A few photos from the recent Solo and Small Firm Section Happy Hour. You can find more photos from the event on our Facebook page. Learn more about the Solo and Small Firm Section here.
IOLTA Basics: What You Need to Know
If you are thinking about going solo, make sure you have the appropriate bank accounts set up from the beginning. You will need at least two accounts to start. One is an operating account where you conduct the daily business…
The Problem with Unpaid Interns
As summer approaches, many small law firms receive emails from students interested in summer internships. Some students offer to work for free to gain experience. Law firms may be tempted to accept such offers, or even to advertise unpaid internships…
Starting Your Law Firm: Must-Read Resources at the San Francisco Law Library
The San Francisco Law Library maintains a comprehensive Law Practice Management (LPM) Collection, with publications that detail all aspects of opening a practice—client relations, billing, marketing, finances, risk management, technology, and more. This post introduces the Law Library’s LPM resources…
Seven Tips for Civil Attorneys for When Your Clients Are Under Criminal Investigation
Many civil attorneys believe that they have nothing to offer their clients in terms of advice and counsel when it comes to criminal investigations or charges. Here are seven tips, for any civil practice solo or small firm lawyer representing…
Deciding on the Decider: Tips on Arbitrator Selection
Arbitration can arise in a variety of legal matters facing solo and small firm lawyers, such as in real estate, employment, and construction, or in drafting a dispute resolution provision for client transactions. One of the most important steps in…
The Power of Intuitive Awareness
“Beware the Ides of March,” a soothsayer warned Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s famous historical tragedy. But Caesar didn’t heed the seer’s premonition, and on that fateful day (March fifteenth) was assassinated by a group of dagger-wielding Roman senators- some of…
Keep Your Client in Mind, the Ethics Will Follow
Your phone rings. Being a solo or small firm lawyer, you answer it yourself. The caller, after an exchange of pleasantries, says, “My mom needs a trust.” The flag that goes up in your mind should be, if not red,…
Cost-Effective Trial Tools
On March 24, 2015, I sat in the back of Judge Harold Kahn’s crowded courtroom in San Francisco Superior Court. The parties in the Ellen Pao v. Kleiner Perkins sex discrimination case were delivering closing arguments. Both sides used modern…
Be A Tax Document Hoarder
However mundane, documents are key to reducing your firm’s taxable income. Be ready to claim every allowable expense at tax time, and respond to a tax inquiry later. Why be a hoarder First, taxpayers have the burden of proving deductions…
Simple Ways to Obtain Discovery Pre-Litigation
As a small law firm, time and resources are always a limiting factor, thus obtaining discovery before litigation is essential. The use of the California Public Records Act (CPRA) and the California Labor Code can be valuable resources in this…
Bail and the Criminal Justice System
When an individual gets arrested in the State of California they are routinely booked into jail. In many cases, there is no bail set until the accused has the opportunity to go before the judge. Based solely on accusations, bail…