Newsletter Launch! Or, Where Have I Been?

It is true that I haven’t posted here for a while.  A bit of a noticeable absence.  A long pause.  So what’s up with that?  What have I been doing?
 

Lately I have been preoccupied with planning a new resource that I’m actually quite excited about!  It is the launch of my Drescher ProParalegal Newsletter for paralegals, legal secretaries and other legal support staff!  (Attorneys welcome too, of course!)
 

A newsletter is something I’ve been thinking about for some time.  The more I've thought about it, the more I like the idea.  I believe I have useful and practical knowledge to share, and a perspective on law firm life that comes from my varied employment background, all of which I enjoy writing about.  This blog has never felt like the perfect medium for that kind of writing. 
 

Even more important, what I’ve missed the most about my law firm employment has been the many wonderful opportunities I had to train, to exchange knowledge with peers, and to mentor junior staff.  I’m hoping my newsletter will provide an avenue for doing so once more.
 

My newsletter will be a culmination of the reading, research and on-line participation I've been doing since I started my freelance business.  It will include practice tips and resources for my fellow legal staffers.  It will include lots of links to articles that interest me - articles that are thought provoking, or inspiring, or just plain laugh-out-loud-funny.  It will report on what I'm up to, where my various business, educational or networking events are taking me, and what I'm learning from them.  I also plan to to share fun tidbits about my other passions for cooking, entertaining, wine and food.  I believe it will be both relevant and entertaining for my colleagues in the legal profession.  What a blast!

 

But isn’t the competition steep?  After all, there are a lot of fine newsletters already out there – I know, because I subscribe to a number of them, and will continue to do so!  Well, I don’t think it’s about competition.  I believe all the many legal newsletter writers out there have their own niche to fill.  I believe there is plenty of room for us all!  In fact, readers will probably see links to some of these writers’ articles included in my own newsletter!
 

In short, this newsletter is something I’m quite excited about, and am having a lot of fun doing.  And it is my sincere hope that it will be valuable for my readers too! 
 

Perhaps it will even be valuable for you!  The first edition will be available next week!  Why don’t you sign up to receive it?  Just click the link here, and follow the usual instructions, OR use the sign-up form to the right in my blog sidebar!  And then go on and share it with your friends!  Email me with your comments and ideas! 
 

And if you don’t see me posting quite as much here on the blog in the weeks ahead, you can be sure you will see my tips, resources and insights in the newsletter in weeks to come.  Cheers!
 

Here are the usual, but very true, disclaimers:  All newsletter content will be public (i.e., nothing confidential, nothing related to any specific law firm or client), and included for information or entertainment purposes only.  I am not an attorney, and no newsletter content will constitute (or probably even remotely resemble!) legal advice or recommendations on any legal matters.  And probably most important of all, your email address will never be shared, rented or sold, and you can unsubscribe at any time.  (But of course, I hope you don’t! :P)

Those Pesky Little Rules!

When I began my career, very few (if any) states regulated the paralegal profession, and I remember the topic being somewhat controversial.  Now, over 20 years later, a growing number of states, including California, have some form of regulation for paralegals, and many view regulation as a beneficial thing for the profession.  (For a very useful overview, see Getting legal with paralegals: A look at state regulations (Durgin, Catherine R. 2007. Business Law Today 16 (3)).  In addition, last week’s The Paralegal Voice informative podcast addressed the issue of regulation, among other topics.) 
 

When I worked in Big Law, I didn’t have to think much about the state legal requirements for paralegals, because my employers did it for me.  My qualifications as regards education and experience were easy to verify. And the firms I worked for provided ample in-house MCLE seminars (mandatory continuing legal education, for those of you not in the industry), and encouraged us all to attend them.  Some firms kept track of my MCLE credits for me so that I didn’t even have to do the arithmetic - how sweet is that!  As a result, I rarely gave it a thought.
 

