tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135793312011-12-14T11:01:04.856-05:00Providing in-house counsel and firm-based attorneys with legal support services, including pre-litigation support, legal research and writing, deposition summaries, drafting of memoranda, contract and document review, preparation of pleadings and briefs, discovery, patent services, and more.LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.comBlogger2761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-71892333914013011792011-12-12T23:03:00.004-05:002011-12-12T23:07:12.168-05:00

Best Corporate Services - 2011LegalEase wins an award for the 4th year in a rowThis is getting to be a habit - a good one. LegalEase has been recognized once again for providing best of class services to its clients. Its just an indication that our clients mean a lot to us. A huge thanks to the clients that made this happen and if you haven't so far, go ahead - get your piece of sweetness!

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-49058061899067550002011-12-01T13:05:00.007-05:002011-12-01T15:57:13.813-05:00

A continuation of our Top 5 Tips, legal departments should (must) followMost general counsel of companies have one (fairly unnerving concern) – what if my existing outside counsel don’t pay me enough attention once I start using other law firms or a legal outsourcing firm. After all, most of the work the legal outsourcing firm will be doing is ‘gravy’ for the law firms. i.e. work they make the

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-22491171107431816372011-11-17T17:33:00.005-05:002011-11-17T17:45:02.488-05:00

At least we now figured out how to get old clients to respond to us. Steps to get past clients to hear you out: The Invoice. Send old client random invoice (In this step, you should aim for a higher invoice amt - the higher amt, the quicker and stronger response you will elicit)The response. Within 24-48 hours, Old client will respond something to the effect of “got the wrong guy”Instill

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-90587612139246545722011-11-11T14:09:00.003-05:002011-11-11T14:12:49.584-05:00

A continuation of our Top 5 Tips Small Legal Departments should (must) follow series. Sun Tzu seems to be the perfect guide for small GCs trying to navigate through the growth/ challenge cycles within their companies. Some tips in laying strategums, we thought GCs would be interested in learning from;Laying plans/ The calculations: To calculate, even if it is a back of the napkin (maybe a

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-22019666101953174912011-11-07T17:33:00.004-05:002011-11-07T18:15:36.232-05:00

Well since the US unemployment rate is continuing to fall from the double digit nightmare of last year, we think that its time we all start getting really innovative with the way we conduct business. Law has continued to flag in terms of adding jobs and this can change. Legal help should become ubiquitous like medical help. How law firms obtain clients, manage clients, find the right cost

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-11574792350740557032011-11-02T19:17:00.004-04:002011-11-02T19:43:33.805-04:00

GCs are institutionalizing policies that do not pay for work done by 1st and 2d year associates according to an article in the Inside Counsel. So should law firms then stop hiring them? How do young associates gain well rounded experience? Through legal support service providers maybe? We took this question to an associate at LegalEase Solutions and asked him what he thought. Below is a

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-83034606339840784552011-10-28T17:42:00.003-04:002011-10-28T17:58:30.555-04:00

Tip # 1: DelegateSmall legal departments need to delegate responsibilities to local counsel or even non legal staff to ensure that valuable time and management is not spent on tasks that dont require corporate counsel's micromanagement. Given the numerous pressures corporate counsel have to deal with - non critical tasks should be identified and delegated. You'll be surprised with how well

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-32841501711712323882011-10-11T00:22:00.001-04:002011-10-11T00:22:42.704-04:00

Try this audience polling system at Poll Everywhere

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-10737116385909752352011-10-10T23:49:00.007-04:002011-10-11T08:20:31.600-04:00

Innovation has really come slow to law firms internationally and more so here in the States. What is innovation and how can innovation make a difference to the way legal services are provided to end clients?The answer is fairly simple. Technology. Law firms need to use technology in order to;Increase efficiency. There are hardly any integrated solutions (which have been custom built for the legal

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-89121363011553210962011-10-03T19:10:00.003-04:002011-10-04T18:35:14.787-04:00

Although many in the legal services industry and other industries see increased efficiency, technology, and innovation as a threat to their livelihood and jobs, it often does not turn out to be the case, at least in the long run. As often has happened in numerous industries as well as on a macro level, country wide economies, while innovation and increased efficiency may close some doors of

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-26318762734959693352011-08-08T16:15:00.003-04:002011-08-09T06:22:32.221-04:00

Double dip, downgrades, recession, overleveraged – all ominous signs that we still have a shaky road ahead. One thing that law firms need to do to ensure that they remain steady, is to focus on profitability as well and not just revenue. Focus on profitability will ensure that the firm has enough cash flow and reserves to duke it out. Some tips on retaining and increasing profitability-

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-66843481588353707122011-07-14T15:44:00.003-04:002011-07-14T16:08:57.401-04:00

With the shakeup the legal market has seen in the past 2 years, all is not bad. Adversity forces us to get innovative, leaner (we all could use some of that), and create efficiencies that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. Below are some of the positives we see (not in any particular order);1. Small –Mid Sized Law Firms: The small law firm market has several new entrants – albeit forcedly. But

Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14427317956941123332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-14604135703131247502011-06-06T22:02:00.000-04:002011-06-06T22:02:59.705-04:00

