Jay Reeves

If you’re relying solely on your email spam filter to ward off phishing attacks, you’re making a mistake. That’s true even if your filter blocks the overwhelming majority of dangerous messages. “It may seem acceptable that your spam filter stops 97 percent of the phishing attacks direc… Read More

If you’re thinking about offering a prize to anyone who likes you on Facebook, better think again. You might be asking for a State Bar grievance. The State Bar ethics committee has proposed an opinion that says a law firm can’t offer an incentive for people to engage with its social media account.… Read More

Documentation is not just a good idea – it might prevent a complaint to the State Bar or a lawsuit for malpractice. This starts with the first contact with a prospect, perhaps before you’ve even accepted the case or opened a file. Document the nature of the problem, what was discussed, and what if … Read More

If you want your next meeting to be more productive, prepare a written agenda and email it to attendees at least two hours in advance. Include a list of attendees, specific objectives, and a start and stop time. During the meeting, display the agenda on a screen or whiteboard to keep everyone on track. Anothe… Read More

Here’s a statistic that may shock you: less than 10 percent of prospective clients ever get to speak to a lawyer when they call a law firm. They either talk with a receptionist, assistant or answering service, or else they’re sent directly to voicemail. Even more dismaying: 42 percent of the time, … Read More

The next time you catch an employee sleeping at their desk, you might want to thank them instead of firing them. That little siesta could make them mentally sharper, more productive, and better able to tolerate stressful clients. In our sleep-deprived world, a growing body of scientific evidence (like this st… Read More

Wouldn’t you love to have a Magic Button that, when pressed, adds an extra hour to your day? Just think. Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed, overextended or over a barrel, all you have to do is push the Magic Button and presto, you’ve got an additional 60 minutes – 3,600 whole seconds … Read More

Poet Robert Frost said there is something about a fence. We, lawyers, could say the same things about lists. Oh, how we love our lists. They bring order to our days. They keep us on track. And few things are more satisfying than striking a completed item off our to-do list – nor more deflating than add… Read More

Okay, here’s a fun little quiz. Cover up your screen below the following paragraph to hide the answer. Question: Which three of the following adjectives do clients use most frequently when describing the characteristics of outstanding lawyers: intelligent, capable, zealous, responsive, attractive, insigh… Read More

When you think of disasters that can disrupt your practice, you probably imagine hurricanes, floods and other large-scale events. But small-scale interruptions – from a power outage to a computer crash – can cause major headaches as well. “Hiding from the possibility that a disaster will aff… Read More

You might think your computer network has been infected by a virus when it’s really suffered a Trojan attack. And what you might think is an outside hack may actually be an inside job perpetrated by adware. When your system has been breached, it’s important to accurately identify what has happened… Read More

Looking for training and guidance on cybersecurity that’s free and available 24/7? Check out the Small Business Cybersecurity Corner, a new website from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “The vast majority of small businesses rely on IT to run their businesses and to store, proce… Read More

A heartwarming story about a beloved pet. Read More

Did you remember to claim the cost of your law office drone as a business deduction on your taxes this year? How about the production expenses for your YouTube channel? What’s that? You don’t have an office drone or a YouTube channel? No matter. The point is that you might be incurring some expens… Read More

News flash: if you want to make your firm more attractive to young lawyers, hold off on installing that juice bar or video arcade in your break room. It turns out millennials are less interested in cool perks than in something more old-fashioned: the chance to be a part of a great team. “When it comes t… Read More