The Legal Toolkit

Competitive Branding and Website Development for Lawyers

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:29:48 -0600

Clients have an abundance of options when hiring an attorney. Often, it is a firm’s website that determines who they ultimately hire. On this episode of The Legal Toolkit, hosts Jared Correia and Heidi Alexander talk to Jeff Lantz about building an Internet brand and website that differentiates you from your competitors and attracts clients.

Jeff Lantz is the founder and CEO of Esquire Interactive. His company is an attorney-run marketing firm that specializes in website development, Internet marketing, and branding for law firms and attorneys. Lantz was a practicing attorney for more than 12 years before he delved into Internet marketing. He has authored two books: The Essential Attorney Handbook for Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and Website Development Management, referred to as “The bible for building law firm websites,” by host Alexander, and Internet Branding for Lawyers: Building the Client-Centered Website published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section.
Tune in to hear from the author of Internet Branding for Lawyers on the basics of branding, website development, and marketing for attorneys.

Desktop as a Service for Lawyers

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:22:57 -0600

Desktop as a service, commonly known as DaaS, is a relatively new service which provides users access to their desktops from any computer via the cloud. Your hosts Jared Correia and Heidi Alexander invited Tom Rowe to talk about DaaS for lawyers. Rowe is a 4th generation attorney with an undergraduate degree in computer science and business administration. He now works as a technology consultant for law firms and businesses at OTB-Consulting and was named Technolawyer’s technology consultant of the year. Rowe answers questions about DaaS for big, small, and solo firms, how to make DaaS secure, how to make it cost effective, and more. He will also talk about SaaS, software as a service, as it relates to lawyers and DaaS users.

The Legal Toolkit is Back

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:03:43 -0600

Wondering where The Legal Toolkit has been for the past six months? Never fear, Jared Correia, your host and a Senior Law Practice Advisor with Massachusetts Law Office Management Assistance Program ( Mass. LOMAP), is back. In this month’s episode meet the new co-host Heidi Alexander, also a Law Practice Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, who will be the newest addition to The Legal Toolkit team. Before joining LOMAP, Alexander ran a solo law practice and a web consulting business. She has practiced employment law and litigation, clerked for a justice on the highest court of New Jersey, and worked helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses at a nonprofit women’s business assistance center. She is currently serving on the board of directors of a community arts nonprofit, as a special needs mentor, and as a coordinator and facilitator for girls in underserved communities. This episode will introduce Alexander and give her a chance to further outline her background, expertise, side projects, volunteer positions, and finally, her strong loyalty to her home state of Minnesota.

Choosing a Law Firm Entity Structure

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:32:35 -0400

On this October edition of The Legal Toolkit, Jared Correia, Senior Law Practice Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, joins Chiara LaPlume, principal of LaPlume Law, LLC and Sofia Lingos, principal of Lingos Law, to address entity choice for lawyers and law firms. Chiara and Sofia run down the options for law firms and solo lawyers (including d/b/a’s and limited liability entities), talk about why it’s essential to have a partnership agreement and relay why it may useful for an attorney to hire another lawyer to help them get incorporated.

Making Selling Easier for Lawyers

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:50:38 -0400

Why is selling so hard for lawyers and what can you do about it? On this September edition Jared Correia, the host of The Legal Toolkit and Senior Law Practice Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, joins Stephen Seckler, principal of Seckler Legal Consulting and Coaching, to talk about selling vs. marketing, how important referrals are for attorneys and some of the key things that get in the way of attorneys successfully generating work.

Content Marketing for Lawyers

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:49:33 -0400

If you want to market your practice by leveraging your expertise, content marketing may be your answer. Jared Correia, the host of The Legal Toolkit and Senior Law Practice Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, interviews Gyi Tsakalakis, the director of web marketing for AttorneySync, to get the skinny. Jared and Gyi discuss different types of content marketing and distribution platforms, the efficacy of paywalls and the skill set lawyers need to become effective content marketers.

The Legal Trade Show Survival Guide

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:55:08 -0400

Learn how to make the most of your next legal trade show experience when The Legal ToolKit host and Senior Law Practice Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, Jared Correia, chats with Andrea Cannavina, the Founder and CEO of LegalTypist, Inc. Andrea and Jared explain how to decide which events to attend, how to network, the benefits of getting involved in conference planning, and much more.

Legal Translation Services for Law Firms

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:29:55 -0400

When should a law firm consider either translation or interpretation services? Jared Correia, the host of The Legal ToolKit and Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP gets the answer from George Rimalower, founder and president of ISI Translations, Inc. Jared and George also explain the benefits of using a translation service and how these services can boost your legal firm’s bottom line.

