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Archive for May 21st, 2007

Why I Blog

21 May

TopLawStudent has asked law students who blog to write a post on why they started blogging. I started this blog last fall when I was trying to decide which law school to attend. I had spent months combing law student blogs trying to find blogs by part-time law student mothers with kids. The only great blog I found existed through the author’s first year before she ended it.* I decided that I would start a blog in order to both chronicle this adventure and also to help other mothers who might be considering law school in addition to a full-time job.

While I am trying to blog about law school, I am also trying to remain anonymous at this point so I have to censor myself some. I have serious concerns about the potential negative side of publicity, especially in terms of future employment prospects. On the other hand, well-written blogs can be very helpful networking tools. I suppose it just depends on how people view my blog. I am very outspoken and passionate about the causes I believe in. Right now I’m not certain if that will ultimately help or hurt me.

* Postscript: I just discovered that her blog is back up (archives deleted, however) and she is now blogging about being a Mom in law school while fighting breast cancer. :cry:

 
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Posted in Blogging, Law School

 

New magazine for women

21 May

I have recently discovered a new magazine for women who are interested in fully self-actualizing — achieving a successful career, home life, financial security, etc. It’s called Pink. I am reading the second issue of my subscription and would highly recommend it to women interested in achieving these goals. I like the fact that they profile women who have found career success while balancing families. They offer advice on investments and retirement, ways to market yourself, and examples of womens’ bold moves to achieve career success. They dismiss the idea that you can’t have it all and instead try to offer ideas for how to realize your dreams. Visit their web site for a free trial issue.

 
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Posted in Women in Law

 

The benefit of happy legal staff

21 May

Ed Poll has a great post over at LawBiz Blog on the importance of recognizing the ways your receptionist’s professionalism and attitude can help or hurt your business. His law firm-specific post was inspired by Seth Godin’s general blog post on the features that would make a great receptionist. The same can be said of your secretary. If you have a toxic secretary or a lazy/indifferent receptionist, the damage they can cause in terms of client relations is immeasurable. You may tolerate her and/or avoid confrontation (what is it about lawyers that makes them do this?!?), but ultimately your indifference or unwillingness to act is just hurting you and your firm.

On the flip side, if you hire talented staff, respect them, and encourage their professional development, you will find clients eager to call on you, assured that their messages will be passed along and their needs attended to promptly. Just having a kind, knowledgeable voice on the line can reassure a client and keep them at bay until you are able to attend to their matter.

As I have said before, if your secretary feels like a respected and trusted member of your team, she will want that team to succeed. She will derive pleasure from anticipating your needs and those of your clients. She will approach her work with gusto, knowing that your success and the firm’s success will ultimately lead to her success (trickle down economics). If you recognize her contribution and reward her appropriately with regular feedback, praise and compensation increases, you will help yourself and your practice more than you can imagine.

 
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Posted in Uncategorized