Virtual Law Practice

Delivering legal services online

New ABA Ethics Opinion on Electronic Communication

By | | ABA, Cloud Computing, Delivering Legal Services Online, Ethics, Practice Management, Technology | 9 Comments

The ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Prof. Responsibility has published a new ethics opinion, Formal Opinion 11-459 “Duty to Protect the Confidentiality  of E-mail Communications with One’s Client”. I didn’t see this one coming, but I think it’s a move in the right direction. The situation described in the opinion relates to when an attorney has […] ...READ MORE

No New Restrictions On Use of Tech & Client Development

By | | ABA, Delivering Legal Services Online, eLawyering, Ethics, Marketing, Practice Management, Technology | 1 Comment

The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 has published for comment its draft proposals on Lawyer’s Use of Technology and Client Development.   Proposed changes relate to Model Rules 1.18 (duty to prospective clients), 7.2 (advertising) and 7.3 (direct contact with prospective clients). Overall, the Commission concludes that no new restrictions need to be added to a […] ...READ MORE

Adapt or Get out of the Way: Standards to Protect Client Property/Confidentiality Change

By | | ABA, Cloud Computing, Confidentiality, Delivering Legal Services Online, eLawyering, Ethics, Practice Management, SaaS, Technology, Virtual practice | Leave a Comment

Last week during a guest lecture on virtual law practice at the University of Dayton School of Law, the subject of protecting client property and confidentiality of client data in electronic communications came up again.   My prediction (perhaps overly optimistic) is that in the next few years the state bars will recognize that unencrypted email communication between attorney […] ...READ MORE

“In the Meantime…” — Temporary Operation of a Virtual Law Office

By | | Educational, Practice Management, Virtual practice | Leave a Comment

Over the past year I’ve spoken with attorneys who have been laid off from Biglaw firms and are seeking new positions or attorneys who have just passed the bar and are having trouble finding a position to launch their legal careers.  Both groups of individuals are working hard to establish or reinvent themselves within the […] ...READ MORE

Social Networking Policies for a Virtual Law Practice

By | | Practice Management, Virtual practice | Leave a Comment

Last week I gave a brief presentation for the Legal Services National Technology Assistance Project (LSNTAP) about developing policies for online social networking. While researching for the presentation and round table discussion, it occurred to me that having a policy in place for social networking is a wise idea for a virtual law practice. Considering […] ...READ MORE

Notice & Understanding: Setting the Scope of Representation for Online Clients

By | | Ethics, Unbundling - Limited Scope | Leave a Comment

While each state’s bar has different rules governing their attorneys, I suspect that many of the rules of professional conduct and ethics opinions are similar. The NC State Bar was one of the first to address virtual law practice. On January 20, 2006, the NC State Bar adopted the 2005 Formal Ethics Opinion 10 (Ethics […] ...READ MORE

Ethics Question for the Virtual Attorney

By | | Ethics | 2 Comments

Practicing online I often receive this question as an ethics challenge to my virtual practice: How can you be sure that the person you are communicating with online is really person you are drafting the documents for? Because I handle estate planning, attorneys who operate more traditional practices express specific concern about the power of […] ...READ MORE

Update on progress

By | | eLawyering | Leave a Comment

I have been enjoying the personal contact with clients that I think only can really happen in a small law practice. My clients don’t have to wade through the secretary and paralegals to communicate with me. I’m available 24/7 through the website and I check it at all hours of the day and night which […] ...READ MORE
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