Now that I am self-employed as a contract paralegal for multiple attorneys and law firms, the weight of this responsibility falls on me a bit more heavily.  There is no one overseeing this for me; I’ve got to stay on top of it myself! 
 

Why is it so important?  I mean after all, nobody is really checking!  Well, my failure to keep my requirements up to date could have a very negative impact on my clients. 
 

This subject was highlighted in a recent MCLE I attended, co-sponsored by the Sonoma County Bar Association and the Redwood Empire Association of Paralegals, called “Paralegals 101.”  Among many other helpful reminders was a discussion of several recent California cases in which paralegal fees were either reduced or stricken altogether from fee recovery awards because the moving party failed to show that the paralegals whose fees were being sought were qualified under the relevant statute.  Obviously this means that if any client of mine hopes to recovery my fees some day, it is incumbent on me to make sure I have the required proof that I meet the education and law-related experience requirements, and that my MCLE credits are up to date.
 

In my experience, most attorneys don’t give much thought to whether their paralegals – be they employee or contractor – meet the requirements of Bus. & Prof. Code §6450.  But if one of my clients got her motion to recovery my fees denied because I was lacking in some respect, you had better believe that client would care then!

 

California Business & Professions Code §6450 et seq. defines the qualifications and requirements for anyone holding the title of paralegal or legal assistant, including education and/or experience qualifications, and mandatory continuing legal education requirements.  It prohibits a paralegal from providing legal advice, representing clients in court, or contracting with or being employed by anyone other than an attorney while performing legal services.

Sunday Six Word Memoir

I’ve had an unsettling week.  Unsettling in a good way, that is.  It all started a little while back when I scored a copy of Dave Navaro’s ebook, 7 Steps To Playing A Much Bigger Game.  Which is not hard to do, since he’s giving it away on his website, how cool is that.  Although I think I got it from somewhere else. 

In any event, reading and working through it has been challenged my thinking quite a bit, as I’m struggling to build my little great big freelance and virtual paralegal business in a difficult economy.  It’s challenged me to ask myself if I’m really "all in" on this project, and if I really am, then what else am I prepared to do to succeed.  Beyond that, how much further can I take my ideas; what additional services or products can I provide that might benefit my clients even more, while yielding greater income for me?  What am I willing to invest, of my time and effort and resources, in order to insure my success?

As a result I’m in the midst of adding to my marketing arsenal, and planning new approaches for reaching new clients.  I’m far from finished working these ideas out, but in the interim, here is the next in my series of Six Word Memoirs – a memoir to encapsulate my week:
 

Be all in; go all out!

Got your own Six Word Memoir?  Feel free to share it in the Comments!

Face Time, or, Working That Room!

Networking events were not part of my life when I was employed in Big Law – or at least I didn’t perceive what I was doing to be “networking.”  I rubbed shoulders with other paralegals and legal support professionals at MCLEs and other seminars, and of course met people in other industries at MeetUps and other gatherings.  I made friends where I could, noted interesting information I came across, but didn’t consider such events essential for my livelihood.
 

Now that I’m a business owner, events where I can meet fellow entrepreneurs and other legal professionals have become hugely important.  I seek out such gatherings wherever I can, and I make it a priority to show up.  Of course my direct mail, email and internet marketing are all worthwhile, but there’s something irreplaceable about meeting someone face to face.  I remember the people I meet, and what I’ve learned about what they do and what they need.  And I hope they remember me!
 

I attend county Bar Association events, paralegal association meetings, e-discovery seminars, as well as local business networking events whenever I can.  I still try to make friends.  I still note interesting information I come across.  If I meet someone who could benefit from my contract paralegal services someday, of course I make a special effort to learn about her firm and practice.  However, I find that people in other industries are great connections to make as well.  I never know when I might have a need for the expertise of someone I meet outside the legal profession, or whether I will meet someone I can refer to them.

