Server Troubles Today… Sorry
If you’re seeing this post, it means that Legal Andrew’s server is finally running correctly. Hooray! The server apparently died this morning. The technicians fixed it by this afternoon, but they restored an old copy of Legal Andrew. Thus, I had to replace those old files with the newest versions from my backup copy.
If you have read Legal Andrew long, you know that I usually don’t post things like this. I just wanted to apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused.
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Prepare for Exams: Curb Your Blogging Addiction
Are you addicted to blogging? Do you spend your day reading RSS feeds, commenting on posts, and responding to your readers? If so, what are you going to do when exam time rolls around in a few weeks? As one reader asked, “Any suggestions on curbing the blogging addiction so my grades don’t suffer?” Here you go:
Set time limits – In the run up to exam time, set (and stick to) firm time limits on your blog reading and ‘riting. For example, give yourself 30 minutes every day to do nothing but blog. However, the rest of the time, you can’t blog at all (or read blogs). You could adjust this time to suit your needs, or break it up into 2 or 3 periods per day. You get the drift.
Catch up on feedback – An important part of blogging is responding to reader feedback. Thus, you want to make sure you are completely caught up with your readers shortly before exams begin. Clear the comment moderation queue, delete your comment spam, respond to feedback, etc. This will make it easy to stay caught up through exam time, and also make it forgivable if you fall a little behind.
Write ahead of time – If you are worried about being able to keep up posting during exams, you can pre-write some articles. With most blog platforms, you can even put the posts in your database and set them to appear on a certain date. Thus, you could write a few posts and set them to appear the day before each exam (or every couple of days). Then your readers will see fresh content even while you’re locked in the library studying.
So these tips aren’t groundbreaking, but maybe they’re at least helpful reminders. All you need is a little self-discipline and preparation, and you’ll breeze through exams. Just remember, your blog will still be there when exams are over; you can blog your heart out during Christmas break.
[tags]legal andrew, exams, exam, law school[/tags]
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Law School Lessons Learned in Prison
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Do you ever get addicted to a simple little game? Solitaire? Tetris? Sudoku? For me, it’s a free Palm game called The Prison. It’s a breakout-type game where you bust bricks with a bouncing ball.
As I was playing The Prison recently, I had the stunning realization that it actually teaches the player quite a bit. I’m sure many other games like this do the same. Here are the law school lessons I’ve learned in prison:
Don’t count your lives
When I first started playing The Prison, I obsessed with making sure I had all 3 lives when I left level 1. My theory was that I could not get far without “backup” lives. In reality, I have gotten to high levels (for me at least) even after I lost a life or two early on.
In law school, and your entire legal career, you will have to take chances. Don’t obsess with having a spotless record; it won’t happen. Be sure to not do anything that will keep you from being admitted to the bar, but the world is pretty forgiving about most things.
You need a strategy
I used to play The Prison by simply trying to keep the ball in play. I had no strategy for which bricks to break or where to aim my next bounce. Needless to say, I didn’t do very good. When I finally started planning my approach to a level and aiming my shots, my score improved drastically.
Do I even need to explain the link with law school here? Everyone knows you need a strategy just to get into law school. Unfortunately, once you’re here, there’s still plenty of work to do. You can’t do everything, so you have to decide what classes to take, what organizations to participate in, what jobs to apply for, etc. Pick a strategy, tweak it here and there, and you’ll have better success than aimlessly bouncing the ball around.
Don’t obsess over points
The Prison has a high scores list, so I naturally want to keep improving my score. At first, I thought that focusing on points was the way to accomplish this. Finally it dawned on me that if I focused on my strategy and tried to get to higher levels, I would automatically earn more points.
Likewise, focusing on grades in law school will get you nothing but the reputation of a gunner. Basically, you can’t just think “I want good grades.” Instead, try thinking “I want X kind-of job,” or something similar. If you focus on a tastier goal than grades, and stick with your strategy, the grades will fall into place, where they need to be. Will you get on Law Review? Maybe not. But you might also have some free time to play The Prison.
