal profession Law Firm 4.0 Blog - my longtime friend (and now competitor!) Deborah McMurray offers her usual insightful commentary on legal marketing Law Firm Competitive Intelligence - veteran legal CI expert Ann Lee Gibson offers occasional insights into the world of CI, gleaned from her many years helping law firms win competitive bids Law Firm Web Strategy - noted web marketing agency Stem Legal offers insights into legal marketing trends Law21 - The second on my absolute must-read list for anyone serious about law firm management. Jordan Furlong is a veteran journalist turned management consultant and his insights are informed by constant observation of law firms, their leaders and their foibles and successes. If my list weren't alphabetical this blog would be listed at the top LawBizBlog - Ed Poll is a lawyer, management consultant and mentor/coach to a long list of successful lawyers. I enjoy his writing more than his quirky videocasts, but his soft-spoken, well-informed commentary is perfect for lawyers who need advice but are afraid to ask for fear of being ridiculed. Ed is even more engaging in person. (Ask him about his 1968 Airstream trailer!) Legal Blog Watch - Two columnists rotate informative and often amusing commentary on legal news of the day Legal Current - from Thomson Reuters, news and links about the legal industry Legal Marketing Blog - veteran legal marketer Tom Kane, who's had stints in several Biglaw firms, preaches what he practices on this blog, a guide to help legal marketers and lawyers improve their business generation efforts Legal Marketing Canada - this blog might be labeled Jasinski on Legal Marketing, but I go by the name of the RSS feed. Lawyer and legal marketer Doug Jasinski offers insights particularly suited to Canadian lawyers and marketers Legal Marketing Reader - journalist Amy Campbell created this site to aggregate legal marketing articles. A great idea with a nice archive of very informative articles, though it isn't updated nearly enough Legal Process Outsourcing - an executive at outsourcing giant CPA Global offers insights into the growing LPO field Legal Transformation Blog - Lawyer turned consultant Joshua Kubicki offers excellent insights into the changing world of law firm operations Lloyd Pearson Blog - veteran legal directory editor turned law firm marketer turned consultant assists law firms with their communications and legal directory strategies. Here he occasionally provides insights into the ever-present and growing world of legal directories Martindale Blog - Martindale-Hubbell's face to the market offer insights into its offerings, social networking and other legal marketing topics Progressive Marketing - veteran legal marketer Russell Lawson offers his unique take on the state of legal marketing Rainmaker VT - good friends Mike O'Horo and Craig Levinson recently launched an innovative online approach to teaching business development skills to lawyers. In his blog they discuss legal business development tips and techniques Real Lawyers Have Blogs - former lawyer turned serial entrepreneur Kevin O'Keefe has been leading the charge on legal blogs for years. His stream of consciousness blog posts are an informative and often amusing look into how he thinks Strategic Legal Technology - Another must-read favorite of mine. Ron Friedmann has been involved in law firm technology since the days when "tech savvy" meant having a secretary with access rights to the one PC owned by the firm. His accumulated wealth of knowledge coupled with his personal experiences inside law firms and as a vendor to law firms is an incredibly valuable resource The Client Revolution - Jay Shepherd breaks new ground in practicing law with the client's needs in mind rather than his own billable hours. His insights are very helpful because they're based on his own experiences operating a law firm in a new way The Common Scold - a colleague from my days at American Lawyer, Monica Bay is one of the most respected legal technology journalists, serving as longtime editor of Law Technology News. Her insights on the state of legal technology, to legal vendors (never sell "solutions!") to her love affair with the New York Yankees are must-read, as making her "people on the move" update is a badge of honor The Legal Watercooler - Law firm marketer Heather Morse Milligan is a career counselor to hundreds of legal marketers who enjoy learning from her experiences and seeing the world of law and legal marketing through her eyes The Non-Billable Hour - Matt Homann makes you think outside the box, and even if you think you know it all, he'll help you learn something new. A fascinating guy with a fresh outlook on life and learning, his blog is a good consolation when you can't spend time with Matt in person The PR Lawyer - Philadelphia lawyer turned PR counsel Gina Furia Rubel practices what she preaches, using social media and traditional PR to promote her practice of helping law firms and small businesses promote themselves Thoughtful Legal Management - I really enjoy Canadian lawyer Dave Bilinksy's writing, in part because he's a veteran journalist, in part because his consulting practice and experience gives him a ringside seat to the many changes in law firm management and technology Virtual Marketing Officer - longtime friend Jayne Navarre offers her insights into legal marketing, particularly social media, gleaned from years of experience working inside and consulting to law firms. In fact, my own blog exists as a result of her very kind assistance Zen & the Art of Legal Networking - The International Lawyers Network has a tremendous resource in Lindsay Griffiths, who employs her impressive social media chops both promoting this association and discussing the use of social media

