Archive for September, 2011

5 Ways to Stop Your Theft Problem

In some countries they have any easy remedy to stop thieves from repeating their thieving ways – they cut off their hands. That certainly is barbaric and I would not recommend any civilized country adopt such extreme measures.

As a counselor for both in class and online stop theft classes my students and I often discuss how to best prevent them from stealing again. This article will address a few ways my students and I have discussed about stopping theft behavior.

Idle Hands Are a Bad Thing

One of the best ways to stop compulsive and repetitive shoplifting is to adopt another hobby. Not only is shoplifting illegal, but it can be dangerous to your health. One of my students was shoplifting candy from a local convenience store when the shop owner brought out a sawed off shotgun and leveled it at their heads.

While this may have been an extreme scenario, the fact is you should not be stealing anything ever! I also advise my students with drinking problems to start a new hobby. Playing a musical instrument, learning to cook or gardening are good, safe hobbies that will keep your mind and your hands occupied! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ,

Related posts

Law Firm Culture and You

Think about your law firm and its environment. It doesn’t matter if the firm is large, medium or small; the culture around you is what is important.

Your law firm probably has some written policies and procedures, maybe a mission statement and strategic goals it would like to reach. But what about the unwritten rules and the perceptions each employee has about how the firm works? These are often the deciding factor in what the law firm culture looks like.

Do you have the ability to change the culture in your firm? Often it is only the attorneys at the top of the management hierarchy who can influence the organizational structure. But if your firm setting isn’t functioning the best it can, it may be time for it to change, or time for you to make a change.

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself when evaluating your workplace:

1. Does your law firm have a team spirit about it? Merely tolerating each other isn’t good enough. If the employees at all levels are friendly and willing to work together, it makes going to work not feel like drudgery. It also helps if there is a democratic feel to the office where people can be heard, no matter who they are.

2. Does your firm care about your family life? A firm that is sensitive to its employees’ needs and allows flexibility as long as the work is getting done, is a humanistic firm. After all, your quality of life outside of your practice should be one of the most important aspects of your day. If your billable hours matter more to the firm than you’re getting to spend time with your family, then you are sacrificing your life for money. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ,

Related posts

Starting a Law Firm, Moving to a New State

Starting a law firm can be tough. Trying to build your new law firm can be even tougher. Starting a law practice completely from scratch in a new jurisdiction could be fatal.

Many times, people starting their own law firm will leave an old firm with a bevy of client who they had represented under the old firm’s moniker. This is a perfectly acceptable way to start a new law practice. It is done many times and it will continue to be done. Think about it – if you already have a client base (or “book of business”) intact, you don’t need to worry so much about marketing and client development. Your only real worries initially are setting up a new corporate structure, a new office and the vagaries that go with that, malpractice insurance, and general institutional kind of work. Don’t get me wrong, that isn’t easy, but it appears much more doable when you know you have clients who are going to pay for those things.

However, moving to a brand new state with no clients AND trying to start your own law firm, is a whole different ball game. Not only do you have to worry about the institutional kinds of things every lawyer starting a law firm has to worry about, you also need to worry about how you are going to pay for this stuff while you build a client base. The very idea of it would discourage even the most ambitious man.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ,

Related posts