2021 Virtual Solo & Small Firm Conference—Join Us Online February 12

Register now for the 2021 Solo & Small Firm Conference. This year’s theme is “Virtually Irresistible: Tech Tools and Strategies for Solos and Small Firms.” Our first-ever virtual annual conference features some of the top practice advisors in the country. And, you’ll learn first-hand from Florida attorneys who have built—and sustained—thriving law practices using technology and effective practice management techniques. Registrants have 90-day, on-demand access. Course 4253. 5.0 General; 3.0 Technology CLE credits. REGISTER

Interested in a YLD scholarship?  The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division is proud to be the Education Partner for the 2021 Solo & Small Firm Conference and 10 scholarships are available for YLD members. Apply by Jan. 15, 2021, by sending a resume and brief essay about your experience as a solo or small-firm lawyer to rlibbert@floridabar.org with a “Conference Scholarship” subject line. Special consideration will be given to YLD applicants who also are members of the Solo & Small Firm Section. Learn more at FLSoloSmallFirm.org/virtually-irresistible.

3 Keys to Crafting an Effective Professional Website Bio

Your professional bio is the place where prospects can determine whether they like and trust you enough to solve a certain legal issue and whether it is worth picking up the phone. The average buyer spends 15 seconds on a bio webpage, which means you have only 15 seconds to grab their attention and validate their decision to choose you.

Here are three tactics to create an engaging web bio that will drive business, speak directly to your potential client and put your best foot forward.

FREE CLE:  Get Your Side Hustle On!

Dec. 2 @ 12 – 1 PM: Free CLE for Section Members:  Ethically Cultivating Passive Revenue:  Get Your Side Hustle On! Wednesday Wisdom Free CLE for section members only.* 

Join attorney Joshua Hertz and business development and law firm coach Paula Black for an informative webinar about the different ways to ethically generate passive income. As a solo or small-firm attorney, we know all too well that there are only so many hours in a day and adding one more thing to our to-do list is unthinkable. But what if that one thing could be revenue-generating to help you through the times when business is slow, such as serving as coverage counsel or signing up for conflict cases? Join us for a lively discussion about ethically supplementing your income.

Course 4251. 1.0 General CLE credit, all of which may be applied toward Ethics. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

New Features in Zoom Breakout Rooms

Tech tip from The Florida Bar:  Smaller and more focused discussions are some of the best virtues of in-person meetings, and Zoom has made them available through its new breakout room features.

Meeting participants now can choose to move between the breakout rooms without having to wait for the host to assign them a room. Participants also have access to all the features available to them in a regular meeting, such as screen-sharing, in-meeting chats, self-selecting breakout rooms and asking the host for help.

Read the full article here and visit Zoom’s blog post on these new features for more details.

Simple Habits to Transform Your Well-Being in the New Year 

This article was written last year but it’s a great reminder of ways you can succeed when setting New Year’s goals. The key to making goals that last is starting small, with microsteps.

From making a to-do list right before you go to bed to developing a consistent morning routine, the article spells out eight science-backed strategies that are simple enough to incorporate into your daily or weekly routines and are sure to change the way you work and live in the New Year.

Upcoming CLE for Solos and Small Firms

Dec. 8 @ 12–1 PM Live GoToWebinar: Professionalism for Florida Attorneys. This seminar by commercial litigator William Curphey will provide examples of unprofessional behavior and suggest ways to deal with them. We will discuss Florida Bar professionalism expectations, the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, informative cases, local professionalism panels, the Attorney Consumer Assistance Program and more. Course 4252. 1.0 General CLE credit, all of which may be applied toward Professionalism. REGISTER

Jan. 19 @ 12–1 PM Live GoToWebinar:  Digital IP: Helping Clients Protect, Defend & Recover Intellectual Property Rights Online, In Social Media & E-Commerce PlatformsModerator: Chris Johnson. Registered Patent Attorney Luca Hickman will discuss strategies to protect increasingly important digital IP by registering domain names and social media handles, and by using trademark and copyright laws. The program will highlight proactive defense strategies to defend and attack against third-party infringement of digital IP rights, including social media takedowns, using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and more. Course 42761.0 General; 1.0 Technology CLE credit. REGISTER

Jan. 27 @ 12–1 PM Free CLE: Professional Approach to Managing the Client ExperienceWednesday Wisdom Zoom webinar, free CLE for Solo & Small Firm Section members.* By Rob Howard, founder and president of RC Howard and Associates LLC, a certified Sandler Training Center of Greater Tampa Bay. Learn advanced communication techniques that incorporate a repeatable, systemic approach and supporting processes for managing the overall client experience that can impact client satisfaction and sustain positive financial performance and growth for the firm or practice. Course number and 1.0 General CLE credit pending. *Registration will be approved when section membership is confirmed. REGISTER

Join the section’s members-only Facebook group to network with colleagues around the state.

One of the most difficult things about working remotely is trying to stay connected. Let the Solo & Small Firm Section’s Facebook group be a resource for you. Find co-counsel, refer a case or ask for recommendations. It’s free. Our Wednesday Wisdom series is live on Facebook each month and the library of past videos is available 24/7 through the Facebook group for free, on-demand CLE. Join today to network with your colleagues from the section. JOIN NOW

If you’d like to be featured in the section’s member spotlight series, please contact section communications consultant Lisa Tipton.

Thank you to our 2020-21 section sponsors.