[tags]legal andrew, the prison, law school[/tags]
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You Gotta Love a Free Espresso Machine
This is part of the Balanced Life Center’s Season of Gratitude series. Check out the other things people are thankful for.
Do you enjoy espresso? Perhaps you like a good cappuccino. As for me, I love a great latte, and I’m thankful for my new espresso machine!
You may be wondering, “What does this have to do with being a lawyer or law student?” Well, if you have ever been around many law students or lawyers, you would know that we love our coffee. Unfortunately, many of us spend $3 per day (or more) getting our coffee fix. Perhaps you do too.
Back to the FREE espresso machine. Yesterday, my new DeLonghi espresso/cappuccino maker (pictured at right) arrived via UPS (I hate how they knock and run!). I set it up, read the directions, and made hot chocolate for my wife and a latte for myself. This morning, I made a nice, tall latte to bring to class with me.
Two benefits come from making your own coffee in the morning. First, you don’t have to stop by the coffee shop. This can save time, since you don’t have to drive or walk there. Plus, you don’t have to wait in line. Second, you save the vast amount of money you would otherwise spend at the coffee shop, in addition to the gas money to get there. It’s a win-win!
How did I get the machine for free? I used my Westlaw reward points. As The Frugal Law Student explains, Westlaw and Lexis reward points are great ways to get nifty things for free. Sure, you have to spend a little time to earn some points, but we’re talking 5 minutes a week, and you can eventually get something cool.
[tags]legal andrew, coffee, espresso, cappuccino[/tags]
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Using File Transfer Services: Ethical Considerations
How many times have you needed to send a large file to someone else? Did their email server allow you to email it? If that person was on AOL, the answer would clearly be “NO.”
Today’s internet brings a plethora of solutions for this problem. Many file transfer services have cropped up, allowing you to send a large file to anyone with an email address, via the file host’s servers. One such service, YouSendIt! was just featured as a solution for lawyers.
It’s high time that we ask: what ethical considerations are involved in using a service like this?
The most important question seems to be whether any confidential data that you send via these services will remain confidential. At the very least, what steps should lawyers take to attempt to ensure confidentiality?
If you have ever used a file transfer service like YouSendIt!, did you read the privacy policy or terms of service? I am no ethical expert, but it would seem that if you did not even inquire about the confidentiality of the data you entrusted to an internet company, you are opening yourself up to ethical problems.
Perhaps this is like entrusting your client’s private information to a random guy with a bike, in the hopes that he will carry it across town for you. Maybe the messenger will reliably transport your files, but will he peek at them? Did you even try to ensure that he won’t?
YouSendIt! expressly provides on its main page (where you upload a file and input recipient info) “By clicking on the ‘Send it’ button, you agree to YouSendIt’s Terms of Service.” A link below asks, “Need secure transfers?” Nowhere on the page does it mention privacy or confidentiality.
Did you read the Terms of Service? If you so, you would notice that they don’t actually mention file security. To see that, you have to click on the Privacy Policy link, which includes this section:
File Transfer Security
We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you at our site. Files stored for delivery are only accessible by YouSendIt and through the clickable link generated for your recipient. All files stored for delivery are deleted when they expire.
Did you see where it said “we will not abuse your data ourselves?” I think not. They are going to “protect” it, but then they specifically say that they can access it. I wonder what that means…
In the end, all I’m urging is caution. Will using YouSendIt! get you disbarred? No. I’m not an attorney, so I can’t give you legal advice. Just be cautious when entrusting confidential information to anyone, especially internet-based services.
[tags]legal andrew, yousendit, file transfer, attorney, lawyer[/tags]
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Marketing Your Law Firm Through Local Media Blogs
If you practice law, you are most likely trying to market your services (isn’t everybody?). If you’re a blogger, you probably know the basics of building blog traffic. But how do you market yourself through your local media?