Last week I attended an event hosted by the Napa Chamber of Commerce at the beautiful Artesa Winery.  It was a gorgeous setting and a beautiful mild summer evening.  I met interesting people in the wine industry, video and internet marketing fields, direct mail and network marketing areas, and yes, the legal industry too.  The wines and the food items from local restaurants were excellent, and it all made for a lovely and beneficial evening.
 

Yes, I still experience some initial reticence to striking up conversations with strangers, but once I get going I do love to chat with people I meet, learn about how they’re operating their businesses, and compare notes on marketing strategies and the economy, etc.  I try to focus on making friends rather than doing a hard-sell about my services, and I try to follow up with emails to everyone I meet that I want to stay in touch with.
 

Will I get business directly from such networking events?  I certainly hope so, but it isn’t solely about that.  Rather, it’s about making connections in my local community, establishing friendships with people I can help and who can perhaps help me one day.  It’s about Whuffie.
 

For another take on networking events, I highly recommend these:  Chere Estrin’s wonderful post, You Call This Networking?? – boy, can I relate to this anxiety!  Also, an inspiring post from Women Grow Business called,  Want to Grow Your Business? Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone. 
 

So what about you – do you network?  Feel free to share your stories in the comments!

Some of the Things I Need to Know I Didn’t Learn in Kindergarten

Whatever our chosen profession, we’re always learning.  I’ve tried to learn most of my paralegal skills through formal education, observing others more experienced than myself, being mentored, etc.  However, I’ve got to admit that some of my greatest lessons I learned from my mistakes!
 
Early in my career, I was a paralegal in some small law firms, where I was mentored by some very skilled attorneys, and had the chance to do some fairly substantive work.  But as I say, I was inexperienced, and mistakes were made.  By me, that is.  Now I look back on that time fondly because it was formative and my mistakes made me a much better paralegal.
 
One of my attorneys frequently tasked me with writing letters and drafting discovery requests for her, and she was irritated when I gave her drafts containing typographical errors.  It only took a few occasions of being thus taken to task before I learned to proofread everything I wrote.  Again.  And again.  And even backwards.  And I’m grateful to her, because there is really no excuse for giving a supervisor a draft containing typos.  Why shouldn’t my work be as flawless as it can be?  Why should I ever strive for anything less? 
 
There was a day when one of my attorneys phoned me from a deposition quite concerned because he had no court reporter, and it turned out this was because I had failed to schedule one.  Yikes!  I immediately phoned our favorite court reporter who, in a great stroke of luck, happened to be available.  She got to the deposition in record time and saved the day, while I learned a big lesson about keeping deposition checklists to assure everything was scheduled in advance and every detail was in order.

I worked with another attorney whose biggest peeve was people making excuses.  He could forgive any mistake (my failure to reschedule an expert's trial testimony comes to mind!) if one would only own up to it.  So when something went wrong, I learned to make a beeline to his office to talk it over with him, ready with a proposal for fixing it and ready to take my lumps and do whatever had to be done.  He may have been disappointed at the error, but he respected my frankness, and this habit of taking responsibility for my mistakes has served me well ever since.
 
There was another occasion early in my career when I was put in charge of a large filing with a lot of evidence, much of which had to be filed under seal.  I delegated the project of preparing declaration exhibits to a junior clerk.  This was the right thing to do, because she was bright and hardworking, and I couldn’t get everything done myself.  But my mistake was in blithely handling my part of the filing without adequately supervising her portion of the project.  When I checked in on her and her crew mid-afternoon and found they were far behind schedule, I realized we were in danger of missing the filing deadline.  PANIC! 

I rushed to my supervising attorney, described the problem, and we devised a Plan B and made our deadline, but I’ve never forgotten this lesson.  It is a good idea to delegate tasks, but I cannot delegate supervision.  I need to see the big picture, stay on top of all the moving parts, check in on my team, make sure everything is on schedule and if it’s not, readjust immediately.  Often this means doing less of the work myself, in order to supervise the work others are doing more effectively.  The experience made me a much better manager of staff and projects, which is an important skill for a paralegal to have.
 
