Articles

State of Jefferson

While I was in Yreka, CA, I learned about The State of Jefferson. This was a political movement in the late 1930s. The focus of the movement was to create a new state out of southern Oregon (dissatisfied with the power of northern Oregon) and Northern California (wanting to keep its riches – water) out of the greedy hands of Southern California. 

Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941, put an end to this effort. The entire effort of everyone was turned to the War … Though I didn’t know about this group, they surfaced again in the early 1960s, if not earlier. It was Pat Brown, the greatest governor (IMHO) California ever had. It was his focus that built the University of California into a powerhouse, and it was he that successfully lead the Feather River project on the ballot. This assured that water from the north would flow into southern California. This brought water for the farmers in the area as well as the growing population. With water connecting the State, there is very little likelihood the two segments will be separated at any time.

But, the State of Jefferson is still a state of mind. There are many folks who would like to see the separation. But there is no consensus. So, it appears to be more of an historical society.

In working with your clients, are you separate from them? Or are you able to create an inseparable bond, as Governor Pat Brown did for the people of California?

 


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Seven Feathers

We’re in Canyonville, OR, at the Seven Feathers RV Park. This is the best RV park I’ve ever seen … and they claim to be among the top 4 in the country. What a way to end the day.

We were staying in Yreka, CA, using that as a base to commute to Ashland, OR for the annual  Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Got to see two great plays, She Loves Me and Twelfth Night. Then, today, my wife said her patience will permit us to stay in one spot only for 3 days. So, we got up and left Yreka.

En route, we developed a flat tire in the trailer. Had to call Good Sam to bail us out. They were great, get us help within the hour. The RV park my wife selected not only is one of the best, but also has a truck and tire facility adjacent to it … the only one open today, July 4th! What a coincidence. They looked at our tire; they believe it was the stem, not the tire … and took care of it. They will even come to the RV Park tomorrow to check it again, making sure the tire pressure holds, before we embark on our next phase of the trip.

That is service! That is caring for the customer … What have you done with your clients lately to compel them to say such things about you?  His name and number will go in my book … and should I ever need someone of his skill set anywhere in the State of Oregon, he’s the first one I’ll call. Will your clients and former clients call you before they call anyone else? Will they call you on behalf of their friends and colleagues before they call anyone else? If not, why not? Look inward to address your operations and client management challenges before you look outward … Why waste your money on marketing if you can’t satisfy your clients once they arrive?


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Ed interviews Sharon D. Nelson and John W. Simek, principals of the nationally known computer forensics and legal technology consulting firm, Sensei Enterprises, Inc.

Ed interviews both Sharon D. Nelson and John W. Simek, principals of the nationally known computer forensics and legal technology consulting firm, Sensei Enterprises, Inc. Sharon and John are co-authors of The 2010 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide and The Electronic Evidence Handbook. Sharon is also co-author of the book, How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times. They discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of today’s social media and how lawyers can most effectively use this new channel of distribution for their ideas and communicating their expertise to potential clients.

24 minutes, 17 seconds
5.7MB


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Balance of Life

Today is the first full day of a journey/vacation. We may be gone for 3 weeks+, depending on how we feel as we travel through Central and Northern California on to Northern Oregon, and then returning by way of the Pacific Coast … My wife is a bit anxious and I’m a bit eager. For cross country purposes, this trip will be our "dry run." If we do well, next year we’ll go across the country from L.A. to N.Y.

If you want to follow our trail, tune in to Facebook.

I’ve always believed that over a life time, there is a balance of life. But, at any one time, there is a focus on that which you’re doing, not a balance. Today, and for the next few weeks, I’m going to test out whether I can focus on relaxing, "smelling the roses," and appreciating the beauty of our surroundings. Being me, of course, it’s not likely that I will do no work. In fact, I’ve brought material with me. But I hope to do a fair amount of reading and learning en route. To me, that’s balance. In fact, that’s the basis of our trailer license, STESPOT.


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Customer priority

As quoted by Alan Weiss, citing an IBM survey, CEO’s focus on three elements:

1. Embody creative leadership (take prudent risk, invite disruptive innovation)
2. Reinvent customer relationships (set priority of customer intimacy)
3. Operating dexterity (flexible cost structures and opportunistic capabilities)

Shouldn’t this be what law firms do? Take prudent risk to grow the practice and enhance the well-being of its members and staff; focus their energies outward, to benefit their clients, which would include both pricing and costing flexibility.

Too often, law firms are all about their lawyers, and they forget the well-being (intimacy) of their customers/clients.


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Lateral hires are in a seller’s market!

I’ve just talked with two legal industry "executive search" recruiters. They have never been busier in the last 5 years! And quality laterals are being sought!

That tells me that the economy is in recovery mode; that lateral partners are still being pruned from large law firms; that partners are getting tired of the politics in larger law firms where they see no rational basis for decisions being made that may very well impact their economic future; and that most law firms have yet to act as enterprises rather than as hotels for sole practitioners. Laterals with good books of business can just as easily move to another firm that will provide them with a larger umbrella and greater opportunity … or even start their own boutique law firm.

This further suggests that while the economy has forced changes in law firms, the sea change some discuss hasn’t yet taken place … and may never. As I’ve said before, we’re in an evolutionary, not revolutionary, mode. Write me with your thoughts and experiences on this.


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