From Law Consulting Blog: "My Top 10 Tips for Young Lawyers"

"My Top 10 Tips for Young Lawyers" from Law Consulting Blog. Cordell Parvin's blog is full of practical advice, and this post is no exception. Don't let the title fool you though: lawyers at all stages of their career can benefit from these tips. So can everybody else. My favorite? Number 1: "Seek to become a better lawyer every single day." Shouldn't we all strive to that goal, no matter what we do?

From Sui Generis: "Large firms: Take next social media steps"

"Large firms: Take next social media steps" from Sui Generis. If you're not reading this blog from Niki Black, one of the authors of Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier (and the inaugural 22 Tweets interviewee), you're missing out on a valuable perspective. This post is no exception. Ostensibly written for large firms trying to understand the basics of social media, it in fact provides useful guidelines on establishing and managing a social media presence for all lawyers.

From Law Biz Legal Pad: "What business are you in?"

"What business are you in?" from Law Biz Legal Pad. Today's post isn't a post at all, but rather a video from Ed Poll. I don't recommend many videos, mainly because I don't watch many, but I liked this one because it gives practical advice on thinking through what you offer clients. Questions that can help you better understand your market and your competitive advantages if you answer them honestly. Questions that can help you focus your practice on the things that clients really need, not those that you think they need. But don't take my word for it:

From Alan's Blog: "How to Think Like a (Successful) Consultant"

"How to Think Like a (Successful) Consultant" from Alan's Blog at Contrarian Consulting. We could all benefit from thinking more like consultants and less like technicians. This post sets out 12 solid ideas that will help you do just that. My favorite? The first one, because it's all about value. Read them and then add Alan Weiss' blog to your RSS feed. You'll be glad you did.

From Oregon State Bar Bulletin: "Unbundling in the 21st Century"

"Unbundling in the 21st Century" from Oregon State Bar Bulletin. Under the auspices of telling lawyers "How to Reduce Malpractice Exposure While Meeting Client Needs," this post provides an (almost) exhaustive list of questions every lawyer should ask, in every situation, as they move into the unfamiliar territories of outsourcing and unbundling. Change is hard, particularly when your client's needs, rights and privacy are thrown into the mix -- along with your own reputation and potential malpractice exposure -- but it is practical and useful posts like this that will help lawyers manage the change, minimize the risks, and move the profession into the 21st century.

Hat tip to Jim Calloway for the link in his Law Practice Tips Blog.

From Nolo's Legal Marketing Blog: "Why Law Firms Should Wow Their Current Clients"

"Why Law Firms Should Wow Their Current Clients" from Nolo's Legal Marketing Blog. It's easy to focus your marketing dollars and efforts on finding and landing new clients. But it doesn't always make the most sense: studies show that it costs 11 times more to bring in a new client as it does to get additional work from an existing one. This post gives a good, common-sense, look at how you can make your current clients happier, and how it will always help you in the long (and short) run.

While you're at it, check out "A Short, Concise Client Development Tip" on Cordell Parvin's Law Consulting Blog for more tips on how you can make clients happy by showing them how much you care about their business.