By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

Recent noteworthy stories on law, tech and marketing:

• It isn’t often that severability, the Anti-Injunction Act and individual mandates receive mainstream media attention but this week’s oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court over the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act were far from ordinary. For a recap of the hearings on the health care law -- referred to by some as Obamacare  – the SCOTUS Blog has a comprehensive analysis as well as transcripts and audio of the proceedings.
• The death of Trayvon Martin, and the fierce debate over whether George Zimmerman, the man who killed him should be charged, has cast a spotlight on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. The prosecutor who will decide whether to move forward, Angela Corey, was profiled by the Tampa Bay Times. Craig Sonner, the lawyer defending Zimmerman, appeared on The Today Show on Thursday. Only a few days earlier, Sonner bolted from an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell just before it was scheduled to begin.
• For a great example of writing about the law for nonlawyers, read “The Copyright Question: How to Protect Yourself on Pinterest.” The article by Gonzolo E. Mon appeared on Mashable. In addition to writing in plain English, the subheads clearly, directly and succinctly provide conclusions and takeaways.
• In the article “Are Yellow Pages Toast?” Search Engine Land takes a look at the ad value of the Yellow Pages. The columnist, Chris Silver Smith, also discusses when it makes sense to advertise in the telephone directory.
• On March 19, Google deindexed a large portion of BuildMyRank.com, reports Search Engine Land. The move is thought to be part of Google's ongoing battle with paid link networks.
• In “5 Top Android Legal Apps for 2012,” Lawyer Tech Review’s guest blogger Leslie Krick highlights productivity apps that help lawyers track time, turn their smartphone into a digital dictation tool and remotely access a desktop.

Want the latest legal news? Subscribe to Legal Media Matters for highlights of important legal decisions and emerging law firm marketing trends, follow us on Twitter or visit our Facebook page.

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

Noteworthy stories on law, tech and marketing that you might have missed this week:

• In “Generic Drugs Prove Resistant to Damage Suits,” the New York Times explains how last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Pliva v. Mensing has left some plaintiffs using generic drugs unable to pursue lawsuits allowed for those prescribed brand-name drugs.
• Convicted financier R. Allen Stanford has asked for a new trial. One of the reasons, according to The Wall Street Journal, is that journalists were allowed to tweet during off-the-record conferences. To learn more, read “Blame the Media: Stanford Cites Tweets, Publicity in New Trial Motion.”
• In “Kill All The Lawyers,” social media blogger Todd Defren complains that some lawyers take 3-5 days to approve a tweet and a week to approve a blog comment. Earlier this month, lawyer and entrepreneur Alison Monahan penned a post for TriplePundit titled, “Bridging the Gap Between Lawyers and Social Media Managers.”
• In “Google Scholar Improves Legal Research Capabilities,” Lawyer Tech Review highlights how it is easier to find significant citations by relying on “Indications of Importance” icons.
• In a guest post for Attorney at Work, Jared Correia explains how Google+ is altering search results and what it means for lawyers in “We Are the World: Google’s Search Plus Your World.”
• LexBlog’s Kevin O’Keefe wrote “Legal Blogging: How to Craft the Right Strategy” which appeared on Mashable.
• For lawyers who just purchased an iPad, iPhoneJD shares tips and recommendations for new users in “Advice for lawyers new to the iPad.”

Want the latest legal news? Subscribe to Legal Media Matters for highlights of important legal decisions and emerging law firm marketing trends, follow us on Twitter or visit our Facebook page.

New blog focuses on technology, apps and gadgets that lawyers are using to boost their productivity and manage their practices

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

Legal Media Matters is proud to announce the launch of Lawyer Tech Review, a new blog that aims to provide plain-language tech, gadget and app tips to lawyers and other professionals.

