Law Practice Today, a monthly e-zine published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section, has recently undergone a makeover and its November 2008 issue is really great.
But before I discuss it further, let me disclose my bias. Somehow some of my so-called friends and colleagues talked me into serving as Associate Editor of Law Practice Today. Many of us thought it needed changes and some new energy injected. Well, somehow speaking about that was taken as a willingness to volunteer time. Luckily, they also recruited Wendy Werner of Werner Associates to serve as Editor-in-Chief (and adult supervision generally.) We've also got some great new volunteers on the editorial board as well as some seasoned talent.
So let's talk what is great about the November 2008 issue of LPT. You should read this great free publication and you should subscribe now so you don't miss a future issue. Our feature stories focus on practicing law in difficult economic times. (I won't link to all of them. Just go here.) David Maister writes about keeping an optimistic outlook in tough times. Dennis Kennedy hosts a great discussion, What Should You Do Now? A Roundtable Discussion on Law Practice in a Time of Great Economic Turmoil. Participants include Tom Collins, Jordan Furlong, Patrick Lamb, Bruce MacEwen, Patrick McKenna, Edward Poll, Allison C. Shields and Merrilyn Astin Tarlton. This is quite a diverse and talented team. In addition, Deborah E. Gillis writes In a Tough Economy, the Importance of Effective Client Screening. I couldn't agree more.
But that's just the start. We have three new columns in LPT. I helped coordinate the intial Your Practice Management Advisor column, which will be a joint effort of the state bar and law society practice management advisors. Our first effort covers a wide range of territory with FAQs from the Practice Management Advisors. The other two new columns are Flying Solo by K. William Gibson and The Legal Mac by Ben Stevens. Bill Gibson is a former chair of the ABA Law Practice Management Section and edited the last edition of the book Flying Solo. Ben Stevens publishes The Mac Lawyer blog and spoke to large groups of interested lawyers at last year's ABA TECHSHOW.
Law Practice Today now hosts the Digital Edge podcast and this month Sharon Nelson and I interview Craig Ball for his take on several Electronic Discovery issues. Those of you who know Craig's work know thaty he will not lack opinions or be shy in expressing them.
There are also columns on marketing, career planning and billing techniques. So stop by this month's Law Practice Today and allow some time to review all of this great content. But it is important for you to subscribe when you are there, so that you don't miss future editions. A subscription means you get an e-mail notification when each issue is published near the middle of each month.