How to flatten a signature in Adobe Acrobat

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You probably already know how to create and use an electronic signature in Adobe Acrobat (if not, don’t worry it’s the first tip in Ernie Svenson’s video below). However, you may be wondering “how do I ‘flatten’ the signature image, so someone can’t simply lift my signature off a document.”

I figured that Adobe must have a way of doing this. It is the premier app for managing electronic documents in business after all. However, apparently not. Also, I could not find the answer by googling, either. After several dead ends, I was able to find the information. Everything you need is covered in Add a Flatten Document Menu Item to Acrobat on the Acrobat for Legal Professionals blog. WARNING: this has worked fine for me (Adobe Acrobat Pro 9), but I make no warranty.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Paperless Tagged With: ,

Backup strategies for solo or small firm lawyers

January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s a new year and it is time to make good on that resolution to strengthen your law firm’s backup strategy (or to get one started)!

How to get your back-up plan in order, in case of a hard drive failure, theft or fire, is one of the most important things a solo attorney and small law firm can do — especially once you go paperless. Then it is all just bits. And you do not want them to go away. Fortunately, it is much easier to copy bits than it is paper documents, allowing you to have multiple up to date and versioned copies in multiple locations.

Goals of a successful backup strategy:

  • Automatic. You already know that if something is a hassle, it is not going to get done. You want something that works in the background whether you remember to use it or not.
  • Multiple locations. One of the worst backup strategies is to have your backup sitting next to your computer. You want to make sure you have offsite back-up. And having a backup in a completely different regions is even better.
  • Multiple copies. One backup is good, but several are better. You never know when a perfect storm will hit and take out your one backup.or
  • Multiple services. If something happens with your backup provider, even a temporary problem with connectivity, you could be left out in the cold. It is a good idea to put your eggs in several different baskets just in case.

Great, you say. You could read pabulum like this on any number of law blogs. So let me give you a quick and dirty guide to backing up. Some of this is Mac specific, but I am including PC alternatives for the Morlocks among you ;)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Cloud, Mac Tips, Practice Tips Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Kill the puppies!!!

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Popped edit

I recently came across this post titled “The best editing advice anyone accidentally gave me.” It is pretty darned good advice whether you are writing a book, a blog post, or anything else:

Sometimes a story has pieces to it that are interesting or well-written or the result of hours of thought and work, but simply — if an editor is being completely honest — don’t belong in that story. Like puppies, those pieces are good things, and you’d never want to part with them, but if they are unnecessary, they have to go. Chop the piece, kill the puppy.

This is spot on! Certainly, I know that my writing could use more editing. However, I am usually so pleased with myself that I have any ideas at all, that I do not want to start cutting out ideas — let alone good ones — just because they did not fit with the piece I am writing.

Via House of Figs

Creative Commons License photo credit: carterse

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With:

Solo lawyer gets all clients from blogging

November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I spoke with Christian Frank Fas at MILOfest (Macs in Law Offices conference) about how legal blogging has been the best method for attracting prospecting clients to his law office.

Check out Christian’s facebook and blog!

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: ,

Can your clients understand your forms?

October 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’m listening to the 4th Graders Read A Credit Card Agreement episode of NPR’s Planet Money podcast. In it, the hosts discuss the how eye-roll-back-in-your-head complex credit card agreements and notices are. Is it really necessary to make them so complicated? Is it even possible to make legal notices simpler?

With good design, the answer is YES.

Here is a sample disclosure document (click on the link for the full pdf).

Now, here is the same document revised and reformated for clarity and readability (again, click the link for the full pdf).

Of course the second one is easier to read. It is broken down into clear sections with nice signposts to tell the reader what s/he is looking at. Now, here is the question. Are your fee agreements and other documents more like the first set notice, or the second?

Filed Under: Podcasts, Practice Tips Tagged With:

Best Business Advice for Lawyers

September 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I was listening to after-show of Episode 10 of Back to Work. Merlin Mann has what I consider the best and simplest advice for anyone in business.

Here’s Merlin is voicing some people’s problem with Apple.

‘I don’t understand: why does Apple only make this costly stuff that only people who like Apple buy? It’s crazy, it’s almost like they don’t care about the people who don’t buy their stuff. It’s the weirdest thing in the world. Don’t they understand that I’m never going to buy their stuff?’

And that, I think, is a pretty good summation of how a lot of businesses see the world.

‘Why don’t you care more about how much I’m never going to buy your thing. Why doesn’t that bother you as much as it bothers me? You should care so much more about how I’m never going to buy your thing.’

And instead they’re not going to burn cycles on that. They’re  gonna go like, “Yeah, we’re a company! Yeah, we’re gonna do lock in. Yeah, we’re gonna do dumb shit. But, yeah we’re going to do that for people who have a fuck ton of money who are really happy to give it to us instead of making 35 tablets who don’t run that well and then make you feel bad about it.

What does this have to do with running a law practice?

Don’t try to make people who are never going to buy your services happy.

And, if you are blogging, you see this every day!  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Marketing, Podcasts Tagged With: ,

WordCast Conversations: Tomasz Stasiuk, Blogging, Social Media and Online Strategies for Lawyers

August 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I had a great conversation with Kym Huynh on Wordcast Conversations on the importance of blogging to the legal profession including:

  • How blogging attract legal clients.
  • How blogging equalizes the playing field between big law and solos and small firm lawyers.
  • How blogging establishes you as a thought leader in your practice area on the national stage.
  • How to get take the first steps to get started blogging.

WordCast Conversations with Tomasz Stasiuk from Bitwire Media on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Blogging, Marketing, Presentations Tagged With: ,

Law Practice Tip: Add “What to Bring” List to Emails

August 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Want to make you clients happy? How about just a bit happier. Here is an easy way to make your client’s experience with your office just a bit easier and less stressful.

Add a “What to Bring” section to your appointment confirmations

You already know that you have to remind you clients of their appointments. Otherwise the chance of a no-show jumps sky-high. I have been transitioning to email reminders over the last 18 months. It has made my life so much easier. I use a pre-generated email template in Daylite which plugs in the next event. I simply review it, and hit send.

One thing I have recently added is section that says:

At the appointment, we will be checking for the following. Please do your best to have these available:

And I include a list of what I will be looking for at the next appointment.

It’s easy. It avoids the whole, “Oh yeah! We did talk about that last time.” Of course, it does not prevent forgetting on the day of the appointment. It does reduce it substantially, though.

Filed Under: Practice Tips Tagged With:

Law Practice Tip: Do You Have A Client Notepad?

August 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Here is an easy way to keep your clients happy and make their lives easier: have mini-notepads on either side of your desk. It is one of those ridiculously obvious things (except that a lot of lawyers don’t bother with it).

It took me years to figure it out. It finally occurred to me at a doctor’s office: at the end of the appointment, they rattle off a list of medications, dosages and schedules, and things to watch for and what to do. Finally, they ask, “got that?” before smiling, shaking your hand and running out the door.

THAT’S WHAT IT’S LIKE TO SEE A LAWYER!!!

Simply providing a pad and paper greatly helps our clients keep all of the information and instructions that we go through during appointments straight.

On both left and right sides of my desk, I keep mini sticky-back notepads with pens. This lets my clients take notes and take with them. It’s easy and it makes getting things done easier for my clients and myself.

Got a practice management tip? Tell me in the comments!

Filed Under: Practice Tips
« Older Posts