Latest and Greatest - The Cybersleuth's Guide to the Internet

The Cybersleuth’s Guide to the Internet

Carole A. Levitt & Mark E. Rosch

Internet for Lawyers

KFT 242 .A1 L478 2015

Do you feel you need the investigative skills of Sherlock Holmes to find free legal resources and information on the Web? If so, then The Cybersleuth’s Guide to the Internet by Carole A. Levitt and Mark E. Rosch is just the book for you. From the mechanics of Web searching for “newbies” to sophisticated search techniques for more savvy Web users, this book will help you locate public records, assets, vital records, criminal records, and older versions of Web pages. The authors also explain the importance and ethical concerns of searching social network sites, a practice that is becoming more common, especially in family law matters. Other sites for investigative and legal research include: search engines, court dockets, telephone directories, political campaign contribution sites, and case law databases. For those of you willing (and able) to spend the money, there are some pay investigative research databases the authors discuss and recommend.

Happy sleuthing!

Latest and Greatest - How to Manage Your Law Office

How to Manage Your Law Office

Mary Ann Altman & Robert I. Weil

Matthew Bender

KF 318 .A758

As part of Law Practice Management Month, the Harris County Law Library has been offering tips and recommending resources to help solo and small-firm lawyers better manage their practice. Another resource that we have here at the library is How to Manage Your Law Office. Whether you are a solo practitioner, a lawyer in a corporate law department, or an attorney in a governmental law office, this two-volume set is an indispensable tool in opening your office and keeping it running smoothly.

After discussing the organizational structure of the various types of law offices, the authors dive into the issues that affect the day-to-day management of the firm, such as legal fees, accounting basics, the roles of nonlawyer staff members, law office technology, and related ethical considerations and risks. The remainder of the book is devoted to strategic planning and marketing, the hiring of new associates and support staff, and law office design, all matters that can shape the success of your law practice.

Latest and Greatest – SMART Marketing for the Small Firm Lawyer

Smart Marketing for the Small Firm Lawyer

Kenneth Vercammen

American Bar Association

KF316.5 .V47 2014

You need to attract clients to your firm – that’s business 101. But for the solo or small firm practitioner who is already practicing law, managing staff, and paying the rent, marketing seems easy to place squarely on the back burner. That can be especially true if digital marketing tools seem a little foreign – like, what is the difference between a blog post and a LinkedIn® update anyway?

That’s where SMART Marketing for the Small Firm Lawyer comes into play. This publication from the ABA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division breaks down various types of marketing tools – from blogs and websites to social media – and provides links to examples from the author’s own marketing efforts. Subsequent chapters simplify daily and low-cost marketing practices small firm lawyers can implement to expand their business and provide tips on content creation and crafting promotional materials. Regardless of where you are on the marketing know-how spectrum, this resource can help you improve your marketing strategies and attract more clients.

Visit the Law Library to discover a copy of SMART Marketing for the Small Firm Lawyer today!

Latest and Greatest - The "In One Hour" Series

In One Hour series

ABA Law Practice Management Section

The Harris County Law Library is excited to offer several technology resources from the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section, which we refer to as the “In One Hour” series.

  • LinkedIn® in One Hour for Lawyers explains how LinkedIn® can help you market and expand your business and get clients.
  • Facebook® in One Hour for Lawyers offers simple advice for creating a profile, establishing a business page, and developing a strategy to grow your network.
  • iPad in One Hour for Lawyers offers short lessons on how to use and get the most out of your iPad.
  • iPad in Hour for Litigators demonstrates how an iPad can assist you when trying a case, from gathering case information to discovery to using the iPad in court.
  • iPad Apps in One Hour for Lawyers can help you navigate through the more than 80,000 apps that are available for the iPad and choose the ones that can help you organize your business, store your documents, and keep track of your time and billing.

These books are available at the reference desk. Just ask a law librarian for assistance.

Latest and Greatest - $olo Contendere

$olo Contendere: How to Go Directly From Law School Into the Practice of Law Without Getting a Job

By Marc Garfinkle, Esq.

KF 300 .G3

It’s Law Practice Management Month here at the Harris County Law Library, and it’s time to highlight some of the resources that we have in our collection that might be useful to your current practice or to assist you in establishing a new solo practice. One of these resources is Solo Contendere: How to Go Directly from Law School into the Practice of Law - Without Getting a Job, 3rd Edition by Marc Garfinkle, Esq. According to Garfinkle, some basic questions that the new lawyer should address before hanging out his shingle include:

  • How do I begin?
  • What type of law do I want to practice?
  • Do I want to focus on a particular specialty?
  • Is the cooperative office arrangement for me?
  • What equipment and furniture do I need?

The book also offers practical advice for creating a business plan, developing a “real” client base, and going to court. From Garfinkle’s "Practice Defensively: The Ten Commandments" to his thoughts about getting paid for your work, the author provides you with enough information to shed the fear and fly solo.