Other - a handful of sources that aren't easily categorized elsewhere @ErikJHeels - my old friend Erik is a lawyer, musician, technologist, who served as a legal technology journalist for a dozen years or more. He writes on all sorts of topics, from baseball to patent law to music to how he synchronizes his Gmail and Outlook Contacts (with diagrams) to housing rates in Eastern Massachusetts. An engaging writer, you never know what to expect The Dilbert Blog - If all you know of Dilbert creator Scott Adams is that he's a lousy artist, then you're missing out on a fascinating mind who writes from his perspective as an accomplished economist, cartoonist, technologist, atheist and hypnotist. While often funny, his writing more often makes you think Dr. B's Blog - I've retained Dr. Linda Burrs for multiple projects having to do with organizational dynamics, team work and selling skills. She has a corporate trainer background, and now helps businesses and people operate more effectively. I have hired her to conduct a practical Myers-Briggs workshop for every new team I've managed for over a decade... and I will do so again Musings on (Marching) Music - my kid sister Colleen Corcoran writes about her love of music and teaching music, particularly marching band (she's a drum corps national champion). I tell her she should write about how hard it is to find a job as a high school band director and marching band instructor when it seems like every school district has even more incompetent personnel policies and procedures than the last!. But she laughs it off and prefers to write of what she loves rather than what she must endure to pursue her passion. I envy her restraint! Seth's Blog - marketing guru Seth Godin offers frequent pearls of wisdom and occasional self-important drivel. He has a knack for forcing one to ask, "Why do we do things that way when there are far more effective approaches?" Set in Style - I very much enjoy writing coach Mister Thorne's often acerbic but always informative approach to urging lawyers and legal marketers to hire professionals to do their non-legal writing. You can't help but laugh when he points out the inefficiency of complex legalease when simple editing will produce more concise, effective prose The Pursuit of Arete - from the "people surprise me" department, my longtime friend and my former public relations consultant Daryn Teague offers some fascinating insights into politics, history, culture and the American way. We've shared many a beer over the years and I have a great respect for his intellect, but not once did I suspect he had these interests tins : Rick Klau's blog - I've known Rick since his first job out of law school, and since then he's been a rising star in whatever game he's played. Currently a rising executive at Google, Rick has been blogging for a very long time on topics that interest him, and since he's usually a couple years ahead of the curve they will probably interest you too eventually Tom Glocer's Blog - I began reading the Thomson Reuters CEO's blog a while ago, long before joining the company, because I'm fascinated by CEOs who take the time to engage the public. I've met more CEOs afraid of their own employees and terrified of customers, so finding one who's willing to engage so openly is refreshing (see Bill Pollak above)

Humor - There are about a dozen feeds which provide an endless stream of laughs. However, humor is a subjective thing and some may not be appreciated by my readers. Suffice it to say that an RSS reader can provide plenty of amusement in addition to education.

If I were more organized, I'd publish a list of what I've stopped reading, and why, because the list does change over time. But alas, interested readers will have to conduct this comparison on their own. You can read my previous social media updates here (2009) and here (2008).