Hanging Out A Shingle - How to Start a Solo Practice

by MSBA LOMA and Solo & Small Firm Section

If you are considering starting a solo practice or have just recently started solo, then this is the program for you. It will offer practical and useful information designed to give you information you need to start as smoothly as possible. It will help you prepare for some of the more detailed programs at the Solo and Small Firm Conference.
Sessions include: Avoiding Grievance and Malpractice, Client Development-How to Build a Practice and Technology for New Solo Practitioners

iLitigate on the iPad

by Brett Burney

Brett Burney, a practicing lawyer and well regarded ABA TechShow speaker will be doing a half day session on using the iPad in trial.  This session is for anyone from any practice setting or any size firm who wants to use the iPad in trial.  It has one rave reviews at conferences all over the country. 
Topics include:

• Document Management
• Getting documents onto the iPad and organizing them
  • Searching documents
  • Apps to manage documents on the iPad
• Document Annotation Apps
• Managing and Searching Transcripts
• Jury Tracking / Selection Apps
• Legal Research
• Access to Rules and Statutes
• 30 Must have apps

Legal Ethics in the Digital Age: Cloud Computing, Social Media and Other Scary Places

Presenters: Christine Pham, Esq., Rosenberg, Martin, Greenberg, LLP, Chair, MSBA Ethics Committee

Too often technology moves much faster than our ability to learn how to create rules for its use.  Most times we cannot even imagine what rules we may need until something happens.  This session, presented by the Chair of the MSBA Ethics Committee, will attempt to address some of the ethical issues for the digital age – at least up until this point in time.

Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers

Sharon D. Nelson, Esq and John W. Simek, Sensei Enterprises, Inc

Technology is a double-edged sword.  While we can be more mobile and share information more easily, there is a danger in all this.  Sharon Nelson and John Simek are experts in the area of information security - especially for law firms.  They are highly active with the ABA TECHSHOW, authors of nine books published by the ABA and they present sessions for bar associations all over the country. 

Building Your Practice with Social Media

Sharon D. Nelson, Esq and John W. Simek, Sensei Enterprises, Inc

This session will help you learn how to use the various social media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, blogs and video– effectively, ethically and securely to build your practice.  This session is full of practical tips about what really works - there is a brief overview for beginners followed by substantive recommendations and metrics for measuring your success. Bring your questions!

Beyond the Basics: How Lawyers Can Really Use the iPad

Neil Tyra, Esq., The Tyra Law Firm, LLC

Like it or not, the iPad and other tablets are rapidly being incorporated into the daily practice of law for lawyers in all type of practice settings.  This session will take you beyond the basics of using it as an e-reader and show you how to make it an essential tool for your practice and your life. 

60 Tech Tips in 60 Minutes

Valerie Nowottnick, ACP, Paralegal Consultants, Sterling McKinley, Law Marketing Pros

One of the most popular sessions at every Solo Conference, this session will give you tips on apps, software, hardware, gadgets, social media and any other device that can be plugged in, turned on or uploaded.

Marriage for All, and No Marriage by Choice – What does it mean in Maryland? 

Michele Zavos, Esq., Zavos Juncker Law Group, PLLC

Regardless of where your opinions fall on the social meter on same-sex or unmarried couples, these are issues that will resonate for the clients of many solo and small firm practitioners from family law, estate and trusts and bankruptcy.  Any practice that may involve persons in legal relationships can be affected.  This session will give an overview of the issues which your clients may face now and in the future.

How Elder Law Affects Your Practice

Mary E. O'Byrne, Esq., Firm: Frank, Frank & Scherr, LLC

Program description coming soon.

How to Service Your Business Clients

Eliot M. Wagonheim, Esq., Wagonheim Law

If you have small business clients, they face many issues that they may not have time to consider – not unlike many solo and small firm practitioners.  Learn what you need to keep in front of your business law client and to make sure that they hear what you say.  Their business depends upon it and so does yours.

Family Law Updates

Bryan C. Renehan, Esq., Brodsky, Renehan, Pearlstein, Lastra & Bouquet, Chtd.

This session has been done at all 12 previous Solo and Small Firm Conferences and the room is always full.  This year will be no different.  Hear from one of the MSBA’s most reliable and respected presented on Family Law Updates.  If you do family law, this session is worth the price of admission.

Electronic Employment: Pitfalls and Dangers

Randi Klein Hyatt, Kollman & Saucier, P.A.