Lawyers today have an option, to work at top law firms, have lower billable hour targets, have a life and opt out of the rat race. A recent article in the New York Times highlighted how large law firms have been setting up operations in lower cost semi-urban centers across the States for lawyers who can apply for a ‘career associate’ position. The career associate position will accommodate

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-47665611148315891432011-05-13T12:55:00.002-04:002011-05-16T16:02:33.766-04:00

The AM Law Daily recently reported that April saw an increase of 1500 legal jobs. This combined with the New York Times  article on the American Lawyer report that there is significant growth in 2010 over 2009 seemingly puts the attorney market back on track.Some other statistics from the American Lawyer report include -          4% increase in law firm revenues -          profits per partner

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-81005327433506479882011-04-05T13:22:00.000-04:002011-04-05T13:22:52.778-04:00

The WSJ  (http://tinyurl.com/4w36uk5) recently highlighted what the call the ‘Grand’ circle, lawyers who bill over $1000/hr. The article states several important facts;Hourly rates for partners actually rose by 3% in 2009 and 2010 and by 2.3% this year These rates are contributing to inflation across the $100 billion corporate law industry While partner profitability needs to keep increasing the

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-83570946095463775772011-03-02T08:32:00.003-05:002011-03-05T10:26:53.593-05:00

For those with a vested interest in the future of the delivery of legal services, the real fireworks are taking place in England and Wales. Legal Futures reported last week that the Legal Services Board has announced a new committee to "to oversee the Legal Services Board’s contingency planning to regulate alternative business structures directly." The Legal Services Board was created as part

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-29423296871277610112011-02-23T08:58:00.002-05:002011-02-25T08:21:14.527-05:00

The New York Times recently featured an investigation of how technology -- especially online searches -- is shaping jury selection. One striking part of the article is how reticent attorneys and jury consultants were to even speak to Reuters Legal on the subject. "Ten law firms and five jury consultants declined requests from Reuters Legal to observe them building juror profiles, many saying

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-58304869516076242922011-02-21T15:23:00.000-05:002011-02-21T15:23:26.723-05:00

Question : Can a trustee, whose standing as trustee is being challenged by a beneficiary of the trust, use trust assets and income of that trust to pay for its defense of that suit?  Short Answer: When the suit is to defend the trust property and a trustee acts reasonably and in good faith, the trustee may get reimbursement for the litigation expenses from the trust assets.  However, when defense

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-39604795218278913202011-02-16T08:50:00.002-05:002011-02-16T08:50:00.542-05:00

As we continue to look ahead into 2011, Law21.ca has an interesting take on what the future might hold for the business of law, and it starts with a glimpse in the rear view mirror.Jordan Furlong deems 2010 as the Year of Legal Outsourcing, citing an impressive list of breakthrough moments in the growing implementation of legal process outsourcing.Microsoft’s move to send general legal work to

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-59998172930221834512011-02-09T09:27:00.003-05:002011-02-09T09:27:00.467-05:00

Last week we looked at legal market projections from Hildebrandt Baker Robbins in their 2011 Client Advisory. That report also contains additional data compiled by the Citi Leaders Council Survey and Thomson Reuters.The Citi Leaders survey comprised 48 large law firms and found:Respondents project using AFA's for 15.4% of their firms' revenues in 2011, up from 12.9% last year.The Thomson Reuters

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-50221144994138124552011-02-02T09:26:00.002-05:002011-02-02T09:26:00.460-05:00

Professional services and firm management consultants Hildebrandt Baker Robbins released their 2011 Client Advisory for the legal market.Their comprehensive surveys highlight perceived legal trends in 2010, as well as the trends they believe will impact the market this year. Their discussion of Management Challenges opens with two telling paragraphs:"Much has been written over the past two

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-58533525552523674932011-01-26T09:30:00.008-05:002011-01-26T09:30:00.176-05:00

While Richard Susskind's book "The End of Lawyers?" is always a hot topic when discussing trends in the business of law, Mark Gerow makes a compelling argument in Law Technology News that the market forces Susskind describes were first outlined by Michael Porter's "Five Forces" back in 1979."Five Forces" detailed the following market forces that impact any industry (not specifically law) as:

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-70491847519349509822011-01-19T09:12:00.008-05:002011-01-20T13:38:42.633-05:00

Law.com's Corporate Counsel page has an interesting article on the changing role of the Chief Legal Officer.Tom McCoy and Jon Sallet, partners in the Washington D.C. office of O'Melveny & Myers, open their piece with:"A general counsel stands before the board of directors. Lawyer? Business strategist? Leader? Increasingly, the world demands that the answer to each of these questions be — "Yes."