20 Legal Technology Tips in 20 minutes

Thu, 31 May 2012 09:47:09 -0400

If you’re looking for the hottest tech tips for lawyers, we’ll make sure your vision is 20/20. The Legal ToolKit host and Senior Law Practice Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, Jared Correia, talks technology with Attorney Ernest Svenson from the Svenson Law Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ernie has catalogued a number of useful tools for lawyers and relays them in rapid succession through word association with Jared. Listen in, and find out why Dropbox and Dilbert can both have a place in your law firm!

Old School Marketing in the Legal World

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 15:50:11 -0400

With the popularity of social media on the rise within the legal profession, has old school marketing taken a back seat? Jared Correia, the host of The Legal ToolKit and Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, joins Attorney Christopher Strang, partner at the Boston law firm, Desmond, Strang & Scott LLP and Robert Simpson, President/CEO of Waverider Communications, to talk about the pros of old school marketing, including: the importance of developing and implementing a strategy, the power of networking and how lawyers can successfully market themselves in both non-traditional and traditional modes.

Tips and Tactics for Law Firm Websites

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 10:45:27 -0500

With the prevalence of profile sites, blogs and social media platforms, law firms need effective websites. Jared Correia, the host of The Legal ToolKit and Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, joins Larry Bodine, the Editor-in-Chief for Lawyers.com, to explore the importance of law firm websites. Larry discusses everything from the sort of content components that should appear on a website and designing the website to basic SEO tools attorneys can use to get visits from their target audience.

Online Reputation Management for Lawyers

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:33:04 -0500

What are people saying about you online? What if the comments are negative? How can you protect your good name? In an environment where online reviews are common, Legal Toolkit host Jared Correia, Law Practice Advisor with Mass. LOMAP,, and Conrad Saam, Vice President of Marketing at Urbanspoon, discuss online reputation management for lawyers. Conrad and Jared cover the importance of tracking online mentions, and the methods for doing so. They also address the rising vitality of local search and the usefulness in dominating vanity search.

Student Loan Management for Lawyers

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:32:18 -0500

Stressed about your student loans from law school? On The Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, joins Heather Jarvis, student loan expert and former capital defense attorney, to discuss student loan management. Heather offers her insight on consolidation, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income Based Repayment and how lawyers can reduce, or better manage their payments.

Top Web Apps for the Holidays

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:45:42 -0500

What apps are on your holiday wish list? On this edition of Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, joins returning guest Brett Owens, CEO and Co-Founder of Chrometa, LLC, to take a look at some of the top web apps for this holiday season. Brett offers up his favorite apps across a variety of categories, including for collaboration and file sharing. In addition to relaying his thoughts about the best buffalo wings on the planet, Brett makes some bonus prognostications for 2012 and beyond.

Marketing Your Law Practice through CLE

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:06:21 -0500

On this month’s show, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, is joined by Tim Baran, Principal of BaranCLE and Community Manager at RocketMatter, as the two take a look at some ways to market a law practice through CLE participation. Tim and Jared talk about utilizing traditional and non-traditional marketing techniques for securing CLE faculty positions, discuss methods for approaching bar associations with respect to panel spots and cover the options that lawyers have for putting on their own CLE programming.

Practice Management & Cloud Trends

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 14:34:33 -0400

Is your practice management vision cloudy? We can help. On this month’s show, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, is joined by Jack Newton, Co-founder & CEO of Clio, as they take a look at the latest trends in practice management and cloud computing. Jared and Jack talk about the essential usefulness of practice management systems, the appeal of cloud programs (even for skittish lawyers!) and what the future looks like in the cloud.

Global Economics & Your Law Practice

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:04:00 -0400

Does global economics affect your law practice? The, perhaps surprising, answer is a resounding ‘Yes’! On this month’s show, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes to the Legal Toolkit Susan Cartier Liebel, the Founder & CEO of Solo Practice University®, to address the effect that global economics and changing demographics have on attorneys and their practices. Susan and Jared discuss the present economic downturn in the context of the history of the United States, talk about why it is so important for the modern attorney to apply a client-centric viewpoint and consider potential growth opportunities in a compromised economy.

The Power of Legal Referrals

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:40:28 -0400

Referrals are the lifeblood of the most successful law firms, but attorneys, like anyone else, have to get their potential referral sources to know, like and trust them. On this month’s Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, talks with Jaimie B. Field, Esq. founder of Marketing Field, LLC about the power of referrals. Jaimie and Jared consider potential referral sources for lawyers, mull over the age-old maxim that ‘referrals beget referrals’ and discuss the importance of training referral sources, in order to get them to get you the clients you really want.

