February 2012 Archives

Creating an online presence for your law firm is no small task. Sure, you can find a designer who can build you a slick website, but will it reached the right audience?

If you want a law firm website that draws clients who are looking for legal help, you need a Web developer that understands your target audience. According to a 2006 study in Behavior and Information Technology, users judge the value of a website in 1/20th of a second; that means it’s critical to use a developer who knows how to cater to a consumer legal audience.

We continue our Friday round-up of what is newest, best and brightest at FindLaw.com. Below, you will find this week's offerings from various areas of FindLaw's unique content, including: core legal content, blogs, news and case law. Take a look at what's new:

FindLaw Consumer Blogs

• White House Issues Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights: As Google's controversial new privacy policy is set to take effect, the White House has issued its own recommendations about the use of personal information online. President Obama is urging companies to embrace and implement the "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights." You can read the document in its entirety at FindLaw's Courtside.

You are sole practitioner or run a small law firm. You know the law and you know how you want to run your business. But they didn't exactly teach you business in law school, did they? So where do you turn for advice and resources on running a small law firm?

You turn to other attorneys, of course. Enter FindLaw for Legal Professionals.

Overflowing with helpful information, FindLaw.com content is written and managed by fellow attorneys. We know what you need to run a better law firm. We at FindLaw.com are passionate about the law and excited to provide our legal professional visitors everything they need.

So what all do we have to offer the solo or small law firm lawyer?

We continue our Friday round-up of what is newest, best and brightest at FindLaw.com. Below, you will find this week's offerings from various areas of FindLaw's unique content, including: core legal content, blogs, news and case law. Take a look at what's new:

FindLaw Consumer Blogs

• Top 5 Crimes Not to Commit During Mardi Gras: As New Orleans and other cities prepare for Mardi Gras festivities, law-enforcement agencies nationwide are getting ready for rowdy revelers. FindLaw's Blotter provides a few beads of legal wisdom with a parade of common Mardi Gras crimes you shouldn't commit.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the tax-filing deadline to April 17 this year, but that doesn’t mean that you should wait to complete your income tax returns.

If you’re one of the many Americans who dread the annual income-tax filing ritual, FindLaw.com, the nation’s leading website for free legal information, has some last-minute tax tips to help ease the pain of the process.

If you are looking to gain new clients and expose a broader audience to your expertise, then posting informative content devoid of legalese is the way to go. But how do you do it? Start by looking at the main topics in your chosen practice area and begin posting around those topics with the goal of creating information that is helpful and your followers will want to share with others.

Crafting consumer-friendly content is easier than you think and creativity on social networks is always rewarded. Here’s a look at how to create informative basic posts on your blog, Facebook page and Twitter account.

Blogs:

Keep it simple. Rather than lace your blog post with legal codes and cases, just talk about the law in plain English. Simple as that. For example, if you are an employment law attorney, blog about the different types of discrimination in the workplace and how to try to overcome the scenarios before seeking legal help. Or, if you are a criminal law attorney inform your readers about the general booking and arraignment process. It may seem fundamental to you, but will be very helpful to your readers. Make a back to basics type post part of your overall editorial calendar and include at least a couple informative posts every month.

We continue our Friday round-up of what is newest, best and brightest at FindLaw.com. Below, you will find this week's offerings from various areas of FindLaw's unique content, including: core legal content, blogs, news and case law. Take a look at what's new:

FindLaw Consumer Blogs

• Why the Tea Party Loves the 10th Amendment: Presidential candidates and other politicians love to invoke the 10th Amendment when discussing states’ rights. But do they really know what they’re talking about, legally speaking? FindLaw's Law and Daily Life compares the amendment's true legal meaning with how it’s being interpreted on the campaign trail.

Fewer couples are getting married in America. Only 51 percent of U.S. adults are married and only 20 percent of those aged 18 to 29, according to the Pew Research Center.

But while marriage is down, cohabitation is up. More couples are either not marrying or are living together before tying the knot.

Unfortunately, such living arrangements present a slew of legal issues for the people involved.

Facebook, check. Twitter, check. LinkedIn, check. Blog, check. FindLaw corporate has social media covered. More than just the top website for free legal information, FindLaw's social media channels are designed with one goal in mind: connecting us with our users.

Whether you are interested in reading relevant legal updates or simply curious about the latest happenings within FindLaw, each of our corporate social media channels is curated with the goal of informing, entertaining and socializing our content.

We continue our Friday round-up of what is newest, best and brightest at FindLaw.com. Below, you will find this week's offerings from various areas of FindLaw's unique content, including: core legal content, blogs, news and case law. Take a look at what's new:

FindLaw Consumer Blogs

• Super Bowl Gambling: Illegal or Harmless Fun?: From office pools to sports bookies, what's legal when it comes to gambling on the Super Bowl? Odds are you may not face serious legal consequences from friendly sports wagers, but don't bet on it. Learn more about gambling laws and the "social gambling" exception in FindLaw's Law and Daily Life.

When people go shopping for lawyers, they say video helps them make up their mind. Indeed, 76 percent of them say they want a feel for a lawyer’s personality before contacting the firm, according to a FindLaw survey.

That’s why video has become an essential part of an online marketing program. Video can quickly introduce your firm’s personality and communicate your knowledge. That way, attorneys can make a faster connection with their potential clients.

Enter FindLaw’s Video services for lawyer marketing.