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-69974472821347108962011-01-12T08:29:00.000-05:002011-01-12T09:40:50.322-05:00

Last week we looked at the role of some software technology in e-discovery, concluding that while software is an important tool, it is not a substitute for attorney participation.Freelance writer Jason Krause wrote an interesting piece last month for Legal Technology News that delves further into the burgeoning studies being conducted to try to determine that optimal balance between technology

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-39476316342050041622011-01-05T09:19:00.001-05:002011-01-05T09:19:00.384-05:00

Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported on a BTI Consulting Group survey indicating that large companies intend to spend more than 7% of their litigation budget on e-discovery this year.The ABA Journal cited the article, noting that:"The right software can help reduce the number of documents needing attorney review, helping save money..."For example, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius used “predictive

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-39160173743186805392010-12-29T10:05:00.005-05:002010-12-29T10:09:28.128-05:00

Wishing you a healthy and happy New YearFrom all of us at LegalEase Solutions

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-34256297186706288662010-12-22T10:20:00.001-05:002010-12-22T10:20:00.451-05:00

The outlook gets grimmer for associates, as several sources highlight their rough road.As we previously discussed, The National Law Journal last month reported a 1.5 percent drop in the total number of associates at the country's 250 larges law firms. Last week, the AmLaw Daily reported on the latest Robert Half Legal Hiring Index, in which seven percent more respondents said their firms intend

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-10005125856701970902010-12-15T09:10:00.000-05:002010-12-15T09:10:00.683-05:00

The AmLaw Daily last week featured some continuing coverage of the Citi Private Bank Law Watch Third Quarter 2010 results.Citi Private Bank's Law Firm Group chairman Dan DiPietro and senior client adviser Gretta Rusanow expanded upon some of the findings of the recent comprehensive survey, emphasizing:"... an increasing willingness on the part of general counsel to branch out beyond their

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-72064710506228609862010-12-08T09:11:00.000-05:002010-12-08T09:11:00.343-05:00

A couple interesting posts this past week highlight conflicting trends on a collision course.The Law School Admissions Council reported that the number of people taking the Law School Admissions Test last October was the second highest ever.A closer look at the LSAC's chart shows this is part of a greater trend.The highest number of October test takers in the history of the exam occurred last

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-56476407567266864722010-12-01T08:57:00.004-05:002010-12-01T08:57:00.157-05:00

The November issue of National Jurist featured an article by University of Indiana law professor William Henderson advocating big changes in the way law firms assess which candidates to hire and train, and that article has prompted quite a bit of discussion.The Wall Street Journal says that Mr. Henderson "pokes a variety of holes in the way big law firms have gone about their hiring for decades

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-43930914910704780082010-11-22T07:04:00.001-05:002010-11-22T07:04:00.892-05:00

Thomson Reuters announced last Thursday that they'd aquired a leading legal outsourcing company, Pangea3, in a move that according to the compnay:"Gives Thomson Reuters a leadership position in the fast-growing legal process outsourcing market."Reuters' press release notes that:Peter Warwick, president and chief executive officer of Thomson Reuters Legal, said legal process outsourcing will be

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-88898050288182287022010-11-17T09:20:00.003-05:002010-11-17T09:20:00.191-05:00

Last week we looked at the survey of the 250 largest U.S. firms, and this week we'll look at The Survey of Law Firm Economics, a joint project of ALM Legal Intelligence and The National Law Journal, for which the majority of respondents were firms with fewer than 150 attorneys.Consistent with the largest firms, the small and mid-size firms also saw an historically unprecedented double

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-58825378266256051082010-11-10T09:30:00.002-05:002010-11-10T09:30:02.457-05:00

The National Law Journal's annual survey of the 250 largest U.S.-based law firms by headcount is out, and the numbers are starting to crystallize our collective perceptions from the last two years.The largest U.S. law firms trimmed another 1,400, making this the second consecutive year of cuts and the largest two-year decrease in headcount in the ranking's 33 year history. Over the last two years

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-36496239814432597962010-11-03T09:44:00.003-04:002010-11-03T09:44:00.878-04:00

Last week we discussed the ACC Value Challenge's latest initiative to reduce law firm spending by 25% in 2011.One obvious question was what tactics will Law Firms ultimately embrace to tackle such a hefty directive?Corporate Counsel reported last week on one interesting new tool that may factor into the mix.ACC's longtime general counsel Susan Hackett announced the organization's new initiative

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-50932857939007760522010-10-27T09:08:00.001-04:002010-10-27T09:08:00.919-04:00

The ABA Journal is hosting The New Normal, an ongoing discussion between Paul Lippe, the CEO of Legal OnRamp, and Patrick Lamb, founding member of Valorem Law Group, about the changes occurring in the delivery of legal services.The phrase "New Normal" describes how technology and global competition are creating a new normal of relentless change, and this past discussion focused on the next wave

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-56529239127854147642010-10-20T10:05:00.001-04:002010-10-20T10:05:00.532-04:00

The ABA Journal last week highlighted the recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Report that contained good news for paralegals.But if you really look at the actual BLS Report, it is striking how the trends that have emerged over the last two years are now shaping projections for the legal job market.According to the report:"Corporations in particular are expected to increase their in-house legal

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-3994235098552005542010-10-13T08:16:00.001-04:002010-10-13T08:16:00.345-04:00

A couple articles this week highlighted the challenges and considerations arising from our current state of constant connectivity and instant communication.We've all hit 'send' on an email, only to feel that wave of doubt. Should I have sent it? Could it be misinterpreted?If that concern with an overly hasty missive exists with email -- which at least forces us to slow down a little and compose

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-84957628273802262582010-10-06T11:24:00.002-04:002010-10-06T11:24:00.137-04:00

Last month's midyear survey results from Citi Private Bank's Survey of Law Firm Financial Performance offered some much needed good news, however each positive nugget came tempered with caveats.According to coverage in AmericanLawyer.com:The Good News: Law firm expenses decreased, compared with the first half of 2009.The Mitigating Factors: Lower expenses are largely due to the reductions in

