Legal Marketing Skills Offer Job Protection

Good news on the legal horizon includes increased hiring plans among half of the law firms questioned in a recent Altman Weil survey, reported in yesterday's Wall Street Journal Law Blog.  Also, billing rates increased 3% last year.

Other aspects of the survey document past hiring practices that translate into a particularly difficult future market for young lawyers and non-equity partners, including:

♦ Nearly 40% of the firms surveyed made fewer partners in 2009 and 50% indicated they “will or might” do so again in 2010;


♦ About 50% of the firms reduced or discontinued hiring first-year associates in 2009 and 38% said they will do the same again; and

♦ About 20% of the firms planned to fire non-equity partners this year, and 37% “will or might” deequitze partners.

Those who stay and those who don't will be determined in part by their ability to bring in new business. Marketing is a process that can be learned. Click here for a free sample attorney marketing plan.

Click here for the Altman Weil 2010 Law Firms in Transition survey results.

Florida's Largest Law Firms

The Daily Business Review has a newly published list of the top 100 Florida law firms. The top five firms are:

1. Akerman Senterfitt
2. Greenberg Traurig
3. Holland + Knight
4. Carlton Fields
5. GrayRobinson

Blue skies are finally appearing for these Sunshine State law firms, following a couple of years of stormy weather for law firms throughout Florida. Read the full report here on Florida's top 100 law firms.