The key is to use your blogging skills to connect with the blog aspirations of your local media outlets. I’m sure you have visited the websites of your local newspapers, television and radio stations, etc. Have you noticed which ones have blogs? Do you participate in the discussions there? If not, why? My suggestion to you: jump in!
I just ran across a great article that explains three methods of marketing your services using the blogs of local media outlets. As Kevin explains, one idea is to:
Subscribe to the RSS feeds of the newspaper blog(s) that are most likely to include a post of interest to your blog audience. When you see such a post share it with your audience. Let the reporter know.
How many times have you simply posted a story that spoke to you on your blog? Did you make a connection with the author? People who are serious about online writing and marketing will monitor their name, website, and/or company via different automated tools. Thus, even if you don’t notify them, authors usually find out when you are writing about them. Wouldn’t you like to take the offensive, and notify the author? This way, you ensure that he/she sees your appreciation for his work. He might add you to his feed reader, and one of your articles might be the feature of a future blog post.
You understand the concept, so I will not belabor the point. If you’re serious about marketing, you need every edge you can get. If you blog, you already have one tool in your arsenal. The key is the use it; go where the readers/viewers are – local media.
[tags]legal andrew, marketing, law firm, media[/tags]
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VoIP Coming to Larger Law Firms
Law.com has an interesting article regarding the use of VoIP in larger law firms. Apparently, the technology is finally taking root.
Honestly, VoIP seems like a no-brainer. It’s cheap, it’s feature-rich, and it performs well. From my experience with Vonage and Skype, VoIP works as well as your internet connection. If you have a decent connection, you’ll have good service.
Small businesses and small law firms have already learned the benefits to VoIP. Simple and cheap services, like Skype and Vonage, can fully meet the needs of these smaller entities.
Amazingly, larger firms have some pretty neat features available to them. The article makes a couple assertions that I find particularly promising:
When the system is fully functioning, [users] will be able to call a client at the touch of a button and have that call simultaneously entered into the firm’s Elite billing software by Thomson Elite.
* * *
As a simple example, the firm could design an application that would enable an attorney to check into a hotel room and order food off the room service menu while he or she is in a cab on the way from the airport.
I’m definitely one for doing things “at the touch of a button.” I love to find ways to automate tasks, especially repetitive ones. It sounds like VoIP is the solution to both of these problems. Pretty cool.
[tags]legal andrew, voip, law firm[/tags]
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Word’s Email Merge Feature: Tricky, But Handy
Have you ever wanted to send an email to a list of people, but personalize each one? Do you need a quick way to send your resume to over a hundred firms for your summer job search? Microsoft Word’s email merge feature will help you out.
Using email merge is pretty easy. All you do is type your document in Word. Then you select Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge. In the right pane, select “E-mail messages.” Simply follow the remaining prompts to complete your email merge. You will select a list to send to (you can easily select your Outlook contacts, an Excel sheet, etc). Then you can add fields to your email, such as the recipient’s name, contact details, etc.
Once you have added the fields (step 4), you will be able to preview your messages. Be careful to check each one and make sure everything looks right. When you click “Complete the merge,” your emails will be sent.
The crazy thing about Word email merge is that you can’t attach anything to your email. I don’t know about you, but that’s an important feature for me with many mailings. The solution I have come up with is to simply put all of your content in the Word document itself. It might not be a great way, but it works. The alternative is to do some crazy work of scripting within Word.
There you have it! An easy way to make quick work of mass email. Do you have any tips for work such as this? Please leave a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, microsoft word, word, mail merge, email merge, e-mail merge[/tags]
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Use Skype and PrettyMay for Automated Phone Messages
Have you ever needed to make several phone calls, saying the same thing during each call? Perhaps you needed to repeat your 15 second pitch while making networking contacts. Maybe you were calling a list of people to cancel a meeting or conference. Regardless of the reason, Skype and PrettyMay will help.
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What’s Skype?