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-47556323041251277792010-09-29T09:44:00.001-04:002010-09-29T09:44:00.446-04:00

Florida commercial litigation lawyer Marc Dobin wrote an informative article for law.com on cost saving tech solutions for smaller firms.Starting with securing a firm's web presence, Dobin recommends GoDaddy.com, which offers domain name registration, very low cost web hosting, and has tremendous customer service to assist the novices.While GoDaddy also offers adequate, free website templates,

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-80879152102243248502010-09-22T10:20:00.001-04:002010-09-22T10:20:00.596-04:00

Each week there seems to be a new indication of the evolution of the business of law.This past week, American Lawyer.com posted a video of a conversation with Ernst & Young's Global General Counsel, Trevor Faure, discussing the future of the law firm model, as well as the client model.Some of the highlights of the interview include:Currently, GC's are facing the application of world class

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-72655982619590216092010-09-15T09:55:00.001-04:002010-09-15T09:55:00.416-04:00

September's ABA Journal has a feature story on the growing momentum of private equity legal-service companies taking market share away from the traditional law school model.According to the article, "Backed by institutions, private investors and hedge funds, these entrepreneurs and financiers employ a growing legion of lawyers in the United States and offshore.""Even though their enterprises

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-59202298317746049552010-09-08T09:24:00.001-04:002010-09-08T09:24:00.181-04:00

The ABA Journal started their Legal Rebel's project last fall, with a manifesto announcing their commitment to innovation in the legal profession, questioning the status quo, and using technology to serve clients and society.After an eight month hiatus, the Legal Rebels site looks to be back in the saddle, with profiles featuring a slew of innovative and off-the-beaten-path approaches to the

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-19421994934656006252010-09-01T10:08:00.001-04:002010-09-01T10:08:00.154-04:00

With a wink and a nod to the classic movie "Blues Brothers", Carolyn Elefant and Lisa Solomon kick off their road trip with: "It's 529 miles to Omaha, we've got two fully-charged laptop batteries, a Kodak Zi8, it's hot and we're wearing sunglasses."This is SoloCorps, a multi-armed social media project organized by two East Coast entrepreneurial solo practitioners who set out to explore the "the

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-34737072366692931862010-08-25T09:57:00.001-04:002010-08-25T09:57:00.183-04:00

Much of what we've been discussing on this blog for the past year went mainstream last week, with Slate profiling the evolving Big Law model as a field "rife with upheaval".Listed as one of Slate's five most read articles, the piece touched on many of the hot buttons that insiders have been watching, including:The assault on the billable hour, via The Economist.The wide range of alternative

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-85106555998486403202010-08-17T19:24:00.000-04:002010-08-17T19:42:30.788-04:00

Here we have the inevitable collision of two massive movements. The first is e-discovery, which over the last decade has moved from a subset of discovery to its own umbrella, covering email, IM chats, databases, CAD files, web sites, and any other electronically-stored information that could be relevant evidence in a law suit.The second is social networking. Facebook, twitter, and myspace

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-32899898050006471412010-08-12T09:14:00.000-04:002010-08-12T09:14:47.774-04:00

The New York Times ran an article this week on the continued growth in the legal services outsourcing sector.Highlights from the piece include:"India’s legal outsourcing industry has grown in recent years... to a small but mainstream part of the global business of law. Cash-conscious Wall Street banks, mining giants, insurance firms and industrial conglomerates are hiring lawyers in India for

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-11085909918206803892010-08-04T10:17:00.000-04:002010-08-04T10:17:00.536-04:00

Last week the ABA rolled out new online support for solo practitioners. They tout their new Smart Soloing Center as "an online resource that is the latest in its growing portfolio of products and services designed for sole practitioners."The Smart Soloing Center includes:The Solo Blog Network, featuring posts from some of the most insightful lawyers who are writing about the joys and challenges

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-90035552040354127232010-07-28T11:09:00.001-04:002010-07-28T11:09:00.180-04:00

In a testament to the degree that technology is changing the day-to-day practice of law, the New Jersey State Bar Association is proposing to amend a finding issued last March by a state Supreme Court Committee that seemed rooted in a pre-internet mindset.As reported in the New Jersey Law Journal:"Recognizing that technology has fundamentally changed the way lawyers conduct business and

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-21932132805273863202010-07-21T18:17:00.000-04:002010-07-21T21:14:38.990-04:00

Law.com reports an interesting change in the way contract attorneys are being used."In the old model, firms would call a staffing agency and request 20 or so contract attorneys to come to the firms' offices and handle document review for a client. The law firms would then mark up the bill for housing the contract attorneys and having them use their computer systems, and then bill the client.