Personal Branding for Lawyers

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:50:29 -0400

Need a "brand" aid? On this month’s episode of the Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, talks with Dorie Clark, CEO of Clark Strategic Communications, about personal branding for lawyers. Dorie is a regular blogger for the Harvard Business Review, and is working on, "What’s Next?: The Art of Reinventing Your Personal Brand", to be released by Harvard Business Review Press in 2012. Dorie and Jared cover what it means to have a "personal brand, " take a look at a the importance of developing a unique selling proposition and discuss some of the ways that attorneys can produce and leverage content, to stand out from the crowd.

Disaster Recovery and Disaster Planning

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:57:07 -0400

In light of the recent tornado damage sustained across the country, this month’s episode of the Legal ToolKit will cover “Disaster Recovery and Disaster Planning”. Host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Attorney Nerino J. Petro, Jr., the Practice Management Advisor for the Law Office Management Assistance program of the State Bar of Wisconsin, to discuss ways in which law firms affected by disaster can get back up and running, and how those unaffected can prepare for future potential disasters. Nerino talks about resources available to attorneys who have suffered practice interruptions due to natural disasters and the importance of having a disaster recovery plan and backup attorney(s) in place.

Data Protection Best Practices

Mon, 9 May 2011 12:57:36 -0400

With a network of data protection rules and regulations on the state and federal level, it becomes more and more difficult for businesses to keep up. On the Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Attorney C. Max Perlman from the law firm of Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, to talk about those data security laws and regulations and their impact on businesses, including law firms. Jared and Max also discuss the federal requirements that local businesses should be aware of, to what extent the laws codify best practices and what to do if your business experiences a security breach.

The Three Sisters & the Art of Psychodrama

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:49:08 -0400

Want to learn more about psychodrama? On the Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes two of "The 3 Sisters," trial lawyers and psychodramatists, Joane Garcia-Colson and Mary Peckham, to discuss the art of psychodrama and its application to the practice of law. Joane and Mary talk about the importance of telling a story in trial practice and how to use psychodrama to better connect with your clients.

The Impact of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:13:26 -0400

How can you use SEO to market your law practice? On the Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Conrad Saam, Senior Marketing Manager for Avvo, to discuss Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and why it is important to lawyers. Conrad explains how SEO works, and how it retains its importance, even with the explosion of social media. Jared and Conrad also take a look at how law firms can supplement SEO with other marketing tactics.

Maximizing Popular Applications for Legal & ABA TECHSHOW 2011 Preview

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:06:15 -0500

How important is it for lawyers to stay on top of technological developments? Very. On the Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Paul J. Unger, an attorney and partner with Affinity Consulting Group and the Chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2011, to talk about how attorneys can get the most out of some popular computer applications and to do a quick preview of the upcoming ABA TECHSHOW 2011. Legal ToolKit is brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting.

Help for The Lawyer’s Job Search

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:03:26 -0500

What's the market for lawyers looking for jobs now? On this edition of Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Attorney Gina Walcott, Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and Tomeeka Farrington, Founder & Principal of Spotlight Communications, to talk about the lawyer’s job search in a down economy, the best social media sites for job seekers and helpful hints to lawyers in the job hunt. Legal ToolKit is brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting.

Networking and the Boston Bar Association’s New Lawyers Section

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:58:09 -0500

On this edition of The Legal ToolKit, brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Attorney Christopher Strang from Desmond, Strang & Scott, LLP and Attorney Alexandra Gorman from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, to discuss their roles as co-chairs of the Boston Bar Association’s New Lawyers Section. Jared, Chris and Alex talk about the importance of networking, effective networking techniques, some common mistakes new lawyers make when it comes to networking efforts and the perks of getting involved in your bar association.

Inside the Massachusetts Bar Association

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:45:10 -0500

On this edition of The Legal ToolKit, brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Denise Squillante, president of the Massachusetts Bar Association and Valerie Yarashus, immediate past president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, to cover some important MBA initiatives. They take a look at today’s challenges for the legal profession, discuss diversity, technology, mentoring in the legal profession and about how the MBA is reaching young attorneys statewide.

Cool Web Apps for Running your Law Firm

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:58:42 -0400

On this edition of The Legal ToolKit, brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Brett Owens, CEO and Co-Founder of Chrometa, LLC, to take a look at some cool web apps to consider. Jared and Brett discuss the convenience of web apps, questions of security, drop some favorite web apps and talk about ways that attorneys can keep up with technology without becoming overwhelmed.