Got your own stories of lessons learned?  Feel free to share them in the comments!

Apologies to lovers of Robert Fulghum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, with a note to say many things I did learn in kindergarten still serve me quite well too.

How to Succeed in Business . . . by Really, Really Trying

Occasionally I read an article or blog post I find so thought provoking, I cannot shake it off. 

Such as last month, when I read Sonia Simone’s CopyBlogger piece, The Three Surprisingly Simple Keys to Success.  What was provocative about this piece for me was the discussion of things that I typically view as outside my control which may actually be very much within my control.

What are the three keys, and are they within my grasp after all?  The article starts with the well-known premise that in order to succeed – in whatever you’re trying to succeed in – you need any two of the three following things: talent, luck, or persistence.  Now, the last one, persistence, may be challenging, but at least it's up to me and me alone to persist or not.  But what if I’m neither talented enough nor lucky enough?

Talent

I’ve been accustomed to thinking talent is innate.  Something I was born to be good at.  Some “gift” that always came naturally to me.  (Phrased that way, how many of these do I actually have?!?  Hmm . . .)  For example, I had a bit of an ear for music when I was young, and thought of it as a “talent” I had been born with - possibly discounting too much the 1-2 hours per day I practiced (which is of course nothing by musicians’ standards - but still).  But Simone suggests that what we think of as talent is more often something we love so much that we do it a lot, in which case does the success stem from innate ability, or from “nonstop, almost obsessive practice”? 

Thought provoking question!  If some activity I need to make my business succeed - such as successful marketing, thoughtful use of social media, writing useful articles - doesn’t come naturally to me, do I give up on talent and turn to the other two Keys to Success?  Nope.  I keep marketing.  I keep working at communicating.  I write, and write, and write some more. 

As Simone writes, “The more you work, the more talented you get.”  Which is actually a huge relief!

Luck

Luck is obviously completely outside my realm of influence - or so I thought.  But what if luck isn’t really “luck”?  If a brand new client phones me because my marketing piece lands on her desk the very day she needs help, is that luck?  Maybe, but if I strew my marketing pieces wider and farther and more strategically and more often, can I improve the odds of such a thing happening?

If I bump into three potential clients at a social event and spark their interest in my business primarily because I’m likable and I express confidence that I can benefit them, is that lucky?  Perhaps a bit, but if I get out more often and meet more people, and if I’m putting my most likable self forward at all times, do I improve my odds? 

What if I’m always striving to be kind, be helpful, be generous, improve my karma, and increase my whuffie?  What if these things, over time, bring me more business and happier clients?  Is that luck?

As Simone says, “The more you work, the luckier you get.”  Good news!

Persistence

I’m not suggesting this one is easy; however it is a lot easier for me to realize that this particular key to success is within my control.  I need to keep at it and not give up.  Keep working hard and well for my clients.  Keep dreaming up new avenues for finding and attracting clients.  Keep marketing.  Keep writing.  Keep interacting.  Keep striving to be generous.  Keep doing my best work.  Relentlessly.  Every day.  No matter what.  Without fail.

So when I’m tempted to feel discouraged that things aren’t going my way, not falling into place, not progressing quickly enough, this article is an excellent reminder to me that if I just persist, keep working hard at all the tasks before me, perhaps I can increase my talent, create my own luck, and my business will become a success.

Building My Business or Spinning My Wheels?

When I first started my own business, I floundered trying to figure out how to be productive.  After all, I had spent much of my work life having my activities dictated by supervisors.  Obviously, one of the appeals of entrepreneurship is that I do in fact now set my own schedule and determine my own work activities!  But instead of being happy about that, I was frustrated at all the distractions hurtling my way that I wasn’t managing well, and anxious that I wasn’t getting enough done, or wasn’t getting the right things done.