The new site is an outgrowth of Legal Media Matters. Last year, we posted articles on this site highlighting some of the time-saving technology featured at the Missouri Bar’s Solo and Small Firm Conference. We also ran a guest article about the iPad for lawyers. Because we closely follow our Google Analytics and Webmaster tools stats, we noticed a great deal of interest on the topics, but the subject matter didn’t quite fit with the content on the Legal Media Matters site. Thus the concept for Lawyer Tech Review was born.

Another amenity we are excited to offer is bilingual posts, which will allow both lawyers and abogados to access the information we present.

In our first Lawyer Tech Review article, attorney and blogger Erich Vieth explains how he has leveraged Dragon Naturally Speaking speech recognition software to boost his productivity. An experienced Dragon Naturally Speaking and Dictate user who has been working with various versions of the software for about ten years, Vieth shares both the advantages and challenges of working with Dragon.

We’ll also highlight apps lawyers are using in our App Friday feature. Whether you rely on iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or iPad, we hope the regular feature will help you discover new apps or uncover innovative ways to use standard apps.

And finally, we’re giving away one Dragon Naturally Speaking or Dictate package. To be eligible for the random drawing, you need only subscribe to Lawyer Tech Review’s e-mail alert by 5 p.m. CST Monday, Feb. 7. We’ll announce the winner on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

To learn more about our new blog and to enter the contest, visit Lawyer Tech Review. And if you have ideas for future blog posts, feel free to contact us.

A brief review of client news, law firm PR tips and the latest from Lawyer Tech Review

By Geri L. Dreiling

At Legal Media Matters, nothing makes us happier than using our know-how to get our clients noticed. This week, we had a lot to celebrate.

We were able to connect St. Louis family lawyer and mediator Marta J. Papa with a national women’s magazine for an interview for an upcoming article. Papa is a frequent commenter on both divorce law and conflict resolution. Last fall she was quoted by The Wall Street Journal in a piece on divorcing in tough economic times without breaking the bank.

And St. Louis lawyer Kathryn Van Voorhees was interviewed by Pamela Raymond of the Girls Guide to the Galaxy. In the article, Legal Eagle 101: What kind of business entity should I be? Van Voorhees discussed the pros and cons of setting up a business as a sole proprietorship, limited liability company or S corporation.

Finally, the St. Louis law firm Brown & Crouppen was named a "Winningest Plaintiff Law Firm" in 2010 by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Brown & Crouppen lawyer James P. Lemond was named a "Winningest Plaintiff Attorney."

This week, Legal Media Matters also launched Lawyer Tech Review, a new blog aimed at providing plain-language tech, gadget and app tips to lawyers and other professionals. The blog is presented in both English and Spanish versions.

LTR is giving away one Dragon Naturally Speaking or Dictate package. To be eligible for the random drawing, you need only subscribe to the blog’s e-mail alert by 5 p.m. CST Monday, Feb. 7. We’ll announce the winner on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Now, a quick roundup of noteworthy items you may have missed.

Google Algorithm Change Launched

Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s webspam team, announces that Google has launched an algorithm change that could affect those who simply republish content on the Web. The goal is to prevent republishers from outranking the original content publishers. If your law blog republishes articles rather than providing fresh content, you could see a drop in your blawg’s performance.

Effective Use of Press Releases for Marketing Your Law Practice

When should you use a press release to promote your law practice? How do you write one? In this guest article, written for the ABA’s Young Lawyer Division, I tackle these questions and offer tips and how-to’s for legal press releases. (Note: The ABA's site is down until Feb. 7 for maintenance.)

App Friday: Beverly Michaelis

Beverly Michaelis, law practice management advisor for the Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund and blogger at Oregon Law Practice Management, shares some of her favorite iPhone and iPad apps for work and for fun.

If you have a tech tip you’d like to share with other lawyers or want to highlight your favorite iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or Android apps, you can Lawyer Tech Review via our online contact form. For regular Lawyer Tech Review updates, subscribe to our free email newsletter.

If you would like to know more about our legal PR and Web content writing services, you can reach Legal Media Matters via our online contact form.

