UPDATE: The transcript from the Twitter debate is posted on the ABA Journal.  Overall, the feedback I received from others regarding the event was positive.  A lot of valuable information and opinions shared on both sides with some fun side debates, including one started by @LisaSolomon. Looking forward to the next event hosted by @22Tweets! Please join me [...]

New Jersey’s Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics and the Committee on Attorney Advertising released a joint opinion dated March 25 that states that even when an attorney hires a virtual assistant or receptionist or shares a rented office space for conferences to attempt to create an office presence in the state, this does not create [...]

TECHSHOW is here.  Some of the buzz this year is related to cloud computing, SaaS and web-based technologies that take aspects of law practice management online.  There are a lot of terms thrown around when discussing these topics.  One of them is “virtual law practice”.  We are bound to hear this phrase several times during TECHSHOW in various contexts.  Other [...]

  This past Friday I attended a Law Practice Management Section Council meeting at the NCBA Bar Center.  This is the first meeting I’ve attended in person. Usually I am on conference call and booming my thoughts to the group via voice box.   Thanks to the Chair, Lee Rosen, these meetings are about the least boring [...]

The Arizona State Bar has published Ethics Opinion 09-04 “Confidentiality; Maintaining Client Files; Electronic Storage; Internet” in December 2009.  This opinion will apply to attorneys operating virtual law practices within the AZ Bar jurisdiction and is similar to the NC Bar 2008 Formal Ethics Opinion 5, Web-based Management of Client Records published July 2008.  In fact [...]

This year has brought the legal profession closer to the acceptance of virtual law practice as a method of delivering legal services through the use of technology.  Virtual law practices are improving access to and affordability of legal services to the general public.  For legal professionals, practicing law online provides the flexibility to create innovative and unique [...]

This upcoming Thursday, December 17 at 1pm EST, Richard Granat, Marc Lauritsen and myself will be co-presenting a CLE teleconference and live audio webcast entitled “The Virtual Law Firm: Benefits, Costs and Ethical Pitfalls to Avoid.”  It is sponsored by the American Bar Association LPM Section and the ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education. From the program description, the topics [...]

Check out my article in the November issue of the ABA GP/Solo & Small Firm Technology eReport: Setting Up a Web-based Virtual Law Office.  From the article: Consumers are actively seeking more affordable and convenient access to legal services over the Internet. Due to the cost of traditional legal services, they are turning to cutting [...]

Co-chairs of the ABA eLawyering Task Force, Marc Lauritsen and Richard Granat, have submitted a draft set of minimum requirements for delivering legal services online which was published in this month’s Law Practice Today.  As a member of the Task Force, we have discussed these minimum requirements as a set of guidelines that attorneys will be able to [...]

When I first opened my virtual law office almost four years ago, I wanted to handle every aspect of my practice online.  With most of my client base, this worked fine and was what they preferred as well.  I have an estate planning and small business setup practice and the majority of my clients are [...]