The workplace, like the world, is changing much faster than we can create rules for it. All businesses, large and small, must address the constant changing employment problems when dealing with technologies that did not even exist five to ten years ago. This session will discuss how to handle issues related to email, social media, remote access, client confidentiality and many other issues we did not even know was or could be a problem.

Technology to Make Your Case

Brett Burney, Burney Consultants, LLC

Technology has changed every aspect of law and none more so than litigation.  This session will give you information on technology that solo and small firm practitioners can (and should) use to compete effectively in the courtroom. 

Tips on How to (Better) Prepare A Jury Trial

Louis Leibowitz, Esq, Law Offices of Louis Leibowitz, LLC

This session is for anyone – new or experienced – who litigates in front of a jury.  If you are new, this will be an invaluable session to help you hone your skills.  If you are an experienced litigator, you can always learn a new tip (or two) on preparing for your future trials.

Strategies To Help Maximize The Taking, Defending and Using of Depositions

Frank Spector, Esq.  Spector and Kopec, LLC

This session will focus on depositions by reviewing the applicable Maryland Rules and providing tips on how to get the most out of this important discovery tool. Topics to include the timing of depositions, use of videotape, preparation for both taking and defending, what to do when a confrontation occurs with opposing counsel and much more.

Making the Best Use of Expert Witnesses

Robert Fiore, Esq., Fiore Krause Fizer Crogan & Lopez

This session will provide a best practices guideline for the handling of expert witnesses with an eye toward the solo and small firm practitioner.
Topics include preliminary issues such as deciding whether an expert is necessary and selecting experts based on need and cost. Additionally, tactical considerations concerning discovery of pre-trial communications with experts, the preparation of expert reports and designations and Frye-Reed and Daubert issues will be addressed.  Finally, practical outlines will be presented for practitioner to use at trial or in de bene esse deposition for qualifying the expert, challenging qualifications, presenting expert testimony on direct examination and cross-examining the expert witness.

Your Last Chance to Persuade: Effective Closing Arguments

M. Natalie McSherry, Esq., Kramon & Graham, P.A.

In opera, it ain’t over until the fat lady sings and in litigation, the case ain’t over until the closing argument.  In close cases, an effective closing argument can be the deciding factor.  This session will give tips on creating the most effective closing argument.

Best Tax and Business Practices for Solo and Small Firm Practitioners

Stuart Levine, Esq. Law Office of Stuart Levine, Peter Mills, Esq., Law Offices of Peter D Mills LLC

The practice of law is a noble profession but it is also a business.  Given the economic difficulties currently faced by all businesses, it is even more important that you manage the business end of your practice well.  This session will address tax and business issues so you can be certain that you are running your practice as cost-effectively as possible.  And if you have small business clients, this session will also give you tips on how to help them as well.

Avoiding Mistakes: A Checklist Manifesto

Anne Hill, Esq., Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company

Mistakes cannot be eliminated but there are ways to manage your practice to help you minimize your risk of making them.  In this session you will hear about some of the consequences of mistakes that could and should have been avoided and tips on what you can do now to create an atmosphere to minimize your risk of making mistakes that could and should be avoided.  Using these tips will help you sleep better at night.

Characteristics of Rainmakers

Barbara Kaplan, BSK Strategies, Philadelphia, PA

According to Dictionary.com a rainmaker is “an executive or lawyer with exceptional ability to attract clients, use political connections, increase profits, etc.” Are rainmakers born or are they trained? Can you learn how to be a rainmaker?  This session will explain the common characteristics of rainmakers and how you can use some of these characteristics with your own personality to expand your practice. 

Staying Out of Quicksand: What to Include in Retainer Agreements

Carolyn Elefant, Esq.  Law Office of Carolyn Elefant

No lawyer should take on a new client without a detailed retainer agreement.  These agreements will help you minimize problems when dealing with some difficult clients.  They also help the client understand the billing/fee process and the scope of the representation.  However, some of these agreements cause more problems than they were created to avoid.  This session will teach you what should and should not be in a good retainer agreement that will help both you and your client.

Best Practices in Billing

Daniel Mills, Esq., Practice Management Advisor, DC Bar Association

How do you bill so that clients will pay and not resent you?  How do you explain, educate, advocate and market in your bill so that clients pay and you are not chasing receivables?  Billing procedures are critical moving parts for the solo/small firm law office.  This session will show you how to build a system that works for you and gets positive results.