Notable legal news and law firm marketing tips

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

In the latest issue of Missouri Lawyers Weekly, attorneys honored as 2010 lawyers of the year are profiled. Congratulations to The Simon Law Firm’s John Simon, John Campbell and Erich Vieth for being named Influential Appellate Advocates.

As the MLW article notes, Simon, Campbell and Vieth won key decisions on behalf Missouri consumers in cases involving unfair arbitration clauses. The most notable was Brewer v. Missouri Title Loans, a Missouri Supreme Court case in which the arbitration clause in a title loan contract was declared too unfair to enforce.

In other news, the launch date for Lawyer Tech Review, a blog devoted to technology, software, gadgets and other tools attorneys are using in their daily practice, is fast approaching. Stay tuned for more details about the blog which will be offered in both English and Spanish.

Now, here’s a quick roundup of legal news and marketing items you may have missed.

Proposed NC Ethics Opinion Says Lawyers Can’t Ethically Offer Groupon Deals

Is a Groupon offer fee sharing or simply a coupon? That seems to be the question ethics panels will be weighing when trying to determine whether lawyers can ethically participate in popular online coupon sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. Groupon offers goods and services at a discount and then is paid a percentage of the amount earned by the advertiser.

A North Carolina State Bar ethics subcommittee will take up the question but a proposed opinion says it amounts to fee splitting, a practice not permitted under bar rules. The ABA Journal.com notes,  however, that one Missouri lawyer, Craig  S. Redler,  has cleared an ad with state ethics regulators. “It was essentially like a coupon you would run in the Yellow Pages,” he explains.

Biological Dad from NY loses Michigan Paternity Case

The biological father of a Michigan girl lost his paternity case because the child’s mother was married to another man, the Associated Press reports. Under Michigan law, a child born during a marriage belongs to the married couple. The biological father was not entitled to any parental rights, a Michigan appeals court ruled.

My 5 Favorite, but Often Ignored, Features of Google Analytics

If your law firm has a website, there’s a good chance you’re tracking your results with Google Analytics. In a guest post for ProBlogger, the Web Marketing Ninja highlights five favorite features of Google Analytics that often go unused. The list includes custom reports, navigational summaries and goal tracking.

To ensure that you don’t miss out on these useful tips, subscribe to our regular e-mails or RSS feeds. You can also find Legal Media Matters on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

]]> http://legalmediamatters.com/legal-news-roundup-jan21/feed/ 0 http://legalmediamatters.com/information-for-lawyers-ideas-for-journalists-week-of-sept-17/ http://legalmediamatters.com/information-for-lawyers-ideas-for-journalists-week-of-sept-17/#comments Sat, 18 Sep 2010 02:51:41 +0000 Geri L. Dreiling http://legalmediamatters.com/?p=1740 Our roundup of legal news links, legal PR client news and story ideas

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

The ABA Journal’s announcement that it is accepting nominations for its Blawg 100 has the blawgosphere buzzing. The Blawg 100 highlights the best 100 legal blogs on the Internet, and many a law blogger would like to make it onto the list.

The Journal is accepting Friend of the Blawg briefs of 500 words or less. For the record, the Legal Media Matters blog has logged 86 posts since we rolled out our new website in January of this year; an average of 2.3 posts per week — but who’s counting?

The deadline for nominations is Oct. 1. Of course we’d be delighted if you’d give Legal Media Matters a quick nod.

LMM Client News

The BrickHouse Law Group created online buzz when partner Pete Salsich III was featured on the #140 Characters Conference site. Salsich attended the #140ConfRoadTrip MeetUp in St. Louis and explained how his firm is embracing social media and reinventing the law firm model. On Sept. 15, BrickHouse announced that veteran business lawyer David Groce has joined the firm.