Skype is a way to make phone calls using your computer. You can learn a ton about it by going to official website or by checking out Wikipedia.
You can call any other Skype user in the world for free. You can also make calls to regular phones. Until 2007, this feature is FREE for calls from U.S. users to U.S. phones. Now’s the time to jump on board!
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Automation time!
One cool feature of Skype is that there are many plugins available for download (some free, others not). PrettyMay is one of these plugins. It’s got a FREE trial version, which lets you use almost all the features. Download and install it, then you’re ready for automating your phone calls.
First, you just have to record your message. In Windows, you can do this with the “Sound Recorder,” which is accessible via the “Accessories” menu. Simply click “record” and speak your message into your headset or microphone. Then save the file where you can find it later. You might need to tweak the volume, to make sure the other person on the phone hears it properly.
Second, import your message into PrettyMay. On the “Share Music” tab, right click and select “Add Files.” Select your desired message file (wav or mp3 format) and click “Open.”
Third, call the person using Skype. Just make sure Skype and PrettyMay are running, then initiate a phone conversation with your targeted person.
Finally, play the message at the right time. When you want to play your recorded message, click “Share Music” in PrettyMay. Select the desired message file, click the play icon at the bottom of the screen, and check “Play Sound effect in a conversation.” Your audio file will now play, and the other person on the phone call will hear it.
Why do this?
If you’ve read this far, you must be interested in this concept. Perhaps you have an application in mind. Perhaps you don’t. Regardless, I’m sure many applications will come to mind now that you have the power of automated phone calls.
As a busy lawyer, how many times have you left the same exact voicemail for several different people? Instead of wasting your breath, record the voicemail to your computer, call each person, and simply replay the voicemail to each person’s voicemail box.
What uses do you have for this technique? Please post a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, skype, prettymay, broadcast audio, skypecast[/tags]
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Drafting Your Law Firm Cover Letter
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If you are a first year law student, it’s definitely time to start preparing your law firm job search materials. There are other sites that provide comprehensive information regarding the search process. The idea here is to give you a few tips on writing your cover letters.
Be professional
This should go without saying, but you need to present a unified, professional image. Thus, use the same font family for your resume, cover letter, and envelope. Use the same paper. Don’t use clip art.
Make sure your cover letter is in a proper business letter format. Make it free from typos, with proper spelling and grammar.
Make it different
Do you like receiving correspondence that is obviously a mail merge template? Neither do law firms. At the very least, use the firm’s name in the body of the letter a few times. Also, try to highlight something unique about the particular law firm. This means you can’t simply mail merge all your letters, but you can do a couple quick tricks to make it easier
For example, you could easily leave a spot in your letter where you can type a sentence that is unique to each firm. Perhaps this could be, “I noticed your Lawyer College training program during my research; I would love to learn more about this.” The point is to make your letter stand out from the hundreds of others by showing you have researched the firm and took the time to type part of the letter manually.
Tie it to yourself
Another part of this art is to highlight interesting things about yourself that might appeal to the law firm. This works particularly well when you have some experience or course work that relates to a practice area of interest.
When drawing attention to specifics about yourself, try to use details that are not on your resume. Your resume should speak for itself, and the cover letter should provide additional insight into you and your career interests.
Link to the area
Whether you have friends or family around the area in which the firm is located, be sure to mention it in the cover letter. Law firms want to know whether or not you are going to stay in the area. Ensure them that you are not just sending your resume to enjoy a free callback trip to New York or Chicago. Let the firm know that your in-laws live in Chicago, thus your family would love to move there. Don’t appear to be nomadic.
Keep it simple
Law firm recruiters and hiring people are busy. Don’t expect them to read a four page tome about your childhood. Likewise, don’t just write a paragraph begging for a job. In my opinion, try to keep the letter simple, and stick to a page or so. Simple and to the point.
Do you have any ideas for writing law firm cover letters? Feel free to post a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, law firm, cover letter, job search, career[/tags]
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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