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-15871567895032093422010-07-14T13:13:00.004-04:002010-07-14T13:13:00.403-04:00

Technology continues to tear down the walls of the traditional "office", extending the workplace beyond the horizon.A recent ABA survey documenting the rise of telecommuting polled more than 850 attorneys and reports:71% of ABA members surveyed telecommuteOf those, 88% perform remote work from home32% in hotels21% in others’ offices14% in public places such as libraries or courthouses12 % in

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-66924421639605110312010-07-08T08:34:00.000-04:002010-07-08T08:35:16.383-04:00

A group of citizens in Chicago challenged the Chicago gun control ordinance stating that the ordinance violates the constitutional rights of the citizens. The ordinance bans gun shops in Chicago and prohibits gun owners from stepping outside their homes, including porches and garages, with a handgun. The ordinance was passed unanimously by the Chicago city council. It will take effect from

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-80924821165377065442010-07-08T08:27:00.001-04:002010-07-08T08:33:16.244-04:00

A bill permitting same-sex civil unions in Hawaii was vetoed by the governor stating that it is an issue of societal importance which has to be voted on in a public referendum. The governor indicated that this is an issue that requires the reflection, collective wisdom and consent of the people and the right to directly decide the matter is to be given to them. The state of Hawaii is one of the

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-49466614078059869532010-07-07T11:00:00.001-04:002010-07-07T11:00:03.571-04:00

This time last month the Bureau of Labor Statistics released their preliminary report for May, initially indicating an increase of 300 jobs added to the legal services sector. While not a large increase, any ray of sunshine is more than welcome these days.Unfortunately, that report turned out not to be accurate. The adjusted numbers in the final report for May actually show a loss of 600 legal

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-8488568899897416312010-06-30T11:11:00.004-04:002010-06-30T18:25:18.035-04:00

Legal consulting firm Altman Weil's annual survey is appropriately titled "Law Firms in Transition 2010".The survey reports that law firms are in the process of determining how to institutionalize large scale changes to both how firms are staffed and how work is delivered.In terms of staffing, the survey found that:In 2009, 44 % percent of the firms laid off associates53% reduced or discontinued

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-27913233858195906802010-06-23T11:00:00.002-04:002010-06-23T12:41:44.981-04:00

Law.com recently ran a piece by Frank D'Amore, founder of legal recruiting and consulting firm Attorney Career Catalysts, discussing one of the questions he is asked most: "Alternative fee arrangements, the decline of hourly billing and rates are being written about frequently. Is a lot of this more hype than substance, and how do you think things may shake out when the market stabilizes?"

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-4501777083554617502010-06-13T21:29:00.012-04:002010-06-17T18:36:26.712-04:00

The Vanishing American Lawyer is an interesting new book weighing in on the future of the profession.Authored by George Washington University Law Professor Thomas Morgan, the book discusses -- amongst many topics -- two items that have been frequent fodder in this blog: The the lag time that American law firms are exhibiting in adapting to the changing global legal climate, as well as the

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-8029226714961319172010-06-09T17:36:00.007-04:002010-06-09T18:02:32.777-04:00

The Eversheds report we discussed last week is worth a continued look.The British international law firm commissioned a study that included 130 General Counsel and 80 law firm partners, and one of their primary findings was this:The legal sector is entering the modern world where, like every other industry other than health care and auto repair, the balance of power favors the client."76% of

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-15035195313684207532010-06-03T16:55:00.001-04:002010-06-03T17:37:24.725-04:00

Evershed's report on the post recession legal sector for 2010 confirms and expands upon the observation we posted two weeks ago: The recession itself was not the cause of current changes in the business of law as much as it was an accelerator.The London-based international firm commissioned a study that included 130 General Counsel and 80 law firm partners, and one idea the study explores is:"

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-82140648352349656312010-05-24T18:54:00.002-04:002010-05-24T18:57:35.112-04:00

Comes now, the author of this article who, pursuant to said article, for the reasons set forth herein, prays inter alia, for relief from the antiquated expressions, needless Latinisms, and convoluted legalese that plagues most legal writing. Stubbornly clinging to language that they would never use in any other context, many legal writers have an irrational aversion to expressing themselves in

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-28842461581536119472010-05-19T18:45:00.000-04:002010-05-19T18:45:29.494-04:00

The Chicago Tribune recently ran an article discussing the "growing skepticism about the value of a law degree."According to the article:"Much of the ire is aimed at less prestigious law schools that charge nearly as much of some of the top-ranked schools - where a three-year program costs nearly $150,000, not including room, board or even books. Top schools say they can justify their expensive

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-48653129031199134412010-05-14T09:49:00.002-04:002010-05-17T12:32:56.854-04:00

Since this blog's overarching interest is in the trends that are surfacing and shaping the business of law, on occasion it's helpful to step back and see how some of the individual topics we've been tracking are coalescing as a whole.Law.com ran a piece the other day by Ari Kaplan which hits on two of the trends we've been watching, and the article not only confirms our observations, but it

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-8345836201264407782010-05-02T17:11:00.012-04:002010-05-17T15:08:55.220-04:00

Forbes reported recently on a key executive migration that speaks to the evolutionary advancement of Legal Process Outsourcing on a couple levels.David Hickey recently left Winston & Strawn, where he was a partner and Vice-Chair of the firm's E-Discovery Practice Group, to join legal outsourcing company American Discovery.David Steiger of The Globalized Lawyer says of Hickey:“I have been

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-12750804561487174142010-04-28T09:50:00.003-04:002010-05-17T15:31:11.686-04:00

After a request from a member of their bar association, The North Carolina Bar studied the ethics of using cloud computing -- also known as Software-as-a-Service or SaaS -- in a law firm, and they've finished drafting a proposed Formal Ethics Opinion on the matter.The American Bar Association's Legal Technology Resource Center describes SaaS computing as the following:"SaaS is distinguished from

