Professional Update
A
monthly newsletter for KZN Attorneys from the Kwazulu-Natal Law Society

14 August 2009

This professional service draws attention to current and important items of news
 and members are directed to the hosts' websites

InfoUpdate 18 of 2009
Useful Links
and Items of Interest 
 

Legal Profession

Shorter law firm names : the debate continues - 5 August
Just recently, the issue about shorter law firm names came up in a listserv discussion hosted by the Legal Marketing Association. The interesting thing is that this issue has been coming up for years. In fact, I wrote an article in The Legal Intelligencer on March 12, 2003, addressing this very issue. What I think most legal marketing experts have found who have been around the watercoolers for a stint is that firms should shorten their names - but should do so strategically. - law.com website

Law firm landing pages -  8 August
Once you remove content publishing from the equation, there are typically four major entry points into law firm websites : the homepage, practice pages, lawyer profiles and regional office pages. For this month's web law connected column, I thought it might be interesting to offer comments on each of these pages, and issues I've seen from a search marketing perspective. - Slaw [Canadian blog]

South Africa

BCM attorney in hot water - 8 August
The Cape Law Society is seeking to strike King William’s Town attorney Theli Gabelana off the roll of attorneys, alleging that he misappropriated funds from his clients. Gabelana is a former partner of controversial East London lawyer Lindile Nompozolo, who is himself facing proceedings to interdict him from practising as an attorney pending an application to strike him off the attorneys' roll. It is alleged that he, too, misappropriated funds belonging to his clients. - Dispatch Online website

United Kingdom

How virtual lawyers are weathering the recession - 30 July
Some do it for childcare. Others do it to pursue non-legal interests such as oil painting. One even combines it with presenting the weather on Sky News. But all represent a growing trend of solicitors embracing the freelance life. This new breed is far removed from old-style locums. They are coming together in virtual law firms - models differ but a popular one involves solicitors working on an earn-as-you-work basis, from home or sometimes the client's office, with the practice providing centralised administration, support and marketing. The recession means that the future is encouraging for such firms. - Times Online website

The stress of being a female lawyer - 30 July
Like others within the legal profession I was very sad to have read the tragic story of Catherine Bailey, a partner at a leading City law firm about whom an inquest recorded a verdict of suicide. Having practised as a divorce lawyer for 30 years I have seen many changes within the legal profession, with increasing pressure put on women, and I have suffered from it at times throughout my career - much more than my friends in other professions. - Times Online website

Legal Services Board seeks powers to impose huge fines on regulators - 7 August
The Legal Services Board could punish the Law Society and other regulators with multi-million-pound fines if they fail to meet its regulatory objectives, under proposals published this week. The plans, which would give the LSB powers to fine the Law Society up to £28m for non-compliance, were dubbed 'misconceived' by Chancery Lane. - Legal Support Network website

This Week's Online Talking Point

Esquire's Rule #1033. If your lawyer's email address ends in hotmail.com, gmail.com or yahoo.com (or aol.com), find a new lawyer - Doug Cornelius on Twitter

What your email address says about you - 11 August
In the old days, there were only a few places where a regular fellow could get an email account. After some deep contemplation and soul-searching, I've reached a decision.  Screw anyone who thinks that my 1993 email address means that I'm not cool enough to be your lawyer.  Go find some lawyer whose concern is whether they have the newest iPhone, or the Kindle 39 . . . - Simple Justice : a New York criminal defense blog

Online reputation management : first rule is to avoid self-inflicted wounds - 11 August
That jewel coming from a lawyer insulted a lot of people and made a lot of them angry. - Jim Callowey's Law Practice Tips Blog

InfoUpdate : an Information Service supplied by the KwaZulu-Natal Law Society