Notable Links

At 103, a Judge Has One Caveat: No Lengthy Trials

Appointed by President John F. Kennedy, Wichita, Kan., Judge Wesley E. Brown is the oldest practicing federal judge in the country. At 103, the U.S. District Court judge no longer accepts cases with lengthy trials, explaining to New York Times reporter A.G. Sulzberger, “At this age, I’m not even buying green bananas.”

4 Ways to Use Twitter to Support Your Blog

At Problogger, Georgina Laidlaw describes four less conventional ways to leverage Twitter for your blog. Among her suggestions:  Invite followers to contribute blog ideas, tweet interesting comment responses and create a Twitter conversation around an event.

Blog Post Editing: 5 Steps to Take Before You Hit Publish

Get in the Hot Spot’s Annabel Candy starts her blog post by noting that a good editor is worth her weight in gold.  As any regular Legal Media Matters reader knows, I couldn’t agree more. Our copy editor, Kerry Bailey, plays a key role in all our communications. Don’t have a copy editor? Follow Candy’s helpful tips on avoiding the easy-to-miss errors that can trip up even the best writer.

Ideas for Journalists

Law Firms That Are Thriving in the Midst of a Recession

It is no secret that lawyers and law firms have been hit hard by the recession. Big law firms are thinning their ranks and law school graduates are turning to housecleaning as a plan B after being unable to find work. But what about the firms that were formed at the height of the recession and are thriving? As I noted above, The BrickHouse Law Group, founded in 2009, is not only surviving but also adding attorneys. What are firms like BrickHouse doing right? What are they doing that’s different?

To ensure that you don’t miss out on this valuable information, subscribe to our regular e-mails or RSS feeds. You can also find Legal Media Matters on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

At Legal Media Matters, we provide legal public relations, law firm marketing and attorney website content writing services.

Our roundup of legal news links, legal PR client news and story ideas

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

Summer is over. For most lawyers, the next few months will be hectic as cases that were continued because of summer vacations are finally sent to trial. Matters that had been slow to resolve suddenly speed up as institutional clients push to have litigation wrapped up so that they may clean up reserve accounts before the year’s end.

We’ve also been busy here at Legal Media Matters. Several of our clients have been quoted in the media as experts in their particular legal fields:

LMM Client News

St. Louis divorce lawyer and mediator Marta Papa was recently quoted in a Wall Street Journal story on divorce during an economic downturn titled “Breaking Up Without Breaking the Bank.” In the piece, written by Mary Pilon, Papa explains how the recession is exacerbating tensions between couples who have decided to split.

A big win in the Missouri Supreme Court for consumers — and The Simon Law Firm — was reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In “High court rules against Missouri Title Loans,” reporter Matthew Hathaway outlines the high court’s ruling, which declares that Missouri Title Loans cannot both prohibit borrowers from taking the company to court or prevent them from pursuing class arbitration. St. Louis lawyer John Campbell is mentioned as one of the attorneys representing the borrowers in the case.

Congratulations to Jeff Lowe of St. Louis-based Carey, Danis & Lowe on obtaining a $1.05 million verdict in an Indiana federal court. Lowe represented a driver whose pickup truck was struck by two tractor-trailers on an Indiana highway.

Notable Links

Four Productive Things to Do When You Hit a Blogging Dead End

Paul Cunningham, aka Blogging Teacher, provides four tips to get back to blogging once you’ve hit a dead end. Whether you’re a new blogger or you’ve been at it for a while, the tips and suggestions in the comments will help you get back on track.

Mastering the PR Game

LA-based PR and communications expert Deb Sistrunk notes that for an effective media relations campaign, a well-crafted approach is essential. She adds:  “Develop and nurture your relationships with the media, as you would with any other audience. If you work those relationships just right — the payoff is huge.”

Will You Blog With Me?

Kate Bladow, a blogger at Technola, a tech blog for legal aid and public interest advocates, is urging lawyers to publish one blog post between Oct. 24 and Oct. 30 in honor of the 2010 National Pro Bono Celebration. The posts spotlights the lawyers and paralegals who provide free services to those who can’t pay. (Tip via Robert Ambrogi’s LawSites.)