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-621864638008548962010-04-21T20:11:00.007-04:002010-05-17T15:32:05.123-04:00

A few months ago we discussed the return on investment for law school tuition. Now, according to U.S. News and World Report, those numbers are looking even worse.To put it simply, both sets of numbers are going in the wrong direction: Tuitions are increasing to unprecedented heights, while job prospects are both diminishing and paying less.More money spent for less return can't be a good

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-45546888078604123362010-04-14T18:31:00.012-04:002010-05-17T15:33:06.123-04:00

The recent trends in the legal world (e.g., an emphasis on project management, a bottle neck for new associates, growing demand for alternative pricing models) all involve not the practice of law, but the business of law.Responding to those shifts, New York Law School and Harvard Law recently teamed to spearhead an initiative to reevaluate the way future lawyers are educated.The American Lawyer

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-79981604644172011992010-04-04T10:01:00.014-04:002010-05-17T15:33:42.224-04:00

Project Management for attorneys seems to be on everybody's mind right now.We posted last week about Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe creating a career track for legal project management.This past week, Legal Intelligencer reported on a firm-wide initiative undertaken by Dechert LLP in conjunction with legal consultants Altman Weil to train their attorneys in project management.The article quotes

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-24546587036556372512010-03-31T21:54:00.003-04:002010-05-17T15:48:13.986-04:00

Following up on last week's post discussing LegalBizDev's survey of AmLaw200 decision makers, Legal Technology News highlights a crucial component in the evolution of alternative billing:Project Management in the legal profession.No one would argue that attorneys currently manage projects every single day. But that's not the same as Project Management. Anyone who's dealt with any sort of

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-91267027209161438032010-03-24T08:41:00.003-04:002010-03-24T22:26:12.680-04:00

As far as buzz words go, 'alternative billing' is a phrase that is close to the point where the words themselves start to lose real meaning.Because 'alternative billing' as a concept in the abstract is pointless without acknowledging the vast history of the billable hour, from which any 'alternative' billing must emerge.Which is why LegalBizDev's recent survey may be an important tool. Their

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-10697473037867419932010-03-15T17:05:00.018-04:002010-03-17T16:24:25.608-04:00

Many in the blogosphere have latched onto a survey released last week by Robert Half Legal stating that 26% of attorneys polled indicated that their firms expect to increase legal professional headcount in the coming year.While we hate to rain on anyone's parade, a closer look at the numbers doesn't support a whole lot of optimism.First, let's look at the flip-side of the survey. While 26% said

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-10039134383417851052010-03-10T19:39:00.011-05:002010-03-11T08:30:06.341-05:00

Legal process outsourcing is one of the more flexible, adaptable trends in the business of law, as it can be applied to tasks as small as individual contract review or as large in scope as all-encompassing departmental or litigation support.Well, this one is large.Microsoft recently announced that they are outsourcing multi-jurisdictional legal support work, including legal research.Why is this

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-28720427342554708392010-03-04T09:02:00.003-05:002010-03-05T21:55:01.206-05:00

Following right on the heels of last week's post is a timely first-person account of a recent law school graduate who was not offered a position.With the backlog of legal hiring, it's not a surprise that the ranks of the no-offers are swelling.But when those left frustrated and unemployed are coming out of Harvard Law, it puts the difficult situation in a different, more desperate light.The

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-68094403244798336872010-02-26T09:15:00.002-05:002010-02-26T09:18:28.520-05:00

In terms of the legal profession, one of the first casualties of the financial meltdown was last summer's army of newly minted lawyers, as many law firms asked their new-hires to postpone their start dates.At the same time, many firms were canceling their 2010 summer associate programs, with some even hinting that the policy change might become permanent.So where does that leave the seasonal

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-85127206841901908522010-02-18T10:19:00.003-05:002010-02-18T10:19:00.371-05:00

The Recession of 2008 is casting a shadow that doesn't show any sign of fading.AmLaw's annual Lateral Report, which tracks trends in attorneys' lateral movement, found that a record number of Top 200 Firm partners left their comfortable quarters last year.And many of them have entrepreneurial aspirations, as significant numbers left Big Law to start their own boutique firms.Law.com looked at a

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-5973891309946383352010-02-11T16:55:00.001-05:002010-02-11T17:37:02.521-05:00

There has been plenty of talk lately concerning clients' and counsels' desire for alternative billing arrangements, but not a whole lot of discussion regarding the mechanisms by which to calculate potential new billing numbers.The American Lawyer recently profiled a couple new software programs that will be rolling out soon, both aimed at helping attorneys formulate and track alternative billing

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-67719980870075262552010-02-04T17:22:00.001-05:002010-02-04T19:55:03.678-05:00

One of the interesting results that came out of LexisNexis's year-end survey of the legal profession was the finding that 65% of law school students (and 90% of lawyers) feel that law school does not teach them the practical business skills needed to practice law in today’s economy.While it is common for MBA programs to offer cross-disciplinary entrepreneurial studies, it is not the norm at the

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-67353401918538849082010-01-24T17:26:00.010-05:002010-05-17T15:50:26.554-04:00

