Handling Confrontational ClientsBy Maria KantzavelosDecember 2012Article, Page 636Learn techniques to help you manage your relationship with confrontational clients.
The Discontented Lawyer: A Call for a New ProfessionalismBy Cheryl NiroNovember 2012Article, Page 604Research indicates that much of our lawyerly unhappiness is wired into us. But that doesn't mean we should give up on greater professional and personal satisfaction.
Planning for Retirement: A Life Guide for AttorneysBy Gary R. GehlbachOctober 2012Article, Page 530As attorneys age and the practice of law becomes more challenging, retirement beckons for many. Planning for that day, however, should be an early-career project.
Compassionate Consultations: Winning Over Prospective ClientsBy Larry E. LauterjungJuly 2012Article, Page 364You usually have an hour to sell yourself to prospective clients during the initial consultation. The key is to communicate your genuine understanding and concern.
Ethics Hotspots in Client RelationsBy Bonnie BoothMay 2012Article, Page 244Returning phone calls, carefully defining your scope of representation - such client-friendly behavior isn't just good business practice, it can keep the ARDC from your door.
Client service 101By Helen W. GunnarssonDecember 2011Lawpulse, Page 604A seasoned family law practitioner explains how to avoid common mistakes lawyers make in working with clients.
What's the best way out of an ethical pickle?By Helen W. GunnarssonDecember 2011Lawpulse, Page 604Taking quick remedial action and preemptive self-reporting can be the best way to handle a disciplinable blunder, ethics authorities advise.
Ethical Issues in Representing Elderly Clients with Diminished CapacityBy Kerry R. PeckNovember 2011Article, Page 572When can - and must - you allow your diminished-capacity client to make a decision you advise against? This article explores this and other ethics issues that arise in serving elderly clients.
ABA ethics, Part 2: Proposed rules address admission on motion, MJP and moreBy Helen W. GunnarssonOctober 2011Lawpulse, Page 490Proposed ABA model rules speak to admission on motion, multijurisdictional practice, disclosure of confidential information, and choice of law provisions in lawyer-client agreements.
The Five Biggest Business Mistakes Lawyers MakeBy Helen W. GunnarssonSeptember 2011Article, Page 444Too many lawyers - especially new ones - undervalue their services. It's a short-sighted approach that can lead to big trouble, this lawyer argues.
New IOLTA requirements effective September 1By Helen W. GunnarssonSeptember 2011Lawpulse, Page 434The amended rule forbids non-interest bearing pooled accounts, imposes new recordkeeping requirements, and obliges banks to report trust-account overdrafts.
Don't be an oddsmakerBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2011Lawpulse, Page 382It's a bad idea - maybe even an ethics no-no - to tell clients what you think their chances of winning are, an ISBA lawyer opines.
Tweeting the lawBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2011Lawpulse, Page 382Lawyers, bar associations, courts, and others use Twitter to push out news, cases, job openings, and more.
"What happened?" How to talk to a found-guilty defendantBy Helen W. GunnarssonAugust 2011Lawpulse, Page 382What do you say to the criminal defendant who wonders why the judge or jury found him guilty? Two seasoned lawyers offer their thoughts.
Are cell phones "contraband"? And what's a "penal institution"?By Helen W. GunnarssonMay 2011Lawpulse, Page 222A volunteer lawyer is charged with a felony for allegedly bringing "contraband" - her cell phone - into a police station interview room.
Volunteering to represent indigents pro bono in an area of law with which you're unfamiliar? Your heart may be in the right place, but be careful.
Finding Your Way to in the CourthouseBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2011Article, Page 184How to learn those all-important unwritten rules of courthouse and courtroom practice that vary from circuit to circuit.
What judges wantBy Helen W. GunnarssonApril 2011Lawpulse, Page 174You'll make your judge happy - or at least less unhappy - if you learn some of the unwritten rules that vary by type of case presented and by region.
Putting the "hearing" in public hearingsBy Helen W. GunnarssonDecember 2010Lawpulse, Page 610A lawyer's testimony in the supreme court committee hearing on the new evidence rules produces results.
ABCs for GALsBy Helen W. GunnarssonNovember 2010Article, Page 572You'd like to serve as a GAL, child rep, or attorney for the child - how do you play this important but challenging role? Seasoned lawyers offer dos, don'ts, and tips.
Notes from a Legal AssistantBy Mark D. HassakisNovember 2010Column, Page 556Not every law office VIP has a law license.
Business Lawyers and the New Ethics RulesBy Markus MayOctober 2010Column, Page 540It's now easier to represent multiple clients, and to practice in Illinois if you're from out of state.
Unbundling ExplainedBy Helen W. GunnarssonOctober 2010Article, Page 512Limited scope or discrete task legal representation - aka "unbundling"- is a client- and lawyer-friendly idea whose time has come, proponents say.
