Jeff Riffer, senior litigation partner in the law firm of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro in Los Angeles, CA, discusses why and how he uses Microsoft’s OneNoteTM software for day-to-day litigation.
In looking for software to help him win cases, he originally wanted software that would help him organize facts and data he obtained during the progression of the lawsuit, software that would be learned easily, and software that would be easy to use.
As litigation unfolds, attorneys learn many disparate facts; they don’t always know if the facts will be important during trial or even how they may be connected to other parts of the case. Thus, the software must be capable of collecting the information and then searchable later when the entire picture comes into keener focus.
In other words, the process is analogous to the collection of pieces of paper with notes scribbled on them. However, with many pieces of paper, especially in cases with many documents, organization is often difficult. With Microsoft’s OneNoteTM, this process became much easier for Jeff.
In our interview, Jeff Riffer talks about OneNoteTM and how he uses the software.
According to Business Week, PhotStamps was one of the most innovative and exciting products for 2005. The US Postal Service annually receives 40,000 requests/submissions for new stamps and approves 35. However, the USPS approved a one year test for personalized stamps.
Jonathan Stein suggested that he escaped an ethical problem because he had a few extra dollars in his clients’ trust account. Those few ($100) dollars assured him that his bank wouldn’t invade clients’ funds if they charged an expense item against the account. Jonathan does say to check your State’s rules of professional conduct if you want to consider doing this.
His suggestion brings to mind several experiences I have encountered with coaching clients of mine.
A piece of advice taught in law school and often ignored by trial counsel: Never ask a question of a witness when you don’t know the answer that will be forthcoming from the witness! (more…)
The 2nd Circuit panel of Judges Guido Calabresi, Jose A. Cabranes and Richard C. Wesley, in McDonald v. Pension Plan, cv-05-1435, 1630, 1749, 4140, 4288, vacated a lower court’s attorney fee award on the grounds that the lower court inappropriately applied a blended rate to a sole practitioner’s fee application. (more…)
Rules of professional conduct require that lawyers i) have independence of judgment, ii) protect the confidentiality of client information, and iii) be loyal to clients through the avoidance of conflicts of interest. In addition, lawyers must be iv) competent. These requirements have nothing to do with clients. These are about the lawyer, about being a better lawyer technically!(more…)
ROI, return on investment, is an important issue in measuring both the value and merit of any business task. When it comes to blogging, it is a much more difficult task for many reasons. But, the discussion is beginning.
And Debbie Weil has written books on the subject … Check it out.
Thanks to Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, editor-in-chief of Law Journal Newsletters’ Marketing the Law Firm for reviewing our latest work, Business Competency for Lawyers, a LawBiz Management Special Report in the June 2006 edition. She also reviewed The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering, by James A. Durham, currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Ropes & Gray in Boston
There are posts from Michelle Golden and Suzanne Rose that would draw you to an affirmative conclusion. Both articles are well written and deserve to be read if this is an issue for you.