We are an optimistic species.The ABA Journal ran a recent article titled "Managing Partners More Confident, Expect Increased Legal Work".The upshot of the article is that a recent survey showed that the "confidence index" of managing partners is at a three-year high based on a belief that the worst of the recession is behind us, coupled with an anticipated increase in demand for services.However,

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-84189031221359407052010-01-21T18:37:00.002-05:002010-05-17T15:48:40.527-04:00

The London Times ran a feature Saturday profiling the outsourcing of certain legal tasks.Obviously, it's no huge disclosure to point out that LegalEase Solutions is a firm specializing in legal process outsourcing. But in terms of the blog, we try to explore all relevant trends in the business of law, of which outsourcing is just one movement.As frequent readers know, the goal of the blog is to

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-81228260204924837742010-01-14T18:07:00.002-05:002010-05-17T15:49:08.497-04:00

Alternative billing models are a frequent topic of conversation these days, with the focus primarily on a fixed rate or flat fee for a specific deliverable.San Francisco firm Smithline Jha, though, is putting another option on the table -- the monthly subscription model.According to Northern California legal newspaper The Recorder, 90% of Smithline Jha's revenues are now generated via monthly

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-13189828155599385062010-01-07T21:10:00.000-05:002010-01-07T22:10:48.216-05:00

We've recently discussed the surge in public airings of client dissatisfaction with Big Law, as well as calls for change in some key areas of Big Law business practices.Obviously, a situation in which the client base yearns for new products or alternative pricing typically results in the market rewarding the innovative and proactive.It didn't take long for 2010 to offer a concrete example.Law.com

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-53784028475834500512009-12-18T13:10:00.002-05:002009-12-18T13:17:02.967-05:00

As we wind down what has certainly been one of the more noteworthy years for the legal profession, it seems both appropriate and timely to look at LexisNexis's State of the Legal Industry Survey.The survey describes itself as "the first of its depth and breadth to be conducted on the legal industry since the start of the economic crisis. Of the 550 respondents polled, 300 were private practice

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-56651210584859822822009-12-11T13:13:00.000-05:002009-12-11T14:08:31.542-05:00

There is no shortage of talk about redesigning the billable hour model. And many firms are making inroads with fixed-price offerings for specific services.However, there is a huge chasm between a billable hour firm that also happens to have an a la carte fixed price menu and a firm that has entirely stepped away from the billable hour.The stark difference between the two is the corporate

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-7024021416983871532009-12-03T19:39:00.000-05:002009-12-03T20:27:27.157-05:00

Further to our post on the Association of Corporate Counsel's Value Challenge, here's a nod to Discovery Resources recent discussion regarding the tipping point for the value challenge.The upshot is that as part of the Value Challenge, the ACC offers their Value Index, a forum for Corporate Counsel to rate law firms in terms their cost control and cost predictability, resulting in the Value

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-28870597675175993832009-11-24T21:41:00.007-05:002009-11-24T22:35:05.458-05:00

The Association of Corporate Counsel continues their Value Challenge in 2010, pursuing an initiative designed to meet head-on the seismic shifts currently taking place in the traditional delivery model and cost structure of legal services. According to the ACC: "With the economic meltdown, law firms are now facing additional pressures: loss of clients and business, reduced access to bank

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-11933386976312376072009-11-18T09:25:00.001-05:002009-11-18T09:25:00.678-05:00

The current economic recession, which according to the National Bureau of Economic Research is soon to enter its third year, has had two significant effects on law students.1) Law school admissions have increased, as prospective students seek the shelter of an ostensibly secure profession.2) The profession of law may not be as secure as it once was, with all reports showing decreased hiring and

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-77941063116733935212009-11-11T14:41:00.000-05:002009-11-11T14:43:37.480-05:00

The National Law Journal released the results of their 2009 census of the largest 250 law firms, and the numbers are predictably gloomy.A few of the lowlights:The number of employed attorneys at these top 250 firms plunged by more than 5,200. That's a 4% decline.This is only the third year since the NLJ started tracking in 1978 that saw a decline. 1992 saw a 1% decline, and 1993 dropped 0.9%.Of

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-76479438899918674112009-11-03T16:39:00.000-05:002009-11-03T17:18:33.616-05:00

Any conversation about marketing legal services these days is bound to include a discussion about social media. For some professions and industries, Twitter and Facebook are a slam dunk.For others, including attorneys, it's not quite as simple.There are those who maintain that anybody not utilizing Twitter and Facebook are completely out of step. But Eric Turkewitz has an interesting blog post

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-65898972337393283482009-10-29T12:18:00.001-04:002009-10-29T14:00:38.595-04:00

Continuing with our discussion on lawyers embracing an entrepreneurial approach to their work, Legal Rebels recently featured attorney Sam Glover.Mr. Glover, a Minnesota-based legal entrepreneur who manages a consumer rights practice, is also the author of the always useful lawyerist.com, which manages to weave together insightful commentary on legal practice, technology, productivity, and

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-68595075622783170512009-10-20T13:48:00.007-04:002009-10-20T17:42:34.732-04:00

Misleading. At best.Law.com reported today on Kroll Inc.'s annual survey on corporate fraud. And for some reason law.com used the following headline:"Legal Pitfalls of Outsourcing May Outweigh Benefits, Says New Survey"Except, that's not at all what Kroll's report says.The first sentence of law.com's post reads: Companies that choose to outsource work to save money may be buying themselves more

