RJon Robins

Start a law firm – resources & free help

September 2, 2009 by RJon Robins

OK, so you already know I've helped HUNDREDS of lawyers start a law firm. Back when I was a Practice Management Advisor with The Florida Bar's Law Office Management Assistance Service it was like a weekly thing for me. And there is NO practice area that is immune to the benefits of proper planning.

Recently though I've noticed a growing number of people offering “resources” to help a lawyer successfully open a profitable and personally and professionally rewarding law firm business. And most of the advice I have seen out there, sad to say is just plain bad. As in bad because it will waste your time working on elements of a “business plan” that are totally unnecessary unless your goal is to raise working capital from investors. And bad because those kinds of business plans that are used to raise working capital and satisfy lenders usually miss the MOST important elements that make a law firm actually work in the real world.

So here's a limited time only offer and you'll understand why I have to say this is on a “first come, first served” basis because I anticipate an avalanche of smart lawyers to take advantage of my generosity here:

Send your law firm business plan to MJ@HowToMANAGEaSmallLawFirm.com. Write “Business Plan” in the subject line and as time permits I'll review it for you for FREE and give you the benefit of my hundreds of successful law firms experience. And yes, if it sounds like I'm bragging I am because who else is going to do it for me right?

RJON

How to use Google Alerts to market your law firm

August 31, 2009 by RJon Robins

I’ve been on this soap box before: Google Alerts is a GREAT tool for marketing your law firm. It’s especially a great tool because of the way it so levels the playing field with larger law firms. I mean all you have to do is enter in key words that are relevant to your CLIENTS and voila – you have a never-ending stream of relevant excuses to get and keep your name out there in front of them. And instead of being irritated by your expensive and time-consuming (and lame) brochures and advertisements, your clients will actually APPRECIATE your communiques. Oh no, there I go again getting back up on that soap-box again! So I’ll shut-up now and let “Mr Google Alerts” take over for me with this great article.

Empower your staff to make you a rich lawyer

August 19, 2009 by RJon Robins

I really am a great tipper! In fact I’m a really great customer or client for anyone to have, not just because I’m a very loyal person to begin with but also because once I get into a routine I am comfortable with I tend to stick with it for a long, long time.

I used to get my hair cut by the same person in Ft. Lauderdale for nearly 6 years, 4 of which I actually lived 500 miles away in Tallahassee! I also go out of my way to refer business to people and companies I like and I’m always quicker to share a kind word or a compliment with someone’s supervisor or about someone’s business than I am to criticize.

But there are just so many colossal customer service screw-ups all around me that I can’t pass-up the opportunity to share them with you so that you can learn from and avoid these kinds of law firm client service mistakes in your own small law practice. These business owners are literally watching tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars walk out their doors every year. But not you. Not after you see this.

SO PLEASE EMPOWER YOUR STAFF TO KEEP MY BUSINESS BECAUSE I WANT TO GIVE YOU MY MONEY!

p.s. I also had a very bad banking experience with Chase today but it was saved by a wonderful bank manager whose supervisor is receiving a letter commending his performance. This time Chase closed one of my accounts because someone wrote a check to ME that bounced. Yes, you read that right. I was the victim so Chase closed my account and sent me a letter which arrived today, the day before the account was to be closed.

How To Make A Million Dollars In Your Small Law Firm

July 29, 2009 by RJon Robins

Lots of lawyers mistakenly believe it has to be exotic or complicated to double (yes I said double) the revenue of a small law firm. To the contrary, some of the “best practices” when it comes to law firm marketing and law practice management and some of the most important things to do if you want to start a law firm are very simple and free.

I learned a thousand different ways to make an extra five, ten even twenty thousand dollars or more when I worked as a Law Practice Management Advisor for The Florida Bar’s Law Office Management Assistance Service. But I never did “discover” that one big “holy grail” secret that will bring in a million dollars to a small law firm all by itself. And if it was out there you can be pretty sure I would have found it. Consequently I’d suggest you keep your hand on your wallet when speaking with anyone who says they that have. Sign up for my FREE weekly ezine at www.HowToManageaSmallLawFirm.com

BIG & FREE law firm marketing oppty w/ national media expos. 4 a few lawyers in Pinellas Co. Fla

July 28, 2009 by RJon Robins

I am looking for a FEW lawyers in Pinellas County, Florida to participate in a big project with some world class PR opportunities and very likely regional and national media exposure in it for you.

I am ESPECIALLY interested in attracting solos & lawyers with small law firms experienced in bankruptcy, family law, immigration, criminal defense, employment law, PI and small business transactional attorneys. I also have one spot open for an attorney who has experience dealing with County officials to obtain permits etc.

I am not able to share the details publicly yet. What I can tell you is that this is part of an ambitious and well-financed National service project that will have some of the most influential names in the Country attached to it. You may pick-up a few paying clients directly but the lawyers I am looking for are those who are smart enough to know that hitching your wagon to a National Star is a smart law firm marketing move to make.

If you are ready, willing and able to commit a total of about 10-20 hours of your time over a series of months beginning in late August, to get a few hundred thousand dollars of media exposure for yourself please send my assistant an email with just three letters KSA in the subject line. In that email please tell me a little bit about yourself that’s not obvious from your website and MJ will get in touch to schedule us for a telephone appointment to discuss the details of what’s involved.

There will be no cost or fee required from you to participate. Just a little bit of your time and creativity. But I only need a FEW lawyers for this project so email mj@howtomanageasmalllawfirm.com TODAY!

When Bad Lawyer Advertising Happens, It’s The Children Who Suffer

July 13, 2009 by RJon Robins

Brian Tannenbaum over at My Law License exposes the farce that is “Super Lawyers” when the publication listed two currently acting prosecutors as “Super Criminal Defense Lawyers”.

My response is as follows. . .

When Bad Lawyer Advertising Happens, It's The Children Who Suffer

Yes,
there is a ton of transparently bad advertising & “fact checking”
out there when it comes to lawyer advertising & law firm marketing.
In my experience, it has alot to do with the fact that law schools
don't teach us anything about how to market a law firm, there are
hardly any decent CLE programs on the subject and most lawyers run
around with a inside-out perspective on marketing. So compared to the
owners of just about any other kind of business too many lawyers
haven't a clue about why & how clients REALLY go about choosing a
lawyer. Especially a criminal defense lawyer!

So the saddest
thing is that instead of being home with their kids too many lawyers
are out there working extra-hours to earn the money to then pour down
the advertising drain. And for the most part (like 80%) DOESN'T EVEN
WORK.

Why? Because contrary to conventional wisdom,
credentials are not at the top of the list of what clients are looking
for when hiring a lawyer. (chorus: ESPECIALLY a criminal defense
lawyer!)

But since so few lawyer ads give clients what they
are REALLY interested in knowing they just settle for the best of bad
and so that's what too many lawyers go around thinking is “good enough.”

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