Sponsor Highlight

Today marks the beginning of the St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton. If you’re headed for the art fair as a family, stop in with the kids at the Creative Castle and top off your day with a drumstick from Maggie Moo’s. (Really, who can resist vanilla ice cream double-dipped in high-end chocolate?) Not able to attend the art fair? Visit one of the three Maggie Moo’s locations in the St. Louis metropolitan area: Ladue, Fenton and Fairview Heights.

Have a great weekend!

To ensure that you don’t miss out on this valuable information, subscribe to our regular e-mails or RSS feeds. You can also find Legal Media Matters on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

At Legal Media Matters, we provide legal public relations, law firm marketing and attorney website content writing services.

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As with everything else in life, preparation is paramount

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

Noted lawyer Louis Nizer once said, “Preparation is the be-all of good trial work.” The same can be said for giving a good media interview.

Unlike just showing up and hoping for the best, preparing ahead of time will help you put your best foot forward. Here are five tips to help you prepare for your moment in the spotlight.

1. Find out the topic of the interview ahead of time.

If the interview is for service, or “how-to,” journalism, the reporter will let you know at the outset the topic of the story. For example, an estate planning lawyer may be asked to provide comments for an article on how to decide whether a will or a trust is appropriate.

2. Research the reporter’s previous stories.

Read up on the reporter before you sit down for an interview. If he or she is known for investigative pieces and you didn’t get much detail about the interview topic, you may want to consider contacting a public relations professional before the interview. A publicist has the background and expertise needed to determine whether the story is likely to be a negative piece and can advise you on how to proceed.

3. Anticipate the questions you will be asked.

Well before a lawyer ever picks a jury, the attorney will analyze the case in the best — and worst — possible light. Doing so helps the lawyer anticipate the opposing side’s strategy and develop an appropriate response.

When it comes to a media interview, reviewing all of the possible questions that could be asked is vital. Having an experienced publicist pose as a devil’s advocate can be an indispensable aid.

4. Formulate succinct answers and determine a set of three or four points you want to communicate.

Although sound bites are abhorred, they are useful. A quick, memorable statement will stand out in the reporter’s mind and make writing the article easier. A long, rambling answer can take up valuable print space.

If the interview is with a radio or television reporter — who is preparing a segment that is, on average, just 90 seconds long — you have to be able to get right to the heart of the matter.

5. Don’t ask to review the article before it is published.

Most journalists understand that a free and independent press plays a crucial role in a democracy. They take their responsibilities as the so-called fourth estate seriously. Just as a lawyer would never ask a judge to review a ruling before it is handed down or an employee would never ask to prescreen an employment evaluation before it is delivered, an interview subject should not ask to review an article before it is published.

However, you should offer your e-mail address and cell number in case the reporter has any follow-up questions or needs to clarify your comments.

To ensure that you don’t miss out on this valuable information, subscribe to our regular e-mails or RSS feeds. You can also find Legal Media Matters on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

At Legal Media Matters, we provide legal public relations, law firm marketing and attorney website content writing services.

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Four tips to remember when preparing your legal press release highlighting new lawyers

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

For most law firms, hiring a new attorney is a significant development. It is a sizable investment that sends a positive message about your firm’s growth and ability to serve your client base.

Many law firms send press releases to a variety of legal and mainstream publications announcing their new hires. The practice serves two purposes:

• It is a nice welcoming gesture that gets the new relationship off on the right track.
• It is an inexpensive way to generate publicity for the firm.

If you are considering announcing a new hire, be sure your press release submission meets these four criteria.

1.  Keep it short.

As I mentioned in Press Release Writing Tips Part II, I recommend keeping the release under 400 words. Press releases are business communications, and your readers, busy journalists, will appreciate your ability to get to the point.