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-80937410444931286302009-10-16T16:10:00.000-04:002009-10-16T09:04:45.045-04:00

Unbound: How Entrepreneurship is Dramatically Transforming Legal Services Today is a timely and relevant new book for anyone tracking emerging trends in the legal profession.Wasting no time, the opening paragraph dives right in with observations we've been discussing for the better part of this year:"The financial and economic crisis of 2008 delivered the final blow to any skeptics still

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-60979869074638270692009-10-08T11:53:00.000-04:002009-10-08T12:02:49.173-04:00

Two weeks ago we discussed how some major firms were rethinking their summer apprenticeship programs. But last Friday's article in the Boston Business Journal indicates a far more systematic revisiting of the entire recruitment model, and at an even faster pace than previously noted.The BBJ's title says a lot: Traditional Associate System Collapsing Under Economic Pressure.According to the

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-894924615773902332009-10-02T08:31:00.001-04:002009-10-02T09:21:05.875-04:00

Law.com recently covered the website lawbidding.com, a site that connects consumers and attorneys and allows attorneys to bid on cases.Similar to legalriver.com, which is geared toward the needs of small businesses, bidding-based websites for legal work have been supported by the Association of the Bar of New York City under the reasoning that "these bidding systems are often similar to the RFPs

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-35681892226461005212009-09-23T17:53:00.000-04:002009-09-23T18:20:28.999-04:00

LegalWeek.com reported last week that both Mayer Brown and Reed Smith are evaluating new cost structures that will bring fixed or capped fees for transactional work."Mayer Brown's senior management is in the process of reviewing how the firm bills clients and is considering proposals to overhaul fee structures for core transactional practices including corporate, banking and real estate. The

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-60560135977030960592009-09-17T09:07:00.004-04:002009-09-17T09:18:01.494-04:00

As noted recently in the ABA Journal, many large firms are delaying hiring new associates, and some are putting their summer apprenticeship programs on hiatus altogether. Obviously, though, a decreasing number of entry-level associate positions doesn't necessarily mean there is less associate-level work to be done. That's why one of the major challenges facing firms today is

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-21674562144114338312009-09-10T09:36:00.000-04:002009-09-10T09:45:02.528-04:00

Legal Rebels recently profiled Richard Granat, a man who wears a lot of hats. He:Owns and runs MDFamilyLawyer.com, which offers family law forms bundled at a fixed price with legal advice to residents in Maryland and Washington, D.C., where he is licensed. Founded Epoq.us, a website that delivers complex legal documents to consumers and small businesses.Owns Direct Law, which licenses his

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-77917917587697245362009-09-03T09:25:00.004-04:002009-09-03T13:27:17.347-04:00

As we discussed back in February, the seasonal hiring pattern at large law firms is a tradition that becomes ripe for reconsideration during tough economic times (and potentially altogether as the professional landscape evolves).The practice of offering employment to a predetermined, fixed number of newly minted law school grads at the end of each summer is based on the expectation of a

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-10511051656075028902009-08-27T12:16:00.008-04:002009-08-27T12:45:13.319-04:00

The ABA Journal recently discussed the evolution of cloud computing -- the use of internet based applications hosted on a third party's server, as opposed to using software loaded directly to your specific hard drive.Cloud computing (also referred to as Software as a Service) is one of the more interesting recent trends and is becoming ubiquitous thanks to social media sites (think Facebook,

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-12845816612354428312009-08-20T12:02:00.014-04:002009-08-20T12:54:40.857-04:00

As fiscal years start coming to a close, official revenue figures are starting to confirm everyone's expectations.As reported at Am Law Daily (and discussed at Above The Law), Baker McKenzie's fiscal year ended on June 30th, and last year's 2nd highest revenue generating firm reported a 3% drop in global revenue and a 17% drop in profits per partner due to the recession."The financial crisis

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-28920895810331728272009-08-17T10:18:00.004-04:002009-08-17T10:23:58.455-04:00

LegalEase is pleased to introduce our Legal Process Outsourcing Handbook, free for viewing and/or downloading here.As increasing numbers of both in-house and firm-based counsel adopt new strategies to respond to the evolving legal marketplace, The LPO Handbook provides a one-stop resource to help you evaluate whether strategic use of LPO is an efficient addition to your business initiatives.

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-46361947366582471302009-08-07T09:35:00.001-04:002009-08-07T09:37:59.781-04:00

Further to last week's ruminations on the patterns seen in other professions currently undergoing significant transition, it's interesting to note that it's not just the similarities but the sheer number of professions and industries currently experiencing profound, once every fifty year transformations.Many, like the legal profession, are being reshaped by the internet -- the breaking down of

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13579331.post-73922984390098993462009-07-31T10:29:00.000-04:002009-07-31T10:29:51.324-04:00

As anyone who's worked on a large project knows, you can start to view the world through the prism of that project. New data gets filtered through the context of that project; patterns emerge.Which is probably why some recent essays and analysis of fields unrelated to the legal profession are resonating with similarities.Take, for instance, a very informative and insightful recent post from

LegalEase Solutions LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03722243193872735083noreply@blogger.com0