Nice Guys Are Good for Business
Back in 2005 I wrote Who Says Nice Guys Finish Last? The post recounted how attorneys have generated more business by putting their focus on helping others, even in ways that have nothing to do with the law. It also discussed the psychological underpinning of their success.
In the wake of the financial meltdown, there is growing evidence (cited by Time magazine, Fortune magazine and Harvard Business Review) that the “do well by doing good” philosophy is gaining a foothold in the corporate world. Maybe we are getting beyond the Gordon Gekko/ Ivan Boesky philosphy that “greed is good.” I hope more of our legal colleagues take note, too.
At least one Harvard Law grad is leading the way. Dov Seidman, author of the bestseller HOW: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything … in Business (and in Life) opines that “winner-take-all” strategies are obsolete. He partially credits the increased difficulty in hiding unethical and greedy business behavior in this era of bloggers, YouTube, Twitter and other social media.
Fortune Magazine recently published Why Doing Good Is Good for Business about Seidman’s rise as a management guru from providing training in ethics and legal compliance. The Fortune article says he
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Post Date: March 16, 2010
Social Media Articles in Texas Bar Journal
The March 2010 issue of the Texas Bar Journal is out, and it contains a number of excellent articles on “The Attorney and Social Media”. I have two articles in it. Social Media 101 for Lawyers and Ethically Navigating the Social Media Landscape. I had more to say than got pubished, but editors will edit, when space is limited. 
My Twitter friend, Adrian Dayton (@AdrianDayton) has an excellent article about 10 Steps to Becoming a Rainmaker through Social Media. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
John Browning explains how lawyers use social media to serve process in lawsuits. He also describes numerous cases of juror misconduct with social media in another article.
The entire issue is worth reading, even the review by Gerry Morris on the off-topic subject of online accounting in a law practice.
Way to go Texas Bar Journal!
Post Date: March 2, 2010
Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: Social Media Ethics for Lawyers
Have you been thinking about venturing into the world of social media, but don’t know where to start? Do you already have a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter, but worry about whether you could inadvertently breach some legal ethics requirement in Texas? Are you skeptical about the value of social media to your law practice?
Tomorrow these questions will be answered. Debra L. Bruce will present “Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: Social Media Ethics for Lawyers” to the Harris County Municipal Justice Bar Association in Houston at 8:00am on Saturday, February 20, 2010. For more information contact Lawrence A. Rousseau at (713) 222-0550 or lawrence_rousseau@yahoo.com
Post Date: February 19, 2010
Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: Social Media Ethics for Lawyers
Debra L. Bruce will present “Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: Social Media Ethics for Lawyers” to the Solos Supporting Solos group in Houston at 7:30am on Thursday, February 18, 2010. For more information go to www.SolosSupportingSolos.org or contact Lynne Andrews at andrews_lynne@att.net.
Post Date: February 17, 2010