Tag Archives: Legal

Should Clients Start Acting Like Consumers?

On this blog, we often refer to clients as legal consumers.  Clients who are paying for services provided by attorneys are consumers of legal services.  Hence the term “legal consumers.”  Inherent in that terminology is the concept that the legal industry is … Continue reading

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“Rake” TV Show – Surprisingly Accurate

One of LPR’s followers suggested we watch last week’s episode of Rake, a new legal drama on Fox.  In last Friday’s episode, “Staple Holes,” the lead character, Keegan Dean, leaves his solo practice to join his best friend’s white shoe … Continue reading

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Finally . . . A Legal Reality Show!

For some time we have been lamenting around the water cooler that there is no reality show to educate legal consumers by showcasing different legal situations and ways to resolve them, much like the show The Doctors.  What a great resource … Continue reading

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Legal Consumer Tip #6 – Contract Terms Are Binding

Read all contract terms — you will be bound to them. While this oft-stated advice seems simple enough, many legal consumers don’t read all contract terms before signing, and even fewer stop to think about how the terms will play … Continue reading

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Council for Court Excellence – A Great Resource for Legal Consumers

The Council for Court Excellence (CCE), the “moving force” behind the “one day/one trial” jury duty system in the D.C. Superior Court, is a nonprofit organization formed in 1982, that “works to improve the administration of justice in the Washington metropolitan … Continue reading

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The Client’s Paradox

In today’s times when people need a lawyer to do almost anything, the choice of which lawyer is very important.  But as the number of lawyers to choose from has increased exponentially, the choice has become infinitely more complex.  A … Continue reading

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Law Firm Refunds Fees . . . Voluntarily!

Imagine you hire a high-end law firm to handle a dispute for you.  The firm handles the matter to your satisfaction and, while the bill seems high, you willingly pay the fee.  Now imagine several months later you receive a … Continue reading

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Sitting Judges As Mediators

In Shawnee County District Court, located in Topeka, Kansas, sitting judges are mediating “serious” criminal cases.  According to The Topeka Capital-Journal, this mediation program is a growing trend that is avoiding “legal warfare,” alleviating the need for victim and witness testimony, and sparing … Continue reading

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Attorney Tip #5 – Talk Like A Lawyer

No, we don’t mean speak to your clients using “legalese.”  We mean the exact opposite. On January 1, 2012, the ABA Journal re-published “More Than Just Words: This Is What It Really Means to Talk Like a Lawyer” by Jim … Continue reading

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Manhattan Judge Rules For The Legal Consumer – Again!

Manhattan Civil Court Judge Frank P. Nervo issued an opinion on January 14, 2014 denying a law firm’s $126,000+ legal fee request for recovery of a $6,400 security deposit in a residential lease case.  The “BigLaw” firm, Mayer Brown LLP, submitted the 14 … Continue reading

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