Research abounds showing that for many businesses, referrals are the most successful method for getting new clients. This is no different for the practice of law. A good referral is awesome: the client fits your practice and already has an incoming positive impression of you and the quality of your Read more…
Below, please find a blog entry penned by an aspiring California attorney and employee at Simas & Associates, Ltd. This individual took the July 2016 California Bar Exam and is awaiting results. Results are due to be announced on November 18, 2016. It takes a special kind of person to Read more…
An “advance fee” is money your client gives you upfront to pay the cost of legal representation. Typically, such payments are called “retainers.” However, unlike true retainers, which are paid to ensure your availability to a client and are therefore earned in full at the time you receive them, advance fees Read more…
A lawyer walks into a bar… While that is the title of a 2007 independent film about lawyers, law school, and the California Bar exam, it also relates to a very serious problem that has been brought to light. Attorneys are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than any Read more…
Internet fraud schemes are prevelant and diverse. Lately, they have been increasingly targeting lawyers and law firms – and more importantly, the banks where lawyers have their client trust accounts. While most are pretty obvious, there has been documented cases where attorneys have fallen victim. And as a result, thousands of Read more…
The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) expects all parties to redact (black out) from documents filed with OAH, including pleadings and exhibits, all confidential personal information whenever possible. Personal information is deemed confidential if any statute or regulation provides for its confidentiality. Confidential personal information includes, but may not be Read more…
In a webinar our law firm recently attended, Bryan A. Garner harped on why lawyers cannot write. And while he went in a great many details – which was fascinating – he also cited the Malcolm Gladwell mantra from his work, Outliers, that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to Read more…
The State Bar is proposing significant changes to its Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCBE) program. These proposed amendments would increase the educational requirement from 25 to 36 hours every 3 years, and modify the specialty credit requirements. There still will be 4 hours required in legal ethics, but an additional Read more…
We often read or get passed articles and blog entries relevant to our profession of practicing law. Every once in a while, one of these articles is worthwhile to link to and comment on. This morning, our office found the following entry from The Practice of Law Blog. It is Read more…
As a leader in Professional Licensing Law, Health Care Law, and Malpractice Defense Law, most of our clients come to us with professional liability insurance. Professional liability insurance, which is also called Errors and Omissions insurance (E&O) or Malpractice insurance, is type of insurance which provides insurance coverage for liability Read more…