2.  Identify educational institutions and graduation dates.

In addition to sending the press release to local, legal and bar publications, consider submitting it to the new hire’s alumni magazines. Most college and law school alumni magazines include a class notes sections that highlights recent alumnus achievements. Alumni magazine editors generally ask that the release identify educational institutions, degrees received and years of graduation. Including these details allows the editor to more easily verify the information.

3.  Include a high-resolution photograph.

A photo of the new hire is a good way to complement the text. However, if the photo will appear in print, it needs to be of high resolution — 300 pixels per inch (300 dpi) or greater.

For Windows’ users, to figure out whether you have a high-resolution image, right-click on the photo and select Properties. You may have to select Advanced Properties, but you will eventually obtain the resolution information.

Many digital cameras have as their default setting 72 dpi, a low resolution that is great for the Internet and websites but terrible for print. To learn how to produce a high-resolution image, read this eHow article by Sharon Mcelwee.

You can also hire a professional photographer who will supply both high- and low-resolution images. At Legal Media Matters, we recommend using a professional photographer. For more information on why a professional photographer is an important ally when it comes to creating an image for your law firm and for tips on making the most of a professional shoot, read Legal Marketing: 4 Photo Shoot Tips.

4. Insert a paragraph describing the firm’s practice area.

Use the press release to promote the firm in addition to spotlighting the new hire. Make sure the last paragraph of the press release identifies the firm’s location and areas of practice. Although the complete information will most likely not make it into the final version that appears in the publication, you have used the opportunity to educate the reporters and editors responsible for modifying the content for their publication about your firm. That could translate into interview requests in the future when a reporter is looking for legal experts.

To ensure that you don’t miss out on this valuable information, subscribe to our regular e-mails or RSS feeds. You can also find Legal Media Matters on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

At Legal Media Matters, we provide legal public relations, law firm marketing and attorney website content writing services.

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Our weekly roundup of legal news links, legal PR client news and story ideas

By Geri L. Dreiling, Esq.

We’re heading into the second major U.S. holiday of the summer, the Fourth of July. Many businesses will be closed on Monday. I won’t be posting a blog entry on July 5, but here are a few stories to check out over the three-day weekend.

LMM Client News

A $1.5 million personal injury settlement obtained by Jim Lemonds and Andrea McNairy of St. Louis-based Brown & Crouppen and Greg Roberts of The Roberts Law Firm was highlighted in this week’s Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

Spencer Farris of The S.E. Farris Law Firm received the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys’ President’s Award, which is given annually to an attorney whose efforts help Missouri citizens gain access to the civil justice system.

Notable Links for Lawyers

My Top Ten Rules for Job Search Success

Richard Russeth, the wise counselor behind The Last Generalist, shares his top 10 rules to follow if you’re in the job market. In addition to reminding readers that it takes work to find work, noting that doing some volunteer work at least once a week will give you a sense of accomplishment and encouraging us to say thank you, he gives us this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Be silly. Be honest. Be kind.”

Essential Tools for SEO on a Budget

Analyzing your site with the use of Google’s free Webmaster Tools, researching keywords and obtaining inbound links are three strategies suggested by ReadWriteBiz’s John Paul Titlow for improving your website’s performance.

Keeping Your Online Reputation Up to Par

Rob Stretch’s guest post on The Saint Louis Social Media & Tech Report reminds businesses to monitor their online reputations, remain active on the Internet by using several different methods for reaching customers and remaining engaged on social media sites.

Six Ways to Manage International Relationships Online

Zachary Sniderman’s post on American Express OPEN Forum and Mashable is handy for anyone who conducts business internationally. Suggestions for researching basic country information, a time zone converter, translation help and quick faux pas checks to help avoid embarrassing etiquette breaches are just a few of the links provided.

To ensure that you don’t miss out on this valuable information, subscribe to our regular e-mails or RSS feeds. You can also find Legal Media Matters on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

At Legal Media Matters, we provide legal public relations, law firm marketing and attorney website content writing services.