Fee Setting & the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:40:23 -0400

On this edition of The Legal ToolKit, brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Attorney Chiara Urbani LaPlume and Attorney Audrey Heidt, both co-chairs of the Massachusetts Women's Bar Association's Solo and Small Firm Committee, to take a look at setting fees, through the lens of the new Women’s Bar Association series of “fee circles”, that focus on the issue. Among other topics, Jared, Chiara and Audrey cover how to start the conversation about fees, whether to charge consultation fees and/or retainers and, of course, how to establish rates, including when to reassess and reduce rates, as necessary.

The Use of SaaS in the Legal Field

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 10:34:16 -0400

On this edition of The Legal ToolKit, brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Larry Port, Founding Partner and Chief Software Architect for Rocket Matter, to take a look at the use of software as a service (SaaS) in the legal field. Jared and Larry talk about what kind of SaaS applications are available for legal professionals, ethical considerations for attorneys using SaaS products and how SaaS companies can protect your sensitive data.

Protecting your Business through Email Encryption

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:25:55 -0400

The protection of client data is fast becoming a matter of national concern. On this edition of The Legal ToolKit, brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP welcomes Attorney James F. Brashear, General Counsel from Zix Corporation, to discuss how to protect your clients’ private information through email encryption. Jared and Jim explore HIPAA compliance, cloud computing and security and how to protect your business and your clients.

Exploring the Virtual Law Practice

Wed, 12 May 2010 09:18:36 -0400

On this edition of the Legal ToolKit, brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP welcomes Stephanie Kimbro, an attorney who operates the virtual law firm Kimbro Legal Services. Jared and Stephanie will look at virtual law practice, including the technology components, the benefits of such systems and the impact of the virtual practice of law upon the future of the legal profession.

IOLTA Accounting: Part Two

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 14:50:48 -0400

In part one of this two-part series on IOLTA Accounting on the Legal ToolKit, , brought to you by Catuogno Court Reporting, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, explored IOLTA accounting and its purposes. In part two, Jared welcomes Beverly Michaelis, Practice Management Advisor with the Professional Liability Fund of the Oregon State Bar and Lindsay Vosburgh, Financial Investigator at the Massachusetts Office of Bar Counsel, to talk about the latest in trust accounting software and to offer tips on trust accounting software for lawyers and firms.

IOLTA Accounting: Part One

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 16:49:59 -0500

In this edition of the Legal ToolKit, host Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP, welcomes Terrence D. Pricher, an assistant bar counsel in the Office of Bar Counsel and Attorney James S. Bolan, a partner with the firm of Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan, LLP, to take an in-depth look at IOLTA Accounting. Jim and Terry bring very different perspectives to this discussion and will explore IOLTA accounting and its purpose, three-way reconciliation, the biggest IOLTA pitfalls and how to handle large sums of client funds.

Security Compliance Issues from an IT and Legal Perspective

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:37:37 -0500

In this special edition of the Legal ToolKit , we explore security compliance issues from The Massachusetts Information Security Summit (MassISS) with co-hosts, Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Mass. LOMAP and Ray Catuogno, Founder & CEO of Catuogno Court Reporting and Sten-Tel Transcription . Special guests are Diane Lawton, General Counsel of the Commonwealth’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) and Chris Squier, renowned speaker on national security issues from New Technology Systems, to discuss security compliance issues, including the hacker mindset and the best methods for protecting information on PDAs and smartphones.

Compliance, Security & the Massachusetts Data Breach Notification Law

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 16:02:41 -0500

In this edition of the Legal ToolKit host Dean Whalen, General Counsel for Catuogno Court Reporting and Sten-Tel Transcription Services will call on the experts to talk more about the Massachusetts Data Breach Notification Law: 201CMR 17.00 and complying by March 1, 2010. In the first segment, Dean welcomes Charlie Christianson, President of Peritus Security Partners, LLC, to discuss the key elements of the compliance process and how to secure your business. Attorney Jared Corriea, advisor at The Law Office Management Assistance Program , will discuss the red flag rule, compliance and the upcoming Massachusetts Information Security Summit.

A Close Look at the Data Breach Notification Law: Chapter 93H

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:17:27 -0400

With several high profile security breaches in Massachusetts, securing customer information is a necessity to business legally. In this debut podcast of the Legal ToolKit, host Dean Whalen, General Counsel for Catuogno Court Reporting and Sten-Tel Transcription Services welcomes Attorney Rodney Dowell, Director of MassLOMAP and David M. Felper, senior partner with Bowditch & Dewey, LLP, to explore the details of Massachusetts' Data Breach Notification Law: Chapter 93H. They will discuss the protection of personal data, encryption, compliance and how new regulations will impact every Massachusetts businesses.