After all, there are many things I need to fit into my schedule in order to keep my business running, and part of my learning curve as a new entrepreneur has been figuring out what those things are.  I devised ever longer lists of activities I hoped would grow my business.  Yet, even with to do lists, I still wasn’t content with my progress, and felt that important tasks were slipping through the cracks due to distractions, or poor time management, or perhaps just through poor prioritization.  Or perhaps because I just didn’t know what the heck I was doing!

Mostly I felt I was spinning my wheels.
 

Finally the messages of the business books and blogs I was reading sunk in, and I stepped back and thought about strategy.  I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating.  Mitch Joel talks about tactics - in my case my to-do list - being useless without a strategy.  I needed to ask myself why I would do any of the tasks on my to-do list, and which piece of my overall strategy each item supported.  So I sat down and thought about my business strategy, and prioritized broad business goals.  Then I listed categories of tasks under each goal, and I made sure that every task I dreamed up to do fit somewhere into that strategy and supported at least one of those goals.
 

Even that wasn’t enough.  It doesn’t do to merely write up a strategy; I must implement it.  So I have devised a daily schedule for myself.  I have even set up reminders.  And I am trying to stick to my schedule.  I may make daily decisions about flexing parts of the schedule here or there depending on my client commitments or appointments, but I am finding it tremendously useful to have thought through a plan for my day which is based upon my business strategy, rather than the whim du jour.  Here’s how it works.
 

Obviously work for my clients takes priority, and having lots of client work is the point of the whole exercise.  So when I have client work to do, I devote large chunks of time to it, and fit other tasks in as I may.  That said, these are the tasks I make sure I work into my schedule.

Social Media

 

I set aside some time each day for LinkedIn, Twitter and my RSS feed.  I check in on LinkedIn, see if there are any group discussions I want to contribute to.  I skim through my various Twitter feeds, click on interesting links, and retweet things I find useful.  I skim through the blogs in my RSS feed, and comment on or tweet blogs posts, as seems appropriate.  The business strategy here is three-fold.  First, it’s educational for me; it helps me keep abreast of the trends in my industry.  Next, I am building on-line relationships with people in my field from whom I can learn and whom I can perhaps assist.  And finally, I am developing my “brand” as a skilled paralegal who is an expert in her field.  However, I could spend all day on these things, so I set a time limit to it – I try to keep it to an hour (90 non-consecutive minutes max).
 

Writing

 

I set aside time for writing projects.  I am always working on articles related to the legal industry and/or paralegal work.  I make them available for download on my website, and I plan to pursue publication avenues for some of them in the future.  The business strategy behind this is twofold:  I want to continue to learn and keep my skills sharp, and the research required by writing articles accomplishes this.  And second, writing articles helps me in that above-mentioned “brand development.”

Marketing

 

Do you remember that line from the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, “Always Be Closing”?  The business strategy here is “Always Be Marketing.”  I can’t afford to take a break from this.  I need to find ways to reach new markets, and to stay on the radar of potential clients.  I always have a few marketing projects going, whether it’s tweaking my website, developing new marketing materials, executing a direct mail campaign, building my marketing database, in person networking with former colleagues or potential clients, or studying marketing books.  I need to be relentless in my marketing efforts in order to keep business coming in the door.

The Rest of It

 

Recently I have begun scheduling regular time for writing posts for my two blogs, because I’ve realized that was the only way I would fit it in.  It is my hope that this will help me post a bit more consistently in the future.  I also set aside time most days for a little work-out, and this happens whether I have client work or not.  No one is going to keep me healthy but me!
 

Add in errands, meal preparation, and reading my various business books and magazines, plus some cooking magazines and the occasional novel (this usually happens in the evenings when my brain is too weary to “work” any more), and my days are very full!  That’s a good thing!
 

But the best thing of all is that when I regularly review my strategy for growing my business and the activities needed to support that strategy, and then stick to a schedule for chipping away at these activities, I accomplish more, and I hope the things I accomplish are actually pushing my business strategy forward! 

 

What are your time management strategies?  Feel free to share them in the comments.